Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
The morning sun filtered weakly through the high windows of the dining hall, catching in the floating dust and painting everything in gold. I moved on instinct, grabbing a tray, some dried fruit, a hunk of bread, and sitting beside Naia without a word.
The rest of Thrall Squad was already gathered, loud and boisterous in the way that only people who’d survived another battle could be. Ferrula was practically in Jax’s lap, her leg draped over his as he whispered something that made her snort.
“You are such a lucky bastard,” Teren said, grinning across the table.
Jax smirked. “Don’t I know it.”
Naia rolled her eyes, and Cordelle threw a crust at him. The energy was light, electric. Safe.
And I couldn’t feel further from it.
I pushed the bread around my plate, staring into nothing until Riven’s voice cut through the haze.
“You’re quiet,” she said, frowning. “Too quiet. What’s going on?”
The table went still, all of them suddenly watching me with that sharp kind of concern they usually reserved for after battles or Kaelith’s more dramatic antics.
I took a breath and told them.
About the lost horde.
About the vote.
About the pact made between dragons long separated, and the pressure I felt.
And then, softly, I added, “Remy confronted me last night. Said I was being selfish for choosing Zander. That I was putting my personal life above the realm.”
Cordelle blinked, stunned. “He what?”
Ferrula’s expression went instantly hard. “He’s lucky Kaelith didn’t roast him.”
“She nearly did,” I muttered. “He accused me of being a threat. Said I wasn’t the Ashlyn he used to know.”
Naia reached over and grabbed my hand. “Then maybe he never really knew you.”
Jax leaned forward, all traces of amusement gone from his face. “We’ve seen what you’ve sacrificed. You’ve never once put yourself before anyone else.”
Riven nodded. “And Remy’s wrong. You didn’t choose Zander over the realm. You chose him with the realm. There’s a difference.”
I looked around the table, at their loyalty and their quiet, fierce understanding.
“I haven’t told Zander yet,” I admitted. “I’m not… ready.”
Ferrula’s eyes softened. “Tell him when you want to. When it’s right. He’ll understand.”
I nodded, grateful for them in a way I couldn’t explain.
And for the first time that morning, I picked up the piece of bread and took a bite.
We’d just scraped the last of our plates clean when the call came.
Zander wasn’t with us during breakfast, but while we were heading to the Ascension Grounds, I spotted him cutting through the crowd.
His stride was tight, shoulders squared, and the look on his face told me everything I needed to know.
Something was wrong.
“We have a problem,” he said, falling into step beside me.
“You heard about Remy?” I asked cautiously, expecting the sting of judgment or frustration in his expression.
He blinked once, then frowned. “No. You can inform me of Lieutenant Saulter’s antics later.”
My brow furrowed. “Then what—?”
“Dorian is missing.”
The world tilted.
He kept walking, but his jaw clenched. “He and Foran have lost contact with the horde. His last communication had him flying near the border of Solmia.”
“Oh no.”
Due to the failing wards the outer kingdoms were in chaos, and the Blood Fae could be almost anywhere.
Our dragons landed on the grounds with barely a whisper of sound, their massive wings stirring up dust and dry leaves. Kaelith’s eyes locked with mine, already knowing. Already prepared.
Hein is with me, Zander said, and I could feel the buzz of magic between them.
Without needing another word, Thrall Squad sprang into motion.
Cordelle waited for Naia to mount Temil, Ferrula swung easily onto Narvea, and Jax clasped my shoulder before vaulting onto Koddos.
Even Tae cracked a joke under his breath—something about missing a hangover—and then launched himself onto Kieren.
I climbed onto Kaelith’s back, settling into place just as her wings stretched out wide.
We took to the air as one, rising together in a perfect formation—an arrow of power cutting across the morning sky.
Whatever was waiting at Solmia’s border, we would face it together.
The skies turned darker as we crossed into Solmia’s territory, the light thinning beneath a quilt of rolling clouds. Ash dusted the air like falling snow, and when we flew over the charred outpost, a sick feeling settled low in my gut.
The outpost had been reduced to blackened bones.
Timber snapped under our dragons weight as we landed, and Kaelith’s wings folded in tight as she lowered her head, sniffing the burned earth.
Jax dismounted beside me and crouched near a pile of scorched armor fragments. “This wasn’t a natural fire.”
“No.” Zander’s voice was grim as he walked slowly through the wreckage. “This was magic.”
The scent of it lingered—sharp and sour, like ozone and decay. I could feel it under my skin, the way Kaelith shifted restlessly beneath me.
“Could Dorian have survived this?” Ferrula asked.
Zander didn’t answer right away. Then, “If he saw it coming, yes. But if they were ambushed…”
“No bodies,” Naia said quietly, running her fingers over a scorched wall still standing. “If they were killed, the dragons would have left some trace. Blood. Bone.”
“They’re not here,” I said. “Which means they’re still out there.”
