Chapter 32
Chapter
Thirty-Two
T he castle grounds were still cloaked in shadow when I slipped out. The chill of the early morning air bit into my skin, but I moved quickly, weaving through quiet corridors past sleepy-eyed guards until I made it to the Ascension Grounds.
Zander was waiting, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes, dark like onyx in the dim light, flicked over me before he sighed in relief.
“You’re very good at sneaking out,” he said dryly.
“Good to know I can fall back on my life of crime if needed,” I muttered. “Let’s go.”
We walked side by side toward my barracks. His stride was purposeful, like he was bracing himself for a fight that hadn’t come yet—but would.
“What if they come for you before we leave?” I asked quietly.
He glanced at me, his gaze sharp. “They won’t. I’ve made sure of it.”
I swallowed hard. Zander wasn’t one to bluff, but my father wasn’t one to fail.
“You’re not alone,” he said. “I’ve got you.”
We reached my barracks, and I slipped inside while Zander lingered by the door. I moved to Riven’s bunk and shook her shoulder gently. Her eyes fluttered open, narrowing on me.
“What’s going on?” she mumbled before noticing Zander’s silhouette at the doorway. She shot upright. “Why is he here?”
I took a deep breath. “My father might be trying to kill me.”
That got her attention. “Wait...what?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted, keeping my voice low. “But Zander is taking us on a military hunt. He’s told the major it’s for training. We have to leave now, before my father’s spies report back to him.”
Riven stared at me, still bleary-eyed but wide awake now. “Won’t they just follow us?”
“There are no spies where we’re going,” Zander said from the doorway.
Jax groaned from his bunk as he pulled his flight armor on. “Yeah, I’m sure they’ll love that,” he muttered.
“We don’t have a choice,” I shot back. “If my father wants me dead, he won’t stop.”
Jax grunted but didn’t argue as he finished putting on his flight armor.
One by one, my squadmates began to stir, dressing quickly. Even Ferrula moved with quiet urgency, her face hard with determination.
Minutes later, we emerged from the barracks to find Zander waiting, his sword strapped to his back. The dining hall staff had prepared supplies, and we stuffed bread, dried meat, and flasks of water into our packs before heading to the Ascension Grounds.
“Call your dragons,” Zander ordered.
I closed my eyes, reaching for Kaelith.
Are you with me? I asked.
Her answer was immediate, powerful. We are on our way.
I exhaled, relief washing over me as her shadow streaked across the sky. Moments later, Kaelith landed with a bone-shaking thud, her scales gleaming like molten amethyst in the fading moonlight.
The others weren’t far behind—Hein’s silver wings sliced through the air, followed by Koddos, Narvea, and Zola. The others landed a few seconds later.
Kaelith’s wings pumped hard against the cool morning air, each powerful beat lifting us higher.
Without a saddle, I gripped the rope tightly, my legs clamped hard against her scales to keep from sliding.
The flight wasn’t long—too short for us to need full gear—which meant whatever Zander had planned wouldn’t require endurance. Something more... precise.
Do you know where we’re going? I reached for Kaelith’s mind.
We hunt the king’s beasts. Her voice thrummed in my head, a low purr of excitement. They are off-limits unless a royal calls a hunt. I have never participated before.
Her eagerness made me smile despite the tension knotting my stomach. Fresh meat? I teased.
New meat, she corrected, her mental tone sharpening. She was more than eager—she was hungry .
The other dragons began to break off, spreading out through the sky. Each one banked in a different direction, vanishing above the dense forest that sprawled below.
Where are we going? I asked.
You will see.
We passed over the thick canopy, and I spotted something shimmering ahead—a wall of liquid silver, rippling like moonlight on water.
What is that?
The barrier. Kaelith’s voice hummed with something close to reverence. The warders keep the king’s beasts contained. You need magic to pass through... or permission from a royal.
Magic. That explained Zander’s presence.
As we neared the wall of shimmering energy, I braced myself. The air seemed to pulse around us, heat flashing across my skin. Then, like stepping through a thin veil, we passed through.
The sensation left me breathless—my magic hummed beneath my skin, twitching as if reaching for something beyond my control. The air felt different on the other side—charged, raw, like a storm had just rolled through and the sky was still deciding whether to break open.
A screech split the air—high-pitched and furious. The sound vibrated through my bones, sharp and grating like nails dragged across metal.
