Page 57 of A Court of Wings and Shadows

And yet here we were.

Luthias guided us not into the heart of the town but toward the outskirts, where the neatly cobbled roads gave way to more rugged ground and the scent of saltwater turned sharper. The warehouse stood alone at the edge of a cliffside storage district; its doors thrown open, the odor of hay and old crates clinging to the walls.

The magistrate waited inside, an older man with dark eyes, sun-weathered skin, and a tired expression.

“Thank you for coming. This is our second theft,” he said, voice hoarse with disuse or frustration, maybe both. “The guardswere incapacitated without a sound. No magical traces. Just… unconscious. No sound, no blood. The wagon tracks led out of town, but we lost them at the cliff’s edge. Whoever they are, they’re professionals.”

He gave us a quick nod and left with two guards in tow, leaving us in the silence of a hollowed-out crime scene.

We spread out, combing the dusty floorboards, shelves, and back rooms. There were crates split open, some storage seals broken, but no sign of a struggle. No drag marks, no magical residue. Even Zander, who had a sense for hidden spellwork, came up empty.

“Nothing,” Ferrula muttered from a back wall.

“It’s like they were never here,” Naia said quietly.

I crouched near a scuffed section of floor, fingers brushing along faint wheel marks. Not recent enough to be useful. I stood, rubbing my palm against my thigh just as Teren strolled up beside me, expression devilishly casual.

“You know,” he said, just loud enough for the others to hear, “I was thinking we could ditch the others and explore Vrangoth together. I’ve heard the taverns have the best rum on the coast.” He leaned a little closer. “Or we could get a room.”

I arched a brow, amused despite myself. “Tempting.”

Across the room, I could feel the eyes. Zander’s shoulders went stiff, jaw ticking. Remy, on the other hand, didn’t bother hiding his glare. His arms were crossed, his posture tight, and his aura screamedmineeven if he had no claim.

Teren grinned, clearly pleased with the chaos he was causing. He winked. “You have options. Just saying.”

I rolled my eyes but smirked, not bothering to correct him. I knew what he was doing—needling both lieutenants in one breath. He wasn’t serious. He just enjoyed the fire it lit.

Remy stepped forward, ignoring Teren entirely. “We’re wasting time. There’s nothing here.”

He pointed to the faint wagon tracks near the open doors. “We should fly south along the coast, follow the path. If we’re lucky, they haven’t covered their trail completely.”

Zander gave a curt nod, though his eyes were still locked on Teren.

Teren just chuckled. “Look at that. The ex and the prince agree. A royal miracle.”

I sighed, mounting frustration humming beneath my skin. If this mission was supposed to be about answers, we were already slipping too far into personal territory.

And someone out there was using that distraction to vanish into the shadows.

We called for our dragons, and within moments, the sound of wings thundered across the cliffs. They appeared from the skies like shadows made of light, Kaelith leading the flight with her signature grace, violet wings slicing clean through the wind. She landed smoothly in front of me, tail curling in practiced precision. A queen. Always.

But the moment Katama descended, his massive green form touched down just a breath too close.

Kaelith’s snarl was immediate—teeth bared, neck arched, fire humming in her throat. She lunged a step forward, snapping her jaws in warning. Katama recoiled, his wings folding in tight as he stepped back with visible unease.

Remy stiffened, his jaw clenched as he moved quickly to my side.

“You hate me,” he said, voice low, tight. “I get it. But please… talk to Kaelith. Katama loves her. He’s not the one she should be punishing.”

I stared at him, heart aching with the weight of too many wounds still left open.

“He wanted me to grab you and leave the moment I met you,” Remy added, his voice cracking just slightly. “He saw you… and heknew.”

I wanted to believe him.

Gods, part of me ached to believe him.

But I couldn’t survive another betrayal.