Page 161 of A Court of Wings and Shadows

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “It’s about the Stormborn Prophecy.”

Around us, the hall dimmed, soup steam and clinking cups fading to background noise.

The air grew still.

“What did it say?” I whispered back, heart already beating faster.

Cordelle’s eyes glinted behind his lenses. “You might want to finish your dinner first. Because what I found… is concerning.”

“What is it?” I asked.

Cordelle reached into his satchel slowly, careful as if the parchment inside might crumble beneath his fingertips. He slid out two loose, yellowed pages and placed them flat on the table between us, weighing down the corners with his spoon and the heel of his hand.

“They weren’t part of the original binding,” he said in a hushed voice. “I don’t know what book they’re from. I think someone tucked them inside deliberately—hidden.”

I leaned in, and the others followed, our bowls forgotten. “What do they say?” I asked.

Cordelle’s voice dropped further. “It’s a warning. A… counter-interpretation of the Stormborn Prophecy.”

The table went still.

“There are several versions,” he continued, “that say the Stormborn will rise in the kingdom’s time of need. That she’ll bring balance, forge peace between dragons and men, even between fae and mortal.” He tapped the first page. “But this one… this speaks of a darker path. A different ending.”

Riven stiffened. “How different?”

Cordelle swallowed. “Some interpretations claim that the Stormborn’s power, if left unchecked, will lead to the fall of the crown itself. That she will not unite the empowered… she’ll break them. All of them. Riders. Warders. Healers. Even the dragons.”

The words struck like thunder between us.

“The fall of the empowered,” Ferrula echoed quietly. “All empowered.”

A cold chill crawled down my spine.

“I don’t believe it,” Naia said, shaking her head. “Not for a second.”

“Neither do I,” Jax muttered, folding his arms. “You’re not some destroyer. You’reyou.We know you.”

Riven leaned forward, dark eyes locked on mine. “If your magic is powerful enough to break kingdoms… it’s because the kingdoms need breaking.”

I didn’t know what to say.

Their trust settled over me like a second skin, unearned, undeserved, but whole. After everything I’d survived, I’d never imagined loyalty like this. Not when they’d seen me at my worst. Not when I was still figuring out what I was becoming.

I bowed my head slightly, breath catching.

Then I reached out through the bond.

Kaelith.

Her presence stirred immediately, like a tornado waking from slumber.Yes, little storm?

They trust me. Even after hearing what I could become.

Because they know your heart,she said simply.If you were meant to destroy the world, I would have scorched you before the bond ever formed.

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.Blunt, but oddly comforting.

And for the first time since hearing the word Stormborn, I didn’t feel like a prophecy waiting to fall.