Page 33 of Flameborne: Fury (Emberquell Academy #2)

~ brEN ~

Walking away from Donavyn was a struggle—my heart felt like he’d closed it in that door as he turned from me. I forced myself away, but half of it was left there with him.

Yet, even with that aching hollow in my chest, I was elated as I trotted all the way out of the Palace and towards the Dragon Keep. I’d go back to Akhane and finally have the chance to discuss this bond and the mating.

When I reached the stables, I was practically skipping, so full of energy I started to run when I made it to the main aisle.

I reached Kgosi’s stable, only to find the door wide open and the dragons gone. But as my heart dove for my toes and I reached for Akhane in my mind to see if she was near, a great, masculine cheer rose, echoing through the stable.

I startled and drew back, only to be hit in the chest by a pair of man-arms that wrapped around my waist and lifted me off my feet.

“You did it, Bren! You did it!”

It was Harle. He’d lifted me high so the others could see me too. To my shock, my whole squad was there, cheering and whistling, clapping and all talking over each other.

“We were so worried!”

“What the hell happened?”

“You did it!”

“Well done, Bren. Well done!” That was Ronen.

As Harle put me back on my feet, I gaped at them as they rushed me, closing in.

My heart skittered, that cold fear twisted in my chest. But I swallowed it back and reminded myself, these were my brothers. They weren’t a threat. They were celebrating.

“Did you really find the enemy?”

“Have you had a chance to wash?”

“Where’s Akhane—she wasn’t injured, was she?”

I shook my head and took a step back as they made a circle around me. “No, no, she’s fine. She’s just busy, um, recovering. She went into heat and—”

“Akhane’s in heat?”

That started a whole new round of questions and protests, and finally Ronen raised his hands and shushed the others. With Gill at his shoulder and a strange smile, he waited until everyone had quieted, then he turned to me.

“Why don’t you tell us the whole story so they can stop asking questions, Bren?” he said, amused.

Iopened my mouth, then hesitated. What could I say?

Akhane went crazy in heat. Kgosi found her and brought Donavyn. We all mated and none of us wanted to stop. But then we found out that the camp I found was a real one, not a set-up for the trial, so we had to come back. And now the dragons are off mating…

I huffed and cleared my throat.

“My orders came in that morning. Faren brought them.”

Every one of them went still. Gil and Voski’s eyes narrowed, sharp on me.

I shrugged. “It’s okay. He wasn’t happy about it.

He gave me my orders—or I thought they were—and he blessed me.

Then Akhane and I rode out. That evening I found a camp.

I thought it was a set-up. An exercise. Part of the trial.

I was surprised it was so big and there was so much equipment out there.

When I had all the information, I went back to Akhane and would have flown home. But she went into heat.”

Their eyes all widened, I tried to smile.

“Luckily, Kgosi is her mate. He found us and—”

“Wait, what?!”

“Kgosi? The Primarch?”

“They’re mated?”

I nodded quickly, praying if I could keep going none of them would think to ask how that affected Donavyn and me. He’d said none of them would expect us to be so deeply drawn into the bond as well. But I didn’t want to take the risk and have to lie to them.

“Yes. That’s why she’s not here. They weren’t finished mating when Donavyn saw the notes I’d scribbled out there in the dark and realized what I’d found. We had to interrupt them.”

They all winced and leaned back. “Whoa.”

“I’m surprised Kgosi didn’t flame you both.”

“He challenged Donavyn,” I said quickly, swallowing hard. “He wasn’t happy and they were both worried about bringing him back here with other males. I ended up having to ride Kgosi with Donavyn because Akhane was struggling, and her skin was so hot. I think they’ll be away for another day.”

My brothers were excited and aghast at all that had happened. But then the questions started.

Who had given me the orders? Was it another plot to sabotage me? Where were the enemy troops? How many? How did I find them? Was Akhane brooding?

I answered anything I knew and told the truth when I was ignorant about the rest. Their questions were endless.

I itched to get to my room and pack my things, to sneak to Donavyn’s quarters.

To see him again. To reassure myself that it wasn’t a fever dream—my brothers’ reactions to what they heard was evidence of how insane this had become.

Then I felt a surge of need and anger in Donavyn that twisted my guts into knots, and I had to take a moment, running hands through my hair and breathing deeply to keep myself from running from the stable and back to my mate.

But to my relief, Ronen stepped in again, quieting the others, then turning me.

“Well done, Bren. You did an incredible job. Truly. A job worthy of a Furyknight.”

