Page 48 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

“That’s for sure,” Riven agreed. “Warriath is unusual in that regard. But we assume it’s because of the dragons. They need space so they can land inside the compound—for training and mobilization. Or so I’ve been told.”

I sat down on my bed, stretching out my legs. Architecture had never been a passion of mine. But these walls had secrets.

And I needed to find them.

I hesitated, then looked at Riven. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

She grinned, flipping the dagger in her hand. “Of course. I am severely deprived in the girl talk department these days.”

I grunted, glancing toward Ferrula and Naia’s bunks, both of which were still full as they slept. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“What’s up?”

I exhaled, lowering my voice. “Don’t say anything, but… I saw Zander with his sister.”

Riven’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m surprised. I heard she isn’t allowed to leave the castle.”

“You seem to know a lot about the castle,” I noted.

“Not me,” she said, tipping her head toward Cordelle. “His father is the lorekeeper.”

“Right,” I muttered. I had completely forgotten about that resource.

Cordelle looked up from his notebook, his curiosity piqued, but he didn’t interrupt.

I smirked. “Well, I may have taken a sneak peek at the lower levels. I guess her room is downstairs for security reasons.”

Riven huffed out a quiet laugh. “Shit, Ashe, if you had gotten caught, they’d have thrown you in the dungeon and tossed the key into the ocean.”

I grinned. “I know. But I’m not great with locked doors. They tend to have a way of… needing to be opened.”

She chuckled. “You’re crazy—but a fun crazy.”

I ran a hand through my hair, thinking back to the moment I had witnessed.

“Anyway… Zander was different,” I admitted. “He treated his sister more like a daughter. And she has his eyes.”

Riven’s expression shifted.

Her lips curled into a smirk, and she wiggled her eyebrows.

“She’s only eight,” I added, narrowing my eyes.

“And Zander is twenty-five.”

I waited, already not liking the direction of her thoughts.

“It wouldn’t be the first time royals covered for an affair.”

I blinked. “What are you saying?”

Riven tilted her head. “Maybe… Elara is his daughter.”

Chapter

Ten

Jax’s snoring was loud enough to shake the rafters.