Page 69 of Flameborne: Chosen (Emberquell Academy #1)

Voski opened his mouth and I was sure he’d needle Harle again, but Ronen spoke up quickly instead.

“We all have dragon names—some more interesting than others. They named me Dragon’s Crest. Ekko tells me in their language it’s more about the image than the name.

He said that I carry a… a crown.” He shrugged, uncomfortably.

“He doesn’t mean anything royal,” he hurried to assure me.

“More just a leadership thing.” He shrugged again and looked back at the fire, but he was obviously pleased.

“That’s lovely.”

“That is lovely, Ronen,” Gil said smiling.

Ronen shot him a look. “It is—so why don’t you tell her yours, Gil?”

Gil’s lips tipped up on one side. “I’m the Bat.”

Oros rolled his eyes.

I frowned. “Why?”

Gil opened his mouth to answer, but Oros interrupted, which surprised me. He was usually so quiet.

“Because he’s a flying rat.”

The others burst into laughter. Gil gave Oros a flat look, but he was still smiling. “No. He said it’s because I can see through the dark.”

I frowned. “Can you?”

That was met with another burst of laughter from the others, but Gil ignored them. “It’s a metaphor. He said I’m good at not getting lost. At seeing the truth about things even if others try to obscure it.”

His smile had gotten less smug and more thoughtful, but the others were still teasing about flying rats and seeing in the dark.

I thought it was a wonderful name. “I can see that,” I said. “You help me see the way to go.”

Ronen agreed with me, which kept the others from getting too raucous in their jokes. Then one by one, the others shared their names.

Oros had been named the Rock which had the others crowing about how much he ate and his poor dragon having to carry his bulk. But Oros just smiled at me and shrugged. “When I’m sure of my course, I’m not easy to move,” he said.

Einar, with his startlingly white hair and pale blue eyes was called Moon Eyes, though he insisted his dragon said it was to do with not being deceived by darkness—he shone light into it.

Voski admitted his name was Goldfinger. “Kham says mine is like Ronen’s. It’s more about a picture—he said I’ll always have success at anything I turn my mind to. ”

“What Voski means, Bren,” Gil said quietly, “Is that he has the devil’s own luck and no matter what he tries, it never seems to go wrong for him.”

“That’s interesting.” I was about ask for a story when Voski turned.

“So, that only leaves Jhoare!” he said with a broad smile.

Everyone turned to Jhoare—who was so handsome, he was almost pretty. I didn’t know him well, but I liked him. Quietly confident, charming, and usually wearing a smile. I’d seen the others tease him many times, but unlike Harle, he never grew flustered.

Now, his handsome smile was back. The one I knew would make girls in the tavern swoon and try to catch his eye.

As the others nudged and called for him to speak up, he grinned at me. “My name is Horse.”

I had just remembered the bread in my hand and taken another bite. I choked a little bit. And coughed, had to wait a minute while my throat cleared and I blinked away tears.

“I’m sorry… did you say Horse?”

Jhoare smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I did.”

“Why?”

Before he could answer, one of the men on the other side of the fire coughed loudly, then muttered, “He’s hung like one.”

The laughter was raucous. Even Ronen chuckled and shook his head. But Jhoare didn’t seem to care. He met my eyes and smiled.

“ Edom says it’s because I’m strong and noble, and I’m goodhearted about serving,” he said.

“But it’s actually because he’s got astounding assets, and unmatched stamina,” Voski said, then winked.

“Yes, so careful not to get your head turned, Bren. Horse is definitely popular with the ladies.”

“Horse? I…” then it dawned on me. I clapped a hand over my mouth.

“What?” Ronen asked. “What’s wrong?”

“All this time, I thought you were all calling him whore.”

They howled with laughter. It echoed into the starlight sky overhead.

“I mean, it’s still fitting!” Einar offered, and they all dissolved into roars of laughter again.

I giggled too and found myself almost on the verge of happy tears as they laughed and teased each other mercilessly. But as things quieted down, the others turned to Ronen and once he’d wiped his eyes and cursed a couple times under his breath, he turned to me.

“Bren, we came here tonight to celebrate you—but also all of us together. As squadmates we’re going to be in each other’s lives for a long time.

