Page 29 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

“You will pay for that.”

Chapter

Seven

Zander stood in the center of the ring, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His voice cut through the crisp morning air, commanding but calm.

“Naia, Ferrula—you’re up.”

The two women stepped forward, both clearly talented fighters, their stances sharp and confident as they began circling each other. All eyes were on them, watching every calculated movement, every testing feint.

All eyes except for his.

I could feel Zander’s gaze on me.

At first, I thought it was anger, a lingering grudge for the punch I’d landed, but the longer I ignored him, the more my cheeks flushed.

His eyes weren’t burning with fury.

They held something else.

Curiosity?

Obsession?

I swallowed and forced myself to focus on the match, but my eyes betrayed me, drifting back to him far too often. Every time I glanced over, he was still looking, only turning away when it was time to assign the next match.

Riven nudged me, her voice low and amused. “I think you have an admirer.”

I grunted. “Yeah, one that wants me dead.”

She laughed, but I wasn’t joking.

We finished up training, sweat clinging to our skin, bruises forming where hits had landed. Zander stepped to the center of the ring once more, his posture still sharp, still too unreadable for my liking.

“You have one hour,” he announced. “Wash up and be back here.”

The squad didn’t waste time getting back to our barracks. With only one washroom, we took turns—some faster than others. I sat on my bed, towel-drying my face, when Tae dropped onto the mattress beside me.

“You were good today,” he said, giving me a sideways look. “I’ve never seen anyone get a hit on Zander.”

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “It was luck. But Solei started training me as soon as Cyran took me in. I’m not as good as her, but I can hold my own.”

“I’ll say.”

I leaned back, resting against the headboard. “Tae, you’ve been bonded for a year. Have you developed an ability?”

Tae hesitated, then exhaled deeply. “I’m not allowed to tell you. It’s a senior power.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Senior power?”

“It’s something only upper ranks know about. But I can tell you it really pisses them off.” His grin was wicked. “That someone like me possesses it.”

That intrigued me more than I wanted to admit.

I tilted my head. “Can you tell me about Zander, then? Is he always such a?—”

“Douche?” Tae smirked.