7. False Orders
~ GRACE ~
Voski beckoned me to sit with him. My cheeks heated when he took my hand and pulled me down while Gil watched us. But I went willingly, surprised that he turned me and urged me to settle between his knees, my back to his chest, where he leaned against the tree.
It was impossible to ignore Gil’s staring, but when I looked at him, he shook his head. His voice was hoarse. I hoped he wasn’t becoming ill.
“This is real,” he breathed. “You two really are mates? Like Donavyn and Bren?”
I sat up, snapping my head around to catch eyes with Voski, whose hand was on my hip, but his eyes were wary.
“They’re mates like this too?” I gasped, then shook my head at my own stupidity. “Wait. Of course. Their dragons are mated. That’s why she had to go to Fyrehold. She didn’t tell me!”
“She couldn’t. Not while they were there,” Voski said patiently. “And I’m guessing she didn’t want to pressure you now—”
“Nah, they’ve guessed. At least, Donavyn has. I’m sure of it,” Gil offered casually. We both looked at him. “What? He asked us if you’d talked about it. I bet Ronen that you were lying.”
“You’re laying bets about my matebond?” Voski seethed.
“The one you tried to say didn’t exist? Yeah, that one,” Gil returned pointedly.
“But, how did you know?” I asked, trying to keep hurt from my voice. “And why are you talking about us?” I hated gossip. In my society, reputation was everything, and gossip was a weapon to bring down the enemy behind their backs while you smiled to their face.
Gil scratched the back of his neck. “I mean, we didn’t know. That was the point. We suspected. But Ronen said it was up to you to tell us, and Donavyn didn’t think you could keep your hands off each other if you were. I guess he was only partly right,” he said with a wicked grin.
I don’t know what expression Voski shot at him from behind me, but he straightened his face pretty quickly.
I squirmed with unease. I hated the idea that they’d been talking about us.
“Don’t worry, Grace,” Gil offered a moment later. “Everyone thinks you’re incredible. It’s Mister See You In the Shadows over here that they’re less impressed by.”
“Wait, who is everyone?” Voski snapped. “You’ve been talking to the whole squad?”
“Of course not.” Gil rolled his eyes. “I spoke with Ronen. Ronen spoke with Donavyn. I assume Donavyn talked to Bren—they are mates after all. Apparently bonded pairs share everything,” he said as an aside, shooting a look at Voski.
“But if anyone else suspects, they haven’t talked to me about it.
I heard some chatter when you first arrived, some assumptions about the time alone while you were traveling, but it died down pretty quick when they saw Grace fly.
No one’s doubting that she’s meant to be here. ”
My heart fluttered at the compliment, but Voski was tense. Without thought, I put a hand on his thigh, wanting to soothe him. And to my surprise, I felt his muscle relax.
But Gil, who’d noticed my hand, screwed up his face and spluttered.
“Oh, gross. Oh, shit. You two, in the treehouse—in that bed? Fuck! I mean, not fuck, but… well, yeah—” He cut himself off, shaking his head. “You know what I mean. Shit, Voski, I can never sleep in there again now!”
I was mortified. Voski sat up, catching my hand as I drew it back, off his thigh.
“Stop being a dick.”
“I could say the same thing,” Gil retorted.
I blushed to my roots. Why did men always have to call each other by rude body parts or functions?
“Grace, if you change your mind, I know a woman who’ll help you escape.
This prick can get feisty. You don’t have to put up with—” he cut off, flinching and laughing, as Voski tossed a pebble at him.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Voski snarled. “Show some respect!”
Gil pushed to his feet, still chuckling. “Is respectful now defined as a quick tumble in the treehouse?”
With a curse, Voski shot to his feet, pulling me behind him as he pushed into Gil’s space.
“Please don’t fight—” I pleaded, grabbing the back of Voski’s shirt as he shoved Gil back a step.
Gil stumbled, but kept up that taunting grin. I wanted to smack it off his face. He was doing this on purpose! But when Voski shoved him again, harder, my irritation turned to worry when Gil’s eyes glittered and he fended him off.
“Yeah, Vos,” he said blocking Voski’s further attempts to get hands on him. “You can definitely hide this and keep it together when the other guys are around. You’re an enigma. They’ll never suspect a thing.”
Voski stopped trying to reach him, but his hands clenched to fists at his sides. “Shut. Up.”
Gil wasn’t smiling anymore. He pointed one thick finger at Voski’s chest. “I don’t know if it’s the matebond blinding you, or if you’re really this thick-headed, but you need to wake up.
