‘Yes, Donavyn. I let our capable, strong females go find the poor dragons who have been misused here, it would seem.’
‘Misused?’
‘It’s the only explanation I can conceive—Akhane said they smelled wrong, and the males wouldn’t open their minds, only use their bodies.’
I tore across the grounds until I was pounding down the aisle towards Kgosi’s stable. The space was far too small compared to his stable at home, but he claimed it was sufficient.
Benji had been caring for him because the other stableboys clearly knew little beyond cleaning straw and staying out the way.
Kgosi said he preferred it that way anyway.
‘Bren has both Akhane and Benji with her. She is perfectly safe. Akhane would flame that fox of a man before she’d allow him to harm Bren.’
‘That’s not the point—if he’s holding dragons out there, who knows what he has—some kind of poison that he could dart her with? Some—'
‘Donavyn.’
‘—weapon we aren’t aware of. Maybe there are people! Akhane won’t kill them all.’
‘Donavyn!’
‘WHAT?!’
I tore around the corner into his stable to find my dragon on his feet, nostrils flared and eyes fixed directly on me. His low rumble shook the stones under my feet and shivered through the building. I staggered to a halt in front of my dragon, panting, chest heaving.
He stared at me, not speaking, until something inside my chest cracked.
‘Kgosi, that man wants her.’
‘And she will not give herself.’
‘No, but what if he decides totake?!’
‘Akhane will protect her, and now Benji as well. Don’t underestimate him. He’s beginning to grow, and his courage is great.’
‘Benji? Are you joking? He’s achild—Bren could fight better—’
‘Then you have even less to worry about.’
‘That’s not—’
‘Donavyn, listen to yourself. Look at yourself.Think!’
I stared into those fathomless eyes, and the thing in my chest that had cracked, broke open.
Shit.Shit.
‘Keg, I can’t lose her.’
‘If you must, you will.’
I shuddered. ‘No.I can’t.’
‘She is in the Creator’s hands, Donavyn. Do you think it’s within your power to pull her fromHisgrasp?’
‘No, but—’
‘There is no but.’Kgosi snorted, washing me in that strange, choking smoke and steam that he’d used on us both after Bren severed our bond. It burned in my throat and made my eyes sting, but when I’d finished coughing and blinked away the tears, my head was clearer, and my panic had eased to mere terror.
