Page 161 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

My heart pounded as I squared off against my new attacker, tightening my grip on my rapier. This was no random encounter—someone had followed me through the barrier.

And they wanted me dead.

The assassin moved fast—but slower than I expected. His hood clung tightly to his face, only his eyes visible beneath the shadow. Dark, sharp eyes—and familiar in a way that nagged at me, but not enough to place him.

He lunged with a curved dagger aimed at my ribs. I twisted, stepping inside his reach and driving my elbow into his chest. He stumbled back but recovered quickly, his blade flicking toward my shoulder. I parried with my rapier, metal shrieking against metal.

“You’re not Order,” I hissed, circling him. He didn’t speak—only shifted his weight and struck again. His blade cut the air near my face, and I ducked low, slicing toward his thigh. He jumped back, agile despite his bulk.

The way he moved—aggressive but imprecise—wasn’t like one of my father’s assassins. There was no grace and no calculated precision. This man relied on brute strength, not skill.

He came at me again, swinging wide. Sloppy. I sidestepped, driving my rapier across his arm. The blade cut deep, and he staggered back, clutching the wound as blood seeped between his fingers. His eyes widened, and without a word, he turned and bolted into the trees.

I took a shaky breath, lowering my rapier. That had been far too easy.

Not Order.A real assassin wouldn’t have fled so easily—and certainly wouldn’t have been scared off by a single cut. My mind raced.

Then who sent him? How did he get in here?

Kaelith’s triumphant roar split the air. I turned in time to see the second beast crumple beneath her talons, its body still twitching. Her wings flared wide as her head jerked toward the tree line, locking onto the figure fleeing into the distance.

What is going on?Her voice hissed through my mind.

I was attacked while you were busy killing the creature,I answered, still trying to piece it together.

That timing is highly suspect.Her voice was sharp with suspicion.

Yeah,I agreed.I don’t think that guy was from the Order.

Then only a royal could have let him in...Kaelith’s tone darkened.

Unless he was a dragon rider,I added, thinking of Perin.

True...Her voice turned thoughtful before snapping back to a sharp edge.

Get back,Kaelith ordered, her growl low and threatening.

I turned, raising my rapier again as another shadow shifted between the trees. My heart hammered in my chest. Whoever this was—they weren’t running. They were closing in.

The two Blood Fae emerged from the trees like shadows bleeding from the forest itself. Their crimson eyes gleamed in the dim light, fixed solely on me.

One of them, the taller, leaner of the two, raised his hand. The air shifted, warping around us in a shimmering veil that seemed to hum in my bones.

What is that?I asked Kaelith.

It’s a sound shield,she growled in my mind.I cannot connect with the horde telepathically, and they will not hear me if I roar.

Panic flickered through me, but I held firm. The second fae, broader in build with jagged scars marking his face, remained just outside the shimmering barrier. The leaner one—his sharp features twisted into a smug smile—stepped forward, crossing into the bubble with me.

His fingers twitched, and a pulse of violet energy shot toward Kaelith. She let out a sharp exhale, her wings shuddering before her limbs locked in place. Her talons, halfway through curling, froze mid-motion. Her chest barely rose and fell.

Immobility power,Kaelith gritted out in my mind. Her voice was tight, strained.You must kill him, or I can’t help you.

The fae grinned wider, flashing sharp teeth. “This will be easy,” he said in a voice like poisoned silk.

“You have no idea how stubborn I am,” I shot back, pulling my rapier into position.

He smirked, taking lazy steps toward me. “I’ll kill her,” he taunted, jerking his chin toward Kaelith’s frozen form. “And then I’ll drag you back to yourtrue master. You can still be of use.”