We’re all at risk if you walk her back to the Keep and they’re in the dark.
You’re going to end up knifing someone—and it won’t be their fault. ”
I sucked in a breath, memories of that moment I’d thrown the knife at that footpad, flooding back to punch me right in the gut.
To my surprise, Voski whirled, taking my arms and rubbing them, his anger giving way to concern.
“Hey. Just breathe. Don’t listen to this idiot.”
“I am definitely not the idiot in this meadow!”
‘Don’t worry. I’ll get it under control. I’ll handle this. And him. Just breathe.’
I heard his voice in my head, echoing as if through a long tunnel, but he was standing right over me, rubbing my upper arms, his expression dark with concern.
I blinked. “Did you just—”
Voski’s eyes flew wide and his hand shot up to silence me. He turned back on Gil, growling at him. But his voice was in my head again.
‘The bond… the dragons… It lets us speak this way.’
I was stunned. And ecstatic. We could talk in our minds? Like we did with the dragons?
As Voski turned back to argue with Gil, I tried to reach him that way. But I didn’t know if he couldn’t hear me, or he was just too distracted.
Koa appeared in my mind, and I mentally leaped to her. ‘Koa! I think he spoke in my head! Can I do that? How?’
‘The bond gives this. But, it heals still.’ She sent me that image of the shriveled sapling, now soaking up rain and sun. ‘With time, it will grow.’
I was sad to know I couldn’t reach him that way. But prayed it wouldn’t be long.
I was about to pull Voski back, to encourage him to calm down, because he was truly angry at Gil. “…do not fuck this up for us. We need time. Not jokes!”
Gil raised his hands and some of the tension went out of Voski.
“Fine. Fine. I’ll talk to Ronen. Buy you some time.”
Voski stopped yelling, but his tone remained sharp. “You don’t tell him this. You shouldn’t even know.”
Gil looked exasperated. “How am I supposed to buy you time without telling him? Shit is going down right now, bro. Ronen won’t take you off patrol for a whim!”
“I don’t care. This is between me and Grace. You tell him…” Voski suddenly went still. My heart jumped. But then he spoke, very quietly. “Tell him I have a mission. A short one. Just a few days. While the General is gone. If you tell him, he’ll believe you.”
Gil’s expression was half-incredulous, half-rage. But he arched one brow and tipped his head toward me. “And the explanation for where she’s disappeared to?”
Voski swallowed. “Mates. Our dragons are mates. She has to come with me. She’s cleared to fly now.”
Gil’s lips thinned and he shook his head. “You sure about this, Vos?” he asked quietly. “False orders? If the General finds out—”
“He’s gone. He won’t,” Voski insisted. “Unless you tell him.”
They stood there, glaring at each other. And even though I knew Voski was trying to protect me—protect us—it just felt wrong.
“Are you sure you want this?” Gil scratched the back of his neck. “That’s a serious offense.”
“Say I was called up last minute, and I just passed on the orders through you so they’d know. If you keep your mouth shut and they still find out, the blame will land on me.”
They glared at each other until Gil sighed, and shrugged. “It’s your funeral,” he said finally.
Voski’s shoulders slumped with relief. “Thank you.”
Then Gil looked out at the meadow, and up at the night sky. “You’re going to have to get out of here. With the dragons. Patrols won’t catch the treehouse, but they’ll sure as shit see the dragons out here, day after day.”
“Leave it to me,” Voski said quickly. “You get Ronen to believe we had to fly, and bring us some clothes? And rations?”
Gil gave him a look, but Voski smiled. “You’re a good man, Gil. A man who can be trusted.”
“Trusted to pay the price for your dunce schemes? Yeah, probably.” Before Voski could answer, he looked at me.
“Are you sure you want this idiot? I know it’s probably too late, but the truth is, even though he thinks he can take me, it’s only because I never fight him.
I don’t want to shatter his ego. If you need me to wring his neck so you can—”
“No!” I said hurriedly, “Please don’t—”
“Relax, Grace. He’s teasing.” Voski sighed, then pulled me up to his side.
“He thinks I am. But I’m not. If you need me to beat him to free you, I can. And I would do that for you, Lady Grace, because I’m a gentleman.”
His expression was so falsely noble, I couldn’t help but giggle. “Thank you. I know where to go if I need help.”
Gil laughed and slapped Voski on the arm. Voski, jaw clenched, shook his head, frowning. But Gil just smiled at him, then winked at me.