Page 110 of Flameborne: Chosen

Suddenly the clusters of Furyknights made more sense—they were to measure when we lost our nerve… right?

‘I don’t want to get you hurt,’I sent uneasily to Akhane.

‘Following orders will never be intended to hurt me, Bren. You must follow your Commander’s just as I will follow yours: there cannot be uncertainty. You must do it. This is your assessment.’

‘But—’

‘Don’t waver. Hold your line until they tell you otherwise. I will hold the line untilyoutell me.’

I swallowed hard.

All those speeches Donavyn and Ronen had given me at different times about the need for trust among squads, and the connection with your dragon.

As we flew ever closer and the details of the other Flameborne could be made out more clearly, my stomach tied in knots.

Half a mile apart.

Saul leaned down on Bich’s neck, and I wondered what he was planning with her.

Quarter of a mile.

I wanted so badly not to fail this—but I’d been told over and over and over that my dragon’s safety was paramount. Never disobey orders. Orders were to keep you and your dragon safe and on task.

But if this task was what I thought it was, it wascruel.

And they had a team of three.

Then it didn’t matter what I thought because the others were approaching. And that dark-haired fucker wassmiling.

I took a tighter grip on Akhane’s neck strap and gritted my teeth. I wasnotgoing to let these idiots tell anyone that they’d proven my worthlessness.

‘Akhane, we have to time this correctly.

‘Time what?’

‘I think they’re waiting to see who’ll break first.’

‘It doesn’t matter what they’re doing, Bren—you should follow orders whether you know the goal or not.’

‘I am. Level means level—keeping the height. And phalanx means tight—which we’re doing. But if these fuckers fly up on us withthreedragons, they know we’re the ones struggling for space because we’re both forced between two dragons to evade, while their outside flyers only have one and everyone knows which direction they’re moving.’

‘It doesn’t matter—’

‘It does, because we’re not leaving the line, but if we don’t get called off, we’re going to roll. You tuck and flythroughthem. I’ll hold on for dear life. I know that’s a correct maneuver, I heard Ronen teasing Ekko about how he was too fat to do it.’

Akhane didn’t respond immediately. And when she did, her tone was tight with worry.‘It is a maneuver, but we haven’t practiced, and… Bren if you fall, I won’t have the space immediately to correct for you. I will have to finish the roll and be free of the others before I can make any attempt to assist you.’

‘I know. But what’s the worst that can happen? I get caught by the strap again? It’s not like I haven’t practicedthat.’

I was gratified when my dragon gave a little huff at my joke. In truth, we both knew that the plan wasn’t without risk. Though it would lower the chance of Akhane’s wings being tangled with another dragon, it did leave her committed to the linethroughthose we faced. Which meant I was on my own if I fell. And while the safety straps were there, they weren’t flawless, either.

Still, if there was one thing I’d practiced countless times, it was trusting our equipment.

‘We’re doing this,’I sent.

Akhane sighed in my head.‘Very well. But please, hold on tight.’

The dragons to left and right, watching this face off, called and screamed as we drew closer and closer. I saw that dark-haired fuck raise a fist and shout, a beaming smile on his face. He rode center—pivot for theother two, all dragons flying wingtip-to-wingtip—which meant neither Saul nor I could evade without moving off our line.