23. Claim What’s Yours
~ VOSKI ~
Grace pleaded with her eyes as I froze, my gaze still locked on that fist closed around her arm.
“Take your fucking hands off her, you—”
“That’s quite enough,” the pompous asshole sniffed. “This isn’t your concern.” Then he looked down his nose at me and his brows pressed down. “Have we met before?”
“No—and she is very much my concern,” I said in a low, quiet voice. A hand landed on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off. “I think you have mistaken Grace for—”
“The girl is my betrothed. She ran away like a child. So, she will be returned like one.”
“The woman is Grace,” Ronen said quietly at my shoulder, elbowing me to stay quiet. “She is my subordinate, and a member of the Seventh Squadron. She’s the Chosen of the she-dragon, Koa, and an acknowledged Flameborne.”
The man’s eyes narrowed at Ronen, clearly noting his bronze pin and air of authority, but just as clearly unwilling to bow to it.
For the first time ever, my lack of public rank grated.
If I’d worn the pin—the rank I already earned—he’d step carefully with me.
I opened my mouth to challenge him again when the air suddenly peppered with dragon calls.
The man’s head snapped up and he frowned, muttering something about dangerous beasts.
Oh, you have no idea who’s dangerous right now. I couldn’t take my eyes off the place where Grace’s arm was squeezed so tightly, the bastard’s fingers creased the leather. Thank God our brothers had surrounded them. If I’d been stuck with Donavyn, and this prick had found her alone—
“Unhand her. She’s mine,” I spat. From just behind me, Gil clamped a hand on my arm, but I yanked free of his grip.
The man levered one brow at me, scanned me from head to toe, and clearly saw nothing that impressed him. He huffed. “I understand you people are given a great deal of power in this kingdom, but the Lady Grace Barnslow is a citizen of Fyrehold, and a member of the Royal Court. As am I.”
“And she’s my mate. My One. Our dragons are bonded. By divine appointment, her place is here.”
Every man and woman in leathers snapped their head to look at me, including Grace, whose mouth dropped open. But the nobleman only scoffed. “That’s a very pretty speech, young man, but irrelevant. Our marriage contract was witnessed by the King of Fyrehold himself.”
Flames burned in my veins, and I inched closer, pulling against Gil’s grip on my jacket. I was almost within reach of his hand on her arm. Grace whispered a caution, pleading. I kept my eyes on him, but shoveled reassurance to her through the bond.
‘Just breathe. I love you. And I’ll protect you to my dying breath.’
Grace whimpered and tried to pry his hand off, but he only squeezed tighter. I took another step, but more hands grabbed my jacket.
“Take your hand from her. Or I will remove it. She. Is. Mine.”
“Voski!” Ronen hissed. I ignored him.
“Yours, is she?” he drawled. Under different circumstances, I would have admired the snub-nosed wretch’s utter lack of concern as he turned to face me directly and his eyes narrowed.
“Did you marry her?” When I froze, he smiled.
“I thought as much. She is my betrothed, and a formal member of Court. Her childish adventure is over. She’s coming with me. ”
“She is my mate—”
Another round of gasps and curses, but the man couldn’t have cared less.
“Whatever she purported to be, whatever you thought she was, it does not signify. She doesn’t belong here. Now, if you would all move aside—”
I couldn’t hear what else he said over the screaming of Koa, soaring above us, her agitation matching Grace’s frantic fear in the bond. She was terrified, and growing desperate.
“Perhaps there’s been some mistake,” Ronen said quietly. “Why don’t you join us at the Academy? We can review—”
“There will be no review. It is a mere courtesy that I speak to you. She has led us on a merry chase, and clearly seduced you all as well,” he said, his lip curling.
“She’s a known troublemaker, and I came with the approval of our king.
I’ll encourage her to send letters of apology for whatever trouble she’s caused once we’re home and settled. ”
And with that, he turned, yanking Grace with him as he plowed through the cluster of men behind him who all went stone-faced and followed, but glanced at Ronen, questioning whether to stop him.
“No… no!” Grace gasped, trying desperately to pry his hand from her arm as he dragged her behind him like a reluctant ox. “I’m not—I won’t—”
“Let her go!” I leaped after him, but was caught by Ronen and Gil, one on each arm. I struggled, cursing, fighting so hard I saw stars, but still that fucker’s words reached my thrumming ears as some of our brothers crowded after them, seeking to delay him, but he continued to press forward.
“…Dear Lord, you’re a dramatic lot, aren’t you? I paid good money to marry her, and she won’t leave my sight until we are vowed and she’s with child. Perhaps later she can return to play with your dragons again. But until she’s bred, she remains with me.”
Grace sobbed, and I lost my fucking mind, roaring, screaming for her, dragging my brothers forward.
There were shouts and orders and voices raised on every side, dragons screaming above, and chaos, but I saw none of it, heard nothing.
Only her—those eyes, round and weeping as she struggled against him, but couldn’t loosen his grip. And he dragged her like a common animal.
“Grace! GRACE!”
“Stop—Voski, fucking stop!”
I screamed as Ronen and Gil wrestled me to the ground, screaming and swearing, choking on the words as I tried desperately to make them understand.
“Don’t let him take her!” I pleaded, my voice ragged from my screams.
“I won’t—but for fuck’s sake!” Ronen replied.
I tried to fight, even when he nodded at some of the others to follow.
But I was outnumbered. Taken to ground, pinned to the cobblestones by multiple bodies heavier than mine.
And no matter how I fought, I could only watch in horror as Grace was dragged across the courtyard, toward a carriage, and four glossy horses, frothing at the mouths, jittery and dancing.
The nervous beasts’ eyes rolled, afraid of the screaming dragons overhead.
But they were held by footmen at the edge of the common lawn, just feet from the road that eventually led out of the Keep—out of Vosgaarde entirely, if someone didn’t fucking stop them.