Page 7 of Flameborne: Fury
I needed to bathe properly, use the soap cake I’d brought, and scrub my whole body—and hair. And face. I needed to clean off any trace of what had happened this afternoon and—
‘Tell me, Little Flame. It will ease your heart,’Akhane sent gently. I didn’t lift my head to look at her. I didn’t need to.
‘I did tell you. He kissed me. He kissed me like he wanted to—but then he regretted it. He apologized. He was a gentleman, but… but he discarded me. He said he was ashamed.’
‘Ashamed of himself, I have no doubt.’
‘For kissing me. Yes.’
‘No, Bren. Your human rules, the boundaries you set yourselves, they are restrictive. Donavyn associates his honor with obedience to those. All the men do. It’s baffling to me.’
I frowned, but continued floating.‘You don’t believe in obeying the rules?’
‘Of course—but rules that give no room to follow the Creator’s leading? Those seem unwise. To say the men should not hurt each other honors the Creator’s heart. But to say that humans cannot admire each other because of the roles they’ve been assigned? I see no wisdom in that.’
I was bemused.‘It’s funny, I thought you’d be shocked when I told you. I thought you’d growl at him.’
‘For admiring you?’she sounded amused.
I snorted.‘No. For touching me.’
There was a pause before she spoke, as if she measured her words.‘Bren, I haven’t invaded your mind, but waited for you to share yourself with me. Yet, I feel your heart and know your fear. I weep to imagine what brought you to the place where we met. But I herald that this good, strong man reaches for you and you do not flinch. That is significant.’
‘You don’t think he should stay away from me since he’s my Commander? And so much older?’
She gave a low hum. She didn’t like the question.‘We dragons see this differently. We don’t fight the pull—when our hearts align, we embrace it.’
Suddenly uncomfortable in my skin, I squirmed and started to sink. I had to take a deep breath and force myself to relax so I could continue to float.
‘My heart has aligned with a man before, Akhane. It wasn’t a good thing.’
She growled and her shadow shifted.‘Then it was not an alignment of the heart, Bren. But a thrill of the flesh. Wisdom comes in knowing the difference, in recognizing who yoursoulneeds.’
The image of Donavyn, jaw clenched, eyes afire as he gripped my face and fought his need bloomed in my mind and sent an arrow of desire that struck behind my navel. But right on its heels came the picture of him stumbling back when I reached for him, his face horrified.
Ashamed.
Dishonored.
Don’t know what got into me.
I had to put my feet down and stand because I shuddered with shame.
Wanting someone, yearning for them when they didn’t want you in return, it wasmiserable. ‘This is ridiculous, and impossible,’I sent to Akhane, frustrated with her for the first time.‘Please don’t give me hope, Akhane. He was horrified by touching me. He’s not for me.’
‘How can you be sure?’she asked quietly.‘He wanted to kiss you—correct?’
‘Yes, but then he didn’t.’I shivered with humiliation again. Keeping my feet on the bed of the pool, I let my body drop until my shoulders were under the warm water. I grimaced at the ache in my chest.
‘Don’t fret, Bren. Kgosi always reminds me that patience is wisdom. Humans are very erratic, but usually find their way. If the General is meant to be yours, he will be.’
‘How can you even think that? There’snothingin this that says he’s supposed to be mine!’
‘Except his regard. He is not a man given to lusts, or frivolous connection. Kgosi assured me.’
‘Still. It’s misconduct. And he’s theGeneral.Beside him, I’m a joke.’
Akhane growled and lifted her head, giving short, sharp flaps of her wings in protest.‘Donotspeak of yourself in that way, Little Flame. You’re a prize. No one knows that better than me.’
