Page 78 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

I assume team sports aren’t your thing, and you won’t be coming?

She huffed in my mind, the sound filled with disdain.

I decide what I do or don’t do, little thief.

A flash of silver landed beside Hein, and I turned to see Zola crouching elegantly, her long silver tail flicking as Riven unfastened her rope. We had been instructed to carry them at all times, and we had clipped them to our belts.

“They look almost identical,” I murmured to Riven. “Except for the size.”

Riven grinned, gripping her rope. “Zola is from Hein’s den, but she’s only a hundred years old.”

I watched as her dragon lowered her head slightly, making it easier for Riven to secure her tether and climb up. One by one, my squad’s dragons arrived, each of them mounting.

All except me.

I felt Zander’s stare before I looked up. His arms were crossed, his lavender eyes sharp, and his brow arched in expectation.

“Kaelith doesn’t want to—” I stopped, my words dying as a shadow streaked across the sky.

There was a flash of deep purple, then an earth-shaking impact before Kaelith landed with far more force than necessary. Dust and loose gravel billowing around her massive form as her golden eyes moved over the grounds.

The message was clear.

She wasn’t pleased about being summoned.

A few members of Iron Fang laughed, but the other squads only stared, their eyes widening in curiosity. Kaelith had yet to display her tail weapon, but she was already nearly as large as Hein—far bigger than most dragons present.

I unclipped my rope and approached cautiously.

Thank you for coming.

Kaelith flicked her razor-edged tail, the wind from her wings slapping me in the face.

Don’t think this means I like you, fleshsack.

I exhaled and swung the rope over her neck—only for her to shift at the last second, making me miss my mark.

Laughter rippled through Iron Fang, but I ignored them, gritting my teeth as I adjusted my stance and tried again.

Kaelith huffed in amusement before finally allowing me to secure the tether.

I mounted, gripping the rope tightly, and caught movement from the corner of my eye.

Hein had shifted toward Kaelith.

But instead of growling at her defiance, his scaled lips curled upward slightly, almost as if he were smirking.

Kaelith snapped her teeth at him, and he rumbled lowly in response, the interaction too human-like to be ignored.

Zander’s voice cut through the tension.

“We fly over the city, then across the forests and into the mountains. Deathwing Gorge is on the other side. Stay close and follow me.”

Zander took off effortlessly, Hein launching into the sky with the kind of controlled precision that only came from years of experience. The sheer force of Hein’s wings displaced the air, sending dust and loose pebbles scattering in his wake.

The rest of us scrambled into action, gripping our ropes, clearly unaccustomed to the movement. Ferrula and Naia adjusted quickly, their dragons rising with only a few awkward shifts. Others, including Eilvin, wobbled slightly as they left the ground, struggling to find their balance.

I was no exception.