That means sometimes we’ll get sick of each other or let each other down.

But you’re one of us. Really. And as you move into the next phase of training, it’ll be rough.

Very rough, sometimes. We want you to remember that we all know what it’s like because we walked the path first. Even Harle,” he said with a smile .

Harle muttered a cursed and the others chuckled, but Gill nudged his shoulder and whispered until Harle smiled.

And then I saw it, this bond between them. They teased each other mercilessly and would needle just to be annoying. But something tied them together. Something I lacked. A vulnerability .

They knew how to tease each other because they let each other in.

And they’d let me in too. If I allowed it.

I swallowed hard, simultaneously terrified by that, and deeply drawn to it.

Unaware of my thoughts, Ronen cleared his throat and turned back to me.

“From this point on, we want you to remember that when it gets hard, we’re at your back—and we know you’ll be at ours.

We want you to promise us, just like we’ve promised each other, that if you ever find yourself in a place you don’t understand, or where you feel threatened, you call on us.

Day or night. Let us help you. You’re one of us now.

You shouldn’t ever face anything alone.”

I was touched. My throat pinched and I had to swallow twice and clear my throat before I could thank them.

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

“Well, we mean it,” Ronen said.

But then Voski broke in. “So, why don’t you tell us what happened up in the air today?” he said, the humor gone from his voice which was back to the low, cold drawl. “During the Banner Seize?”

I went still. “It wasn’t—”

“Yes, it was,” Ronen said quietly. “We won’t get petty, or stupid,” he said, glancing around the fire at the men. “But we do need to know what you’re facing. Have those Flameborne ever approached you outside the Trial?”

“No. Not at all,” I hurried to reassure them.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

“But it was the same guys, right?” Harle piped up. “The same ones who were coming at you when you delivered that roll-over?”

There were some chuckles, but though I nodded, I didn’t find it funny. I didn’t want to think about Faren and Lorr. “Yes, it was them, but—”

Ronen stood up then offered me his hand. As if the gesture was a signal, everyone else clambered to their feet as well, Harle hurriedly tying off the spit.

When I was upright, Ronen didn’t let go of my hand, but leaned in to murmur in my ear. “Don’t worry, it’s all in fun.”

I looked at him. “Worry about wh—”

“Are you sure about those guys, Bren? Really sure they haven’t made trouble for you outside the trials?” Gil asked, walking closer. “They were playing dirty. And men like that don’t usually show a lot of self-control. ”

“I’m sure.” I looked around. They were all suddenly somber. Tense. Not having fun at all. “Thanks for caring, but I feel like they’re already paying the price for—”

“Oh, so you have had other problems? Are you protecting them, Bren?”

“What? No! I just meant—"

“I don’t believe her,” Gil said with a heavy sigh, shaking his head and putting his hands on his hips. “Do you believe her Ronen?”

“But—”

“No,” Ronen sighed too.

“Me either,” Oros rumbled.

“Yeah, gosh, Bren, haven’t you learned?” Harle said, his lips twitching.

My heart raced. They were all on their feet and drawing closer to me.

I licked my lips. “Learned what?”

“Learned that we’re all in this together. And what happens to one of us, happens to all of us?” Ronen said solemnly. “You got down in the dirt thanks to those assholes. So, we need to clean you up.”

When I turned to question what he was referring to, the others launched at me.

I sucked in a breath to scream. But a hand clapped over my mouth and when I tried to claw the fingers from my face, another hand grabbed mine.

There was laughter and taunts, but I couldn’t hear the words as my vision tunneled—

— Grasping hands, deep laughter —

I screamed into that calloused palm, but now there were hands on my feet and legs, lifting me, other hands catching my arms and sliding to my back to take my weight.

— Bright, leering eyes and white smiles like fangs.

I could see their tongues when they licked their lips.

“There you go, see?”

“Don’t be scared — ”

I was jolted back to the present by manacled grips on my ankles and wrists. Suddenly my mouth was free, and I could suck in a lungful of the chill night air. But I had a man at each limb and trying to pull from one only brought me closer to another—

— Too many, too strong. Keep smiling. Don’t challenge them—

“Stop!” I screamed, but the laughter and shouts were so loud, even I couldn’t hear myself.

