Page 126 of Ashborne: Defiance

“Put one foot a little forward of the other, Grace!” Bren called.

Ronen shot her a look, but didn’t reprimand her.

‘Koa, tell her dragon that I said I’m grateful. Please?’

A warm rush reached me from my dragon, but I’d already turned my focus to the attempt to get to my feet.

The net strands wobbled underneath me, and my toes pushed through the holes. I ended up having to place the strand in the ledge of the boot sole between my heel and the ball of my foot—but then every time I tried to let go of the net, I’d tip forward or back, arms pinwheeling.

It took enough tries to find the position of my feet on the net that would allow me to actually straighten without overbalancing, that my cheeks heated. But finally, with stance wide, and one foot two strands ahead of the other, as Bren had suggested, I lifted both hands almost as high as my knees, and managed to keep my feet.

I grinned. I was panting, which made no sense. I had barely moved. Yet my heart thudded in my ribs and my breath was heavy.

It took long moments, and I winced as they all waited, but finally, I straightened and stayed balanced. And even though my arms pinwheeled now and again, I was at least upright.

I looked up, keeping my eyes on the horizon line, which helped.

“Hey look, Harle—she did it first time! And she didn’t shit herself!”

“Shut the fuck up, Einar! I’ve told you—”

Laughter rose in deep guffaws. Bren clapped for me, and whistled, and several of the men hooted or called my name. I couldn’t look aside to figure out what Voski thought because it felt like I’d lose my balance if I turned my head. But Koa screamed, and Kham answered. And it was an incredible feeling, standing as we flew. Even with the wobbling, being upright and achieving it alone, the world was mine.

‘Koa, is this what it’s like to fly together?’

‘More,’ she sent, followed immediately by a jolt of frustrated disquiet that I had recognized meant she didn’t know the words she wanted. There was a hesitation, then she called and Kham answered. ‘Better,’ she sent with some relief. ‘It will be better.’

I smiled. ‘I can’t wait.’

44. Assess and Overcome

SOUNDTRACK: Rise Up by 2WEI and Edda Hayes

~ GRACE ~

I still felt Voski’s gaze on my cheek like fingers on my skin, but I couldn’t turn to look. I just prayed I’d get the later tasks done more quickly. No doubt he was embarrassed that I hadn’t managed this faster.

‘I need to do better,’ I sent to Koa. ‘Faster.’

‘You do well,’ she chided me. ‘Kham says yes.’

I was pretty sure she meant that he agreed with her and thought I’d done well. But there was no time to ask, because Ronen had raised his voice.

“The good news is, Harle can now fly without sending his leathers to the laundry after, so instead, let’s focus on how much slower he was than Grace.”

Laughter rose in a cloud—except for Harle, who folded his arms and scowled.

I giggled, but I’d instinctively lifted my hand to cover my mouth because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings—and that threw off my balance.

I took a stutter-step, pinwheeled, and tipped over, bouncing with a shriek, before I caught the net in clawed fingers.

My lower-body lifted off the net as the dragons flapped and the momentum of my bounce sent me higher, but I didn’t let go, and a moment later, I could position my feet to stand again.

“Return to your feet, then nod for your next instruction,” Ronen called.

“Yes, sir! I’ll get it. I just lost my balance. I won’t be long!”

And I was faster that time, but it was still embarrassing that they all watched while I wobbled and bounced like a toddler until I got to my feet again. Then I nodded emphatically.