“Then where would he go?” Jax asked, standing again. “If Dorian escaped, what’s the first place he’d head for?”
“The falls,” Zander said instantly. “He always loved that place. Secluded. Sheltered. Hidden caves behind the mist.”
It made sense.
Kaelith shifted beneath me again, sensing our next move. Ready? she asked.
Always.
We took to the skies once more, our squad silent as we cut through the heavy air. The wind grew wetter as we neared the falls, mist rising to greet us. The crashing sound of water was deafening as we descended.
Kaelith hovered beside Foran’s usual perch, but it was empty. The surrounding trees were undisturbed. No scent trails. No claw marks. Nothing.
We scoured every corner—circling the falls, checking beneath the cliffs, sweeping the riverbank.
But there was no sign of Dorian.
And no sign of Foran.
Kaelith’s voice slipped into my mind, calm but urgent. We must return, Ashlyn. Foran will protect his rider. Trust him.
But why? I asked, glancing one last time at the mist-veiled gorge below. Dorian could still be—
The first flight from the lost continent is nearly upon us. They will arrive soon.
My heart stuttered. That’s impossible. Norven didn’t even know if we’d accept the pact. He said it would take three days to reach their homeland—
Yes, she interrupted, her tone almost smug, which means Norven was very confident we’d agree to his terms.
I blinked, heart pounding as I turned to look at Zander just as Hein growled low and steady above us. Zander’s face twisted slightly, then he snapped his head toward me. He’d gotten the same message.
“Mount up,” he ordered, voice carrying clearly to the others. “We return to Warriath—now.”
We didn’t argue.
Within minutes, the wind was tearing past us as our squad cut back through the smoke-stained skies toward home. My thoughts churned in rhythm with Kaelith’s wingbeats, questions spiraling.
Zander’s voice pressed into my mind, low and intimate. What happened with Remy?
I stiffened slightly. Hein told you?
No. But I can feel it. Something’s off. A pause. Talk to me.
I let out a slow breath. He thinks I’m putting my relationship with you above the protection of Warriath. He said I was being selfish… that I’ve changed.
Zander’s silence was a presence all its own.
And what do you think? he finally asked.
I think he’s scared. We all are. But the difference is—I still believe in us. In the bond we’ve made. He doesn’t.
Zander’s reply was quieter this time. Then he no longer knows who you are.
Maybe he never did.
There was a long beat before his mind brushed against mine again, warm and steady.
I do.
The wind cooled as we crested over the final ridge toward Warriath. Below us, the coast shimmered with the last golden strokes of sunlight, and for a moment, I allowed myself to enjoy the view of rolling cliffs softened by sea spray, the Dragon Isle dark against the water like a sentinel.
Then I saw them.
A wave of gray bodies rising on the horizon, moving in tight formation, Swordtails, Clubtails, Strikers, fifty strong, if not more. Their dull scales caught just enough light to gleam like smoke. The sight sent a ripple down my spine.
Incoming, I whispered in my mind.
Impressive, Kaelith murmured, her voice carrying both awe and something more—reverence.
The lost horde.
They flew in a disciplined arc, shifting formation as one, their wings carving the air with eerie silence. When they angled east toward the Dragon Isle, the whole flock tilted, their massive bodies banking like birds riding an invisible current. Not a single dragon was out of sync.
They’ve flown together since birth, Kaelith said. It is... beautiful.
It was.
We stayed aloft a few seconds longer, watching as the gray-scaled flight began to descend toward the far side of the isle, where rocky plateaus met the edge of the sea.
Then Kaelith turned back toward Warriath, and I glanced down to see the familiar sprawl of the Ascension Grounds.
Thrall Squad descended in formation, tight, clean, sharp, and as we landed, our dragons peeled away without waiting for a command, wings rising again in unison as they returned to the isle to greet the arrivals.
I stepped down, dust trailing my boots, and looked back just as Kaelith vanished into the clouds.
Beside me, Jax silently reached for Ferrula’s hand.
She didn’t hesitate.
Fingers intertwined, the two of them walked together across the field toward the barracks.
A promise, simple and unspoken.
And I stood still for a moment longer, my gaze drifting toward the eastern skies—where new dragons had come.
Zander took my hand gently, the warmth of his palm anchoring me as the last of the gray-scaled dragons disappeared into the horizon.
“Will you accept my ring back?” he asked, voice low, almost hesitant.
I stared up at him, at the sincerity in his violet eyes, and shook my head. “Not yet.”
His lips curled in a soft, understanding smile. “I understand,” he murmured. “But I intend to have a chat with Remy.”
I huffed. “Good luck with that.”
The wind shifted, and Kaelith’s voice shimmered through my mind like the ringing of glass. They are coming.
My pulse stumbled. Who?
But she didn’t answer—not with words. Only a growing pressure along our bond, like the beat of distant wings moving steadily closer. I turned toward the skies, already knowing that whatever came next—would change everything.