Page 38 of A Court of Darkness and Dragons

He lunged again, steel flashing in a brutal arc aimed at my ribs. I caught the blow on my blade; the impact jarring up my arm. The force pushed me back a step, my boots sliding on a patch of shattered glass.

Another strike came before I could breathe—faster this time. He was relentless, pressing forward with precision born of training. And with every clash of steel, that gnawing sense of recognition burrowed deeper.

I knew those eyes.

I just couldn’t remember where.

Steel rang against steel as we traded blows, the sound harsh in the cramped, shadowed kitchen. My attacker moved quickly, every strike meant to cripple or kill. I parried high, stepped inside his guard, but he twisted away like smoke, one hand vanishing beneath his black tunic.

When it reemerged, there was a glint of glass between his fingers.

He hurled the vial at my face.

It shattered before I could turn fully away; the contents misting against my skin. A sharp, chemical tang hit my nose, and almost instantly, a creeping numbness spread down the side of my face, crawling into my jaw and neck.

Damn it.

Either this would-be assassin was human and didn’t possess magic, or their power was so rare they’d be caught immediately if they used it. The compound, though… that was old-school. Effective.

My grip tightened on my blade even as my knees threatened to soften. I knew enough about assassin methods to recognize the feeling—one of several alchemical brews meant to impair, disorient, and slow the prey. It wouldn’t kill me outright. Not if I stayed on my feet.

Kaelith. My call rang in my head as I stumbled back, forcing myself to keep my sword up.

Her presence surged into my mind at once, fierce and assessing. You have been drugged.

Don’t count me out yet.

She reached out through the horde link, her mental voice a command. Jax and Ferrula will be with you in under a minute.

The numbing cold was spreading faster now, making my fingers tingle, my breath hitch. I adjusted my stance, refusing to give my attacker the satisfaction of seeing me falter.

From somewhere outside the inn, Jax’s voice roared, a shout of pure fury.

My attacker froze, eyes darting toward the sound. And then he bolted for the doorway, moving with the kind of speed only fear could give.

Jax burst through the warped doorway first, Ferrula right behind him, both of them scanning the room with weapons drawn.

The sight of me sinking to my knees must’ve been enough as Jax was at my side in two strides, his arms coming around me like a shield. “We’ve got you, sweetheart,” he murmured, the grit in his voice betraying the anger simmering beneath.

I let my head rest against his shoulder for half a heartbeat before glancing up at Ferrula. Her gaze was a storm—cold and furious.

“He’s so cute when he’s overprotective,” I muttered, my voice a little slurred from the lingering numbness.

Ferrula’s lip twitched, though her eyes didn’t soften. “He has a certain charm,” she said dryly. “Who did this?”

I tried to push to my feet, but my legs refused to cooperate. My knees wobbled, and I sank back into Jax’s hold with a hiss of frustration. “It was an assassin. He sprayed me with a numbing agent. It’ll wear off in a minute or two; my body’s already purging it.”

Ferrula’s eyes narrowed. “Who would send an assassin after you?”

“That,” I said, leaning heavier into Jax as a dull heat began to crawl back into my limbs, “is a question I plan to ask my father. Because while anyone can throw on black and hide their face…” I met her gaze steadily. “…that numbing compound is almost impossible to duplicate.”

Her brows lifted slightly. “You’re saying⁠—”

“It’s an Order recipe,” I finished, my voice sharpening despite the weakness still in my legs. “And I want to know why one of their secrets was used on me.”

Jax kept his arm locked firmly around my waist, half-carrying me out of the gutted inn while Ferrula stalked ahead, clearing the way with a glare that made every villager we passed duck out of sight. Naia brought up the rear, scanning every shadow, her hand never far from her sword.

The trek back toward the Ascension Grounds felt longer than it should have, my legs still tingling from the numbing agent. Jax’s grip never loosened, and despite myself, I leaned into him, letting his solid strength keep me steady.