“Dragon shit,” Gahunia snarled. “He just walked in here and attacked Segast for no reason.”
Evanov glared at him, his fists at his sides, but shaking as if controlling them was more effort than he had. “I’ve plenty of reasons.”
“Then name a good one,” Ang said. “Give me a reason to forgive an attack on a superior officer.”
Evanov scoffed. “Yeah right. Like you won’t protect your favourite bitch. You’re all the same here, anything for the Segasts. Fin left and you were all there for him. A real honour guard. But my Lloyd just left for college, and not one of you arseholes bothered to see him off or even say goodbye.”
“Maybe because we’d have been saying good riddance,” Gahunia stated.
“We all loved Fin, he was a good kid,” Jimny said. “Lloyd was a bully. Just like his dad.”
“Rider Evanov you will receive five lashes.”
The reactions to that were varied.
“Boutros will heal you enough to avoid blood loss issues, then you will be taken to Ashland Harbour in the transport cage. I’ll prepare a letter for Sky Commander Zemich. He can decide your ultimate fate.”
Ang left, and that was that. I never saw Evanov again, and his name was never mentioned.
Like other things that went unmentioned.
Sometimes I wondered if that evening in my bathroom had just been a fantasy rather than a reality. Had Ang really come to my room? Had he really touched me so intimately? When I remembered the feel of it, it was like his kiss had branded onto my shoulder. I’d look at the ferning on my arm and know that the mark made me his.
We did not talk about it.
Three days later, Ang was at my door. He was tired, he apologised for not having had enough time for me lately. I told him I understood. I invited him in and gave him food. He still looked tired.
“May I stay here?”
The quiet question sliced to the core of me. “I’d like that.”
What surprised me was that he took Fin’s room.
I stayed up, hoping that he would come to me, but all I heard was the gentle rhythm of his breathing, and the occasional snort or snore. That made me smile. Ang was so controlled when awake, so perfect, it was cute to know that when he was relaxed, he was as human as the rest of us.
It started to become a thing, Ang staying the night. Always in Fin’s room. A couple of times, we were both so tired we stood up and without even thinking about it, shared a kiss, just a peck on the cheek. Then he’d walk into Fin’s room, and I’dtake a stunned moment before reminding myself to walk into my room.
A few months later, Ang called me into his office during the day.
“Flight Sergeant Segast.” The official start was unexpected, but this was clearly official business. “We have a new wing of Riders joining us tomorrow. That will take us to a full complement of staff here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Which creates a small problem.”
I frowned. “Does it, Captain?” I ran it through my mind, and as long as we had supplies coming in, we would be fine.
“Yes, Segast. You see, a wing has three Riders.”
“Yes, sir,” I agreed when he paused.
“Three men.”
“Yes, sir.” I couldn’t see where this was going.
“We only have two empty bedrooms. And the second bedroom in four-twelve.”
I swallowed. I saw the problem now. “Fin’s room?”
