Page 16 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

The world around me was silent. The murky blue pressing in on all sides, the cold seeping into my bones like a vice. Panic clawed at my chest.

I wasn’t a strong swimmer, and the weight of my soaked clothes dragged me downward. I kicked wildly, forcing my burning lungs to hold on just a little longer, ignoring the sharp, relentless pain radiating through my back.

Don’t panic.

I forced my arms into motion, pushing up, reaching for the surface, even as my body screamed for oxygen. Darkness flickered at the edges of my vision, but then I broke through.

I gasped, sucking in air as saltwater flooded my mouth. The taste of failure. The waves slammed into me, sending me under again for a brief second before I resurfaced, coughing and sputtering. I wiped the water from my eyes, dragging myselftoward the shore. One stroke. Another. Keep going. My muscles burned, my limbs sluggish from exhaustion and the chill of the water.

By the time I crawled onto the beach, my body felt like deadwood, my arms trembling as I pushed myself upright. Wet sand clung to me, my breath coming in ragged, shuddering gasps. I barely had time to process the humiliation before the laughter started.

Iron Fang.

Perin, standing at the front, his smug smirk sharpened. “Look at that,” he sneered, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. “Well, that was an epic failure.”

Another Iron Fang recruit, a wiry, sharp-eyed woman, snickered. “She swims like a drowning rat.”

A third, taller man with close-cropped dark hair chuckled, crossing his arms. “Maybe she should just enlist in the infantry.”

Laughter rippled through their ranks, loud, bitter, and merciless.

I clenched my fists, my body still shaking from exertion. Shame burned beneath my skin, hot and unbearable. The Sentinel had tossed me aside like I was nothing, and I had an audience for my failure.

I forced my spine straight despite the ache radiating down my back. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Across the beach, Zander stared at me, but he was no longer alone. The massive silver Striker beside him was the largest in the horde. Even a little bigger than the Sentinel.

His expression remained impassive, a mask of detached nobility, but something tightened in his jaw, his lips pressed into a thin, unreadable line.

He wasn’t the only one staring.

Zander’s dragon, Hein, lingered on me.

The massive beast’s golden eyes were locked on me with a sharp, almost predatory focus, his wings shifting with barely contained tension.

I swallowed hard, shoving my humiliation deep, deep down, then turned toward Major Kaler, lifting my chin.

“What’s next?” I asked, my voice hoarse but steady.

I wouldn’t let them see how much it hurt.

Zander moved toward his dragon, not bothering with a rope like the rest of us had. Instead, he simply grabbed onto Hein’s thick forearm, the dragon lowering its massive limb just enough for him to hoist himself up with effortless ease. With a quick push, Zander swung onto Hein’s back, gripping his back with his legs before the dragon’s powerful wings flared wide.

Damn show-off.

He didn’t even look back before Hein launched into the air, the downforce from his wings sending a gust of wind strong enough to whip sand into my already-soaked face.

“Prick,” Jax muttered under his breath, shaking sand from his hair.

Zander and Hein soared over the beach, banking toward the castle in a single fluid movement. No rope. No hesitation. Just pure, unchallenged skill.

Major Kaler, still standing by the table, turned to Tae with a clipped nod. “Take Ashlyn and your squad back to your barracks and get changed. Your rider’s armor will be delivered shortly.”

Tae motioned for us to follow, and we made our way back to the rope, our clothes still damp, our boots filled with sand, and our pride in various states of disrepair.

“Are we cadets now?” Riven asked, wiping some of the wet sand from her arms as she walked beside Tae.

Tae exhaled, pushing his blond hair out of his face. “Cordelle is,” he said, nodding toward our poet, who still looked radiantover his easy-bonding experience. “The rest of you are just prospects until your pendant reveals your scale.”