52. The Steel Man
~ GRACE ~
Voski’s eyes glazed the moment I started to speak. I rushed on, desperate to show him that I appreciated his skill and wanted to learn. That I wasn’t trying to frustrate him. But his expression blanked, then turned dark.
He moved incredibly quickly, slipping across the stable to close the gap between us in a blink—I instinctively jerked back, but his hand shot out to grasp my wrist, circling it entirely, and yanking me into the stable.
I squawked, taken off guard—but instead of snarling at me, he shushed me, barely above hearing, and turned, flattening himself against the wall, before leaning slowly out to look into the aisle.
“Fucking, Gil? Seriously?” he muttered, the tension leaching from every line of his poised stance. He shook his head and stepped out into the aisle. “You thought I wouldn’t sense you coming? You thought you could distract me with a pretty woman and I’d just not notice you?”
He called me pretty.
“I’m not the one naked in a stable. That’s God’s conviction you’re feeling, brother,” Gil called down the aisle.
There was a splutter of laughter from somewhere else in the wing, and I buried my face in my hands.
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m always going to know you’re there?”
“I just wanted to make sure you hadn’t lost your knack. Poor Grace, put it away, Voski.”
Voski rolled his eyes, but my chest went tight as he glanced sideways at me.
He was beautiful. I’d been stunned by the sight of him when I stepped into the doorway. My mind slipped back to that clearing in Fyrehold where I’d first seen him unclothed and washing himself. But I’d been so distracted by his dangles then, I hadn’t fully appreciated his form.
For the moments I’d stood staring here, when he was unaware of me, I’d watched avidly as he poured water over his body and scrubbed down.
Every muscle in his body trimmed and flexed under his slick, shining skin, pebbled with goosebumps from the cool water.
The broad stretch of his shoulders punched and rolled as he moved.
The flex and ripple when he dried himself.
Then he’d seen me, and I froze.
“Poor Grace. Only a Flameborne for two days and you’re already stealing her innocence. What would her mother think?!”
Voski looked down at himself and spluttered. My cheeks went hot when his dark gaze snapped to me, eyes wide behind those wet strands of hair that fell to brush his high cheekbones.
I’d startled him. Then he’d sensed Gil and forgotten all he was wearing was a towel.
“Oh, I’m not—that is, I wasn’t… it’s not—”
Gil laughed. Voski growled a curse at him. Far, far too late, I averted my eyes, dropping my gaze to the straw around my feet, my cheeks blazing as Gil continued to chortle and tease and Voski hissed curses at him.
“I’ll go,” I breathed and started for the door, making a wide berth around Voski.
I was embarrassed, so I don’t know why my heart sank when Voski watched me leave without attempting to stop me. But I didn’t have time to think about it. I babbled apologies again, and trotted down the aisle, not even sure where I was going.
But I hadn’t even made it to the doors before Gil offered a parting shot at Voski, then caught me up.
“That was fantastic, Grace!” he said, falling in step with me, our boots echoing on the stone aisle. “He didn’t know you were there, yet did you see how he sensed me?”
“Yes, yes,” I muttered, chewing my lip.
“He was completely unnerved. I’ve known him for years, and I’ve never seen him startled by someone’s appearance before. You have to show me how you do that!”
I shook my head. “It’s nothing. I’m sure if you’d come from my stable you would have too. It’s so close. He just didn’t hear my feet—”
“Don’t be modest, Grace.” Gil caught my arm and pulled me to a stop and I tensed. He let me go immediately, hands up. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just want you to see that I’m serious. This is a good thing, Grace. I assure you.”
“I wasn’t frightened. I just don’t want to anger him.”
“He wasn’t angry. He was curious. He didn’t expect you to be able—”
“It’s only because he had to apologize earlier. If I keep doing that, if I help anyone else, he’ll hate me. Gil, I want to train. I want to learn to throw like he does.” I want him to look at me with the heat of want in his eyes, not the heat of anger.
Gil stood over me, frowning deeper with every word I spoke.
“I don’t want to say no, I assure you!” I pleaded. “But he gets so angry, and I really need him to not stand in my way!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Gil had both hands up again, and his head tilted like he wasn’t sure what he’d heard. “What do you mean, stand in your way?”
All sign of the laughing smile was gone. I suddenly saw my new brother’s stern strength. He loomed over me, but turned his head to glance down the stable aisle behind me in the direction of Kham’s stable. And his expression was not amused.
I slumped. “I meant precisely that,” I said quietly. “I don’t want to give him any more excuses to stop me becoming a Furyknight.”
Gil’s eyes snapped back to mine and the muscles at his jaw flexed. “Oh, he won’t.”
I slumped. “You haven’t seen how angry he gets. He didn’t want me in the squad, and even though he’s training me, I’m worried that in one of his moods he’ll say something to Ronen—or perhaps Donavyn. I don’t know. I’ve humbled him, without meaning to. Men find that very aggravating.”
Gil’s lips twitched, but he rubbed his jaw and didn’t give in to the smile.
“We will come back to your assurance of becoming Furyknight later. For now, I want to make certain you’re clear: Voski is a capable, talented Furyknight, and I’d encourage you to take any training he’s willing to give.
But he has zero say in whether or not you pass the trials.
And even if he did, he’s a sour-puss—we all know it—but he’s not an idiot.
Any of us can see you were meant to fly—including him.
” Then he glanced up the aisle again and that smile did emerge.
“And apparently a consummate sneak, as well.”
“I don’t—”
“It was a compliment, Grace,” he sighed. “I’m not sure how your skills will be molded by a redscale like Koa, but I’m looking forward to finding out. We all are. You don’t need to worry. None of us questions whether you’ll be pinned one day.”
