I gritted my teeth. “I don’t want to keep her from battle entirely. I only want to take her to it wisely. As I would with any new asset. No blade will be effective until it’s properly forged. If we put her into the battle too early and she fails, the responsibility lays withus.I think we need to be more circumspect in introducing her—”
“The powerful are rarely circumspect unless they’re up to something,” Alexi said, waving off the suggestion as if it were a fly annoying him. “I stand by my conclusion: This introduction offers hermorecredibility, and will speed her opportunity to engage with those who’d have real answers. No, I disagree, Donavyn. This is the better plan. I’m certain of it.”
The truth was, even if he was wrong, it was too late now, so there was no further point in arguing. I stood by as the two of them discussed the message that would be sent to the King of Fyrehold, with all the appropriate subtext, and—in concession to me—a somewhat vague date of arrival.
I appreciated Diaan’s willingness to be flexible there, and her laughing insistence that it would only make them more curious about what we might be hiding from them. But, by the time they dismissed me, I shook with tension.
‘Donavyn?’Kgosi rumbled in my head.
‘Not now!’I growled, then caught myself and huffed. As I reached the end of the royal quarters, I waved off the guards that offered to escort me out of the palace. My dragon wasn’t the reason I was tense, and he didn’t deserve my ire.‘I’m sorry, Kgosi. I…’
‘Your heart is troubled.’
I sighed.‘Yes. It is. But I’m not in immediate danger, and neither is Bren. Though that may come far sooner than I’m comfortable with. The promise of war presses on me and—’
‘Perhaps the time has come for us to speak about the things you’ve been avoiding,’Kgosi sent grimly. I frowned.
‘What do you mean?’I asked instinctively, then winced. I knew exactly what he meant, and the humming tension in my body increased.
There was a beat before my dragon answered, and I was reminded of the times during my schooling when I’d been sent to the headmaster’s office and had to wait for his attention, knowing discipline would be the result.
‘I have tried, Donavyn.’
‘Tried what?’
‘I have tried to leave you to this path. You are an adult—but I believe I have misjudged your need. Come. Speak to me now. Here.’
The sheer authority in that voice, the dominance that rang with the expectation of obedience, prickled up my spine. My dragon was ancient and pompous, powerful, and irritating as all hell. But he so rarely dominated me, the moments he did were physically uncomfortable.
But even hearing myself express that made me even more certain that I needed to heed my dragon’s wisdom. I’d only ever regretted ignoring Kgosi’s wisdom.
‘I’ll be there in half an hour,’I sent reluctantly.‘I’m dressed for the king. I need to change before coming to the stables.’
‘Very well,’Kgosi, sent, though I felt his disapproval.‘Please, don’t delay. We need this, Donavyn.’
I muttered to myself for the entire walk back to my quarters—walking through the door, praying that somehow, impossibly, Bren would be finished with her studies and patrols early and already be there so I could soothe myself with her presence. But of course, she wasn’t.
I dragged my feet like a child in trouble, but got on with the job like the adult I was.
I was only running a couple of minutes late when I’d eaten, changed, and left a note for Bren in case I was the one to be late tonight. But, as I left the apartment, I felt Kgosi nudge my mind.
‘I’m on my way!’I growled.‘I’ll walk quickly.’
‘Nevermind that,’Kgosi sent, and I stopped dead. His tone was heavy with grief and the noble strength of a leader facing crisis.
All anger and frustration drained out of my toes at that tone and I turned for the stairs, already running.‘I’m sorry, Kgosi. I’m not myself. Tell me. What’s going on?’
But my dragon said nothing. Only sent me an image—the wood at the edge of the launch hollow. A dragon, crumpled among the trees, skin slack and losing scales. Bleeding from spaces that once held wicked pinions and spines. Ears drooping.
A crowd had gathered, healers, and Furyknights, and their dragons.
‘What the hell? Who—’
Then, Kgosi showed me the dragonfury lifting its head and my breath left my body.
‘Kgosi… is that Ciar?’
‘Yes.’
