Page 142 of Flameborne: Chosen

Moments later I blinked and the world returned to its normal speed.

We were flying, Lorr nowhere to be seen, Faren just wheeling away from the rope that was now to my left and slightly below us.

Akhane panted, but flew on.

I blinked again.‘Akhane, are you—’

‘Concentrate, Bren! We’re almost there!’

I sucked in a deep breath and nodded quickly, shifting my grip on her neck strap and pulling myself hard against her, eyes on Faren until he was well out of our path and flying back towards the clearing.

We had a clear path! We were going to make it!

My heart thudded in my ears as Akhane raised her head and slowed, dropping her tail again and back-flapping as we drew level with the trailing rope, waving in the wind. I bit my lip and stopped breathing, scanning it for the last banner, my heart pounding mercilessly in my ears. Then I blinked.

And blinked again.

Scanned the rope—but Akhane was already level and…

“It’s not here!”

For a split second I was certain I’d gotten it wrong. Pointed her at the wrong rope and—

“Fly on!” I squeaked at Akhane, who rumbled, but let her forelegs drop and opened her wings wide and still to let the rope trail over them as she wheeled away, panting. I turned in my seat, looking over both shoulders, head spinning, near tears.

Where was it? How had I missed it? Would it take too long to go back and…

But I could see the ropes dangling, even the furthest one. And even with the ripple in the wind, even from a distance it was clear. None of them had a banner still attached.

I leaned over Akhane’s neck to look down—had we knocked one off in our approach that was so erratic?

But I couldn’t see anything.

My stomach dropped to my toes and I bit my lip.

“It’s not there.”

Akhane let out a scream and I gripped the strap harder.

They had to have taken it. Both Lorr and Faren had both been at that rope before me. One of them had to have taken it.

‘Bren—’

‘They’ve done it, Akhane. They succeeded. I can’t finish the task. I don’t qualify. Even if my flying was evaluated high enough, they’ve done it. They finished me.’

Tears pricked my eyes, but I made myself blink them back as I grit my teeth.

I should have known. I should have fucking known.

Furyknights were not heroes. They were just men with amazing jobs. My brothers were good men, but not flawless.

Furyknights couldn’t be trusted. I’d already learned that.

Why had I been so willing to believe that it could be different?

‘No, Bren—’

But then it hit me. Maybe this wasn’t even about Faren or Lorr or any other man not wanting me to be a Furyknight. Maybe they knew something I didn’t.