Page 119 of Shadowborne: Reckoning

“Only one, unrelated to Furyknights and… I want to say it couldn’t be, but we have to consider it, right?”

I frowned. “What have you heard?”

Voski’s lips thinned and he looked back down at the pages in front of him. “It’s personal. I hesitate to raise it in case—”

“It’s more than I know of it. Speak. We can assess it together.”

Voski sat back in his seat, eyes still locked on those messages. “My family were… dark people,” he said very reluctantly.

“You have no responsibility for the things done by others,” I assured him. “What kind of dark?”

His jaw flexed. “It’s unimportant to this conversation. But their intentions were always for the gain of power. And they held to a… a mantra. A similar sentiment.” He kept meeting my eyes, then looking away. Voski had always been one to keep his cards close to his chest, but this was the first time I saw him nervous with me. He leaned forward again, elbows on his knees, and picked up the code page that included As above, so below, staring at it grimly. “It’s not a reversal. It would be more accurate to describe the philosophy as a reflection.”

I frowned. “Go on.”

Voski looked back down at the papers, his eyes scanning places on both messages. “I’m guessing, of course. But… it seems significant that we’d already observed the king’s message could be read two ways. And the addressee is most likely one of two people. And the codes… even the codes are doubled.” He lifted his head to meet my eyes. “What if the orders he’s received before apply to more than one scenario? As above, so below can’t mean a reversal, they already have codes for that. What if it means both? What if you aren’t the only target?”

My breath rushed out of me. “You think Bren—”

“He gives the Shadowfang code for her death. If it’s not reversed…”

The words hit me like a punch to the solar plexus. I’d seen it, but hoped with the coding it was a reversal.

“What if it means, he’ll do what was written… and also what was coded?” Voski asked quietly. “Both messages, read both ways, and enacted on both subjects.”

I started to pace, clawing hands through my hair. If he was right—and I had a sinking feeling that he was—at this very moment, the man who intended to act on this was downstairs with my mate under his eyes, and working with another man who’d already put hands on her once.

Shit. Shit.

I was happy to meet Ruin in a dark corner and let the Creator give me permission to kill him in defense of myself—and her. But Ruin spoke to the king as if these orders were already complete. He’d always been a cocky bastard, but a shrewd measure of a fight. His assurances to the king stretched beyond arrogant self-belief. He already gave the codes for these events complete. So… How?

“How can he be so utterly certain of taking both of us, and returning safely?” I growled.

“Because he has a weapon he’s certain will win.”

I looked at Voski sharply. His expression was forbidding, but his gaze didn’t waver. “Sir, he’s used Shadowfang codes to confirm death and tell the king he’s returning with healthy, safe dragons. He can’t be referring to the Vosgaarde herd because they’d never move against Kgosi.

“Those assurances are followed by this code that can’t be a reversal—because they would have used the other symbol. We know he isn’t bringing his squad home safely. We know he and Carnage can’t hope to remove Kgosi alone… so what weapon does he possess that makes him so certain of both results?”

“The wild dragons. The ones listening to Carnage.” The bell of conviction, the truth I’d prayed he wouldn’t see, rang in my chest.

Voski nodded. “It seems impossible—I can’t see how they’ve taken control of these dragons. But Ruin must be certain they won’t let up until the job is done.”

I turned away from him, needing a moment to center myself and try to accommodate this awful picture.

I reached for my dragon, who’d listened to all of it and hadn’t argued. ‘Keg—’

‘I’ve told you before, Donavyn. A Primarch’s power is in his standing with the herd. We dragons link as a group, our souls entwined. My dragons will fly to the defense of their bonded riders, and to their Primarch. Always. It is why a Primarch must challenge alone and prove himself both stronger and more intelligent than any potential rivals within the herd. Because the herd will sacrifice itself, fight to the death to keep the Primarch safe in the event of attack. Fight to keep its strongest and most capable mind and heart alive to carry on the flame.’

But Kgosi had been removed from his herd.

“Ruin will send the ferals after Kgosi… to overwhelm him. They don’t listen to him. They aren’t submitted. They won’t be damaged by killing him,” I breathed.

“It’s worse than that,” Voski muttered. “They can kill either of you and remove or weaken the other. Look at what happened to Ciar when Davros—a lying, cheating bastard—was killed. Imagine how Kgosi would be weakened by your death. Ruin doesn’t even have to fight you, Donavyn. He just has to corner you with a herd that isn’t listening to Kgosi. And if he gets you two… guess who follows next?”

“Bren and Akhane.”

“Or… no, it’s far more likely to be the other way around,” Voski said tightly. “If I were a darker man… if I wanted to remove you from your power, I’d separate you and the Primarch from the herd, precisely like this—then I’d kill your mates first. Not only would they be easier to overcome, losing them would weaken you both. Kgosi is the greatest risk, but you hold some as well. You’re a powerful fighter, Donavyn. And a man others would willingly assist. No. Ruin’s not taking any chances. He doesn’t have to. He doesn’t even need to be present if those dragons are listening to Carnage, and they’ll do whatever they’re instructed. They will separate you and Kgosi from each other, kill you, and then take him.”