Page 98 of Flameborne: Fury
His arms sprang apart and I staggered back, turning circles, unable to see, or think beyond,I can’t go through this again. Can’t be another man’s garbage. Won’t let him discard me—
But the bond…the bond.The tangible, glowing,shriekingcord that had slung a noose around my heart and now tightened, sending my heartrate through the roof and my skin thrumming with the pressure of the blood in my veins.
Donavyn spoke. I swore I could feel him behind me, his breath thick and hot, fluttering in my hair as I struggled to walk away. But the pulse and glow of that cord between us, the power of it, tugged me back to him, inexorably closer, and Iwantedto go. To my horror, losing his touch wasn’t enough. His voice, his breath, his body,the bondurged me to stop fighting, to rest, totake what he gave.
Lies echoed in my head and I wanted so badly to believe them.
He has to be kind to the Queen because of her power. He needs someone with more strength than me. I can share…
It was everything I’d ever feared.
My heartwantedto be weak to him. Wanted to hear those disgusting lies and nod my head. My soul surged towards them, urging me not to fight.
I closed my eyes and sobbed as visions of Ruin overwhelmed me, his face over me, smiling, eyes bright like the Queen’s had been.
That’s it… that’s it… Look at you… so beautiful, Brenny. And you thought you couldn’t? Look at you… So hot. I’ve never loved you more—
Jaws wide, I hacked a cough, then sucked in a breath to inflate my lungs for a scream.
Male breath on my neck. Male hands on my body. Laughter. Grunts.
I love you, Brenny. You’re my girl. Thebestgirl—
“Bren! What happened? Tell me! I’m here to help you, please—”
The bond surged again. Blind with panic I slapped away the hand that reached for me as my heart expanded too big for my ribs and I couldn’t breathe again.
The bond pulled at me, sang to me,pleadedwith me to give in, to stay quiet, to remain.
You’re my girl. Thebestgirl—
That whispered, heated secret was the last straw. I struck with the only weapon I had—my will—slicing through that golden, glowing rope that tangled my heart with his and made my head weak.
I struck, put a blade to that tie, and the two, newly sheared ends of the bond snapped apart like elastic under tension, half flying back to him, the other half back to me, snapping through my ribs, my heart, all the way to my soul.
And in the same moment, his arms went slack, then dropped away, leaving me free to flee, to stagger out of his reach and…
Donavyn.
Stumbling, half-blind, weeping, I fell back against the wall with a cry as Donavyn gave an agonized howl and crumpled to his knees, clutching his chest.
40. Judgment
~ DONAVYN ~
I’d been stabbed in the heart. Or struck by a snake. One moment I held my mate, pleading with her to hear me, praying for wisdom on how to soothe whatever had frightened her. I reached for her through the bond, pleading, echoing love and need and joyfor her.The next she shrieked and laid a blade against the cord that bonded us, snapping it like a mender’s thread.
The pain undid me.
In the course of my life as a Furyknight, I’d been stabbed. Speared. Flamed. I’d fallen from dragons, and broken limbs. Yet, I’d never felt pain the like of it.
She’d cut my heart out of my chest and now it lay in my hands like a dying animal, twitching, while the gaping hole in my chest pumped my lifeblood into the dirt.
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
I dropped to my knees, barely feeling the impact on the hard floor as I fell and she scrambled away from me, sobbing, whirling, stumbling, until she fell against the wall and turned to stare at me in horror, her fingers clawed into it.
My vision narrowed. I could only focus on small pieces—her hands, white knuckled with fear. Her fingernails scoring the mortar between the stones. Her eyes round as saucers. And the pain…