I huffed, but I couldn’t help smiling. “You don’t know that. I could have fucked it all up. But there was enough for Donavyn to bring back to the King and—”

“No, Bren, you didn’t hear me, I don’t think,” Ronen said with a small smile. The others were all smiling too, looking back and forth expectantly between me and Ronen. “I said, you did a job worthy of a Furyknight.”

I went still, afraid to even hope this was really happening.

Ronen’s smile grew broader. “I assume you’ve had no chance to bathe properly?” he asked slowly.

“No,” I breathed.

“Best you go clean up,” Ronen said, grinning like a cat who’d caught the bird. “Get clean, and a fresh set of leathers, because the orders have already come down: Brennan Kearney passed her final trial, and she’s to be raised to Furyknight tonight!”

My heart swelled as my brothers clapped and whooped and beamed at me while Ronen explained.

“The Commander made it very clear: You’re needed to reconnaissance back to the site you found, but you deserve to do that as a pinned Furyknight. We’re to raise you tonight, even if we have to call a Conclave to make it official. But I don’t think we will. The Keep is buzzing with the news.”

He kept going, but my head spun so I couldn’t think straight or follow anything else.

…You deserve to do that as a pinned Furyknight. We’re to raise you tonight…

It was happening.

It was really happening.

And they saw that I’d earned it.

~ DONAVYN ~

I was still reeling when the King waved me off and insisted that I go clean up and rest. “Take time while you can, Donavyn, because there won’t be much.

I’ll bring in all those reports and we’ll sift through them, figure out each source and try to identify who led us astray.

Then you’ll help me find the very best strategy for disarming this weapon we find on our border—and how we can what we learn about them against these fuckers who thought they could outwit me. ”

“Yes, Sire, of course, but—”

There was another knock at the door. We all turned as a servant opened it to reveal the messenger I’d sent to Ronen.

For a moment I was chilled. Was there a problem? Was Bren safe?

The messenger bowed to both the royals, then kept his head down as he straightened. “Your Majesties, I’ve been sent with an urgent message for the General.”

The King’s brows rose, but he only opened his palm towards me. “Speak it, son. We don’t have time for waffling tonight.”

The messenger bowed again, then turned to face me and saluted. “Sir! As you requested, Wing Commander Ronen sends word that they have prepared. The female Flameborne will be raised in one hour, in the auditorium.”

My heart leaped, but I kept my expression blank. As calmly as I could, I nodded, frowning because I didn’t want to miss this, but—

“Go, Donavyn. Get her ranked. And make sure she knows we expect her to fly in uniform in the morning. I’ll have the accounts gathered and the council convened. Be at chambers by midnight.”

I wanted to dash for the door the moment he released me, but I couldn’t let them see that I was any more invested in her than I should be. “Sire, if she flies, I’ll need to go personally. Kgosi is her dragon’s mate, and she’s in heat. Separating them right now would be catastrophic.”

Alexi grimaced, then flapped a hand to dismiss it. “Figure it out, man. Just get back here by midnight with a plan. We need to capture those troops before they get any closer. You’ll both be needed for that. Figure it out, and advise me accordingly later.”

“Yes, Sire.”

With no more to say, he waved me off. I jerked my head at the messenger to follow me as I started towards the door out of the chamber, then leaned into the young man’s ear, querying that I’d heard correctly, and when it was apparent that I had, I sent him off with a new responsibility.

“I need a Fang pin and a knight’s blade brought from the Quartermaster to the Auditorium as soon as you can lay hands on them.”

The boy darted off as I turned at the open door to offer the King one more bow before leaving the room myself. “Thank you, Sire. I’ll have her raised and ready for tomorrow, then return.”

“I’d expect nothing less. See you at midnight.”

My heart bubbled with anticipation, but as I stepped out the door and turned to close it behind me, I was stopped by the Queen hurrying after me, her skirts lifted to free her steps.

I looked at her, surprised by the light of glee in her eyes.

“I have to see this, Donavyn. I helped raise her to First Rank, after all. She’ll need other women present to recognize what she’s really achieved. And besides, I want to be able to crow at every noble from here to Draeventhall that I saw the very first female Furyknight pinned.”

Everything in me wanted to deny her, but she was Queen. So, I merely bowed as she passed, then hurried down the hallway outside, letting her trot alongside me, forced to keep my face straight and my steps measured, even though they burned.

I was returning not only to an historical moment for all the Furyknights. But to my mate.

Even the Queen eyeing me from the side couldn’t steal the joy of that.