Page 95 of Ashborne: Defiance

Voski’s gaze slipped back and forth between me and his friend, a strange expression on his face. But he beckoned me to follow them when the other man—Ronen, I reminded myself. Voski’s squad leader—turned and started for the large building off to our left.

I felt the eyes of all the other men follow us. There were dozens of them scattered around this clearing, and near the doorways of the huge building that must be a stable because the doors were large enough for dragons to walk easily in and out.

Some of the men stared directly at me. Others, eyed me from the side, as if they were nervous. One or two scowled like they were angry. But no one spoke to me, and as we passed out of the grassy area and past that massive stable building onto the paths beyond it, Voski kept checking that I kept up with them.

I couldn’t stop staring.

Dragons flew high in the sky above. Dozens of them. Here and there, more rose from among the trees, or in the hills, flying off to join the cluster in the sky that was growing smaller and smaller as they flapped away.

Here on earth, boys and young men dressed in work clothes, clustered around the doors into the stable. But everywhere else, there were men.

Tall, short, stocky, slim, heavily muscled, and lanky—though even those ones looked like honed steel— and every one of them dressed like Voski, in dark leathers that hugged them like a second skin. Young, or old, they all held themselves with confidence, and when they moved, it was with the strong, casual stride of a stallion in his field. Certain of himself and his ability to deal with whatever might come.

They were everywhere.

They were the men who rode dragons.

And I was here with them. This would be my world. I stifled a joyful giggle, though tears pricked the backs of my eyes, because this was impossible.

Yet, it was everything I’d hoped.

Even the thought sent my heart spinning, because it couldn’t be. Could it?

Nerves bubbled in my belly, and my lungs grew tight.

But then, Voski touched my arm again, directing me through a gap in a rock wall to a paved path beyond it.

The skin at my elbow tingled where he’d touched. And when he looked aside to make sure I was still following, I couldn’t help but smile.

None of these men had Voski’s savage elegance. None of them tugged at my chest as he did. If one of them leaned into my ear and whispered I imagined I would shiver with fear, not want.

But as I beamed, Voski averted his gaze and tipped his head, trotting after Ronen, urging me to follow.

He never smiled. Which made me desperately sad, though I had no right to. He’d been very clear.

I sighed, and adjusted my earlier thought.

Being here in Vosgaarde at the Dragon Keep wasn’t everything I’d ever hoped for.

But, it was almost.

32. This Will Be Interesting

~ VOSKI ~

Ronen angled to cut behind the stables to more quickly reach the paths between Academy buildings, deeper in the Keep. Grace was distracted, staring around in awe, her eyes sparkling again.

She was beautiful when she smiled like that. So, it was disconcerting that when I tugged at her elbow, her head snapped in my direction. She beamed for a moment, then her expression fell.

I tipped my head in the direction we’d take, and once I was sure she understood, turned back to Ronen. Only to find my squad leader staring very pointedly at the hand that I’d touched her with, then meeting my eyes with a dark gaze and his lips tight. I knew that look, so as he opened his mouth to ask pointed questions, I rushed into the silence.

“No,” I said quietly. Emphatically. Praying Grace wouldn’t understand what I was answering.

Ronen arched a brow, letting me know he still had questions, but to my relief, with a glance past me, toward Grace, he kept walking.

“So, your dragons mated?” he asked casually. Too casually.

I eyed him. “Yes.”