Page 126 of Flameborne: Chosen

I shook my head and splashed the water on my chest and armpits and any other part I could reach, tryingdesperatelyto wash off the awful, sticky unease that coated my skin. But I couldn’t shake it off.

They’ll know. Or maybe they already heard. What if they were waiting to tell me I was kicked out, just when I would have been able to fly?!

Bone-deep disappointment braided with fury, knotting tight in my chest.

I gripped the side of the washbowl and tried to breathe as my mind filled with images I didn’t want to see and I scrambled for ways to explain what had happened and how it was nothing.

But my heart refused to accept the lies.

I’d been broken in that alleyway last night, frozen. Unable to move. Andheappeared. He ordered, and planned, and protected me. I’d felt taken care of. Like someone else was watching and would shield me if danger arrived.

Then he got me back here and he was so… earnest.

Donavyn standing over me, the plea in his gaze, the soft words and searching eyes locked on mine. Such an anathema to the growling authority…

When I ran out of water, I dried off quickly with the towel, then reached for the clean set of clothes hanging off the hook on the wall. As I pulled the shirt over my head, it all came flooding back.

I grabbed him. He spoke kindly and there was a punch of feeling in my belly. Need, hot and frantic, blooming because his gentle words reached inside me and my chest expanded—

I’d seen Ruin when he was earnest. I knew when a man was revealing his heart, I recognized the pleading, the intensity in his eyes. I knew what it meant.

Or, did I?

Clearly Ididn’tfucking know! Because I had grabbed Donavyn and kissed him. And he kissed me back. Yet, I’d barely sunk into his chest, barely enjoyed the taste of his tongue before he’d broken us apart and stumbled away from me like I’d poisoned him. Eyes wide withhorror.

Donavyn.

The General.

OurCommander.

“Ohno.Oh, no, no, no, no,no.Akhane…”

‘You must hurry, Bren.’

‘I can’t.’My teeth were chattering, but not from cold.‘I can’t. I can never leave this room again. Ever.’

‘Don’t be silly—’

‘Akhane, you don’t understand. I live here now. You have to ask the dragons to bring me food, because I can never show my face outside of this room ever again.’

‘Bren, you’re being childish. And you’re going to be late. Don’t make your brothers wait. They worked late last night and have to return to patrol later—’

Shirt untucked and barefoot, I hurried to the door, cracking it open and peering out to find Akhane standing not far away, staring at me with a mother’s chiding in her eyes.

“Where’s Kgosi?” I asked her in a breath.

‘He left with Donavyn hours ago. Now you must—’

I shook my head and shrank back into my room. “I can’t go out there—”

Her nostrils narrowed with disapproval.‘You have no choice. You’re to be a Furyknight. There is only one way to do that. Out here.’

“But, you don’t understand—”

‘I do, Bren. But nothing has changed. You must go. Now. What passed with Donavyn is a problem for another day. This is for your squad brothers andtheyare your responsibility. Don’t fail them. Not when you’ve finally been cleared to fly.’

Cleared? Sure. But not for long. Not after this came out.