Page 95 of Flameborne: Fury
Her brows shot up in genuine surprise. “You’d continue to withhold this from Alexi?”
“Only for a time. Only while she proves herself. You saw how he was at the beginning. He’s barely come to consider that she has merit of her own. Even now he sees little more than a tool.”
“Or a whore,” she added cynically.
I shot her a glare. But she only rolled her eyes. Despite being a foot taller than her, she managed to stare at me down her nose. “Don’t turn cold on me now, Donavyn. We both know I speak the truth—Alexi is brilliant, but he sees all women as mother, or whore. Trust me.”
She drew herself up, raised her chin, rolled her shoulders back, and suddenly I once again stood before a Queen, rather than a simple woman. I was half-concerned and half-relieved as I watched her sovereign dignity return.
I wanted to wince at her words, but couldn’t afford to offer compassion. “Then you understand my hesitation on Bren’s behalf?”
She gave me a look like I wasn’t playing fair, but then she nodded. “I do. And in light of that, I won’t share her secret unless she proves unworthy of the trust.” She tipped her head and gave me a measuring gaze.“Isshe worthy of the trust, Donavyn?”
“Do you think I’d withhold this from Alexi if she wasn’t? I only agreed to it forherbenefit because I’m confident she’ll prove her worth and in the wake of that, the declaration will change nothing.”
Diaan’s lips thinned. “Delay as little as possible. Alexi trusts and respects you, but he doesn’t take kindly to being kept in the dark, no matter the consequences. And his retribution, if he finds out to his detriment, will be swift and powerful. Are you sure you’re willing to risk that forher?”
I was offended by the disbelief in her tone. “Of course!” I growled.
Her expression was truly confused and surprised. “But,why?”
It was my turn to be stunned. But I was suddenly reminded of Bren asking me the exact question while we traveled and it ignited a rage that mingled with grief that everyone—including Bren herself—so easily believed she wasn’t worth any of this.
Luckily, the answer for Diaan was precisely the same as I’d given Bren when she asked.
“Because she’smine.”
Diaan stiffened. She didn’t like that answerat all.
38. Womanly Wiles
~ BREN ~
I left the stable in the hour before dawn, as the darkness was at its deepest, right before the horizon would turn gray, then pink. I prayed I hadn’t stayed too long with Akhane. I’d been torn. Wanting to be with Donavyn, wanting to touch him again and draw close. But I was also afraid. How could I live in his apartment without anyone else finding out? He’d told me to use the stairs that spiraled up the inside back wall of the building with a door to each floor, rather than the open staircase in the center. But even if there was less traffic, others could come this way as well. And what if I had to leave or return to the apartment during the day? As a Furyknight I would have shifts at all hours.
I shook my head. They were questions I couldn’t answer yet. Just as Akhane had said, right before she urged me to let Donavyn tell everyone about our bond. I wished I could do that. I wished I could trust, as she suggested, that even if those impressions were bad at the beginning, that with Donavyn’s support, and my brothers, the others would come to see my merit. But even the thought of walking into the dining hall and hearing the whispers, and seeing the dark looks of menconvinced I’d used my body to attain their heights left my skin prickling.
In the end, I’d left a few things in my stable-room but brought my refreshed travel bag for the flight to the camp. If anyone caught me entering Donavyn’s quarters, I’d say that I’d been told to report because we had to fly early this morning.
I looked down at the pin on my leather jacket and my chest flushed warm. The bronze pin was molded to a stylized dragon ears, horns, and snout, with full wings arching high, and flames rising between them.
As a fang, the dragon’s head was enameled in red, while the wings and flames were black. While most of the pin settings were enameled black, Flyers had wings of red, and Flame had flames of red.
My pin had a slight flaw. The ovals representing the dragon’s eyes were usually enameled black on all the pins except the leaders. But on mine, the bronze setting had poked through giving the impression the eyes glowed gold, instead of the red like the rest of the head. But I didn’t mind. It was mine.
I’d had to take it off my uniform leathers—hands shaking and heart racing—and pin it to the lapel of these flight leathers. I still found it hard to believe that no one would take it from me.My chest was tight, nerves fluttering in my belly, like if someone caught me wearing it, they’d storm up and tear it off me with a sharp reprimand for impersonating arealFuryknight.
‘Don’t ignore what you’ve done to get here, Little Flame,’Akhane urged me, though I could sense the drag in her, the desire to give her full attention back to Kgosi.‘My kin say every knight feels the weight of the pin in his first months. But don’t forget that you’ve earned it.’
‘Thank you, Akhane. Now go back to your mate. I’m returning to mine. Let’s rest while we can.’
‘You plan to rest?’she returned, a hint of mischief in her tone.
I snorted, then clapped a hand over my mouth and looked around. I’d just entered the building that housed the Officers and other important and high-ranking people in the Keep.‘Yes! I don’t want to fall asleep on your back and topple off in front of everyone when they just raised me!’
Akhane gave the dragon, huffing laughter in my head, then bid me to sleep well.
‘You too, Akhane, and thank you for Choosing me. And thank you for comforting me. I couldn’t have gotten here without you.’
