Page 19 of Flameborne: Fury
“Usually,” Ronen said as he stabbed a green bean with his fork.
I swallowed the roil of nerves that rose in my stomach at that thought. “Will other Flameborne have the same orders?”
“Nope. Never. Your mission is selected for you and your dragon. No one else.”
“My stealth trial was a bitch,” Voski growled from the other side of the table. “I’m convinced they wanted to push hard enough to see if I’d give up. So, don’t give up,” he said darkly, returning to his meal.
That sounded ominous.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Harle said with a dim smile. He had dark circles under his eyes and eyed his food warily. “But you do need to make sure you don’t ask for help. Or miss anything. Whatever they tell you to do, do all of it. Even if it seems silly or unnecessary.”
“Can we ask our dragons?”
“You can, but they won’t instruct you, only answer questions that show you already have a plan,” Gil said. “And they’ll only do what you ask them to, even if you’re incorrect.”
Ronen nodded. “Your dragon will know the mission is coming before you do. They always know. They won’t tell you, but they don’t like keeping secrets, so they might act strange.”
Jhoare had walked to the stable with me after the meal that night and warned me not to ask my dragon what they knew. “They hate lying. It offends them. They’ll do it if they have to, but you’re better off just to assume it’s time and get ready.”
I’d packed a bag that night and left it next to the door ever since.
That conversation was a week ago. I’d assumed there would be a month between trials again. But Akhane had been acting restless for the past three days, so I guessed it was close.
Akhane gave a soft groan again, and I reassured her. But the straw stirred. Kgosi must be curling up with her. He’d been soothing her a lot, as well. I felt terrible that she suffered because of me.
‘Don’t worry, Akhane,’I sent her as I rolled onto my side, closed my eyes, and tried to convince my mindnotto conjure images of Donavyn with dark, hungry eyes.‘No matter what happens, it’ll all be over soon!’
‘Sleep well, Little Flame,’she sighed.
‘Goodnight, Akhane.’
I briefly considered going out to the stable and sleeping with her, but must have drifted off before I’d finished making the decision.
I woke when it was still dark, to Akhane’s voice in my head and a breeze drifting through the crack in my door.
‘Wake up, Little Flame. A messenger is here for you,’Akhane sent, her voice a little too high, but less tight than it had been the day before.
I frowned. A messenger? In the middle of the night? Then I gasped.
It was happening.‘It must be the Trial orders. Tell Kgosi to let him through!’
I leaped out of bed and ran straight to the bag at the door, throwing it on the bed and picking up the flight leathers I always left out. I couldn’t dress until the messenger was gone, but I’d leave everything ready on the bed and—
“Flameborne, Second Rank, Kearney?” The voice was dark, sullen, and very recognizable.
I froze as the door creaked open to reveal Faren, in servants’ clothing, his arms folded and mouth turned down in a frown. Heextended a hand and I flinched. Without thought I yanked the knife from the sheath on my leathers and brought it up—
Faren jerked back and put both his hands up in surrender. “What the fuck? It’s a fucking piece ofpaper. Trust me,I’m not going to touch you, Kearney.God,”he added sullenly.
I stared at him, my heart thumping in my ears—then caught sight of the folded piece of parchment paper pinned between his fingers.
“What is it?” I asked him sharply.
He rolled his eyes. “I was sent to give you your mission,” he spat.
I eyed, him warily, all my alarm bells ringing. “Why would they send you? Of all the messengers—”
“Because they’re humbling me,” he sneered. “Whoever delivers final trial orders has to bless your mission. They said it’ll build my character, or some shit. Look, I don’t want to do this anymore than you do, but we both have jobs to do now. So, can you please take this and let me bless you so I can go back to sleep?”
