I wrestled against the hollow feeling of loss—because vengeance had been stolen from me. But at least she was still here. And I could help. Somehow, I vowed, I’d find a way to help her.
But I was so consumed by her pain and anger, I had almost forgotten that my duties for this night weren’t complete.
Some time later, when the sound of quick footsteps echoed, pattering on the stones up the aisle, my heart sank. Bren had stopped crying, but we’d been holding each other.
With a muttered curse, I explained who was coming hurriedly as I slipped her to the straw and crawled out from under Akhane’s wing mere seconds before the two boysappeared in the doorway, wide-eyed, sweaty, and panting even harder than before.
“Sir! The king says he gathers the Conclave, and you’re to come immediately.”
My heart dropped to my toes as Kgosi’s voice graveled in my head.‘There is no further need, Donavyn. You should have spoken to me about this dark plan. The Creator has provided. The men are gone—or will be. Whatever has happened, their dragons will not let this stand. There is no need for you to go. There is no one to hunt. They’re gone. Do you hear me, Donavyn? Let it go. They’re gone.’
12. Pivot
~ DONAVYN ~
“What do you mean,there is no need?”Alexi snapped half an hour later as I stood, pleading my case in his bedchamber. “I’ve already sent up the signal. The Conclave will gather at dawn. I called you here to prepare.”
Internally, I winced, but I didn’t let him see it. “Sire, we have a dragon near-death. He was bonded to one of the men we sent to Draeventhall, but he’s returned alone.”
Both Alexi and Diaan went still. They knew enough to know that wasn’t good.
I took a deep breath. “It appears that the men we sent to Draeventhall were not the men we measured them to be.”
Alexi frowned. “What are you saying? Don’t mince words, Donavyn.”
“Sire, I’ve heard of the dragon’s curse, but I’ve never seen it employed before. Yet, we stand here with a dragon in the Keep who may yet lose his life because he killed his own rider.”
“What?!”Diaan gasped.
Alexi’s gaze grew intent. “Why thehellwould a dragon kill its own rider?”
“Because he learned something so awful about that rider, he believed the only way to maintain his own honor was to be the one to declare judgment. And his judgment was that the man deserved death for his crimes.”
“I thought you and your dragons were in each other’s minds.”
“Yes, we are. But wecanobscure things from each other if we choose. It takes a great deal of energy and discipline to do so for long periods of time, but it can be done.”
Alexi leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing. “You’re telling me, these dragons could choose to kill any of you at any time? Because they learn something they don’tlike?”
“For a dragon to take this action, the offense must behorrendous.This dragon is near death becausethat is the consequence of destroying his bonded human. He knew that before he called judgment.”
“So, what was it?”
“Kgosi is working on that—the dragon is unwell, foggy, and reluctant to talk about exactly what occurred. Killing his rider has stolen something from him, but—”
“Why did you call Conclave if you didn’t have the information?”
I took a deep breath. “We don’t knowallthe details. But we know enough: This man—likely this entire squad—have betrayed our code of honor.”
Alexi’s face was ashen. “Have the dragons killed all of them?”
“No. At least, we don’t know. The dragon’s report is unclear, except that the entire squad has been disrupted. And he called judgment on his own rider. Sire, I’m reporting to you with what we have: Those men that we trusted with our deepest secrets,and most crucial purpose, betrayed theirdragons.If they have the control and desire to do that with the ones most intimate and protective of them, then what else might they betray? That fact was enough to call Conclave, because I believed we needed to haul them back to the Keep for interrogation, which would have been an extremely difficult undertaking without revealing their alliance with us to Draeventhall. But, Kgosi believes they’re all already dead. Or will be. We will keep working on it until we understand every detail, but for the moment, there’s no longer a need for Conclave. It’s too late. The worst has happened. I didn’t know that when I sent the messenger for you, Sire. I believed the other men remained free.”
Alexi rubbed his stubbled jaw and looked at his wife. Diaan might be a cunning bitch when she pursued her own pleasure, but she was a sharp strategist, and knew when personal things must be put aside for the good of the kingdom.
And now they both knew that we were in deep, deep shit.
If Draeventhall had discovered our men and knew where they were from, war was nearly inevitable.
