Our enemies do not wait.
God watch over you.
There was no signature or name. I read the instructions again, half-thrilled, and half-disappointed that there wasn’t more information. But it didn’t matter. This was the mission Donavyn had warned me was coming. When I looked up, the classroom was already half-empty. The men with envelopes read them, then tucked them into their leathers, gathered their things, and started for the door without a word.
No one spoke. Those who hadn’t received orders didn’t ask questions, and those who did, didn’t offer anything.
Following their example, I folded the parchment and tucked it into the interior pocket of my jacket.
Gil, who’d just placed the last of his things in a bag at his shoulder, leaned into my ear. “You burn that paper before you do anything else.”
He didn’t wait for an answer, just walked away without looking back.
Hurriedly grabbing my other things, I started for the door, but as I passed the front and nodded at Voski, he cleared his throat and tipped his head for me to stop and speak to him.
But when I stepped out of the aisle to let others pass, he didn’t look at me, just leaned back against the desk with his arms folded, lifting his chin to the men as they passed, nodding if they saluted.
Waiting for him like that, I had a moment to stare at my Shadowfang Wing Leader. Dressed head to toe in black, even the brass rivets on his jacket darkened with use, I remembered how I’d felt about him in my early weeks as a Flameborne, and his taunting of Harle in our squad.
I’d thought he was funny, and quick, and a little bit mean. He had a way of moving—and fighting—like a cat. Whip-quick, and fearless. But he’d always made me nervous—until the day Donavyn made me tell my brothers about the morning I was Chosen by Akhane. When I’d walked to the top of the Dragonmaw cliffs, despairing, intending to throw myself into the sea.
My brothers had shown a lot of empathy and compassion that day—and some surprising experiences of their own.
But just like now, Voski had hung back, waiting until all the other men left, before he spoke.
That night, he’d spoken only a few words, but they’d stolen my breath.
His expression was blank, but his eyes were storms.
He cleared his throat.
“I’ve been in that place,” he said quietly. “I don’t talk about it,” he said abruptly when I opened my mouth. “I just wanted you to know, you’re not alone. And your dragon didn’t Choose you because of it.”
I’d been stunned. But he just turned on his heel and walked away, leaving me there, reeling.
Now, I felt much more comfortable with him. He’d been thoughtful and giving with his time since I’d been sworn into Shadowfang, helping me cover for the time I had to spend away from our squad, and offering advice patiently.
But there was always a slightly cold, mildly frightening air about him. And now, as I stood there waiting for him to speak, I had to shake the childish nerves that whispered I might be in trouble.
When the door finally closed behind the last of the other men, Voski relaxed and straightened, turning to face me.
“You can relax Bren, I just wanted to see how you feel about the training? You’ve shown aptitude for this work from the start, but Gil says you’re finding unique solutions to problems compared to your fellows.”
I frowned. “I am?” My answers to the assessments had just seemed logical to me.
Voski nodded. “There’s no doubt, your point of view is different from ours. I think that’s good for the kind of work you’re being called to. But it also means we have to look carefully for risks you might hit that we wouldn’t. There is one thing I want to caution you against, though.” Voski snapped a piece of paper flat and laid it on the desk next to him, trailing a finger over it until he found what he was looking for. “Gil noted that you’re talking aboutplaying dumbwith a man. And while I understand that’s probably a great strategy in the tavern with a drunk soldier, I’d caution against it in the field.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because, while you always want to be underestimated, you don’t want to be viewed as actually vulnerable. As happy as men may be to believe they caneducateyou, if they truly believe you’re unintelligent, it will increase the risk that a dishonorable man will be tempted tomishandleyou.”
I flinched, but made myself keep holding his dark gaze.
Voski nodded. “I assume you take my meaning.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not saying don’t manipulate. Of course you’ll need to. But keep those around you walking a line of uncertainty. Don’t let them evaluate you too easily.”
