Page 172 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

Kaelith,I reached out to her as the others drifted off into their own conversations by the fire.I need to ask you something... something important.

She was quiet for a moment, her presence a muted warmth in the back of my mind. I almost thought she was ignoring me. But then her voice slithered through my thoughts.

Ask.

Am I...I hesitated, suddenly unsure how to phrase it.Am I... a true halfling? Is one of my parents... fae?

The silence stretched between us, colder than the night air. I felt her reluctance, a strange flicker of emotion I couldn’t quite place.

Yes,she said finally.One of your parents was full fae... and the other had some fae blood, but was mostly human.

My breath caught. I didn’t know what I’d been expecting, but hearing it confirmed still hit like a punch to the ribs.How do you know?

Because,Kaelith said, her voice quieter now, almost... wistful.I couldn’t bond with the current noble bloodlines. I tried a long time ago... but there was no connection. No balance.She paused.AndI never wanted a rider who could control me. Not like the ones before.

I frowned.I would never...I swallowed hard.I mean, I couldn’t even if I tried. I can’t control you.

Kaelith,I reached out to her again, feeling the flicker of her presence as she stretched her wings. The warmth of her thoughts curled around mine like smoke.Tell me about the Blood Fae.

Her silence lingered for a breath longer than I liked before she answered.

They were once of the Light,she said, her voice low.Long ago, they walked with the High Fae, part of their courts, and a few bonded to dragons like myself. But they wanted more—more power, more years... more control. When the Blood Fae turned against their own, they began stealing our eggs.

My stomach twisted.Why?

To gain immortality,Kaelith said bitterly.The magic inside dragon eggs is ancient, older than the continent itself. By consuming that magic, they believed they could cheat death. And they weren’t wrong.

But the dragons...My voice faltered.The ones they stole—the ones they turned—those are the ones we fight now.

Yes.Her answer was cold.They are our lost children, warped and twisted by blood magic. They can only be set free in death now. That is why I offer mercy when I face them. My mercy is death.

I swallowed hard, remembering the dragon she’d killed earlier, the sickening crack of its spine still fresh in my mind.

The strongest of the full-blooded fae could take this magic further,Kaelith continued.They didn’t just corrupt eggs—they could bind adult dragons... those newly awakened to their power, still uncertain in their strength.

I felt a shiver crawl down my spine.You mean... they could control you?

If I allowed it,Kaelith replied, her voice darkening.But I never would. I would die before I let someone take my will.

I have lived my entire life without choices,I said.I would never force that on someone else. Not even if it meant saving my own life.

A warmth spread across my chest, soft and steady like a heartbeat. I reached for my pendant and noticed there was more purple showing. Making the scale beneath more evident.

Kaelith...

It’s time for me to hunt,she said, her tone softer now.

I stood in the clearing and watched as her form lifted into the sky. Her wings caught the early threads of sunlight as she disappeared into the clouds.

In the distance, Hein soared after her, his silver scales catching the light like molten steel. Whatever tension still lingered in my chest softened as I watched the two of them slip into the horizon.

Be safe,I whispered to her—but I knew Kaelith didn’t need my warning. She was a force unto herself... and I was starting to believe I was stronger for having her at my side.

Zander finally emerged from his tent, his hair mussed and the shadows beneath his eyes deeper than usual. He walked straight to Tae, grabbed a bowl of porridge without a word, and settled beside me on the log. His thigh pressed against mine, solid and warm, and I forced myself to keep my gaze on my own breakfast.

“Our dragons are hunting,” I said quietly, stirring my spoon through the thick porridge.

“I know.” His voice was low, a rasp that coiled through me like smoke curling under a door.