Page 77 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

My mouth felt dry. “But what happened to him?”

Cordelle shrugged, but I could see the frustration in his expression. “I don’t know. The book doesn’t say what became of him, only that he… disappeared from the records.”

A memory slammed into me.

The guards whispering outside the dining hall.

“No, I’m telling you, the king has some kind of beast down there.”

“It’s not a beast. That prisoner has been there since before my father worked for the castle. It’s some kind of rebel—though he has to be in his eighties by now.”

I sucked in a breath, my heart hammering.

“He’s in the castle,” I whispered. “I heard the guards talking about a prisoner. He’s been locked away for decades.”

The room went silent. A light fae was not the enemy. If the king had enslaved him, he was breaking the law.

Jax eyed me with curiosity. “What are you thinking?”

I met his gaze and said the only thing I could.

“I’m going to break into the dungeon.”

Chapter

Fifteen

The squads stood lined up behind their banners, the crests of their respective guilds fluttering in the breeze, a sea of black leather and gleaming weapons. Our bannerless squad moved off to the side, standing together as Major Ledor stepped onto the podium.

Jax crossed his arms, shifting on his feet. “What do you think the trial will be today?”

Riven shot me a pointed look before I could answer. “I’m more interested in how Ashe plans to break into the dungeon and what she plans to do once she’s there.”

I gave her a side glance, my expression carefully neutral.

“A job like this takes planning,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I need more information. There’s a chance I’m wrong, and the prisoner is someone else. I won’t go in until I’ve made some... inquiries.”

Riven arched an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but whatever she was going to say was cut off by Major Ledor clearing his throat.

“Today will be your first team challenge,” he announced. His voice carried over the gathered squads, sending a ripple of murmurs through the ranks.

“You will ride your dragons to Deathwing Gorge.”

A grumble moved through the squads, and I turned to Cordelle.

“Do you know what that is?”

He nodded ominously. “It’s located near the mountains. We’ll need to ride our dragons to access it. It’s like an obstacle course for riders, but they change it often, so it’s never the same twice. It was my understanding that only cadets run the course.”

Before I could respond, the air shifted, and a gust of wind blasted over the grounds as Hein landed with a thunderous impact. Zander slid from his dragon’s back with effortless grace, his expression cold and unreadable, but his body language rigid with frustration.

He didn’t even glance at Major Ledor. Instead, he strode straight to the front, voice razor-sharp.

“Thrall squad, call your dragons. We will go first.” He remounted effortlessly and did not use a rope.

Perin snickered under his breath. “This should thin the herd a little.”

I ignored him and reached out to Kaelith, expecting silence, but instead, I felt her connect.