Page 94 of Ashborne: Defiance

Voski leaned into my ear. “You remember the dragons speak with images and feelings, not words?”

I nodded. Koa kept doing that because she was agitated, even though I couldn’t understand it all.

“Right now, Kham’s telling Kgosi why Koa belongs to him. And Kgosi’s telling Kham that he won’t take his female, but he requires her submission if she’s to link with the herd.”

I took a deep breath. I knew the dragons had been discussing that, and Koa had agreed to submit to Kham’s Primarch and become part of a herd. But that had been when she was calm.

Now, my dragon paced back and forth behind Kham, mouth open, panting, her wings fluttering with agitation. She looked back and forth between her mate and Kgosi, her tail lashing like a cat’s.

But then, to my surprise, as Kham took a step back, his neck still low, and ears flattened back against his skull, Koa took a hesitant step forward. And Kgosi, the black Primarch, began to emit a strange, heavy sound, that hummed in the air and in the earth under my feet.

Hengh-hengh-hength-hengh-hength…

The sound raised the hair on the back of my neck when some of the other dragons joined him—including Kham.

Koa, hesitated between steps, but slowly found her courage and approached the massive black dragon.

She hissed when Kgosi stretched out his neck, but the gray dragon behind him whistled and made a strangely soothing sound.

Koa, panting, stood stock still, trembling as Kgosi stepped forward and stretched his nose to her neck, his nostrils flaring, breath huffing.

No one spoke. The only noise was the dragons making that strange call.

Then Koa looked at the massive, black Primarch… and bent her head.

I didn’t like seeing her shrink. But it was barely a moment before her head rose again, and she hissed once more. Yet, even I could tell it lacked the fervor she’d had a moment earlier.

“What is she—?”

Kgosi lifted his head and called. Not a roar, but a deep, sonorous sound—and the other dragons in the clearing, and those wheeling in the sky above, all crowed and trumpeted, darting around and I felt Koa’s heart ease. Felt her happy.

I didn’t understand what happened. I couldn’t see any change. But the black dragon walked past her. He gave a low, bark of a call at Kham, who turned to follow him, and the two of them ran, launching up the side of the hollow and into the sky.

Then Koa and the gray dragon touched noses for a moment, before the gray tossed her head and whistled. She followed the males—and Koa ran after her.

Dragons from all directions, poured down into the hollow and launched, all of them calling and singing.

I put a hand to my chest as something settled. Something deep, warm, and soft.

It was a strangely emotional moment. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but Koa was suddenly no longer afraid. She was delighted. And something within her that had always felt a little bit fragile, suddenly felt solid.

As the males wheeled over our heads, closely followed by Koa and the gray, Voski laughed.

“Look at him. Preening like a cock.” The handsome man he’d introduced me to chuckled as well. But then Voski caught me looking and his brows shot up. “I, uh, meant a rooster, of course,” he said.

I grinned, though my cheeks felt hot.

Even I knew that joke.

The dragons collected in the air, wheeling together overhead—then followed Kgosi off over the woods, toward the mountains. A little burst of nerves broke in my chest—would Koa come back? But Voski tugged at my sleeve and when I turned, even though his face was blank, his voice was gentle, which was very rare.

“They’re all flying together. To celebrate and learn each other in the link. You don’t need to worry. They’ll be back in an hour.”

I put a hand to my chest. My heart felt like it might beat out through my ribs. “Thank you. I’m glad.”

He opened his mouth, but the man at his side clapped him on the back and spoke first. “So good to have you back, Vos. You two must be famished. And no doubt need to sleep for a couple days, but we’ll need you for an hour or two. I’ll have some food brought to us, though, don’t worry.” Then he looked directly at me. “I know you’re tired. We’ll make this as quick as we can. But we need to hear what Voski’s learned while he’s been away. You can come with us, and then we’ll find you accommodations and a bath,” he said with a kind smile.

I almost groaned at the thought of a deep, hot bath. I nodded. I didn’t feel sleepy at all, but my heart still pounded. I knew when Koa returned and I felt safe again, I’d be desperately weary.