Then we moved, they carried me, my body swinging between them like a heavy rope, and no matter how I struggled or screamed, they wouldn’t let me go—

—grip so tight I’d find fingerprint-shaped bruises the next day. Struggling just made their smiles brighter—

We reached the lake and they wouldn’t listen to my pleas.

“Bren, it’s been a long day and you need a wash! ”

Two pairs of hands appeared on my jacket, pulling the buttons loose—

—fingers kneading, nails scraping, the grip on my breast was too tight. I writhed and cried out.

“Yes, yes, that’s my girl—”

I felt the jacket sleeves tugged from my arms and the cool air ruffling my shirt. My body prickled and I almost choked on my own tongue trying to plead with them.

“Are you ready, Bren?”

—Are you ready for me, beautiful? We gotta make sure you’re ready—

I flinched and fought. But I couldn’t break their grip.

The world tilted and my stomach swooped as I was swung by my ankles and wrists, screaming over their laughter.

And even though I pleaded with them to release me, I was being swept back and forth in the air, all of them counting together until they heaved me up on three!

“This won’t hurt, I promise!” Ronen called.

I shrieked as the grips on my limbs disappeared, but I was flying through the air—then choking as I hit the lake with an open mouth.

Scrambling, wrestling the water back, struggling to find my feet, but finally doing it, coughing, weeping, praying they couldn’t tell because the water dripped down my face and hair as I swam quickly back to the shallows where I could get my feet under me.

There was a lot of movement and jostling on the lakebed, but I might as well have stayed underwater. The world had gone silent.

I ran, up, out of the water, my leathers and shirt sucking against my skin and I didn’t want to feel it. I didn’t want anything tight, I couldn’t breathe—

—pinned. Chest won’t expand. Wet with sweat and—

A hand reached for me and a body stepped in. I couldn’t think of anything except No!

I threw myself to the side to avoid the touch. The water foamed around me. Chaos. People. Dragons. Splashing.

“Bren! What’s wrong? Guys, just hold off—”

There was a roar that descended from every direction at once. Every one of my brothers shouted and scrambled back as the water exploded as a great weight plunged into it—but when I jolted and turned, it wasn’t another man with his thick hands and calluses and calloused smile.

It was Akhane.

Akhane roaring and hissing, her head snaking back and forth, wings half-extended and batting the water up in great splashes as she lashed her tail. My brothers leaped out of the way, shouting to her not to be angry, that they meant no harm.

But with her eyes pinioning them to the lakebed, she sank into the water, sending great waves up in every direction, but rolled to her shoulder.

I stood there, drenched, crying, and confused. Until she spoke in my head.

‘Get on, Bren. I’m taking you away. ’

Oh, thank God.

I grabbed for her neck strap because she lay mostly on her side, and pulled myself up, up, up.

“Bren, no! You don’t have to—it was a game. We all did it. Talk to us—”

‘Please, Akhane—’

‘I’m here, Bren. Don’t worry. I have you.’

She heaved upright again until she sat, front legs extended, back still folded underneath her.

But then, with a roar and a mighty flap of her wings that had my brothers rushing out of the way again, she hauled herself to her feet.

I was almost unseated and struggling to strap in because of my shaking hands, but I didn’t care.

‘Get me out of here.’

‘Right away.’

She roared again so loudly, my ears rang. I ducked down on her neck and my tears slid to her scales.

Then, to a chorus of shouts and protests, just as I finally clipped in, Akhane launched herself forward and up. And up.

And up.

We were in the sky, the only sound was the wind rushing past my ears and the whoomph of Akhane’s wings.

I could finally breathe.

I trembled from head to toe, my hands numb and the rest of my body frigid with the rush of air against my wet skin and clothes.

But as Akhane flew high enough to level off and banked towards the Keep, I slumped over her neck, sobbing, eyes squeezed tightly shut, my teeth chattering from cold that came from deep within.

‘Don’t worry, Bren. I’ve got you. You’re safe. Hush, Little Flame. They meant no harm. You’re going to be fine…’

And she kept up that litany of reassurance and kindness all the way back to the Keep.