Page 124 of Shadowborne: Reckoning

That began a conversation between all four of us that seemed to do nothing but circle a drain. And with it, my increasing anxiety. I felt Kgosi’s concern over our mates growing as well. The more I examined this situation from every side, the more convinced I was that they shouldn’t remain. And yet, the thought of sending Bren away tore my heart from my chest, and I knew she’d fight it. She wouldn’t want to leave me. Plus, she had no desire to flee the fight, and would resist unless I ordered her away.

I had to order her away. I would do it for any Furyknight in this position—a target, and unable to fight.

She continued to offer plans and ideas that kept her and Akhane here, at the center, and when I felt my dragon’s reluctance reflecting my own, I spoke up.

‘Bren… This isn’t a fight you and Akhane can win. I want you both gone. As quickly as possible. Drop your brothers at their dragons so they can split, one each to back you and I. That way we’ll remain within the Fyrehold protocols of the number of battle dragons in the territory, and you’ll be free to—’

‘No.’

I met her eyes across the space between us, let her feel the ache within me as I gave the order, and left my hand on Kgosi’s leg to strengthen myself. ‘This isn’t a request, Bren. I’m not sharing an idea. It’s an order.’

Her eyes widened. ‘You told me you’d never—’

Kgosi huffed and I let him go, walking to stand close and take her precious face in my hands. ‘Feel me, beautiful. There’s no one else here to prove anything to. I’ll admit it suits my fear to send you away, but it’s not my fear speaking. I’m speaking as your General and Battle Commander. I have only four pawns to move against this king, and two directions to face. One, a direct threat on your life. I need you alive. I need you to get back to the Shadowfang. To tell them the truth and prepare as many of them for the coming clash as possible.’

‘Send Gil, or Voski! Either of them could do that—’

‘I’ll send you both. Keeping you and Akhane safe will strengthen Kgosi and me, and give you time to rally support from the Shadowfang, though they will have a choice of whom to follow, of course. Make sure Olve knows every detail we have about Ruin and what happened in Draeventhall—let him decide who can be informed. But make certain he knows I highly recommend not trusting any member who was closely aligned with Ruin, or who’s been personally tapped by the king.’

As my mind filled with images of what was to come—for our mates, and for us—I found myself suddenly heavy with dread.

What fight would Bren and Akhane face? I ordered her back to take crucial information to the people I trusted… but then what?

By the time they reached Vosgaarde, events would already have come to a head here.

Even if they got word out in hours and they turned around to fly back, even without taking the breaks they should, they would be too late to help Kgosi and me.

But if they stayed in Vosgaarde, they were sitting ducks for any backup plan Alexi had in place.

Because there would be backup plans. I knew Alexi. Even if Ruin was arrogant enough to believe he had no need for additional plans, which I doubted, I knew Alexi. No matter how much he liked or trusted Ruin, he wouldn’t put the entire kingdom in the hands of any person other than himself—especially one who’d proven to be willing to subvert and deceive.

Alexi was many things, but stupid was not one of them.

I stared at Bren, standing tall, chin high, eyes clear. Even with her nerves, even with her ache to stay close to me, she wanted to fight. And fight she would. Akhane as well. It was in them both not to give up.

What was I throwing them into, sending them back without us to watch over them.

‘They serve their purpose to the Creator, just as we do,’ Kgosi reminded me privately. ‘Do not remove their strength, Donavyn. We need them, just as they need us, though for different reasons.’

I knew he was right and didn’t want to stand in their way. But the simmering fear wouldn’t leave me.

Then Bren blinked and something passed behind her eyes. She looked at me, wide-eyed.

“What is it?”

‘There’s a way to use their own plans against them,’ she said, breathless even in the link. ‘Ruin is committed—it’s clear from the messages. He knows there’s no way the king is receiving that message before he’s carrying out the orders. It will take more days for the message to reach him than he has before the deadline.’

‘Yes, it’s less than two days away. But how would we use that?’

‘Akhane and I fly back—just as you’ve ordered. We get there ahead of all of you—ahead of any possible messenger because we leave tonight. But we tell everyone you were killed, and Kgosi is dying. We’ll be there before Ruin—or you—can get back, and even before a messenger from Ruin could reach him. I pretend I don’t know Ruin was behind it—that the wild dragons killed you. The king will believe his plan is working. We can ride ourselves to exhaustion. Both appear to be devastated—like we’ve been weakened by the loss of you.’

I frowned. It might keep them safe for a few days until Alexi learned the truth, either at my hand, or Ruin’s. ‘That’s not a bad idea. But you’d still be at risk—’

‘Donavyn, the queen has power. She’s always wanted to see me and Akhane succeed. And the messages indicated he was supposed to hide this from her, right?’

‘Yes, but we can’t be sure—’

‘I have her ear now. I can insist on reporting only to her—I can claim it’s too hard to speak to men and then, in private, I’ll tell the queen what the king is doing. She’s a spider, you said. A strategist. She’ll know how to undermine him. Then when you return, you have support. Or… or maybe she’s even removed him. She’s powerful enough to do it if we can prove he’s a traitor. I have to take the message. If she saw it in the wrong form, she’ll know it’s real. I can tell her about the code and… well, she’s the only one powerful enough to remove Alexi.’