Page 31 of A Court of Darkness and Dragons

Zander stiffened beside me.

Remy continued, voice flat. “I’m guessing she never expected Zander to become king. But when Theron did, it changed the game. She sacrificed Warriath for power. Not just a crown, but immortality. That’s what the Blood Fae offer.”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“Because I have been approached before. At an outpost near Uriden. The Blood Fae in question believed a lowborn like me would jump at the chance for more power.”

“What did you do?”

“I killed him, and his glamor died with him.”

I considered his words for a moment, and then frowned. “But how did they get to her? The Blood Fae couldn’t have infiltrated Warriath before the wards started failing. This… this had to have been set in motion for years.”

Zander’s gaze hardened. “Inderia traveled to several other kingdoms in the years before arriving here. She was the perfect envoy. Trusted. Elegant. Unattached.”

Riven looked up quickly. “You think the Blood Fae approached her somewhere else?”

Zander nodded. “That’s what they do. They look for ambition. For cracks. They sense those willing to betray their own. If they found her before she ever reached Warriath⁠—”

“Or,” Remy cut in, “they found her between kingdoms. On the roads. Where the wards don’t reach. Where no one watches.”

The silence that followed was heavy. Chilling.

Because it meant this plan—Severeth’s infiltration, the warders’ deaths, everything—was not sudden. It had been seeded. Cultivated.

Planned for years.

“We have to find her,” I said quietly, turning back to Zander. “Inderia may know Severeth’s full plan. If we catch her, we might stop whatever’s coming next.”

Zander met my eyes, something steel-cold settling in his expression. “Then we start the hunt.”

Because there would be no more shadows to hide in.

Not for Inderia.

And not for the queen she wanted to become.

Chapter

Ten

Zander’s voice cut through the tense air, deep and commanding. “We split into pairs. Cover as much ground as possible without drawing attention.”

He turned to me. “You and Ferrula take the tunnels to the pool. If she’s anywhere near there, we can’t risk her getting to it again.”

Ferrula smirked, already checking the edge on her blade. “We finally get to take that bitch down a peg or two.”

From the back of the group, Tae lifted a brow. “Guess that means I’m off the hook.”

Jax clapped him on the shoulder. “You lucked out. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Zander didn’t break stride. “Tae, you’re with Cordelle. Check the west wing and servant halls. Also, every alcove, and storage room. Naia, you and Jax check the upper levels, especially the council chambers and guest suites. Search for her quietly. Don’t alert anyone to our agenda. Not until we have her in hand.”

Everyone nodded, the reality leaving no room for debate.

Ferrula and I exchanged a glance before heading toward the tower, boots echoing on the cool stone. Once we descended to the tunnels below, the air grew colder and the torchlight along the walls dimmed with each turn. Down here, the stone smelled of damp earth and old magic.

The tunnel ceilings were low, forcing us to keep our heads slightly bowed. Moss crawled along the corners, and narrow drainage channels ran along the edges of the floor. The deeper sections twisted at extreme angles, each bend feeling like it could hide someone waiting in silence.