Page 52 of Flameborne: Chosen (Emberquell Academy #1)

~ brEN ~

My brothers had patrol that afternoon, so when we’d finished the meal, they had to leave.

I was tired after my nerves and flying all morning, but there was still hollow to say goodbye—especially when they’d been so kind to give up more of their off-hours to come watch me.

Knowing they left to work and prove themselves with their dragons made my skin itch. I wanted to prove myself so badly.

When the others had all mock-saluted, then turned for the door, Ronen pulled me aside, still smiling.

“Well done, Bren. I know things didn’t all go exactly to plan, but—”

“Battle never does,” I finished for him.

He smiled. “Exactly. Now, you are cleared to fly. No one will stop you if you decide to launch right now, though I wouldn’t advise it.

You’re both tired after the tests this morning.

But I want to ask you to please, take care of yourself out there.

There’s rumors about your fellow Flameborne.

I wasn’t giving them much credence until this morning.

Yet, now I think you need to take care.”

I tried not to get defensive. “Would you give that warning if I was a man?”

“Yes, without question.” He didn’t even hesitate.

“Furyknights—and Flameborne—are strong, intelligent, capable people. But we aren’t flawless, as you’ve already seen.

And some of us have a few rough edges that need to be knocked off before we become the best of ourselves.

Plus, sometimes we just get bored, and men and boredom always equals trouble, trust me.

If any of my squad were being targeted by others, I’d caution them to bring brothers and friends with them whenever they left the stables or barracks. So, I’ll urge you to do the same.”

I nodded. “I don’t really go anywhere else anyway, but—”

“If you do, you’ll take one of us, or an officer—anyone we know can be trusted, right?”

“Right.”

“Good.” He patted my arm and smiled again. “Congratulations, Flameborne. You’re on your way.” Then he raised his chin and strode off to his next task.

I turned to walk out the other doors towards the courtyard, planning to go back to the stable and lay down with my newest book, the third that I had purchased with my own earnings, which made it feel even better, when a throat cleared to my left.

To my surprise, it was Saul, standing among a few other men—Furyknights, they had the Sigils on their chests—and all of them were smiling.

“That roll was amazing, Bren!” Saul said, beaming. “Faren shitting himself when he thought you’d fly into him was the best part.”

The men all laughed. I chuckled as well, though the memory of that moment gave me the shivers. “Thank you. But your healing was incredible. I can’t even tell I was hurt!” I said, extending my arm to him again. “If that’s what you and Bich can do, I hope you’re always close when we face an enemy.”

Saul’s smile broadened, but he scratched his neck and shrugged. “It was Bich, I just let her tell me what to do.”

“Well, thank you. I’m grateful.”

I awkwardly waved to them all, then started for the door again, but Saul caught my arm gently. I startled and turned, pulling my arm back to my side.

He raised his hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, I just… your squad left?”

I nodded, eyeing the men behind him, but none of them had that telling gleam in their eyes. I swallowed. “Yes, they’re on patrol.”

“I understand. But my squad’s off tonight and they’re taking me into the city for a drink. Did you want to come with us? We’ll be home before high moon. They’re on shift mid-morning.”

“No one wants an aching head,” the blonde man behind Saul with the broad shoulders said, then winked.

I smiled, heart thudding. I was torn. It would be nice to get out and do something. And I did feel like celebrating. But I didn’t know these men.

I was about to say no, when I caught Saul’s hopeful gaze, his brows high and his eyes just a hair too wide.

I found I was touched. And I wanted to go.

“I guess I could come out for an hour or two?” I said quietly .

Saul beamed again, and two of his brothers nudged his back, and laughed. “Great!” he said. “Well meet here for dinner first, then go. Are you in?”

I looked at them all, but it was clear they were standing by Saul. And I liked Saul. I nodded.

“I’m in,” I said.

Moments later when I left the dining hall, as the door closed behind me, I heard a whoop and one of the men shout, and I grinned.

