Page 60 of Flameborne: Fury
I chuckled. “Definitelynot.I think it must be because you’re a woman. That might also explain why you and Akhane sank so deep in your bond so quickly. You’re very entwined already. Which one was the seed and the other the fruit, who knows? But clearly something has changed us. Dragons can bond without their riders sharing any link. Yet, here we are.” I frowned.
“What usually happens?”
“Usually,the dragons choose their soulmates before they take a Rider. Then, when one or both of them Choose riders, we simply place them in squads together. But dragons finding bonds later in life do happen and if two dragons discover each other as mates after they’ve taken riders, we move the Pairs to a new squad together. There’s some disruption, but no one’s rank or Wing changes. We’ve had some challenges with new bonds making dragons unwilling to be parted for missions, but where possible, we try not to let it happen.”
Bren sighed. “But you’re not in a squad anymore, right?”
I nodded. “Our dragons’ bond wouldn’t cause that kind of issue, Bren. It might limit where you could fly for a time, but the Primarch taking a mate will be celebrated—it’ll strengthen our entire herd, and at a time when the number of offspring is dwindling. So, no, Kgosi taking Akhane isn’t a problem. Thedragons are free to bond and mate as they see fit. But us? Furyknights are supposed to prioritize our roles and if wedotake wives, select them carefully. Or not at all. I’d accepted it was my fate to be alone. Ithoughtthat’s what Kgosi had told me would be required.I’ve assured the King for over a decade that he wouldn’t see my time and attention divided. And while he’s respectful of my skill—and Kgosi’s power—he won’t welcome having to share my loyalty and attention.”
I’d been thinking out loud, but I felt the bolt of fear spear through her. I should have taken more care with my words.
“Don’t worry,” I murmured, turning my head to kiss her hair. “Whatever happens, wherever it takes us is in the Creator’s hands. He’s using you, Bren. You’re a disrupter. They appear in every generation, and they’re always used for change. You should be proud—everything with you is new. You’re changinghistory.”
But she pushed up on her elbow and frowned down at me. “I don’t like that.”
“Why not? I do.”
She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Donavyn, look at the consequences. They could remove you from your rank just when we’re riding to war. And they might not raise me—right? I thought I’d completed the third task, but it wasn’t even my orders. If they haven’t evaluated me and they find this out, will they ground me?”
“They better fuckingnot.”
“But you might not have a say. You said this breached your vows, so it would breach mine as well if I were to take them. How can this be from God if it breaks all the rules?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “And I don’t know if the consequences will be terrible, or non-existent. The King is… unpredictable.”Not to mention the Queen.My stomach sank at the thought. I needed to make certain both the royals heard thisfrom me. The King so that I could counter his concerns before he had time to find them, and the Queen because she had made her interest clear. And she wasn’t a woman who took kindly to unpleasant surprises.
“What? What are you nervous about?” Bren asked suddenly, her brow furrowed with worry.
I pushed up to sit, crossing my legs and leaning towards her as she scrambled to sit up as well. “Bren, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it’s that circumstancesneverplay out as we’d expect. I don’t like the potential problems this raises, it’s true. I don’t want to lose my rank—or watch you be denied yours. But those decisions are out of my control. All I can do—allwecan do, is speak up, follow our honor, and pray that the King’s response ismeasured.”
“But—”
I slid a hand to her face, kept her there with me because I could feel her panic rising. “No matter what occurs, I’ll protect you. Even if they discipline me. Even if they remove my rank. They know me. They know what I’m capable of. No one will harm me.”
“Stealing your careerisharm!”
“And yet, men survive it every day.”
Her jaw dropped. “How can you be so flippant about this?”
“Who said anything aboutflippant?Acceptance of what I can’t control is balance, not lack of care.”
“But Donavyn! Youcan’t!You can’t just give up!”
“I’m not volunteering, Bren. I’m accepting that—”
“You can’t!” She was agitated, fear twisting in her chest.
I frowned. “Bren, I’m trying to reassure you. What’s—?”
“We can hide this,” she insisted. “Until I’ve earned my rank, we can hide it.”
I sat back. “Absolutely not. I’m not living a lie. And I’mnotdenying my mate,” I growled.
“I don’t mean deny the bond, I mean, we can work around it. No one else needs to know—”
“Why would you want to ignore this?”
“I don’t!”
