Page 177 of A Court of Wings and Shadows

“He has eyes everywhere,” Remy continued. “In the healers’ quadrant. In the training halls. Even within the Fourth Guild. And he’s been watching you since the day Kaelith chose you.”

Zander pushed off the wall. “Then that means the circle around us is tighter than we thought.”

“We need allies,” Cade said grimly. “And we need them now.”

Because if Theron was working with the Varnari, if he had already begun setting fire to the foundation of the throne?—

—then we weren’t just fighting a war for Warriath.

We stepped out of the Healers’ Quadrant, the midday sun filtered through the branches of the Yarrow Gardens, casting soft gold light over the cobbled walk. The air was cool, deceptively calm after the chaos that had unfolded only hours ago.

Zander adjusted the edge of his coat, his expression unreadable now that the pain was gone and strategy had taken its place. Cade was beside him, eyes scanning the rooftops, everthe silent sentinel. Remy walked just behind me, his presence like a shadow, protective, steady, but heavier than before.

That was when Luthias approached us, striding quickly up the path from the far gate.

“We have a problem,” he said without preamble, his voice tight with urgency.

Zander didn’t even blink. “There’s a lot of that going around lately. What is it now?”

Luthias glanced around, then leaned in slightly, his voice low. “One of the maids I trust, said she saw a man inside the palace. Said he had red eyes… and wore a black robe.”

My stomach dropped.

“Is that even possible?” I asked, voice sharp.

Zander stilled beside me, his eyes narrowing. “Only if a member of palace security let him in.”

“The wards,” I said, swallowing thickly. “How would he get past them?”

“You can’t,” Remy said, voice rough. “Not unless someone inside took them down temporarily.”

Zander’s expression darkened. “Or… if a warder from our own kingdom allowed it. That’s the only way to cross a protective ward of that magnitude.”

Luthias nodded grimly. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

Silence wrapped around us like a noose. The thought of a Blood Fae inside the castle—our castle—meant this wasn’t just infiltration.

This was infiltration with help.

The enemy wasn’t just outside the walls anymore.

They were already inside.

Chapter

Forty-One

The summons rang out across the castle grounds, a crisp horn blast that echoed through the trees, bouncing off the stone towers and rippling through the courtyards like a call to arms.

Major Ledor’s voice followed swiftly after.

“All riders—Ascension Grounds. Now.”

We fell into motion like instinct, like training had etched the command into our bones. The others met me outside the barracks, weapons strapped, leathers dusted with wear. We joined the stream of riders moving toward the training rings, and for a moment, it felt like any other day.

But it wasn’t.

There was a shadow now, an awareness. That the game being played in the halls above us had already begun rewriting the rules.