I had made Saul happy. And it felt good.

I felt good.

It had been a long time.

That night, I sat at the long table of a tavern on the edge of Vosgaarde City, just inside the city’s walls.

It was a long, wide room with huge windows that let those in the street see inside, though it was dimly lit now that night had fallen.

A fireplace large enough for me to walk into if it was cold, crackled and popped at the end opposite the bar and kitchen.

A few lanterns were lit in the corners throwing cones of warm light into the room, and there were candles on the tables.

But the shadows were deep, and made deeper by the tall statures of the patrons, who were mostly Furyknights. There were other citizens here—mostly women—but it was clear this was a favorite spot for the dragon riders. I saw Sigils and uniforms at every table. Including mine.

Feeling warm and a little fuzzy at the edges, I looked up the length of the wide, wooden table where I sat and counted red faced Furyknights in every seat.

How had this become my life?

The table’s long, thick top was sticky with spilled ale.

I’d ordered a goblet of wine because it was the only alcohol I had tasted before, and I knew I could sip it and make it last a long time.

But it seemed to disappear even more slowly than I thought.

Which didn’t explain the woozy sensation in my head, like everything was strangely distant.

I squinted. My goblet was still almost half full even though I was sure we’d been here for a couple of hours.

I was doing great!

I smiled. Then giggled. What a day. First those assholes in the assessment. Then the roll. Then my squad being so nice. Then Saul asking me to come with them tonight.

Saul.

He was cute. And sweet.

His cheeks were red from the ale the men drank, and his eyes slightly glazed now.

He had made a big, awkward scene about being the one to sit next to me when we arrived.

The others laughed, but gave him the seat.

Now that we were all relaxed, he kept leaning close, nudging me with his shoulder.

But he hadn’t touched me or made me uneasy.

In fact, the more I got to know him, the safer I felt.

I was more wary of his brothers, but they were mostly kind and funny.

None of them looked twice at me, except when we spoke, which was a relief.

I was a little concerned about Saul sitting so close, but he hadn’t tried to touch me. He leaned into me, talking just a little too loudly to his brothers as the serving girl slipped to his other side, pouring more ale into his cup.

I squinted at my glass. Only half empty! I was doing well.

I heard my name mentioned and looked up. One of Saul’s squadmates was telling a man who’d just arrived about the trial.

“…and then she fucking rolled! I’ve never seen a dragon spearhead like that with a rider before. It was insane!”

“Don’t forget tha’ she made ‘im scream!” Saul said, a little too loudly. “He swore and call’d her crazy becausse he’s an ashhole.”

I looked at Saul. When he focused on me his smile was so wide and goofy I laughed out loud.

“You’re drunk!”

“So are you!”

“No, I’m not!”

“You both are, but you deserve it after today, so drink up!” Saul’s Wing Captain said with a laugh.

“I’ve only hadda half s’ far,” I protested, then squinted at my goblet, grabbed it and held it up so they could see—just as someone leaned over my shoulder with a pitcher to pour more into my glass.

The red wine splashed on the table and everyone—including me—leaped up from their seats, laughing and calling to each other to watch out as the barmaid cursed, then told us all to hold on while she found a rag to clean it.

I needed the water closet, so as the men joked and nudged each other, I plonked the goblet back down on the table. “I’ll be back inna minute!” I announced.

Saul pointed me to the doors at the back of the tavern, past the wide fireplace, and the corner bar where one tired looking woman wiped glasses and poured drinks for another tired looking woman to carry on a tray.

I weaved between the tables, knocking my knee on a bench at one point because I misjudged the distance between the men sitting either side of the aisle—then when I turned to apologize to the one for bumping into his seat, I somehow backed into another.

By the time I made it to the water closet, I was spluttering with laughter and embarrassment, but also feeling very free. I hadn’t felt that kind of to-hell-with-it attitude in so long, I wanted to hug myself.

I needed to go home .

