Page 58 of A Court of Darkness and Dragons

And then the vision unraveled, fading into shadow and silence until I was once more in Zander’s chamber, my own breath ragged, my hands shaking.

What was that? I asked, breathless.

Kaelith’s voice slid into my mind, silk over steel. That was the past, she said, the echo of war still lingering in her tone. But history will repeat itself unless the Blood King falls.

I swallowed hard, still tasting the salt and smoke from her vision. You mean Veralin.

You cannot focus on Severeth, Kaelith pressed. That was Siergen’s mistake. Veralin works from the shadows, but he holds the true power. Siergen killed the first fae commander, and all it did was postpone the war. Killing Severeth will do the same unless you kill Veralin as well.

I paced the room, my gaze drifting back to Zander, sleeping deeply, his face pale against the pillows. Severeth has manipulated this entire kingdom. She’s infiltrated every layer of power.

She does nothing without Veralin’s consent.

The thought sat heavy in my chest. She wants to take his throne.

Good, Kaelith said, her mental voice sharpening. That could work to your advantage, but don’t lose sight of the true goal.

And what’s that? I asked, though the answer was already coiling in my gut.

Win the war, Kaelith murmured, her presence like the steady beat of wings in my mind. Not the battle.

The restlessness wouldn’t leave me, not even with Zander’s steady breathing in the background. Kaelith’s vision churned in my thoughts like a storm that refused to break.

I need to go for a walk, I told her; the words resolute in my mind.

Good, she replied, and I could almost hear the purr in her tone. Hein and I wish to have some alone time.

I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue. Her presence withdrew abruptly, the mental link snapping quiet, leaving my head strangely hollow.

The air in the corridors felt heavy, suffocating. I moved quickly through the castle, past guards who bowed or simply glanced away, and let the cool evening wind meet me at the gates. My steps carried me toward the healers’ quadrant without conscious thought—my body remembering how the Yarrow gardens always calmed me, even when my nerves were frayed to breaking.

The scent reached me first—crisp, green, and slightly sweet. For a moment, I could almost forget the war would soon be at our gates.

I never made it to the garden.

Something slammed into my back with the force of a charging bull, and I hit the ground hard enough to knock the breath from my lungs. Grit scraped my palms as I rolled, instincts screaming at me to get to my feet before the second blow came.

I pushed up just in time to meet a pair of furious eyes, their color dark and glinting with something evil. Perin stood braced, shoulders tight, with a sword glinting in his hand. His grip was white-knuckled; his expression was one of pure, burning rage.

And it was aimed at me.

We moved in a slow, taut circle, blades flashing dully in the dim light. My chest rose and fell with measured breaths, my eyes locked on his.

“All those attempts on my life,” I said, my voice low, my pulse thundering in my ears. “They were all you.”

Perin’s lip curled, his gaze fixed on me like I was something foul crawling across his path. “You will bring about the destruction of Warriath.”

“I am trying to save Warriath and its people,” I shot back, tightening my grip on my dagger. “Killing me will ensure the Blood Fae win this war.”

“They are misunderstood,” he sneered, taking a slow step toward me. “Severeth is the true queen. She will lead the dragons into a new era, one without the Blood King.”

“I believe she’d kill Veralin if she had the chance,” I countered, “but she’ll be no better than him. You’re just a pawn in her game.”

“I was Inderia’s one true love,” he spat, the words vibrating with an ugly pride. “I would have been king.”

The realization hit me like a kick to the ribs. “Inderia’s gift was persuading men she loved them,” I said, my voice firm. “Severeth used her, and ultimately got her killed.”

“You got her killed,” he snarled, his knuckles whitening on his hilt, “and I will repay the favor.”