Page 32 of A Court of Wings and Shadows

He didn’t speak. Didn’t warn.

He attacked.

His blade moved like vengeance incarnate, slicing through Perin’s defenses with terrifying precision. The rage in his face wasn’t cold, it was fire,his entire body taut with the promise of death.

He straddled Perin’s chest, blade poised over his heart.

“Zander!” I yelled, staggering to my feet. “Stop!”

He didn’t.

But Remy’s voice cut through the haze. “Zander, enough!”

Boots thundered around us, Warborn and Iron Fang riders sprinting into the broken ring, weapons half-drawn, eyes wide.

Cordelle reached me first, helping me up, his mouth moving, but I couldn’t hear him over the roar in my ears.

Zander’s blade hovered just inches from Perin’s throat.

His entire body shook.

I limped toward him and grabbed his wrist.

“Zander,” I said again, softer this time. “He isn’t worth it.”

His eyes snapped to mine.

And just like that, he released the breath he’d been holding for what felt like years.

He lowered the blade.

But the war that nearly broke free in that ring?

It wasn’t over.

Remy pulled Perin to his feet. “Perin, as a member of Crownwatch helped our team, we are disqualified. Iron Fang wins.”

Perin stared at me with pure hatred, and while his team cheered, he didn’t.

Warborn was visibly pissed.

They didn’t say it, not in front of Remy, but they didn’t have to. I saw it in the tension of their shoulders, the way they looked at us like we were poison. The air was thick with resentment, and every glance they threw our way was another dagger we didn’t need in our backs.

Tae stayed near me, his body stiff. Riven crossed her arms and stared off toward the trees like she couldn’t care less, but even she felt it. Cordelle didn’t bother hiding his scowl, and Naia looked like she was two seconds from throwing hands with anyone who so much as breathed in our direction.

They blamed us.

Because Zander had intervened. Because the course had gone to hell. Because the fight between Perin and me had nearly brought the whole thing crashing down.

And still?—

Zander had finished the run. With Crownwatch. And they’d beaten Stormforge without him for most of it.

Because of course they had.

No one said it outright, but I saw it in every Warborn scowl—We’d cost them the win.

I didn’t think Zander’s actions were against the rules. Technically, there weren’t any, not in Blackbind. The only rule was win.