I was a sitting duck.
‘Akhane, can you lay down really slowly so I can get a foot on the ground and push my weight up—’
‘No, Bren. I cannot. The Primarch orders that I stand and wait. The General will help you.’
Every hair on my body stood up. “The General?” I gasped at the same moment a massive gust of wind washed over us, fluttering the strands over my cheeks that had fallen out of my braid.
Heart sinking, I looked over my shoulder to see Kgosi settling to the earth next to us… and as Akhane chittered and chirped, a worried noise I hadn’t heard her make before, a dark shadow appeared on the ground next to Kgosi, the General emerged from that shadow like an avenging angel. He lifted one hand to his face, then leaped at the mounting strap dangling below me, andsprintedup Akhane’s side, muttering curses as he climbed.
I hunched and tipped my forehead against Akhane’s neck as I waited for his punishment.
But I’d barely taken a breath before a large, steel heat was at my back, curses were growled, and his breath fluttered in my hair.
Then a thick, masculine hand appeared in front of my face holding a gleaming blade.
“Akhane, don’t eventwitch!”he snarled, then placed that blade against one of the two new straps.
“Sir—no!”But I was too late. He cut it in two, and with the tension released on one side, I slipped further down Akhane’s shoulder.
I gasped and grabbed for the safety strap at my waist just in time as he laid that blade to the other extra strap I’d added to the harness and I dropped—then caught hard, the safety strap grabbing at my waist and digging into my back, right where bruises bloomed from falling so many times and being caught by the straps attached to my belt.
“Ow!” I was left swinging helplessly again, just like I had been the first time we landed and Gil had been forced to lift me so Ronen could get me unclipped.
“Be grateful to the Creator that it’s only bruises,” the General snarled, then slid halfway down the mounting strap to my side, his feet braced against Akhane’s side. “Put your arm over my shoulder andhold on.”
Shaking, I did as he said. My breath stopped when he pulled us both another stepupthe mounting strap, then held our combined weight with one straining arm, while he reached around me with the other to unclip the safety strap from my belt.
“Lean forward as far as you can. Keep your feet straight down in case you fall,” he muttered. Then there was a click and the clink of the strap and clip falling back against Akhane’s side.
I slipped the moment my weight was entirely on my arm. The General cursed again, that arm tightening around my waist to hold me.
“Let me go. I’ll—”
“You’ll keep your fucking mouth shut and do as you’re told!” he snarled.
I did as I was told.
Huffing and blowing, he inched us both down Akhane’s side, letting the strap slide through one hand with each step which made me wince, because I knew how that leather burned.
When we reached the ground, I scrambled out of his grip and stumbled back while he searched for the blade he’d dropped, then sheathed it, before turning to look at me, his chest and shoulders rising and falling with his rapid breathing, and his eyesdarkwith anger.
“Sir, I’m sorry. But you didn’t need to—”
“Keep. Your mouth. Shut.”
A long, low rumble of disapproval from Kgosi behind me had Akhane dropping her head and chittering again.
I bristled. “Punish me,” I muttered. “But Akhane did nothing but help me—”
“Do youtrulynot know the meaning ofshut your mouth?!”the General roared, stepping in and shouting in my face.
I flinched and stumbled back a step, instinctively raising my hands to defend myself. But he hadn’t moved. His brows rose and his eyes widened.
I was hunched and peering at him from behind my hands. He stared back, stunned. Then he cursed.
“I am not going tohurtyou, Bren,” he muttered through his teeth.
A low rumble from Kgosi seemed to disagree, but the General only glanced at his dragon, then turned back to me.
