Page 48 of Flameborne: Fury
He rolled off me. I was about to get to my feet to get our clothes, but he rolled all the way up to his feet and immediately walked over to where he’d built a fire earlier that was low coals now, our clothing spread out on the stone and dirt around it. I was stunned to see him walk the circle of the flames picking up clothing and shaking it off, checking the seams to see how wet they were, grimacing, but moving on.
And he didn’t gather only his own clothing, he picked up and shook outmine.
I stood, gaping at him, until he returned to my toes, my leathers and shirt thrown over one arm. As he extended that arm to me his eyes were soft and searching, his forehead lined in worry. Yet calm care and something stronger washed through the bond to me.
I stared at that arm for a moment, seeing it for the gift it was.
“What is it?” he asked, confused. “I know they’re not fully dry, but they’ll be better than nothing.”
I looked back up at him. “I’m not used to a man serving me,” I said carefully.
His brows pinched. “It’s hardlyservice.I picked up your clothes, Bren. I’m sure I’ll do it a million times over the course of our lives together.”
Our lives together.He accepted this future, thislifeso calmly? The words made me shiver. But that was another stunning truth. Hemeantit. “But you’re theCommander.”
His head jerked back. “If you ever call me that when I’m naked again, I’ll paddle your ass,” he said gruffly, then he blinked and his eyes widened like he regretted the words.
He looked so disconcerted, I forgot my fears and snorted.“Paddleme?”
“Bren, I was being flippant. I didn’t mean—”
I snorted. “Please rest assured I’d never want to displease you…Commander.”
Donavyn spluttered and I laughed. Then he muttered something under his breath and tossed my clothes at my chest. I giggled as I caught them.
“Get that ass covered before I pink it,” he growled as he turned away.
I laughed again, and then he winked at me over his shoulder. My heart thumped in my chest, warming me, making me wish we weren’t about to talk about the darkest events of my life. But as I shook out my leathers to pull them on, I shook my head.
Commander.I grinned. I wouldn’t forget the way he’d spluttered at that.Or the warm thrill in his chest that he didn’t realize I’d felt.
I’d dropped my jacket to the ground as I put on the shirt. Donavyn had his leathers on and his shirt over his arms, but still open when I picked up my jacket.
I cleared my throat and kept my eyes on my hands as I pulled the damp leather over my arm. “My story, Donavyn. It’s not virtuous.”
“I don’t expect it to be, and I half expect I know what it entails. Which is why I get upset when you’re frightened,” he muttered, but his tone was suddenly distracted as he leaned down to pick something up from the ground.
He went still, looking at it, then his head snapped up, eyes on mine. “Bren, what is this?” he asked suddenly, offering me the item in his hand.
I frowned and took it, opening the crinkled fibers to find the symbols I’d drawn with the charcoal when I found the camp. Theparchment was rippled from absorbed water and the charcoal smudged, but it was still legible.
I looked at him with a cautious smile. “It’s the symbols I saw at the camp. I found it and did everything you said. I gathered the numbers and weapons and—“
“Whatcamp?”
I frowned. “The camp you sent me to find. For my third trial. It was impressive. No wonder so many of the Officers and servants were gone. That was very clever making it sound like it was for the King’s banquet—”
“Bren—” he snatched the parchment from my hand and scanned it again, his brows rising. “Bren, where was this camp?”
I swallowed. “You know. It was an hour or two north. I think? I tried to keep a straight line from the Keep towards the Dueling Peaks, but we might have been blown west. Will I still pass? Or do I need to be able to find it on a map? I can give directions, I’m only unsure because of the storm—”
Donavyn swore and shoved the paper into his pocket, eyes squeezed shut and more curses breaking on his tongue.
“Bren, the orders you received weren’t from me,” he said bluntly, hurriedly buttoning his shirt and tucking into his leathers. “They weren’t your trial.”
“What?!”
“I don’t know if whoever sent you knew that camp was there, or if God simply used it to our benefit, but where did you see those symbols?”
