Page 166 of A Court of Wings and Shadows

The laughter echoed through the hall like a battle cry, and for one rare, perfect moment, we weren’t just warriors or riders or rebels-in-waiting.

We were just… us.

And damn, it felt good to laugh.

Jax was still red-faced, though trying to look proud beneath the wave of teasing. Naia was mid-way through a question about his so-called “bedroom valor,” and Riven had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. Even Cordelle cracked a smile between sips of tea.

We teased him, but it was the kind that lifted rather than mocked. The kind that said,we see you, and we’re glad you’re happy.Because Jax and Ferrula? Somehow, they worked.

I was finishing off the last of my eggs when movement caught my eye near the back of the dining hall. A court server moved like a shadow between tables, weaving closer until her fingers brushed against her apron in quick, deliberate shapes.

Return to your room. Urgent.

I dipped my chin slightly, replying with a subtle sign of acknowledgment.

Grabbing the syrup bottle from the table, I made a show of pouring too fast, just enough that it dripped over the side and onto my hand.

“Ugh,” I muttered, wiping at it. “I’m going to go change my tunic before we head to the Ascension Grounds. Meet you there?”

“Only if Jax survives the second round of public inquisition,” Naia quipped.

“I’ll be fine,” Jax grumbled, glaring at his now-empty plate. “I’ve got my dignity. Somewhere.”

“Check Ferrula’s armor,” Riven grinned. “She might be holding it for you.”

Laughter trailed after me as I slipped out, the door closing behind me and muffling the warmth of our squad’s banter.

By the time I reached the barracks, the air was cooler—quieter. The scent of smoke still lingered faintly from the Crooked Claw incident, and my boots echoed in the empty corridor.

I stepped into my room and froze.

Solei was standing by the window, her arms crossed, her dark braid tucked into a high collar. No disguise this time. No illusion.

Just my sister.

And that made her all the more dangerous.

“What do you want?” I asked, voice sharp.

She didn’t turn to me right away. When she did, her eyes weren’t cold, they were haunted.

“I came to warn you,” she said. “About the king. And the crown itself.”

I narrowed my gaze. “What about them?”

Her voice was low, urgent. “The king’s days are numbered, Ashe. Everyone close to him knows it. His mind slips further each day, and Theron is already consolidating power behind the scenes.”

My mouth went dry. “We already know Theron’s conspiring with other nobles.”

Solei stepped closer, her eyes scanning mine. “You don’t know the extent. There are whispers in the Order of funds being shifted, and allegiances breaking. And those aligned with the old crown, with its traditions… they’re being eliminated.”

The silence between us turned heavy.

Then her voice dropped to a whisper.

“Zander is next.”

The chill that ran through me had nothing to do with the room’s temperature.