Chapter 50 Ready to Fall #2
As he saw it, none of these men would ever choose honor over strength.
Even if they learned what had really happened, what he’d really done—even if the king was revealed as a traitor—he had still proven that I was the woman who couldn’t take a man down one-on-one.
He believed I’d be a joke. Someone who needed to be protected in the field, rather than trusted.
And I knew that if I hadn’t been willing to weather the storm of the men who’d question this, he’d be right.
Every bone in my body sang with the injustice of it. Every sense I possessed, screamed.
Ruin still held me as I pretended to give in, to slump. I let my head fall to the side, and my chest heave as if I sobbed.
And sure enough, his grip on my wrists loosened.
There was a split second—a moment when he had one hand braced on the ground to push himself to his feet, his expression smug and patronizing, and his head turned, his attention finally caught by the dragons milling, and their unease.
So, I opened my fist that I’d clutched tight since he took me to the ground and slammed that vial straight at his teeth.
His face scrunched into a grimace as the glass shattered, slicing his lip and covering his teeth in an ugly mix of the powder and his own blood.
He jerked off me instinctively—wiping his face, swallowing, spitting, cursing.
But the moment he realized I’d scrambled to my feet, he roared and came for me.
My brothers rushed forward with a shout as I stumbled back, smiling at Ruin—but there was an almighty roar, and whomph, whomph, whomph in the sky.
To our right, amid milling dragons, Carnage screamed and threw himself into a run.
Dragonfuries roared. Men shrank.
Then Kgosi swooped, screaming, into the launch hollow, his claws brushing the dirt as Donavyn swung free of his seat and dropped to the earth with a shout, rolling, then springing to his feet, still running, as Kgosi flapped up and up, in pursuit of Carnage who’d just launched, both of them roaring.
Ruin’s eyes went wide. He screamed at his dragon as he wiped his face with the back of his sleeve. But then he snapped his head down to glare at me. “What the fuck—”
The dragons were in chaos—hundreds of wild dragons beginning to wheel and tighten, screaming and calling in response to Carnage’s roars.
Vosgaarde dragons on the ground, and in the nearby forest, raised their shrieks of protest—against Ruin, as well as the invaders.
Men on every side cursing, confused. And angry.
Thank God, Donavyn—bloodied, bruised and brutal—sprinted at us from the other end of the hollow.
I smiled at Ruin. “I won’t have to kill you after all,” I said. “When Kgosi kills your dragon, he’ll do the job for me.”
Ignoring me, Ruin lowered his center of gravity, bracing to face the approaching Donavyn, but his eyes continued to dart to the men around us and he raised his voice to be heard by them all.
“Kgosi won’t beat Carnage—because Carnage is more dominant. Look at the size of his fucking herd!”
Just as he’d hoped, all the men’s heads turned, eyes scanning the dark sky, watching the silhouettes and hearing the screams.
But as Donavyn powered towards us, I smiled. “One of these days you’ll realize, Ruin: Size doesn’t matter. It’s how you use it that counts. And they’re all learning what an awful, little prick you are.”
Ruin’s gaze narrowed. “Very cute, Bren,” he muttered. “But no one’s going to listen to a slut who’s only here because she rides the Commander—”
Four bodies launched past me, taking Ruin in a tackle, bearing him straight to the earth so he gave a startled, “Oof!”
Ronen, Oros, Jhoare and Einar held him, pinned by each limb to the ground. Ruin snarled and shouted, telling anyone who’d listen that a real Furyknight would fight their own battles. His mouth was smeared, blood on his teeth, his lip cut by the vial I’d smashed against his mouth.
I had to pray it would still work. That he’d taken enough… but the powder was supposed to be dissolved in fluid…
With a sigh as if I’d been burdened, I scanned the other men nervously. There was definitely unease, some of them staring at me with concerned frowns. But the chaos among the dragons distracted most of them.
Donavyn arrived at my side, his footsteps heavy. The bond came alive suddenly, my heart hammering with joy, tears threatening because I was so relieved he was there.
‘Forgive me for not throwing myself at you,’ I begged him.
‘I have to handle this.’ Then, turning away from him, I unhooked the waterskin at my hip, pulled the tie free and dumped it over Ruin’s face and down his throat until he spluttered and coughed, shaking his head and trying to curse me through his choking.
