Chapter 39 The Proverbial Rug #2
But I was also sure we’d found the germ of truth. And in the end, it didn’t matter if we understood their entire code. Everything we’d parsed out made sense.
Kill the girls to weaken us.
Kill us to remove the leadership of the dragons in Vosgaarde.
Ruin returns to fill the void left by my absence. And his dragons—the ones who’d killed their Primarch—would take control of the herd.
The orders for this were written in the king’s hand… with instruction that no one is to speak of this plan to the queen.
A shadow moved at my side and I flinched. I hadn’t heard the man move. But when I turned, Voski stood at my side, his dark eyes wide, and he began to whisper.
“I am the silent breath, the unseen flame. My loyalty is to Shadowfang—above blood, above name, above love.
“I forsake comfort, favor, and the weight of my past. I bind my will to the mission, my heart to the cause, and my soul to the Creator’s flame that forged us.
“I will serve where others cannot, and walk with those I do not trust, if it leads to the truth that must be claimed. I will protect my brothers to the death, and carry what they learn to the good of the kingdom.
“I am weapon and whisper, watcher and wraith. No duty shall hold me tighter, no oath but this shall try me.
“Sworn in the darkness, witnessed by the Divine. Bound to my soul… Until I am ash, under the eyes of God, I am Shadowfang.”
I frowned, but Voski didn’t stop.
“Sir, I always thought it was strange that the Shadowfang vow superseded all others, that our actions were hidden, even from our allies—even from our brothers! And the vow… it never mentioned the king. But now… Now, I see. This is our true purpose, is it not? The Shadowfang was established to keep the Crown honest? To do right even when no one else will?”
I nodded slowly. It was a mark of his intelligence that he’d seen that and kept it to himself.
But then he shocked me again, by snapping to attention and saluting, though keeping his voice at a whisper so quiet I could barely hear him standing right next to me.
“You lead us, General. That makes you, sir, the mission. Your purpose is for the good of all—the kingdom. I only honor my vow if I follow you, protect you, for the good of all the people. Including my brothers in arms.”
I gaped at him, not because he’d submitted his will to my instruction—that was only right for officers in the field. But what he proposed…
“Voski—”
“Am I wrong, sir? Am I misunderstanding?”
The answer was no, but I couldn’t find the words, because I knew what this meant. I was humbled by his loyalty and honor, but… I knew where this led. And the thought sickened me.
“Sir?”
I cleared my throat. “At ease.”
Voski relaxed, but his gaze was intent and he didn’t move away. “Sir, please. You must see—”
“You’re right and… true,” I said reluctantly. “I’m humbled. And… yes. I think… I think you’re right. I think our focus must shift.”
He held my gaze, nodding. Anxiety squeezed at my lungs. I strode back to the table to stare at those papers again and cast my mind back… but it only galvanized my conviction.
Alexi intervened in Bren’s training, secretly sending her out to find those troops that only he knew of.
And when we’d taken the men, the king’s army took them for interrogation.
Not Furyknights. I’d waited for the King’s assurance that they’d discovered which land they belonged to, but we’d been so distracted by Ruin’s squad dragon showing up and revealing the Draeventhall mess…
Had they been Alexi’s men all along? Put there to convince me someone was coming for the kingdom?
And then, while I believed we’d successfully thwarted one attack, I was forced to prepare to overcome the next.
I’d been convinced someone was coming for my king. And his kingdom…
But I was wrong.
From the first, none of this had been a plot to dethrone Alexi. All along, it had been a plot to get me and Kgosi out of Vosgaarde so these strange dragons—that Ruin somehow controlled—could remove us to infiltrate and take over the Vosgaardian herd.
My king, pretending trust and admiration of my skill, had pushed my mate out of the kingdom, knowing I’d follow. He’d insisted I leave, that no one else could be trusted. And I’d believed him.
God, what a fool I had been, believing all his philosophical bullshit about admiring my honor, about wishing he could be a man of action as I was. All his admiration for the dragons—and yet his disdain too. Calling them beasts. Uncaring of the emotional weight they carried…
All the signs had been there, and I’d been blind to them, because a powerful man called me friend and listened to my advice.
But I’d been manipulated.
Honor, integrity, leadership, strength… I’d espoused those values from the first, battled with the king to keep them at the forefront.
But, Alexi didn’t want an honorable herd with wisdom and strength to hold their men accountable and keep Vosgaarde on the straight and narrow. He wanted flying death cannons. Cavalry in the sky. Beasts that would take orders and serve men, and conquer the world for him.
And apparently, Ruin had found a way to deliver that.
A wave of dark, heavy grief—defeat—washed through me and clenched my stomach.
Even if Kgosi and I fled, flew back to Vosgaarde to keep the herd loyal and put Kgosi back under their protection, it was clear there would be war on an epic scale, but between dragons.
And our enemies apparently held no scruples.
No men to which they were loyal, or who softened their heart towards humanity.
Just a willful horde of destruction. And I could see how it would play out.
Kgosi wouldn’t relinquish his herd to Carnage.
Ruin wouldn’t give up the chance to lead the most powerful army in the world.
If we didn’t stop this before those dragons were ordered to attack, everything would be destroyed in the pursuit of it.
The only recourse was to kill Ruin and Carnage. Both of them.
‘Perhaps the Creator has given justice into your hands after all, Donavyn?’ Kgosi said, though there was no joy or pleasure in his tone. Only dark, heavy weight that matched the sinking pit in my stomach.
“I need to talk to my dragon,” I breathed, turning for the door. But Voski was at my side, grabbing my arm, whispering vehemently.
“Sir, no. There is a plot for your murder—one they expect to bear fruit in hours.”
“Not today, though.” I pointed out. “Bren’s doing her piece. We’ll have confirmation soon if Ruin’s the one setting the deadline—”
The door swung open and Bren swept in, looking so beautiful, Gil behind her and hurrying to Voski, as my mate rushed to me.
“What is it? What’s happened? I could feel you, but I couldn’t reach you.”
I blinked and took her hands. I had closed my mind to her? I hadn’t meant to. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t… We think we’ve figured out what’s going on, but… what are you doing back here so early?”
“I already got what we needed, and I felt you—Donavyn, what’s happened?”
I looked at Voski, who’d intercepted Gil and was muttering in his ear, clearly filling him in. I took a deep breath. “Did you confirm?”
Bren nodded. “As clearly as I can without revealing too much—Hanson is working on Ruin’s timeline, and the day after tomorrow is it. Whatever occurs the morning after the festival ends… Hanson believes it will cement their partnership and leave no room for me.”
I huffed. Well, that would be true, wouldn’t it, if she were dead.
“Donavyn, please. What is going on?!” She looked back at Voski, but he’d turned from Gil to stare at me.
“I’ll tell you. I’ll fill you in on everything,” I said grimly. “But first you get in your leathers, make certain you’re armed, and we’re going to the dragons. We need to talk to them. Your brothers here will make sure we get out of the castle safely.”
She frowned for a moment, but without another question, picked up her skirts and darted to the bedroom. “I’ll need your help to change.”
Oh shit. Of course. “You two guard the door,” I muttered. Her brothers both nodded as I hurried after her into the room, swallowing the churning in my stomach as I tried to find the words to put this whole picture together for her.
Give me wisdom, I prayed as she reached for me in the bond, assuming I had been unwilling to speak because her brothers were there. Show me how to get her through this. Show all of us.
This is a world I never thought I’d have to face