Page 34 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

“Back off, Naia,” she said, her voice firm. “We all have secrets, and if Ashe had orders, that’s not our concern.”

Naia held my gaze for a long, uncomfortable second before rolling her shoulders in a shrug. “Fine,” she muttered, stepping back. “For now.”

I exhaled, forcing myself to stay composed. I needed to be careful. One slip, one wrong move, and I would end up in the dungeon.

A sharp whistle broke the tension, and we turned to see Major Kaler approaching.

“Jax, Cordelle—you’re finished.” He motioned for them to step back before scanning the rest of us.

“Thrall Squad, you are all about to embark on your next trial.” His voice carried across the training yard, drawing the attention of a few nearby cadets.

“You are tasked with retrieving the Dragon Tear.”

Chapter

Eight

Zander stood beside his massive dragon as we pulled up on horseback. It had taken half a day to ride to the base of the mountains on the outskirts of the forests of Warriath. The jagged peaks rose like monoliths, their presence oppressive beneath the moon. I dismounted, adjusting the dagger at my hip as Zander motioned to the cavern ahead.

“Walk through, and I will meet you at the exit.”

“What does the Tear look like?” I asked, as I dismounted.

“You will see, Prospect Rebec.”

Yup. He still hadn’t forgiven me for that punch.

The wind howled, whipping through the skeletal trees lining the cavern’s entrance. The mouth of the cave swallowed the moonlight, leaving only a yawning darkness. This was the beginning of the Dragon Tear Trial. None of us knew what the tear was, only that we had to make it to the other side of the mountain.

“Enter as a squad,”Zander said, his sharp gaze pinning each of us in place. “But do not mistake cooperation for dependence. Your dragons will not carry you through this. You must earn their knowledge, or you will fail.”

We stepped inside.

The air changed.

Thick. Suffocating. Heavy with something ancient. Something grieving.

The second my boot touched the stone, the cavern breathed. Magic rippled through the walls, sinking into my bones, filling my head with voices, not in words, but in memories. Their memories.

Know our suffering. Know our loss. Only then will you be worthy.

The ground beneath us shifted—sand one second, jagged obsidian the next, slick ice the moment after. The cavern was alive, warping itself to break us. To weaken us. To teach us what pain truly was.

“Run,” Jax yelled as we attempted to sprint to the other side amidst the ever-changing landscape.

“Ashe, keep up!” Riven barked, vaulting over a ravine with an ease that only came from a dragon’s favor.

I clenched my jaw, breath heaving. My bond with Kaelith wasn’t like theirs. It was jagged edges and silent wars. But for the first time, I reached for her. For the presence I’d fought hard to hold onto.

And this time, she answered.

Pathetic. You stumble like a hatchling barely out of its shell.

I froze. The words cut, not through the bond, but into my soul.

You—

Move, or I will let this cavern devour you.