Page 93 of Ashborne: Defiance

I gripped her, pulling her closer and leaning down to speak in her ear so she’d hear me over the rising voices and shouts that were climbing again.

“He’s posturing,” I murmured. “It means, he’s giving body language. He’s submitted to Kgosi as Primarch, but he won’t give Koa up to him.”

“Does that dragon want to take her?” she sounded aghast.

“No, no. Kgosi already has a mate—look.”

Over the trees at the edge of the launch hollow, Akhane, Bren’s dragon and Kgosi’s mate, swooped in. Kgosi gave a rumbling growl, so low the earth under our feet vibrated.

Moments later, as Akhane landed and trotted to stand behind Kgosi, Kham stepped forward, neck arched high and nostrils blowing smoke and steam, his tail lashing. But Koa remaining in his shadow as he walked to meet the towering Primarch.

Please, God. Don’t let this go wrong, I prayed, barely breathing as the two dragons faced each other, every line in their huge bodies tense and quivering.

Grace had both hands clapped to her mouth, her body rigid as she watched.

“They won’t hurt her, Grace,” I said quietly. “This is just how they sort out rank. Don’t worry. It’s going to be fine.”

But she didn’t respond. I prayed that the words were true, because Ronen frowned, and Donavyn wasn’t here to give us a gauge on what Kgosi thought as he lifted his head and his wings, and roared.

31. A Whole New World

~ GRACE ~

The huge, black dragon was shocking in both size, and presence. I’d seen him in Fyrehold, but only from a distance, when the king brought Donavyn and Bren’s dragons to the castle to show them off.

To see him free and roaring at Kham, who’d seemed so big to me already, but wasn’t as tall or thick, was terrifying.

I was afraid because Koa felt afraid and I wasn’t sure why. But I saw movements between the dragons that were similar to horses—the toss of the head, the flaring nostrils—and I wondered if they meant the same thing.

Kham kept arching his neck high, dropping his nose, nostrils flaring, sharing breath with the big black dragon.

Both dragons stomped front feet and flapped their wings in ways similar to those I’d observed in the king’s birds of prey. A warning. And a release of tension, I thought.

The sounds the dragons made were so loud and unique, I wished things weren’t so tense. I wanted Koa to explain what they meant. But even though I could feel her and she sent images at times, it was all a blur. She didn’t use words and I couldn’t understand why she kept showing me Kham, over and over.

“She’s scared,” I whispered.

Voski shifted his weight at my side. “Don’t worry. She’s safe. Even if she doesn’t know it. Kgosi will handle this—Kham isn’t challenging him for the herd. He’s just standing for his mate.”

“What does he have to stand for?”

Voski raked a hand through his hair. “He has to submit himself and his will, I suppose, to Kgosi. And so will Koa. But that’s a choice they make in the herd. It means that they come under his authority and protection—not that another male can take her. It’s a herd hierarchy thing. Hard to explain,” he mumbled.

But I nodded. I thought I knew what he meant. Similar to the hierarchy in a horse herd. Every time a new horse was introduced, every other horse had to assess where they stood in the rankings. Sometimes it was easy. Other times, it caused aggression, or fights.

Kgosi and Kham touched noses and blew vapor at each other. But the part that worried me was Koa, calling and tossing her head. Dancing, and even leaping into the air, flapping, so her talons dangled a few feet off the ground, as if she wished to flee.

Kgosi growled again and raised his head as Kham lowered his, snaking his neck. But he didn’t advance on the black scaled dragon.

Then they both turned their heads to look at Koa.

Instinctively, I took a step forward.

Voski grabbed my upper arm and tugged me back. “You can’t go down there. It’s not safe.”

Kham groaned and Kgosi took a step toward Koa.

Then the other dragon, the smaller, gray one that had landed behind Kgosi, lifted her head and whistled. Koa went still as Kham rumbled.