The statement was given so freely, with such casual conviction, I had to swallow a pinch in my throat. “I thought Koa and I trained together?” I asked faintly, unable to question whether he meant it about me being pinned, because I feared he was being kind. “What do you mean that she’ll mold me?”
Gil frowned. “Voski didn’t tell you about how your dragon’s color is an indicator of their natural talents and preferences?”
“Yes, but I’m willing to learn to fight with Koa. You said she’d mold me. Does that mean I’d have to become a warrior?” I asked nervously.
“No, no, not like that. But…” Gil glanced back up the aisle to Kham’s stable again, frowning. “He didn’t explain the differences in the wings?”
I frowned. “The dragon’s wings?”
Gil grimaced, then clawed a hand over his head as if he’d recently had hair he used to push back in the same way Voski did. “No,” he said emphatically. “The Wings. Flyer, Flame, and Fang.”
I knew I’d heard those terms before, but I wasn’t sure what they meant. As I searched my memories for any conversation in which Voski might have explained them, Gil muttered something under his breath.
“Look, we’ll get into this more deeply—I’m just surprised Voski didn’t drill you on it.
I brought up Koa’s redscale, because reds are almost entirely Flame Wing—they’re our forward guard.
The offense. Our biggest, strongest fighters, with the greatest range in flame.
But your skills—being able to sneak like that, the natural skill to throw weapons—those would place you firmly in Fang.
They’re our stealth agents. Ambushes, tracking, some espionage.
You and your dragon have different natural talents.
That’s not a bad thing. It’ll be interesting to see where you end up, that’s all. ”
I chewed my lip. I’d thought her red scales were only relevant in whether or not Koa would want to ride to war. Which she did. But Gil thought I wouldn’t work well with her skills?
“He really didn’t tell you how it all works? The two of you together?”
I grimaced. I didn’t want to get Voski disciplined now. “We were, uh, distracted by many things. I’m sure he meant to…?”
Gil’s forehead pressed to lines, but he didn’t comment further, just began to explain.
“The dragons’ colors are all an indication of their strengths,” he said, slipping into the gentle command he’d shown when he was teaching Bren and I how to throw knives.
“Goldscales like Kham are wise and able to communicate over long distances. Blues are peacemakers, and natural leaders. Very persuasive. And also great at communicating over distances. Greens can be fierce, but they possess a healing power greater than just what they do for their bonded riders. They can work with us to help heal others. Grays are sneaky. Like you,” he said with a grin.
“In fact, with what I’ve just seen, I’m surprised you weren’t chosen by a gray.
They’re excellent at stealth and camouflage, tracking and ambush.
There’s always only one blackscale in a herd—ours is Kgosi. You saw him when you and Koa arrived.”
I nodded quickly. “And Koa’s scales are red.”
Gil nodded. “The reds are our warriors. Our fiercest fighters, and usually the first to leap to attack. Not always. There are always some dragons who lean into areas slightly different than their brothers and sisters, but, usually a red is the dragon equivalent of our best soldiers. And given Koa’s size, I’m guessing she will be eager to find a fight when there’s battle afoot. ”
My heart sank again. “She will. She does. She grows aggressive if she believes there is need for protection. I really don’t like to fight,” I said miserably.
Gil snorted. “You may not have much choice. But don’t worry, it’s not your job to figure out what your purpose is.
We’ll watch you and Koa, we’ll test you and train you both, and you’ll influence each other.
The deeper your bond grows, the more you train, the more your instincts begin to reflect each other.
Eventually we’ll figure out where you fit.
I promise. We haven’t gotten it wrong yet. ”
I took a deep breath. “I hope so,” I said sincerely. “I truly do.”
His eyes softened. “Grace, you’re going to do this.
There’s not a man in the squad who doesn’t believe you’ll be pinned.
You just need to be patient—and you really need to stop worrying about what Voski thinks.
He can be a cold bastard. But he’s a good man underneath that.
There’s no one in our squad I’d trust more, except maybe Ronen, and that’s only because Voski will save your life, then trip you as you walk away from thanking him,” he chuckled.
When he realized I wasn’t laughing, Gil sighed and muttered something under his breath, glancing back to the stables again, but he didn’t bring up Voski again.
“Look, it’s your first days. Those feel overwhelming to anyone.
Stop wasting energy worrying about the things you can’t control.
Pay attention to what you’re told, practice the skills as you’re trained.
And when you’re cleared to fly, fly every second you have the chance.
It will happen for you. And there will be a day when you’ll forget how hard this was. I promise.”
“Thank you,” I said sincerely.
“Don’t thank me too soon. I’m in charge of making sure you learn. So, now, you have a new task today: You spend some time going back over and memorizing the dragons’ colors and skills. And the different Wings. I’ll come back and test you at the end of the week, and I don’t want any missed out!”
I nodded. “I will. And thank you—for the information, and for the encouragement. I’m less worried now. I’ll go practice the knives.”
I thumped a hand to my chest in the way I’d seen them all do, and bowed my head once, then turned for the door. But Gil caught my arm again.
“Just wait a moment.” When I looked at him, my stomach sank. His smile was mischievous again. “One of the other things that’s very important in a squad is that we all offer to help each other whenever we can.”
I snapped to attention. “Yes, sir! If you have a job, or—”
“No, no,” he said with a low laugh again. “I’m saying, I want you to train me.”
I frowned. “What? But—”
“Grace, the day I can sneak up behind Voski without him sensing me, I win a very large wager. So, I will do everything I can to help you advance this week. And I hope you’ll do the same for me.”
“I… of course,” I said, nodding my head again, though I was scrambling. I didn’t know why Voski didn’t sense me, when he apparently sensed others. But I’d show him what I knew.
Gil smiled and rubbed his hands together. “Excellent.”