Page 121 of Flameborne: Chosen

When he was well away and filling in his squad, ushering them back inside, I turned back to find Bren sitting curled up on the ground, her back to the alleyway wall, her face in her hands.

She looked so small, my heart broke.

“Bren?” I said softly. She lifted her tearstained face and her eyes shone even in the dark. My heart pinched, and I felt the rumble of Kgosi in the distance, reacting to the ache in me. “Let’s go home.” I walked over to stand at her toes and offered her a hand.

She nodded once, wiped her eyes on her sleeve, then grasped my hand and pulled herself up to stand—then promptly lost her balance and fell into my chest.

34. A Fork in the Road

~ DONAVYN ~

The walk back to the Reach was close to an hour, but took longer because Bren remained unsteady on her feet. We stopped at the well to get her a drink, and I pulled some mint leaves from a bush along the roadside for her to freshen her mouth. But even as her mind appeared to clear, our progress remained slow.

Eventually, I piggy-backed her because it was clear she was weary. I tried to draw her out in conversation, ask her what had happened, and what we could do to protect her in future, but she said there was nothing. That she had only drunk too much.

In the end, I decided the faster I could get her back to her bed, the better.

Even with me carrying her, it was high moon before we made it back to the stables. Bren was no longer crying, but the slump to her shoulders as I lowered her to the floor outside Kgosi’s stable told me everything.

I knew she hadn’t told me the whole story, but I was at a loss about how to make her safe enough to talk. Once she was sober again, she needed a woman to hear her, I was sure. I’d ask Terra to find a reason to visit again this week. Perhaps that would help.

Bren only swayed once when I set her down, and she caught herself. Her eyes were no longer glazed as they had been an hour earlier. The crisp night air had helped clear her head. But her shoulders were slumped, and though her speech no longer slurred, it was clear she wasn’t sober yet. I was sure she’d have a headache in the morning. But I also thought she’d remember all this—even if she wished she couldn’t.

The dragons were restless when I pulled back the stable door. Akhane crooned to Bren who hurried straight to her dragon and leaned against her leg. Akhane’s head tilted. She drew a wing forward to cover Bren’s back, then looked at me.

‘Akhane wishes to know if she was injured. She says Little Flame feels pain, but she’s walking and there’s no scent of blood.’

I shook my head.‘She was hurt in her heart, I think. Or perhaps reminded of a past hurt? I’m not sure. She doesn’t want to talk about it. She keeps telling me she was just drunk and it made her ill. But the Wing Captain who was with her reported no bad behavior from her. Only the unwanted advance of a man.’

Kgosi rumbled menacingly and I nodded again.‘I suspect that’s the true problem. But the men took care of it. She was protected.’

‘Akhane thanks you for bringing her back safely.’

‘Tell Akhane if she reveals a problem that we aren’t aware of, we’ll do more than usher her home. She can trust us to help.’

Akhane gave a low hum and looked down at Bren again, but Bren straightened and wiped her eyes, turning to look at me reluctantly.

“It’s not that,” she said sullenly.

I frowned. “What isn’t, what?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Bren said stiffly, no longer slurring. “Nothing happened tonight that isn’t normal. That man touched me and I chastised him. The others stood by me. There was nothing bad that happened except that asshole, and he didn’t hurt me.”

“Bren…” I hesitated and she looked up at me, her reddened eyes suddenly wary. As if she anticipated my disapproval. I sighed and moved to stand closer so our voices wouldn’t carry outside the stable, just in case. “Bren, I found you hunched over in an alleyway, crying and throwing up. That’s not—”

She dropped her eyes to the floor. “I drank too much—”

“And I’d recommend you take more care. But even I could see that you weren’t out of control. You’re already sobering. There had to be more than just the drink?” She stiffened and I sighed. “Bren, you’re notrequiredto tell me your personal life. You’re an adult and can live as one. I know it’s difficult for a woman to be constantly surrounded by men. I’ll try to bring more females into your sphere. But in the end, this is the life of a Furyknight. Please, let your squad stand by you. Please,alwaystell someone where you’re going if you aren’t with your brothers.”

“I was with another squad. Ronen said not to go out alone, and I didn’t!” she mumbled.

“I know, but I only learned where you’d gone because Kgosi asked Akhane—and she only knew that you were going into the city to drink. If the night’s events had been more serious…”

My heart gave that shriek again and I shut down that train of thought, clearing my throat and making myself speak to her as a Commander.

“No one else that I would have thought to ask knew where you were. I was—” I swallowed hard. “I was concerned. And then to find you like that…”

“I just wanted some time to be with someone who wanted to be my friend. My squad brothers are constantly patrolling—and when they aren’t, they have to train me. They don’t want to have to watch me in their time off as well. And I’m tired of being alone all the time!”