Page 88 of Flameborne: Chosen

Well done, Flameborne.

I assumed it was from Ronen, and smiled as I unwrapped it—then sucked in a breath.

It was a book.

A fucking book.

Instinctively, I looked over my shoulder, worried someone would appear and tell me I wasn’t allowed to have such extravagant things. But there was no one there and the leather cover of the book felt warm in my hands.

Stunned and thrilled, I opened the cover to the title page and read with wide eyes.

Her Grace in Shadow: A Chronicle of the King's Hidden Daughter

Frowning, I opened the first page and entered a world unlike any I’d ever conceived. A young, poor woman, hunted and abducted, brought to the grand palace believing herself to be taken as a slave, only to discover that she was the King’s bastard. The royal family had been devastated by illness, and she was to be prepared to take the throne.

I was two chapters deep before I realized I was still standing next to my bed. I hurriedly washed my face and arms and changed into leggings and a tunic, then curled up on my bed.

I read for hours.Hours.Most of the day.

I was interrupted only by Akhane waking and making sure I was well. And by Kgosi’s return to the stable that evening.

My brothers were on patrol, so I didn’t have to join them for dinner. Instead, I forced myself to take a break, hurried to the dining hall to make a plate, then carried it back to my room and sat on my bed, eating with one hand and holding the pages with the other.

I fell asleep, still reading that night, and woke with it open on my chest.

It was good that the only thing I wanted more than to keep reading was to fly, because I had a scheduled lesson with Ronen that morning to learn how to ride a launch.

The book drew my eyes at every moment as I hurried to dress and braid my hair. I was thrilled I’d have it to come back to when the others left again.

When Akhane and I walked out to the launch hollow, Ronen stood at the bottom of the hollow with Ekko, his green, and the morning mists curled through the forest beyond. For a split second, my heart skipped and flipped and my breath grew tight as I was sucked back in time to the day I’d come for Ruin. Was it really only weeks ago?

I hesitated at the top of the hollow, but there was no one else out here this early, so Ronen was beckoning me down.

‘What worries you, Little Flame?’

‘Nothing, I just remembered something unpleasant,’I said, squirming a little at not being entirely open with Akhane.

She huffed streams of smoke and heat that curled like vapor in the early morning air.‘Try not to let the past steal your present, Bren,’she sent softly.‘Take lessons from the past, but do not carry the pain of them. They will only break your heart.’

I stumbled down the hollow towards Ronen, one hand on Akhane’s leg to keep me from slipping under her feet on the slope, my mind running in circles.

Luckily, Ronen was unaware of my thoughts. He smiled as soon as I reached him, but his eyes were lined and puffy. He clearly hadn’t had enough sleep.

Tension curled down my spine.

“Good morning, Bren,” he said, smiling, despite his red eyes.

“Good morning. And thank you for the gift,” I said, dropping my chin and putting my hand to my chest so he’d know I didn’t think it was deserved. “I was surprised. But I love it. I—”

“Gift?” Ronen asked me, frowning.

I blinked. “Yes, the book? It was left on my bed and… it wasn’t from you?”

Ronen shook his head, but his lips curled up on one side. “I’ll admit, I’m not great at giving gifts. A book, you said? You like to read?”

“Yes, I love it.”

He looked a little surprised, but nodded. “I have stories you could read. When you’re finished with that one, let me know. You can borrow mine until your earnings come through and you can buy your own.”