“Clean yourself up, you’re a disgrace,” I muttered, then dropped it on his head as I turned to address the other men, who were only half-listening, their eyes darting between me and Ruin, and the dragons overhead who grew increasingly agitated.
“This man has no honor!” I shouted. “He’s not a brother. He forced me, and others to—”
Donavyn caught my arm and squeezed, raising his voice in a shout that echoed over the launch hollow. “FURYKNIGHTS! ATTEND!”
Every man in the clearing, even those still rushing out of the stable to see the commotion, snapped to attention.
“Sir! Yes, sir!” Their voices echoed out, over the forest and the distant mountains. Sir, yes sir… yes sir… yes sir…!
He turned to me, his chest heaving from panting, his eyes pinched in pain. “Now they’ll listen,” he said quietly.
I wanted to kiss him. Instead, I turned to face Ruin and closed my fists. “Let him go,” I said to my brothers.
Ronen gave me a warning look. “Bren, this isn’t—’
“Let the fucker go. Let him face his accusers. They all saw the truth—their dragons showed them. Let him stand to answer for what he’s done—and to watch his dragon fall,” I snapped.
“And that’s an order,” Donavyn added casually.
~ DONAVYN ~
It was all an act. Standing at her back. Keeping my tone casual. Pretending my entire body didn’t shake with equal parts exhaustion and desire to kill that bastard. But…
‘Please, Donavyn… God, I’m so glad you’re safe, but… leave him to me.’
My first instinct was absolutely fucking not, but when I caught sight of her expression, I hesitated.
She trembled. Her heart, rocking with mingled anger, fear, and frustration.
But she stood strong. She faced him down—even when he mocked her.
And now… Now the dragons were passing the story between them, and to their riders.
I ached for her—but it worked. The dragons saw Ruin’s true colors.
And even though I hated that they witnessed her in a position of such vulnerability, I nodded.
She needed this.
Help her, I prayed, then glanced at Ronen.
He nodded and I returned the acknowledgement.
“You’ve got this, but I’m here,” I murmured to Bren. “If you need me, I’m here.”
She blinked rapidly several times as she nodded and turned back to Ronen and the others. “Let him go,” she said quietly.
Ronen took a deep breath and shot Ruin a warning look, but he nodded at the others and they all reluctantly pushed to their feet, shoving Ruin deeper into the ground as they rose, then stood back to let him stagger to his feet.
The bastard wobbled, then found his balance, wiping the back of his still-bleeding mouth with his arm.
Bren’s throat bobbed as she stared him down. Ruin’s eyes were narrow. But then, Kgosi’s words boomed in my head, and the images and sensations he sent were so consuming, I staggered.
‘It is worse than we thought, Donavyn—the only reason Carnage’s scales never blacked is because he is still under my authority.
He never severed from my dominance—because he knew I would sense that.
But the dragons truly follow him in the manner that they know how.
That means, they’ll leave him and I to fight.
But if he beats me, he will become the Primarch of both herds, without further challenge.
He will lead my dragons, Donavyn. We cannot risk that. ’
‘No, we can’t,’ I agreed. ‘How do I help you?’
My dragon, wheeling in the sky, screamed once more, calling for the others to move aside and give them room to battle. When he responded to me, his voice was heavy with solemn determination.
‘We are matched in strength, but not in wits,’ he sent without any hint of arrogance or smug self-satisfaction. ‘This battle may hurt, but I will win it.’
‘How? If he’s as strong as you and willing to cheat—which he’s demonstrated since we found him—’
‘With intellect, and heart. A traitor is always, at his deepest core, a coward. He must maneuver for power, rather than being willing to fail, to grow, to claim it. I am many things, Donavyn. But I am not a coward. I have earned my growth. The Creator has strengthened me. I will win.’ Then, after another pause, he huffed.
‘Only pray that I am not injured in such a way that I cannot enjoy my mate in the wake of this. I need her.’
I gave a huff of my own, but my heart pinched.
I looked down on my own mate, and knew precisely what he meant.
Protect us, I prayed. Protect us all. And lead us back to safety. Please.