“Very well.” He straightened to his full height and looked down at me, his jaw tight. “In that case, get walking.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You are not to fly alone, ever again. And I am not missing my blankets tonight for an arrogant Flameborne who believes the rules don’t apply. I’m going home to bed. So are you—on foot.”
I opened my mouth—then caught the piercing light in his eyes and closed it again.
“Yes, Sir,” I said through my teeth. It was at least two miles back to the Keep and my legs already ached and shook from two sessions practicing taking off and landing today. It would be high moon before I made it to my bed.
“Good answer,” he said, then it was as if the anger leeched out of him. He blew out a breath, clawed a hand through his hair, and waved me off. “At ease. You might as well get walking. I’ll take Akhane and—”
He cut off and snapped his head to look at his dragon, then he gave a small huff.
“Actually, I won’t,” he said, grinning.
I looked at Akhane.‘What’s he talking about?’
She sighed heavily.‘The Primarch says if I am so determined to follow a human into her hairbrained schemes, then I will follow her into discipline too. We are both grounded for tonight, Bren.’
She didn’t sound angry, just tired.
‘I’m sorry, Akhane. I shouldn’t have—’
‘No, Bren. We do not look back except to learn. What is meant to be will be. And this was meant to be, I think,’she said.
After checking that I wasn’t injured, the General headed back towards Kgosi, which was when I remembered and called after him.
“Sir, thank you. For this mercy. And for the book.”
He froze midstep. When he turned, his gaze was uncertain. “It was a story I thought you might enjoy.”
I nodded. “I’m enjoying it a great deal. And it’s very inspiring.”
He frowned, then looked beyond me to the skies. “Then perhaps this is all my fault,” he muttered. Then his eyes dropped back to mine and my breath was stopped by that strange, hot tugging, right at the center of my chest.
I frowned and looked down, wondering if I had injured myself after all. But by the time I looked back up. The General was disappearing behind Kgosi.
They took off seconds later. I watched enviously as they launched effortlessly into the sky, the General barely swaying despite his powerful dragon’s strides to launch them into the air.
When they disappeared into the dark, I sighed and looked at Akhane. “I’m sorry I got you tangled up in this.”
‘I’m not, Bren,’Akhane said, still watching Kgosi fly away.
~ DONAVYN ~
As we launched into the sky over that little clearing, it was everything I could do not to turn and look at her standing there, forlorn, in the center of that field.
‘Did I do the right thing?’
‘You did,’Kgosi rumbled in my head.‘The question is, will she?’I felt the pinch of concern in him—and the amused bubble.‘Her defiance reminds me of someone else.’
‘I wasneverthat rebellious.’
My dragon huffed audibly, smoke and steam leaching from his nostrils.‘Oh, how blind the young are to their own flaws.’
‘Tell me about it. Did you see the way she stood up to me? The way she fought? I’m still uncertain I’ve done the right thing, letting that behavior pass.’
‘You would have softened with such an inexperienced male who showed remorse and listened, too. It was right to do so with her.’
