Chapter 40 The Plan #2
‘I share my mate’s abhorrence for this. And yet, I see no other choice.
Knowing what is plotted behind us, and what yet comes, there is no safer way forward—for any of us.
Including the wild dragons. I hope and pray that the reason they have not attacked before is because these plans have not been shared with them.
That their consciences and the voice of the Creator might guide them if those orders are given.
But I fear… I fear their minds have been intruded upon already.
That they lack free will. And this pair, along with whatever power was offered them by Alexi, have somehow taken their wits.
And with that… I do not know how they will react.
I do feel certain it’s time to break them free of any shackles held on their minds. ’
I laid a hand to his leg. ‘The dragons will follow you. Both here and in Vosgaarde. I’m certain of it.’
‘The dragons of your Furyknight brothers will be torn over any fighting that would involve their own. Their riders will be conflicted, and that will increase the dragon’s hesitation.
The more time we can give our kin to think and discuss the realities of this conflict with their riders, the better.
They should see our actions as efforts to provide stability.
But they may not. I have not faced this kind of division in the past. I cannot anticipate how it will resolve. ’
That began a conversation between all four of us that seemed to do nothing but circle a drain.
And with it, my increasing anxiety. I felt Kgosi’s concern over our mates growing as well.
The more I examined this situation from every side, the more convinced I was that they shouldn’t remain.
And yet, the thought of sending Bren away tore my heart from my chest, and I knew she’d fight it.
She wouldn’t want to leave me. Plus, she had no desire to flee the fight, and would resist unless I ordered her away.
I had to order her away. I would do it for any Furyknight in this position—a target, and unable to fight.
She continued to offer plans and ideas that kept her and Akhane here, at the center, and when I felt my dragon’s reluctance reflecting my own, I spoke up.
‘Bren… This isn’t a fight you and Akhane can win.
I want you both gone. As quickly as possible.
Drop your brothers at their dragons so they can split, one each to back you and I.
That way we’ll remain within the Fyrehold protocols of the number of battle dragons in the territory, and you’ll be free to—’
‘No.’
I met her eyes across the space between us, let her feel the ache within me as I gave the order, and left my hand on Kgosi’s leg to strengthen myself. ‘This isn’t a request, Bren. I’m not sharing an idea. It’s an order.’
Her eyes widened. ‘You told me you’d never—’
Kgosi huffed and I let him go, walking to stand close and take her precious face in my hands.
‘Feel me, beautiful. There’s no one else here to prove anything to.
I’ll admit it suits my fear to send you away, but it’s not my fear speaking.
I’m speaking as your General and Battle Commander.
I have only four pawns to move against this king, and two directions to face.
One, a direct threat on your life. I need you alive.
I need you to get back to the Shadowfang.
To tell them the truth and prepare as many of them for the coming clash as possible. ’
‘Send Gil, or Voski! Either of them could do that—’
‘I’ll send you both. Keeping you and Akhane safe will strengthen Kgosi and me, and give you time to rally support from the Shadowfang, though they will have a choice of whom to follow, of course.
Make sure Olve knows every detail we have about Ruin and what happened in Draeventhall—let him decide who can be informed.
But make certain he knows I highly recommend not trusting any member who was closely aligned with Ruin, or who’s been personally tapped by the king. ’
As my mind filled with images of what was to come—for our mates, and for us—I found myself suddenly heavy with dread.
What fight would Bren and Akhane face? I ordered her back to take crucial information to the people I trusted… but then what?
By the time they reached Vosgaarde, events would already have come to a head here.
Even if they got word out in hours and they turned around to fly back, even without taking the breaks they should, they would be too late to help Kgosi and me.
But if they stayed in Vosgaarde, they were sitting ducks for any backup plan Alexi had in place.
Because there would be backup plans. I knew Alexi.
Even if Ruin was arrogant enough to believe he had no need for additional plans, which I doubted, I knew Alexi.
No matter how much he liked or trusted Ruin, he wouldn’t put the entire kingdom in the hands of any person other than himself—especially one who’d proven to be willing to subvert and deceive.
Alexi was many things, but stupid was not one of them.
I stared at Bren, standing tall, chin high, eyes clear. Even with her nerves, even with her ache to stay close to me, she wanted to fight. And fight she would. Akhane as well. It was in them both not to give up.
What was I throwing them into, sending them back without us to watch over them.
‘They serve their purpose to the Creator, just as we do,’ Kgosi reminded me privately. ‘Do not remove their strength, Donavyn. We need them, just as they need us, though for different reasons.’
I knew he was right and didn’t want to stand in their way. But the simmering fear wouldn’t leave me.
Then Bren blinked and something passed behind her eyes. She looked at me, wide-eyed.
“What is it?”
‘There’s a way to use their own plans against them,’ she said, breathless even in the link.
‘Ruin is committed—it’s clear from the messages.
He knows there’s no way the king is receiving that message before he’s carrying out the orders.
It will take more days for the message to reach him than he has before the deadline. ’
‘Yes, it’s less than two days away. But how would we use that?’
‘Akhane and I fly back—just as you’ve ordered.
We get there ahead of all of you—ahead of any possible messenger because we leave tonight.
But we tell everyone you were killed, and Kgosi is dying.
We’ll be there before Ruin—or you—can get back, and even before a messenger from Ruin could reach him.
I pretend I don’t know Ruin was behind it—that the wild dragons killed you.
