Page 94 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

Kaelith’s voice was sharp in my mind.You are losing control!

I don’t know how to stop it!

She let out a frustrated growl.I am on my way to you. Do not die!

The Blood Fae recovered fast. Too fast. His hand flicked up, and a sharp gust of wind slammed into my chest. I gasped, stumbling, and he used the moment to close the distance.

Kaelithroaredin my mind. But I felt her essence infuse me.

Do not fall!

But I was falling—falling into something dangerous, something unknown. I couldfeelthe power inside me, pulsing, clawing, begging to be let loose.

The Blood Fae grinned as he brought his blade toward my throat.

Instinct alone saved me.

A bolt of lightning split the air,eruptingfrom my palm. It shot past his face, scorching the hood of his cloak, forcing him to jerk back. My hand trembled, my breath ragged.

What is happening to me?

The dragon’s mind brushed against mine, hesitant.Your power is building. I have anchored you as best I can due to the circumstances, but our bond is too weak to sustain this kind of power.

That didn’t sound promising. My dragon had anchored me, and it wasn’t enough. Why?

The Blood Fae recovered quickly, his red eyes locked onto mine with something that almost looked likerecognition.

The Blood Fae stepped back, lowering his blade as his glowing red eyes flickered with something unreadable—curiosity, maybe even amusement. He tilted his head, studying me like I was some kind of puzzle.

“I thought you were a myth.”

I tightened my grip on my daggers, suppressing the violent shiver running down my spine. The way he said it made my stomach churn.

“I think you’re an asshole,” I shot back, adjusting my stance, my legs still shaky from whatever storm had just torn through me.

His lips curved into a smirk, slow and deliberate.

“I may ask for your hand myself.”

I blinked. Of all the responses I expected, that was not one of them.

“Really?” I sneered. “Because the only thing my hands will do is strangle you.”

His smirk deepened, those crimson eyes glinting with something dark—something I didn’t understand.

“We will see.” His voice was velvet, smooth and taunting. “Soon, you will learn you are on the wrong side.”

Before I could lunge, before I could even breathe, he wasgone, vanishing into thin air like a ghost. The air crackled where he had stood, the scent of storm-charged ozone lingering in his wake.

I sucked in a breath, my hands trembling.

What just happened?

Chapter

Eighteen

Ireached for Kaelith, my mind barely grasping onto hers through the haze of exhaustion.I’m okay. He’s gone.