The hunt is on, Kaelith said with a wicked growl.
Kaelith landed in a small clearing, her claws digging into the earth as she folded her wings.
I slid from her neck, feeling the hard jolt as my boots hit the ground.
My rope dangled from where I’d knotted it, and I grabbed it quickly, fastening it to my belt before drawing my rapier.
The metal gleamed faintly in the dim forest light, a cold comfort in my hand.
A low, guttural growl rose from the shadows ahead. My breath stilled, every muscle locking tight.
The creature stepped from the tree line, as black as night and twice as terrifying.
Its body was twisted—as if nature itself had tried to reject it.
Shaggy fur hung in mangled clumps, patchy in places where scaled flesh peeked through.
It stood on four legs, each one ending in jagged claws that scraped against the earth.
Fangs, long and curved like daggers, jutted from its massive jaws.
It was three times the size of a horse—all muscle and rage—and the moment its soulless, glowing eyes locked on me, it began to stalk forward. Slow and deliberate. Like a cat toying with a cornered mouse.
Kaelith moved before I could react, her bulk shifting to place her body between me and the beast. Her wings flared wide, shadowing me beneath them, and she let out a low growl that vibrated through my bones. The creature’s ears flicked back, its lips curling over bloody teeth.
Then Kaelith struck.
She lunged, claws raking down its chest as the beast snarled and snapped at her throat.
Kaelith twisted away, her teeth clamping onto the creature’s side and shaking it like a rag doll.
The monster let out a guttural shriek before Kaelith wrenched her head back, tearing a gaping hole in its side.
It hit the ground with a sickening thud and didn’t rise.
I hardly had time to breathe before another snarl erupted from the trees.
The second beast was even larger—its body covered in thicker fur and deeper scars. It stalked in a wide circle, its gaze flicking from Kaelith to me like it was calculating which of us would fall first.
Kaelith shifted, her tail flicking behind her as she moved to intercept.
I took a careful step back, eyes on the beast. My fingers twitched on the hilt of my rapier—but before I could register the movement, something whistled past my ear.
A dagger.
I spun just in time to see a figure emerge from the underbrush—cloaked in black, face obscured. Their arm moved fast, drawing another blade from their belt.
Not just beasts. Assassins.
My heart pounded as I squared off against my new attacker, tightening my grip on my rapier. This was no random encounter—someone had followed me through the barrier.
And they wanted me dead.
The assassin moved fast—but slower than I expected. His hood clung tightly to his face, only his eyes visible beneath the shadow. Dark, sharp eyes—and familiar in a way that nagged at me, but not enough to place him.
He lunged with a curved dagger aimed at my ribs. I twisted, stepping inside his reach and driving my elbow into his chest. He stumbled back but recovered quickly, his blade flicking toward my shoulder. I parried with my rapier, metal shrieking against metal.
“You’re not Order,” I hissed, circling him. He didn’t speak—only shifted his weight and struck again. His blade cut the air near my face, and I ducked low, slicing toward his thigh. He jumped back, agile despite his bulk.
The way he moved—aggressive but imprecise—wasn’t like one of my father’s assassins. There was no grace and no calculated precision. This man relied on brute strength, not skill.
He came at me again, swinging wide. Sloppy. I sidestepped, driving my rapier across his arm. The blade cut deep, and he staggered back, clutching the wound as blood seeped between his fingers. His eyes widened, and without a word, he turned and bolted into the trees.
I took a shaky breath, lowering my rapier. That had been far too easy.
Not Order. A real assassin wouldn’t have fled so easily—and certainly wouldn’t have been scared off by a single cut. My mind raced.
Then who sent him? How did he get in here?
Kaelith’s triumphant roar split the air. I turned in time to see the second beast crumple beneath her talons, its body still twitching. Her wings flared wide as her head jerked toward the tree line, locking onto the figure fleeing into the distance.
What is going on? Her voice hissed through my mind.
I was attacked while you were busy killing the creature, I answered, still trying to piece it together.
That timing is highly suspect. Her voice was sharp with suspicion.
Yeah, I agreed. I don’t think that guy was from the Order.
Then only a royal could have let him in... Kaelith’s tone darkened.
Unless he was a dragon rider, I added, thinking of Perin.
True... Her voice turned thoughtful before snapping back to a sharp edge.
Get back, Kaelith ordered, her growl low and threatening.