The king will believe his plan is working.
We can ride ourselves to exhaustion. Both appear to be devastated—like we’ve been weakened by the loss of you. ’
I frowned. It might keep them safe for a few days until Alexi learned the truth, either at my hand, or Ruin’s. ‘That’s not a bad idea. But you’d still be at risk—’
‘Donavyn, the queen has power. She’s always wanted to see me and Akhane succeed. And the messages indicated he was supposed to hide this from her, right?’
‘Yes, but we can’t be sure—’
‘I have her ear now. I can insist on reporting only to her—I can claim it’s too hard to speak to men and then, in private, I’ll tell the queen what the king is doing.
She’s a spider, you said. A strategist. She’ll know how to undermine him.
Then when you return, you have support. Or…
or maybe she’s even removed him. She’s powerful enough to do it if we can prove he’s a traitor.
I have to take the message. If she saw it in the wrong form, she’ll know it’s real.
I can tell her about the code and… well, she’s the only one powerful enough to remove Alexi. ’
I was stunned. And uneasily hopeful.
I didn’t trust Diaan. But it was true, if she’d been left out of this scheme, she’d have both the skill and resources to take action against Alexi…
Bren had the wind under her wings now.
‘You two stay here. You divert Hanson with Benji and let my brothers pressure Ruin while I get a headstart. Then Kgosi takes down Carnage—which will kill Ruin, right?’
‘Only if I kill him,’ Kgosi said, though his tone made it clear there was little chance that wouldn’t happen.
‘Then you have time to gather the wild dragons and fly them back to Vosgaarde, because we’re handling things on that end.’
‘It will take some time to assume the trust of dragons who are rudderless,’ Kgosi rumbled. ‘Days. Not hours. We would be days behind you—perhaps even a week.’
Bren licked her lips nervously, but nodded. ‘Once I get news to the queen, the king and his schemers will be pinned between her and the loyal people, and at least the threat of Kgosi bringing a dragon force. If anyone is on the fence about who to follow… we will help them decide.’
‘I will help,’ Akhane added grimly. ‘I could speak with the Queen if she needs reminding of the power we carry.
Bren touched her dragon’s neck and smiled, thanking her.
I was struck again by the gifts of my mate. She was right that, if Diaan wasn’t already corrupted, this would galvanize her, and she was the only one with the strength of support to remove Alexi without civil war.
If Kgosi and I could bring the new dragons…
‘The plan is a good one,’ Kgosi intoned. ‘And proves the Creator’s purpose in bringing you to all of us, Bren.’
I was so proud of her—and so terrified. “You’re brilliant,” I breathed.
But then both our faces and hearts fell. Because we realized in the same moment that we had just agreed to separate.
I would remain here with Kgosi to face dragonfire, while she would return home to face political power.
Nerves bubbled in my chest. Holding Bren tightly in the bond, I turned to Kgosi.
‘Once the girls are away safely, we won’t have much time—Hanson will learn tomorrow that something isn’t right.
He expects Bren at breakfast. Even if Hanson is na?ve of the wider plot, his disquiet when she doesn’t show up will raise Ruin’s suspicions.
I can send Benji with him to brush it off as Bren losing her nerve, but it still leaves you having to appear to the dragons and likely challenge Ruin and Carnage tomorrow… or the next morning at the latest.’
‘Tomorrow,’ Kgosi said emphatically. ‘Whatever line is drawn in this plot, we must take control of the herd before that deadline. Benji should remain with us and help you communicate with them when I am forced to fly or battle.’
I was still uneasy about the queen’s role here, and the potential for her to be a part of this. But I couldn’t get past the coding for Ruin to keep this plan utterly silent and away from her. If we were misreading those codes, there was a risk that she’d simply take Bren if she was in on it.
‘I will protect her,’ Akhane assured me. ‘And she will use their own assumptions against them, appearing to be the na?ve woman who has not properly measured the risk.’
I huffed a half-laugh. She was right.
‘I will, too,’ Bren said with a wicked grin. ‘If she thinks I’m relying on her, she’ll be a lot more lenient—and the moment we sense any deception, I’ll get Akhane out of there and bring the Shadowfang back to you. That will be that.’
I was both proud, and torn. The plan was good. It offered the least risk, and the best chance for success—on both sides of the border. And the truth was, I wanted to be the one to take Ruin down. But I was terrified of sending Bren on her own. Of being separated.
‘I hate it too… but it’s the only answer,’ Bren breathed. Both dragons groaned their empathy and resonance.
‘Then… I think we’re decided,’ I said reluctantly.
‘Bren, if we’re doing this, you have to leave before dawn.
You take Voski—he’s higher ranking in the Shadowfang and will have access to a broader network.
You need to go now. Give yourself a head start before Hanson comes looking for you.
Because if he raises the alarm, there’s a risk Ruin brings his plan forward. ’
‘But, I have to get Benji—’
‘Kgosi and I will do it. I need to be with the boy anyway—Hanson won’t like the bad news when you don’t show up.
But I think Benji can possibly hold him off a few more hours before he raises the alarm with Ruin.
And his attachment to you will work in our favor, if Benji can convince him you’re still coming—just later—it might keep us clear the entire day.
Regardless, we’ll give you both as much time as we can.
And then we’ll go after Ruin and Carnage. ’
None of us spoke then, because it was finished.
We had a plan.