Page 166 of Ashborne Forged

Move with the shape of what hides you, cause as little disruption as possible.

There was another click, but I stood before the curtain, in the now-empty room. And though adrenaline coursed through my veins, I didn’t move.

My vision blurred.

My skin felt cold.

My heart sang because I knew he was there. Right there. Just inches from me. And yet, to reach him was as impossible as to fly without my dragon.

The injustice of it, the frustration, the pure grief was overwhelming. I dropped my face into my hands and sobbed.

Moments later, the door creaked quietly.

I inhaled sharply and tried to raise my chin, but tears still ran down my cheeks when the queen leaned out of the door to look for me. And to my surprise, her expression softened with compassion.

Our eyes met and she placed a hand to her chest. But didn’t speak. Then she moved to close the door, and as she turned away, I heard the beginning of her words.

“She remains. She is tired. You have—”

All sound disappeared again with the click of that door.

I slumped. ‘She was just making certain I remained here, I think.’

‘That bastard keeps a tight leash.’

I huffed. ‘Yes. He does.’ I didn’t send him images of the constraints I’d lived under at the estate, or the way my hand lost blood flow when Breckon tightened his elbow against his side because I displeased him.

They were petty complaints. And would only anger Voski.

Instead, as I dropped to the bench, with my back to the door, because I wanted to be facing Voski, not Breckon, I wiped my cheeks and took a deep breath to steady myself.

My hands were still trembling. My body still pulsing quietly with the after-shocks of pleasure.

‘I have missed you so badly,’ I sent him in a plaintive voice. ‘I need you.’

‘I need you, as well. And this… it can’t sustain. Don’t worry. I won’t leave you. I’m figuring it out.’

I gave a sad smile to the ceiling as I lay down on the bench, letting my dress crush on the back—again—and rested my hands on my stomach.

‘We’ll figure it out.’

I was about to tell him my plan, to release him from doing something stupid if we got to the wedding ceremony without victory, but there was another noise from inside the office. A thunk, as if something heavy had been dropped. A book on the floor, or some such.

We both went still.

And I exhaled slowly, my eyes dragging down with such intense weariness, I worried I might have been drugged.

But Voski felt it and stroked me in the bond. ