Page 166 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

I swung onto her neck and barely had time to grab the rope before she shot into the air, her wings slicing through the morning wind. I spotted Hein ahead, Zander’s silhouette blending with the silver sheen of his dragon’s back.

Then I saw them—black scales glinting in the morning sun. Not like the sleek elegance of Kass, but rougher, jagged, like shards of obsidian set beneath their scales. Blood dragons.Smaller than ours but faster, their wings snapping like blades through the air.

They are vicious,Kaelith warned, her voice sharp in my mind.And there are more of them than us.

I cursed under my breath. There had to be at least ten of them circling the sky, moving in perfect coordination. Far too many for our small squad.

One of the blood dragons dove, streaking past Hein in a blur of shadow. Hein twisted in midair, narrowly dodging the attack. Zander’s blade gleamed as he sliced the air, his Dark Fire lashing outward. The blood dragon veered away, a jagged burn scoring its side.

Another swooped toward me.Kaelith!I shouted.

Hold on!she growled, her wings folding tight against her body as she dove hard and fast.

The blood dragon closed in, jaws snapping—rows of serrated teeth flashing. Kaelith twisted mid-dive, her tail lashing outward like a whip. The crack of impact sent the blood dragon spiraling away with a furious shriek.

“Ashe!” Zander’s voice roared from above. I looked up just in time to see another blood dragon arrowing toward me from my blind spot. Its rider held a jagged spear, and he aimed straight for Kaelith’s side.

I hurled a small dagger, the silver blade flashing before it sank deep into his arm. The rider’s hand spasmed, his spear tumbling uselessly toward the trees below.

Kaelith twisted hard, banking in a sharp arc that left my muscles screaming, but it got us out of range. I clung to the rope, breath ragged as my heart pounded in my chest.

We can’t keep this up,Kaelith warned, her breathing echoing in my mind.They’re driving us away from the clearing—separating us.

She was right. In the chaos, our squad had scattered. Zander was circling high above with Hein, locked in a twisting dogfight with two blood dragons. Jax’s dragon, Koddos, was streaking low across the treetops, weaving to help protect Cordelle’s smaller dragon.

I grit my teeth. “We’re not running,” I said aloud.

Agreed,Kaelith rumbled.But we need to change the game.

I reached into my belt for another dagger, my gaze locking on the blood dragon circling low. The rider’s face was masked in dark leather, his blood-red cloak whipping behind him like a banner.

That one.I sent the thought to Kaelith, and she didn’t hesitate.

She dove like a bolt of lightning, wings tucked to her sides. The blood dragon twisted, its rider raising his blade—but he wasn’t fast enough. Kaelith’s claws ripped across the dragon’s wing, tearing the membrane wide open.

The beast shrieked, spiraling downward in a blur of black scales and crimson cloth. Its rider leaped free before it crashed into the trees below.

One down.

I turned my gaze skyward, where Zander was fighting off two blood dragons alone. Hein roared, but they were closing in. The odds weren’t in his favor.

“We’re coming!” I called out, gripping the rope tighter. “Kaelith, get us there fast.”

Hold on, Rider,she growled, wings snapping wide as we surged back into the fray.

I noticed another black dragon approaching Hein from the rear. As skilled as the massive silver was, he and Zander couldn’t fight on three fronts.

Do something,Kaelith hissed.

The power surged inside me like a raging storm, electric and uncontrollable. The sky darkened, thunder rolling through the air like a drumbeat that shook the ground beneath us.

Stop,Kaelith’s voice seared through my mind, sharp with warning.You do not have control yet.

But the power kept building, burning beneath my skin like wildfire. I clenched my fists, trying to smother it, but my magic lashed out like a whip.

The sky split open.

Lightning cracked, jagged and blinding, striking one of the blood dragons mid-air. The beast’s scream was drowned by the roar of the storm as it plummeted, smoke rising from its scales as it spiraled toward the forest. The rider’s silhouette flailed briefly before they crashed through the trees.