Page 189 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

Teren’s gaze settled on me, sharp and calculating as if he were weighing my worth. “You’re Cyran Rebec’s daughter?” His tone wasn’t accusatory, but there was enough edge to make it clear he wasn’t sure what to make of me yet.

“Yes,” I said, my voice low.

He studied me a moment longer, then his brow furrowed. “For some reason, I thought you were blond.”

I let out a dry, humorless laugh. “That’s my sister, Solei. I’m... adopted.” My chest tightened. “But she’s the only person in the Order I still love.”

Teren’s expression softened just a little. He glanced at Elivin’s lifeless body strapped to Makor’s back. His voice was quieter when he spoke again.

“Listen... we’ll clean up here and inform the royals in Amdar and Caston what happened.” He hesitated, then added, “You should return with your fallen.”

I stared at Elivin’s still form, at the dried blood and the scorch marks that marred his armor. My stomach twisted, grief gnawing at me like something sharp and relentless. “My father... he participated in this,” I murmured, my voice little more than a whisper. “In our friend’s death.”

I swallowed hard, my gaze hardening. “And he’s going to pay for it.”

Teren’s eyes flicked back to me, assessing, but he didn’t challenge me. Instead, he just nodded.

“Make him bleed,” he said grimly.

I clenched my fists, my heart pounding with the kind of rage that never really fades—the kind that simmers just beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to explode.

Chapter

Forty

The flight back to the castle was faster, but it was quieter too. The air was thick with exhaustion and grief, and no one seemed to have the strength for conversation—not even Kaelith. She stayed silent the entire way, her presence a massive weight in my mind.

When we landed in the dimly lit Ascension Grounds, the castle looming like a shadow in the distance, Kaelith stood quietly as Zander and Tae unfastened Elivin’s body from Makor’s saddle. The brown Swift let out a mournful sound before taking to the air. The other dragons followed, wings beating rhythmically as they flew behind him in silent tribute.

The sight of them, their formations tight and protective around Makor’s smaller frame, made my blood boil. My father had done this—or at the very least, played a part in it—and I couldn’t sit back and do nothing.

“I need a few minutes,” I said to Riven quietly. “Can you keep Zander occupied?”

Her brow furrowed. “Why?” she whispered.

“I need a moment with my father.”

Her lips thinned, but she nodded and turned toward Zander, stepping into his path before he could follow me.

I motioned for Jax, Cordelle, Tae, and the others, to join me. Once they gathered around, I kept my voice low. “I need you to cover for me.”

No one argued. They knew what this was—revenge, justice, or maybe just a desperate attempt to find answers. Either way, they silently agreed.

Zander was still deep in conversation with Riven when I slipped away through the gates. My boots scarcely made a sound against the cobblestones as I crossed the courtyard.

Gerane was standing just beyond the gate archway with his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on the darkness beyond the walls. He didn’t even flinch as I approached.

“Looking for your next payoff?” I asked coldly.

He turned slowly, eyes narrowing when he saw me. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I’ll decide where I should be,” I shot back.

He shifted his stance, but I didn’t miss the way his hand slid closer to his belt and closer to his dagger.

“I’m going to visit my father,” I said.

“Your father?” He laughed, a low, bitter sound. “He has disowned you.”