Page 82 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

She thundered forward, her massive wings disrupting the air currents, shoving smaller dragons aside as she forced her way into the heart of the maze.

I barely had time to register the first rotating stone ring before she barreled straight through it, forcing me to flatten myself against her back to avoid getting crushed.

“Kaelith, are you insane?!”

Her only response was a low, throaty chuckle in my mind.

Then, without warning—she bucked.

The force ripped my hands from the rope, my body hurtling sideways as I barely managed to grab the tether before I fell completely.

My stomach dropped as my legs dangled in open air, the wind roaring in my ears as Kaelith continued flying like nothing happened.

KAELITH!

She didn’t respond.

I was hanging at the side of her neck

The rest of my squad shot past, eyes wide as they realized my predicament.

“Ashe!” Jax yelled.

Ferrula was dodging another spinning ring, her dragon just missing the closing stone.

Tae shouted.

“Ashlyn, get back in your seat. NOW.”

I swung my leg up, straining against the weightlessness of the free fall, my muscles burning. But every time I tried to pull myself up, Kaelith jerked suddenly, dodging obstacles without regard for my survival.

“Are you TRYING to kill me?!” I screamed at her.

Another chuckle.

Then, just as we neared the final exit of the gorge, Kaelith finally dipped her shoulder, allowing me to heave myself onto her back.

The moment my hands secured their grip, she shot forward, bursting through the final opening in a massive surge of powerful wing beats.

The sunlight blinded me as we broke free from the shadows.

I barely had time to process the near-death experience before Kaelith’s voice purred in my mind once more.

Well. That was fun.

For you, maybe,I hissed.

Zander landed, dismounting his silver with effortless grace, as if mocking the rest of us for struggling through the gorge. He turned, his eyes scanning over the squad before he nodded.

“You did well.” His voice was even, composed. But I knew he didn’t mean me.

I kept my eyes downcast, willing away the frustration burning behind them. I had barely made it out of that gorge in one piece. If Kaelith had thrown me just a second later, I would have been decorating the bottom of the canyon like a tomato sauce stain.

Zander glanced at me, but I refused to meet his gaze.

“Let’s head back.”

The others launched into the air with practiced ease, their dragons cutting through the sky in a smooth formation. I followed reluctantly, my grip tight on the rope as Kaelith’s wings carried us toward the castle.