‘What can cause that kind of damage to a dragon?’I asked Akhane, swallowing hard when the dragon made a thin, strangled cry, and its head dropped to the side when Kgosi nudged him. I feared it was too late, but Kgosi began a lowhungh-hungh-hungh,and didn’t stop nosing the dragon’s neck and head, as if urging him to his feet.
‘Ciar is close to death. He has given his heart up. Kgosi urges him not to despair.’
‘Given his heart up?’
‘Lost the will to live,’Akhane whispered.
I froze.‘Why?’
‘I do not know, but Kgosi believes it isn’t too late. That he can be saved, only—'
Donavyn had spoken sharply to the people drawing closer and turned back to Kgosi, when the Primarch suddenly reared back and away from the prone dragon, hissing, wings flapping, shaking his head.
Donavyn hurried forward to soothe his dragon, but then the healer’s dragon cried out, flapping his wings as well.
‘Akhane, what—’
But it was Donavyn that reached for my mind.‘Oh, dear God.’He beckoned the healer forward, who ran to the dragon’s side while Kgosi shuffled back to give him room, the Primarch’s head weaving back and forth like he denied what he saw.‘Kgosi says… he says the dragon is dying because he killed his own rider. It’s a curse among dragons and…
‘What?!’I startled, blinking rapidly.‘Why?! Why would a dragon—’
‘Bren,’Akhane breathed in my mind.‘You should stay back with me.’
I hadn’t realized I’d stepped forward, instinctively moving towards Donavyn. I stopped mid-step and turned to my dragon. There was a strange, hesitant tone in her sending.
‘What is it? What’s going on?’
But my dragon’s eyes were fixed on her mate, who’d turned his long neck and stared at her, open-mouthed and panting. Something passed between them, I felt the flicker of it in the bond, and Akhane groaned.
“What the hell is going on?” I muttered, then jumped when a warm hand closed on my arm, just above my elbow. I whirled and looked up to find Donavyn standing over me, his eyes clouded and forehead lined.
“Bren.”
I didn’t know what he would say, but I knew that tone.
Cold, prickling fear trickled down my spine.
“Bren, you need to go. Go, uh, wash and… report in later,” he muttered below the level of the noises the dragons made so no one would hear him. He’d already removed his hand. Anyone else would see that he nodded towards the stables. But with his chin down, he flicked his eyes to the side, towards the Officer’s building. Sending mehome.
“What is going on?” I said through teeth that suddenly wanted to chatter, because I was confused and afraid and—
‘He killed his rider, Bren,’Akhane said gently in my head, her voice heavy with grief.
‘I know, that’s not—’
‘He willingly invoked the curse,’Akhane offered softly. If she’d been human I would have said she was on the verge of tears.‘It means his human must have done something horrific.’
“A traitor?” I blurted, then swallowed as Donavyn’s eyes widened. He turned on his heel suddenly and called across the launch hollow.
“The Primarch orderseveryoneaway, except his mate and her rider, and the healer Tato, and his Nila. Wing leaders, tell your peers: All of you report to me this evening, and I will fill you in on what we learn so you can inform your squads. Now, go. The dragons need space.Now!”
The Furyknights were disciplined and followed their Commander’s orders immediately, gathering the stableboys and servants who’d heard the disturbance and come out too. Soon, the tide of humanity and dragons poured back out of the launch hollow and towards the stable and Academy buildings.
Donavyn, certain of their obedience, turned to face me again. But now, with his back to the crowd, his face wasn’t just lined. It was pale. And his eyes…
His eyes weredark.Pained. And locked on me.
Formless fear coiled into a tangled knot in my belly and crawled up my throat. I couldn’t move because I was afraid if I did, I’d scream. This had to be about Ruin. Nothing else would make Donavyn look like that.Feellike that.
