Page 92 of Ashborne: Defiance

As Kham darted past Koa and snarled at one of the other males who’d come too close, I turned from several hands grabbing my shoulder and clapping my back, pulling Grace with me when my name rose over the hubbub.

My squad leader, Ronen, jogged around the top of the launch hollow, beaming, his hair sweaty, but his smile bright enough to light a room.

“You’re safe, Vos! Thank God!”

He embraced me, thumping my back, then stepping back to question me, drill me. And I answered as best I could. But my heart pounded in my skull and made it hard to hear. My head spun. I kept turning to check for Kham, then back to Grace to make sure she was on her feet, then back to the dragons, all while attempting to respond to Ronen’s questions, and to the other men’s shouts of greeting and triumph that I’d made it home.

It was overwhelming, and my chest tightened. I should be relieved, not overwhelmed. Why did I suddenly feel like I was losing my mind?

Kham. He was frantic, snarling at the males, darting between Koa and the other dragons, screaming at all of them to stay back.

His agitation filled me through the bond.

“Voski, brother, you good?” Ronen’s voice punctuated the fog. I swallowed and nodded, looking for Grace—to find her staring up at me, worried.

“I’m fine. It’s Kham. He’s frantic.”

Ronen spoke quietly, urging the others to move and give us more space. I was vaguely aware of him introducing himself to Grace, and was washed with a combined rush of gratitude, and anger. Which made no sense.

“This is my squad captain,” I mumbled as Grace stared up at me, a question in her eyes. “He’s a good man, you can trust him.”

Grace laid her dainty hand in Ronen’s proffered palm. He smiled and gave her a half bow.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grace. I take it you’re a friend of Voski’s?”

She blinked, and I almost swallowed my tongue. “She’s Chosen,” I blurted, still trying to find my equilibrium. “That female out there is Koa. Her dragon. Grace is from Fyrehold, but she’s not… she didn’t want to… her dragon was feral. And she’s Kham’s mate,” I finally managed.

There was an almighty roar from the dragons and we all jumped—but it was Kgosi, the massive blackscale dragon, the Primarch of the herd, and my commander, Donavyn Arsen’s dragon, dropping into the launch hollow from the skies.

Even though Kham would have to face him and present Koa to him, I was relieved. Kgosi was devoted to his mate, Akhane, Bren’s dragon. He wouldn’t challenge Kham for Koa. But, all the others backed off the moment that roar shook the trees.

As the males gave them space, Kham stepped forward, Koa pressing herself to his side as everyone—dragon and human—watched Kgosi land, then shake his great head and turn to face Kham.

“Find Donavyn,” Ronen said quietly to one of the other Furyknights. “Tell him Voski’s returned alone. Or—not alone, but… just get him here,” Ronen muttered. “Kgosi may be too distracted to call him.”

My first thought was relief—Donavyn would know if we needed to interfere with the dragons at all. And he’d acknowledged Bren against the wishes of some of the officers, so I knew he’d be quick to stand for Grace. I hadn’t missed the looks that passed between the men around us when I’d said she was Chosen.

I gritted my teeth as one of them—not a man from my squad, but a Furyknight I outranked—sidled closer to Grace.

A hand clamped to my shoulder and I was turned to face my wing leader.

Ronen’s expression was bland, but he locked eyes with me, a caution in his, before he barked the other man’s name and sent him on an errand to tell the stableboys to find a stable near Kham’s for Koa.

Then he shot that look at the others nearby and they all found a reason to give us more room.

Relief flooded my chest and I breathed a little easier then.

God, what was wrong with me?

“Did I hear you correctly?” Ronen asked me under the noise of the hubbub below between the dragons. “That’s a wild dragon that bonded Kham and she also Chose Grace?”

I nodded and opened my mouth to explain, but there was another, earth-shattering roar from Kgosi and suddenly the entire launch hollow went quiet.

“Voski,” Grace breathed in the silence after, lifting one hand to point at Koa, who cowered behind Kham, screaming and shaking her head, trying to back away, yet keep herself next to Kham at the same time. “Voski, she’s scared.”

I tugged her back to my side. “Don’t worry. Kgosi’s an excellent Primarch. He’s taking control. He’ll welcome her. I promise,” I said, then looked at Ronen, because Kham and Kgosi did seem aggressive.

But then Kham roared in return and tossed his head and Grace tensed.