Page 61 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

I swallowed hard, recalling the letters I had read that hinted at betrayal within the kingdom.

Had my father been right?

Was there someone within the castle working against the crown?

Chapter

Twelve

Theron stormed away, his boots slamming against the ground, his irritation leaving a stifling tension in the air behind him. Zander didn’t move an inch, his gaze focused ahead, but there was something in his eyes—a flicker of concern, a brief moment of reflection that quickly faded.

The rest of us stood in relative silence, the buzz of magic still lingering, the heat of it fading into the cool afternoon air.

“Let’s get back to it,” Zander commanded, his voice pulling everyone’s attention back to the task at hand.

Dorian stood by, his arms crossed, seemingly lost in thought as the prospects continued their turns. His eyes followed each one, clearly watching with the same keen interest as Zander.

Ferrula was next. She stepped forward with a look of concentration, pressing her palm to the ground just as the others had.

A subtle pulse of energy crackled in the air around her, but nothing major happened at first. Then, with eerie precision, she darted forward—faster than the eye could follow, the air parting around her as if she were more shadow than flesh.

“Honed reflexes.” Zander’s voice was sharp and approving as he nodded.

Dorian’s eyes glinted with pleasure at the discovery.

“Impressive, Ferrula,” he said, nodding to her. “You will be a force to reckon with when fully trained.”

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Perin—of course it was him—stepped forward. The man had a smug look on his face as he slapped his dagger hilt with one hand, clearly eager for his turn.

He knelt quickly, touching his fingers to the ground, and a dark, suffocating energy flowed around his body as he called upon his magic.

But this time, something went wrong.

The magic sparked out of control, and Perin’s arm jerked sharply—there was a sickening crack as the muscles of his bicep and forearm tore, and he let out a strangled grunt of pain.

The moment he snapped the tendon, he barely even winced before mending it with his own power. The tendons reknit themselves before everyone’s eyes, but it was clear he was still in severe discomfort, his face twisted in pain as he gripped his arm, sweat rolling down his forehead.

Zander exchanged a quick glance with Dorian, the briefest flash of concern crossing their expressions before Zander spoke again.

“Tendon reaver.” His voice was low, like he was trying to hide his shock, but the way his eyes flitted over to Dorian spoke volumes.

Dorian’s expression grew darker. He opened his mouth, but it was Meri, the healer, who reached out before anyone could react.

She placed a calming hand on Perin’s arm, and the fiery, crackling pain seemed to dissipate instantly. The white light of her healing aura flooded the area as Perin’s arm healed completely, the tension melting from his body.

Zander waved a hand, calling the trial to an end.

“That’s enough for today.” He surveyed the remaining prospects. “Everyone has taken their turn. Most have manifested abilities, but those who didn’t will need further training and time before they can fully harness their powers.”

It was clear that most of us had done well, but those of us who needed Meri’s help felt the weight of unsolved potential. I was still aching from the trial, but I barely had the time to focus on it before the call to dinner rang through the air.

As we walked back to the barracks in silence, the disappointment of the day’s events hung around me like a thick fog. The others seemed just as absorbed in their thoughts.

At dinner, Cordelle leaned in, clearly excited about something. “I’ve done some research into fae powers,” he said between bites. “Once we’ve trained more, I think we can unlock abilities or combinations we don’t even realize we have yet.”

“That sounds like a lot of work.” Jax rolled his eyes, clearly relieved to be eating instead of dealing with more training. “What do you know about powers?”

Cordelle’s face softened as he shook his head. “I research a lot of things, but rare powers—powers connected to the dragons—are my focus.”