Page 7 of A Court of Darkness and Dragons

His eyes flicked to Zander, and my favorite prince, traitor that he was, smiled.

My jaw dropped.

“You didn’t betray him.” The words tumbled out of me like ash. “You faked it?”

Zander raised a brow. “We needed your reaction to be authentic enough to convince the entire guild. And you don’t fake your anger.”

“Fuck,” I breathed, pacing a tight circle before pointing at Cade. “You do realize the entire Thrall Squad wants to murder you, right? Ferrula’s got at least three inventive ways planned, and I’m sure one of them involves poison and a ballista.”

Cade’s grin spread. “I’d expect nothing less from her. But it was necessary.”

My hands dropped to my hips. “Necessary?”

He gave me a half-shrug. “And before you start throwing daggers, it was my idea. Zander wanted to loop you in, but I told him not to. Nobody would’ve believed it unless it looked like you and Thrall Squad genuinely wanted me dead.”

I let out a huff. “Smart. I hope it was worth it.”

“Oh, trust me,” he said dryly. “Having to pretend I share the same views as Perin is punishment enough.”

Zander snorted behind me, but I stepped forward. “Then what have you learned?”

Cade’s expression sobered in an instant. “Iron Fang is fractured,” he said. “Without Theron issuing orders directly, the command structure’s eroding from within. Half the riders are loyal to Remy, a third want Dorian back, and the rest are just waiting to see who dies first.”

I folded my arms. “And Perin?”

Cade’s mouth curled, but there was no humor this time. “Ambitious. He’s been pushing his own doctrine. Says Iron Fang needs to ‘return to its roots’—less diplomacy, more domination. He’s got a few nobles eating out of his palm. Some of them have questionable political ties.”

A chill danced down my spine.

“You think he’s the traitor?” I asked.

“No.” Cade’s gaze darkened. “I think he’s a symptom. Not the disease.”

Kaelith’s words echoed in my skull like thunder.

Look for the beast who doesn’t bleed.

And suddenly, I wasn’t sure if we were looking for a human traitor… or something far worse.

Chapter

Three

Cade left with the same casual arrogance he always wore like armor, his parting words still echoing with too much truth. The door clicked softly behind him, and the quiet that followed felt heavier than it should have.

Zander stood at the hearth, hands moving to unbuckle his chest plate. The lamplight caught the gold in his hair, his jaw clenched in thought. Wordless.

I moved beside him, my fingers finding the clasps of my own armor, leather creaking and metal groaning as I peeled each layer off, setting it on the chair. Beneath the steel and sweat, I was just tired. Bone-deep. But not enough to walk away from the only place I’d ever truly felt safe.

Zander looked up just as I pulled my tunic over my head. His breath hitched, just slightly, but he didn’t hesitate.

In three strides, he was in front of me, one hand at the curve of my neck, the other sliding around my waist as he pulled me against his chest. His mouth found mine in a kiss that started soft—tentative, questioning, but quickly turned to something deeper. Desperate. Real.

I pressed into him, my hands running along the ridges of his ribs, his spine, until they tangled in the fabric at his shoulders and pushed it off. He groaned into the kiss as I shoved it past his arms.

“I thought we were going to sleep,” I whispered against his lips.

“I need you,” he breathed.