Page 76 of Ashborne Forged

Gil didn’t let go while I rolled my shoulders and neck, loosening knotted muscles and trying to shake off some of the pain of hitting the ground. Ronen growled at us both to keep our mouths shut, then turned and marched over to the little cluster around Grace and the noblefuck.

“You good?” Gil muttered.

“No.”

“I can still kill him. Ronen doesn’t need to know.”

I was oddly touched. “Creepy fuck,” I muttered, without telling him no, and clawed a hand through my hair to push it out of my eyes. Gil clapped me on the back and we followed him.

When Breckon saw us coming, he drew back, still pulling Grace with him—and I fought a storm of rage in my chest that his hand was still on her.

He’d leave bruises.

“You control that little shit. This has nothing to do with him!”

Donavyn opened his mouth, but Ronen raised a hand. “No need. He’ll control himself.” Then he fixed eyes on Donavyn. “Sir, we need to speak. Urgently. Regarding this matter. I have new information, and our Flameborne cannot be allowed to leave until you’ve evaluated the whole picture.”

To my intense relief, Donavyn nodded.

“There is no authority by which you retain me—”

“The horses are a risk with the dragons so agitated,” Donavyn said, tipping his head toward the carriage, that was rocking, because the footmen fought with the lathered horses who’d taken fright at the dragons, now swooping lower and shrieking. “I’d hate to see the animals harmed. Grace may remain with you, but you’ll both be ushered to a comfortable sitting room until I sort this out. You won’t leave with one of my soldiers unless the queen releases her.”

“Soldier? She’s hardly—”

“With due respect, Lord Breckon, you are unaware of what has passed with Grace and her training. She is very much a soldier—and her dragon will not allow her to be removed against her will. The judgment belongs to our queen.”

“I don’t abide by your queen,” Breckon snarled.

I opened my mouth, but Gil gripped my jacket again, as Donavyn said calmly, “Perhaps not, but I do. And these men—and their dragons—abide by me.”

My heart rose as our brothers circled them, and Breckon eyed them. For the first time, uncertainty flickered in his gaze. But then his jaw tightened, and I wanted to tackle him to the ground as his resolve became plain.

Please, God. Don’t let him take her. You can’t let him take her.

But Donavyn was no fool. He saw the man’s intention as clearly as I did. “The choice is yours, Lord Breckon,” he offered casually, but with increasing edge. “I’m offering a very gentlemanly walk with me to a comfortable sitting area, bringing your betrothed, so we might discuss this with the queen. Or I will take the choice from you with a far less restful passage, ushered by a series of guards, and Grace left here until she’s called. So… which will it be?”

~ GRACE ~

Every alarm in my body shrieked as Breckon faced Donavyn down. Reeling, but breathing deep to center myself, I found myself assessing, remembering the presence of the blade at my belt, and the skills I’d been practicing.

I could kill him.

My skin went cold.

His hand tightened on my arm so that my hand began to go numb, and I tensed, bracing myself—but then, to my shock, he nodded.

“A gentlemanly stroll—but none of this bullshit with your men. We go directly to the castle, where I’ll speak to your queen. And my betrothed remains with me.”

“An excellent choice,” Donavyn said. I didn’t know if Breckon noticed his surreptitious hand-signals, but the men around us spread out to open a path toward the castle, but kept us bracketed either side, and behind.

My racing heart soothed, just a hair. They weren’t going to let him just take me. I wouldn’t have to kill him. Yet.

My hand tingled, beginning to numb as we walked, because his grip cut off blood flow. But I stopped pulling away, praying that the queen would have some care to keep me here, praying Donavyn’s influence over her would win, or something.

Overhead, Koa screamed as she spiraled in the sky. ‘I am safe,’ I sent shakily. ‘For now.’

‘I will not leave you.’