Page 99 of A Court of Wings and Shadows

But he wasalive.

And he wasn’t alone anymore.

Dorian leaned heavily against Foran’s side, breath shallow but steadier with each sip of the draught I held to his lips. His hand trembled when he pushed the flask away and looked between me and Zander, the fire in his gaze returning despite the blood that still soaked through his shirt.

“It happened so fast,” he said, voice hoarse. “One minute we were flying recon along the eastern ridge. The next—screaming.”

He swallowed hard. Foran shifted beside him, his large blue form tense beneath his bleeding hide.

“It was an ambush. At least fifty of them.” Dorian closed his eyes for a breath, then opened them, haunted. “Blood Fae. All cloaked in shadow and mist. They hit hard and fast.”

“Who was hit first?” Zander asked, voice tight.

Dorian’s face hardened, pain blooming anew behind his eyes. “Leran. He and Mareth were scouting ahead. Mareth barely had time to scream before his dragon went down in flames. One second, they were there… the next?—”

He didn’t finish.

I could still see it too clearly in his face.

The loss carved into him like a blade.

“Leran was a blue striker, wasn’t he?” I asked gently.

Dorian nodded. “Same den as Foran. Hein’s line.”

Zander cursed under his breath, hand balling into a fist at his side.

“Foran said I had to live,” Dorian continued, glancing toward his dragon. “Even when I ordered him to stay, he ignored me and carried me off…” he paused, looking right at me. “He sees what I see.”

“And you would have died,” Zander said flatly.

Dorian nodded once, the truth of it crashing into the air between us.

“Yes.”

I exhaled slowly, trying to stay the shiver climbing up my spine.

“I’m sorry for the ones we lost,” Zander said quietly, but with all the weight of a prince. “But you’re the future king.”

Dorian didn’t respond for a moment, his eyes distant. “Maybe that’s why I was attacked.”

I looked up from where I knelt beside him. “You think this was targeted?”

He nodded. “If I had died, the question of succession would fall apart. Theron would fight you for it, Zander.”

“That makes sense. We have learned the Blood Fae are already manipulating the court…”

Dorian sighed. “I had my suspicions.”

“They could push Warriath into a civil war,” Zander finished grimly.

“Yes.”

The wind howled outside the cave, and I felt Kaelith’s presence stir in the back of my mind.

Something’s coming,she warned.

We didn’t need her to say what.