Page 83 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

The return flight was silent, the wind rushing past as I tried to ignore the pain in my shoulder.

The moment we hit the castle grounds, the others landed gracefully, their dragons folding in their wings with expert control.

Kaelith? Not so much.

She jerked forward, dropping her neck just as her front feet hit the ground.

The motion slammed me forward, and I barely managed to grip the rope in time to stop from being catapulted face-first into the dirt. Pain wrenched through my shoulder, a sharp, twisting agony that nearly had me seeing stars.

A burst of laughter erupted from the courtyard as cadets—especially Iron Fang—snickered at my humiliation.

“Nice landing, Rebec!” Perin called.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to my feet, even as my shoulder screamed in protest. I bit back the pain, shoving it down as I limped to unfasten my clearly frustrated dragon.

Kaelith snorted, her tail flicking dismissively, as if none of this was her problem.

Jax jogged up, his brow furrowed with concern as he slipped an arm around my shoulders, taking some of my weight. “Are you okay?”

I swallowed the pain, refusing to show weakness. “Yeah,” I muttered, nodding stiffly.

He didn’t look convinced but didn’t push. Together, we made our way to the dining hall, where the others had already grabbed trays of food and were settling into their seats.

The usual buzz of conversation filled the hall, but I hardly noticed it as I sat down with my squad.

I picked at my bread and stew, forcing myself to take a few bites. But my appetite was gone.

After a few minutes, I pushed my tray aside and stood.

“Hey, I’m going for a walk. I’ll meet you back at the barracks.”

They shared a glance. After my pitiful performance at the gorge, there wasn’t much to say.

Riven nodded slowly. “Take your time.”

Without another word, I left the dining hall, stepping into the cool evening air.

I barely felt the wind as I walked toward the tower, climbing the winding staircase until I reached the top landing. The wind was strong up here, whipping against my face, howling like a wounded beast. And drying the tears that I refused to let fall.

My shoulder was still healing, but the pain wasn’t nearly as bad as my pride.

The memory of Kaelith tossing me aside like a piece of discarded armor burned through my mind before a shadow drifted in front of me, moving with effortless grace despite the wind.

Siergen.

The red dragon settled onto a floating landing, his wings disturbing the air as he tucked them neatly to his sides.

I exhaled slowly, watching him.

At least someone around here knew how to land properly.

Siergen tilted his great head, his gleaming red scales catching the dim light as he regarded me with amusement.

I heard you had a rough day.

I snorted, crossing my arms against the evening chill, though the action stung a little. “Rough? Try catastrophic. Kaelith hates me. If it were up to her, the gorge would be my forever home.”

Siergen chuckled, a low, rolling sound that vibrated through my bones.She is making progress. Give her time.