“No, but Cade does,” Jax said, stepping beside her now, his tone ice. “And if you touch her, I swear by the oath of my dragon, I’ll make sure the truth gets out.”
The guards looked between Theron and the small army forming around Ferrula.
Then Kaelith’s voice entered my mind.I’m coming. He will not take one of ours.
I won’t allow it either, I thought as my eyes locked on Cade. He didn’t smirk this time. He looked… unsettled.
Because Thrall Squad didn’t leave their own.
And Ferrula wasn’t alone.
The guards moved in, their hesitation gone with Theron’s barked order ringing in their ears.
But Jax didn’t hesitate either.
His fist cracked against the nearest guard’s jaw with a sound like splintering wood. The man dropped instantly, out cold before he hit the ground.
Gasps erupted around the banquet table. One of the nobles actually yelped.
Zander took a step forward, hands raised, trying to keep things from erupting further. But Ferrula’s voice stopped everything.
“Stand down,” she said.
We all turned to her. She wasn’t afraid. Not even a little. Her expression was calm, but her eyes blazed with something dangerous. Pride. Dignity.
“The truth will set me free,” she said, glancing at each of us in turn. Then her hand reached out and landed gently on Jax’s forearm. “Don’t make it worse.”
He was breathing hard, nostrils flared, but he stepped back at her touch, barely. Rage pulsed through him, quiet and hot. He wasn’t letting this go.
As the guards moved to flank Ferrula, Cade folded his arms and leaned back in his chair, as smug as a cat beside a tipped birdcage.
I took a step closer, my voice low and venomous.
“You’re a dead man, Cade.”
His smile didn’t falter, but the flicker of unease behind it told me he’d heard the promise in my tone. A storm was coming.
And he’d just painted a target on his back.
Chapter
Thirty-Two
Isat up slowly, careful not to jostle the mattress too hard. Veyna lay on the opposite bunk, her dark lashes fanned against her cheeks, the bruise along her jaw already fading thanks to her fae resilience. She looked peaceful for once, and I didn’t want to be the one to shatter that.
The door creaked open.
“Morning, sunshine,” Riven said in a half-whisper, slipping inside with the grace of a predator. She closed the door gently and padded over, flopping onto the edge of my bed without waiting for an invitation.
I rubbed my face. “Tell me that look on your face isn’t because we’ve got more problems.”
Riven sighed, crossing her arms. “I chatted with some of the other squads. Warborn’s pissed about last night’s incident, and Crownwatch is divided, especially since Cade’s accusations are unconfirmed.”
I frowned. “And Iron Fang?”
Her mouth twisted. “Didn’t talk to them. They’re icing everyone out. But the rumor mill’s going wild.”
I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “What kind of rumors?”