I resolved that when I went back out to the table, I’d ask Saul to walk back with me, and pray he didn’t take the wrong impression from the request. He didn’t seem the type, but I’d never thought Ruin would be the kind to—

I had just pushed out of the water closet and back into the main room when a man who’d been leaning over the bar, speaking quietly to the woman who poured the drinks, straightened, and looked at me.

He smiled as I approached, but didn’t say anything. I gave him a small smile back, but then turned to look for Saul—except, as I passed the man, something brushed my ass.

I whipped around, sucking in a breath and balling my hands to fists. My heart hammered and my head thumped painfully. I couldn’t get enough breath and struggled to straighten as the man moved into the aisle and towards me, a sly smile on his face.

“Don’t touch me!” I snapped, forcing myself not to shrink, though my heart spasmed in my chest.

“I didn’t!” he said, his expression overly innocent. “I don’t know what you felt darlin’, but it wasn’t me!”

“I know wha’ you did—leave me alone!”

He continued to protest his innocence and I looked past him to the woman behind the bar. She looked so tired, her expression pleading when she met my eyes, and that old feeling… the one that made me shrink and cry and fear bubbled up in my chest.

No. No, I would never again let a man pretend—

“I think you owe Bren an apology, Sir.” The voice was deep and firm and I turned, surprised to find Saul’s Wing Captain standing at my back, and the rest of Saul’s squad crowding behind him.

Saul was near the back, swaying, but he peered over his brother’s shoulders and when our eyes met, he frowned. “Wass wrong?”

The man was alarmed, but he smiled. “There’s no need for this, my lords,” the man greased, his attitude changing the moment the Furyknights stood with me. “The girl is drunk. I didn’t touch her. She’s untouched—look at her!”

“Did he touch you, Bren?” The Wing Captain asked quietly, subtly widening his stance.

“Yes. I mean, I think i’wass him, someone brushed my a—um, b’hind,” I mumbled, and my cheeks heated even more than the wine would warrant.

But then my hammering heart became a mallet as the tension in the room ratcheted higher and the sounds of the revelers around us faded because an entire squad of large, strong men surrounded me.

The Wing Captain—why couldn’t I remember his name?—spoke low and hard to the man, but I couldn’t make out his words because suddenly the only thing I could hear was my pulse banging in my ears.

Large male bodies, tight with tension, whispers, and eyes too close. There’s too many, too close and all watching —

Heat, tall and firm, brushed against my back and a strangled noise broke in my throat.

I twisted, stumbled over a large booted foot, came up hard against another tall body.

Several heads turned and someone’s hand landed on my arm and I couldn’t see anything except the darkness and the eyes and teeth-showing smiles.

I froze.

The part of me that had been growing, thriving in the sunlight of the skies, shrank like a bloom that closed in the dark. My ribs tightened and I shriveled in on myself.

Then the warm, brown eyes that I knew—sort of—were in front of me, mumbling, forehead pinched to lines, those lips moving. But I couldn’t take in a word. I couldn’t hear Saul because my head screamed. And when he touched me, I jerked.

Backwards, stumbling, stomach churning—and hurting— I scrambled away from that touch, slapping at the hand that tried to catch me, hissing at them all to leave me alone.

Then I broke through the forest of legs and arms and staring eyes. Suddenly, I was behind them, stumbling down the aisle of the tavern followed by even more eyes.

Heads tipped together and whispered. Lips moved to say my name, to judge. And I knew. I knew.

“Bren! Don’ be scared! We’ll take care of thish!”

The voice broke through and I turned to look at Saul, standing at the back of his brothers, his face pained. He took a step towards me and I shook my head and stumbled back again. Thank God, he stopped, frowning sadly.

Don’t make them angry.

Keep them happy.

Survive…

“Thank you,” I blurted through numb lips, trying to include all of them in my shifting gaze. “Thank you allll for a lov’ly nigh’.”

Then I turned and ran straight outside to the street.