Page 117 of Ashborne: Defiance

‘Ah.’ She blew out a breath. ‘Then, yes. Rest.’

With a heavy sigh, I tried to settle in. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But there was a pressure in my chest, nudging me like an insistent dog. And the hollow behind it burned.

I told myself to ignore it—it had been present since Koa first Chose me. I didn’t want to worry her, so I didn’t complain, just did my best to settle in.

But it took a long while to drift off—I heard Kham return. Koa warned me he was alone. I worried about that. Kham reassured Koa that Voski was safe, and sleeping.

Which was what I needed to do.

I tried again, and finally began to sink…

40. New Morning

~ GRACE ~

A hand pressed at my chest, a steel grip, right over my heart, holding me down, under the water. I fought, tooth and nail, clawing at the hand. But whoever it was didn’t even flinch. As I pried at fingers and twisted, I only used the last of the air still remaining in my lungs. My chest began to convulse, demanding I inhale. In moments, I’d lose the fight, open my mouth, open my lungs, and find death.

Last ditch, I clawed my nails up the wrist and forearm, searching for the cruel face hanging over the water, vowing I would know who took my life. Yet, I couldn’t see anything but shadows, rippling over the surface. That cool, beckoning surface. So close. But no way to reach it.

I fought. I fought.

Why do you want me dead?

Unable to control my body’s determination to breathe, my mouth opened and water flooded in, gurgling in my throat, pouring into my chest to suffocate the flames—

“Grace, wake up!”

I sat bolt upright, wheezing, heart pounding so hard my head hurt. I blinked, and sucked at the air, reaching out with a trembling hand to grab the forearm that remained, gripping the front of my flimsy sleep shirt in a fist—

I recoiled.

“No, Grace! It’s me. It was just a dream. It’s me. Bren.”

I blinked again, inhaled once more, and my vision cleared.

I sat in a dim room, warm light cutting lines on the walls. The shadows still deep, but Bren’s concerned face just inches from mine, her brow furrowed.

“Are you awake?” she whispered. “Just take a breath. You’re safe.”

I gulped at the air, but shook my head. “I’m fine. It was just a bad dream.”

I looked around, disoriented, until I remembered: The loft over Koa’s stable, and the cool night.

I’d slept with Koa until the small hours of this morning. But in the cold before dawn, she and Kham had woken to hunt. I’d stumbled, still half asleep, up the ladder and dropped into this thing they called a bed. I looked down at the box frame with a straw-tick and grimaced. It creaked every time I moved. There was a pinch between my shoulder blades where muscles still ached from flying and mounting and sleeping on the hard ground.

I blinked again and blew out a breath. This was far better than sleeping on the dirt. And snuggling with Koa was preferable to the finest, softest mattress I’d ever lain upon.

“Grace?”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, turning to put my feet on the floor, and forcing a smile up at Bren. “Just a bad dream. I’m fine.”

Bren looked at me worriedly, but she nodded. “Well, good morning, Flameborne,” she said, a smile brightening her pretty face. “Donavyn said I could be the one to help you prepare. I brought more clothes and we’ll get some food on the way. You’re going to be Acknowledged this morning, Grace! Named a Flameborne. Can you believe it?”

I shook my head, still rubbing my eyes to clear my vision, the warm bubble of joy filling that hole in my chest which now ached as if I’d stabbed a blade into it overnight.

Within minutes, Bren had shaken out two sets of leathers and even though she apologized because they’d be too long, I wanted to hug them.

My frame was smaller than Bren’s, so when I donned the pants, they bunched at the ankles because they were at least two inches too long. But I didn’t care. The cotton shirt was basic, but clean and soft. And then Bren extended both hands. One held a leather vest with laces at the back. The other, the bulk of a leather jacket.