Page 85 of A Court of Wings and Shadows

We moved together, cutting across the grounds toward our barracks. Zander led us through the sleeping quarters and past the line of bunks to the door that opened into the narrow hallway behind. The first door on the right, one Zander had only recently assigned us, was already cracked open.

Inside, the small room had been converted into a makeshift conference space—a tan table, scuffed with age but sturdy, stood in the center with several mismatched chairs tucked around it. With Remy joining us, there weren’t enough seats, so Jax and Ferrula flopped onto the bed pushed against the wall, claiming it without complaint.

I moved to the table, unfastening the strap beneath my armor and pulled the folded map free. Carefully, reverently, I spread it across the surface, the aged parchment crackling under my fingers. The gold-inked lines shimmered faintly in the light, outlining the ancient structure of the Fae Isle before the fall.

“This,” I said, smoothing it flat, “is where we start.”

And for the first time, the sanctuary didn’t feel like a myth.

It felt like a destination.

I leaned over the map, fingers trailing the intricate golden lines until they paused on a circular emblem nestled at the center of the isle. The symbol was faint, almost faded from time itself, but its presence radiated a quiet importance.

“Here,” I said, tapping it gently. “This was the Light Fae’s center of power before the fall. If the sanctuary still exists, it’ll be here.”

Riven moved closer, her sharp eyes scanning the map. “That’s in the heart of Blood Isle territory,” she said grimly. “You really think they’ve withstood the Blood Fae all this time?”

I nodded, my voice firm. “If any fae could survive, it would be the ones who built the sanctuary. They had powerful magic at their disposal, ancient wards, old elemental ties. They wouldn’t have picked a place that could be easily overrun. They would’ve built where their magic was strongest.”

Cordelle leaned in beside me, his fingers gently tracing the circle. “She’s right. If they wanted to endure… they would have chosen this place. A nexus of power. This could be the heart of their old ley lines, the way it’s marked.”

“But the Blood Fae control everything now,” Naia said, arms folded across her chest. “Wouldn’t they have found it?”

“Not if it’s hidden,” Ferrula offered. “Like Alahathrial said,protected by ancestral magic.That kind of spellwork could cloak it from even the strongest dark mages.”

“Or…” Jax added, his voice lower, thoughtful, “what if the Blood Fae know it’s there, but they can’t access it? Maybe they’ve been trying this whole time and that’s why they want you.”

Everyone turned to me.

I swallowed hard.

“It’s possible,” I said. “Alahathrial did say they believe I can unlock something. Maybe the sanctuary isn’t just a place. Maybe it’s a key. Or maybe I’m the key.”

Silence settled for a moment.

The map sat between us like an open door, one that led into the heart of the enemy’s land, and maybe… the last hope for saving what was left of the Light.

And now we just had to find out who would be brave, or foolish, enough to step through it.

Cordelle leaned over the map, brow furrowed. “The wards surrounding the Blood Isle are still active, at least according toeverything I’ve read. If we try to land near the center, we’ll hit a barrier or worse.”

Zander straightened, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. “We don’t land. We use Dark Fire. Alahathrial said it could breach the ancient wards.”

Remy scoffed from where he leaned near the wall, arms also crossed. “Dark Fire might tear through the wards, sure, right before alerting every Blood Fae on the Isle that we’ve arrived. That’ll go over well.”

Zander turned to him slowly, tone deceptively calm. “So you’d rather sneak in? Hope they don’t see a squad of dragon riders coming?”

Remy’s smile was razor-edged. “No. I’d rather not light a beacon in the sky like a gods damned flare.”

“We can’t tiptoe through the Blood Isle,” Zander snapped. “This isn’t a petty theft mission. We don’t have time to be delicate.”

“You think brute force is always the answer,” Remy said, stepping forward. “But these are the Blood Fae. You break the wards and they’ll feel it. And they won’t wait. They’ll hunt us the second we breach their borders.”

“We don’t need to fight them,” Zander growled. “We just need time.Enough to reach the sanctuary and see if it exists.”

“You won’t get time,” Remy fired back. “You’ll get a blood-soaked welcome party.”

“Enough!” I shouted, slamming my hand on the table. “We’re not doing this. We don’t have the luxury of being right, we only have the luxury of surviving. So unless either of you has a better plan, stop pissing on each other’s tactics and focus.”