Page 54 of A Court of Wings and Shadows

“Take flight!” Zander ordered.

Wings exploded around us.

And then we were airborne, rising into the sky.

We rode for hours, the sun dipping lower behind us as the terrain shifted from dense forest and rocky ridges to sloping hills marked by winding trade roads and scattered vineyards. The air smelled of salt before we even saw the ocean, that sharp tang threading through the wind like a warning.

Then the city of Vrangoth came into view.

It stretched along the coast, nestled against pale cliffs that jutted into the sea like jagged teeth. Stone towers rose above the tiled rooftops, and ships bobbed gently in the sprawling harbor. The port city shimmered gold in the waning sunlight, its streets clean and orderly, its buildings ascending in tiers up the cliffs.

“Nice setup,” I muttered as we descended toward the massive landing platform built just outside the upper walls. Wide, smooth stone and polished dragon-tether rings gleamed like they’d been scrubbed just for us. Past it, nestled against the hills, was a private inn flanked by gardens and banners displaying the sigil of Warriath’s allied houses.

Teren guided his red Swift in beside me and leaned slightly from his saddle. “In Vrangoth, only highborn nobles stay in the castle. Everyone else gets the inn.”

I raised a brow. “So Zander’s the only one with a castle invite.”

Teren nodded, smirking. “Pretty much.”

As we landed, the wind from our dragons stirred petals loose from the blooming hedges. Zander dismounted first, sliding from Hein’s back in one fluid motion. He removed his saddle with practiced ease, setting it down near the secured racks.

“Undress your dragons,” he called, voice firm. “Let them hunt and rest. I’ll be staying at the inn with the squad.”

I blinked. “You’re not going to the castle?”

Zander shook his head once. “I don’t leave my squad.”

Teren let out a disappointed sigh as he slid from his own dragon’s back, stretching. “That’s too bad. I was hoping to make a pass at Ashe while you were otherwise occupied.”

Riven let out a bark of laughter, and Jax grunted, half-amused and half-exasperated.

Ferrula and Naia exchanged knowing smiles, both clearly enjoying the show, while Cordelle… well, Cordelle looked like he wanted to melt into the nearest bed and sleep for three days straight.

Zander’s head turned slowly toward Teren.

His eyes, normally a rich lavender, darkened into something pitch and endless.

“I would advise you,” he said coldly, “to keep your hands to yourself. That goes for all members of Thrall Squad.”

Teren chuckled, completely unfazed. “So protective,” he said under his breath, smirking. “No wonder she hasn’t run for the hills yet.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help the tiny smile tugging at my lips.

We’d just arrived in a city under threat?—

But leave it to Teren to flirt at the gates of a battlefield.

Kaelith and Hein soared into the fading light, wings cutting clean lines across the sky as they rose higher and higher, drifting toward the cliffs beyond the city’s edge. Their scales shimmered in tandem, violet and silver, dancing through the clouds like they had known each other for lifetimes.

I stood beside Zander, both of us watching the dragons disappear into the sunlit haze.

For a moment, it was quiet. Peaceful.

Then I saw his hand, clenched into a tight fist at his side, knuckles pale beneath his gloves.

“Hey,” I said softly. “Teren was only kidding.”

Zander didn’t look at me. “It isn’t him.”