Page 171 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

Before I could respond, footsteps crunched behind us.

Eilvin appeared at the edge of the firelight, his gaze shifting between me and Cordelle. His dark eyes lingered a second too long, and I knew he’d heard enough to understand what we were discussing.

“Whatever’s going on,” Eilvin said, voice low, “we need to be careful. The Order isn’t the only one with spies.”

I nodded, my gaze flicking to the tent where Zander was still inside, the only one in our group not yet awake. His tent flap remained stubbornly closed.

“What about him?” Eilvin asked, his eyes narrowing. “Is Zander in on this?”

“He knows some of it,” I admitted. “But not this.”

“And you trust him?” Eilvin’s tone was skeptical.

I opened my mouth to answer, but the truth was… I didn’t know. Zander had saved me more times than I could count. But he was still the king’s son—and if my father’s paranoia was right, the crown had its own dangerous agenda.

“Yeah,” I said, more for my own benefit than anyone else’s. “I trust him.”

But the words didn’t feel as certain as they should have.

We sat around the fire, the flames casting flickering shadows across our faces. The air was thick with smoke and the lingering scent of charred wood, but no one seemed eager to leave. It felt like none of us wanted to break the fragile bubble of warmth we’d built in the middle of the cold, dark morning.

“I have to know,” I said quietly, staring into the flames. “One way or another, I have to find out if the fae prisoner is my father. And if he is… if he can tell me anything about my magic.” I exhaled slowly. “I can’t keep walking blind into whatever this is.”

The silence stretched, broken only by the occasional crackle from the fire. Riven shifted closer, her shoulder bumping mine.

“Then we’ll help you,” she said, like it were that simple.

“You don’t have to,” I said, my voice softer now. “This isn’t your problem.”

“Like hell it isn’t,” Jax shot back, his face dark with anger. “You’re our squadmate, our friend. You think we’re just going to let you sneak off and deal with this alone?”

“I wouldn’t letyougo alone,” Naia added firmly. “So yeah, we’re helping.”

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat and forced a shaky smile. “Thanks.”

“We need a plan,” Cordelle said, ever the strategist. “Infiltrating the castle won’t be easy—especially with all the new security measures.”

“Not to mention your father’s spies crawling around,” Tae added grimly.

I shook my head. “I don’t care how hard it is. If this prisoner knows anything about what’s happening to me… I need answers.” My fingers curled into my palms. “I can’t keep walking around waiting for my magic to explode or for my father to send another assassin after me.”

“You won’t have to,” Riven said, her voice gentle but certain. “We’re with you.”

“All we have is each other,” Jax added, his usual bravado tempered with something quieter, something softer.

I looked at their faces, my squadmates, my friends, and realized that somewhere along the way, they’d become my family. A family that had chosen me, despite everything. Despite my past, despite the danger I carried like a shadow.

More than I’d ever had before, more than even Solei, who I still loved and missed with an ache I couldn’t shake, these people weremine. And they weren’t going to leave me behind.

“I don’t deserve you guys,” I muttered, my voice catching. “But… thank you.”

Riven grinned. “You’re stuck with us now.”

Cordelle was staring at me for some time. “What is it, Cordy?” I asked.

“Would Kaelith know if you were a first-generation halfling?”

“I don’t know.”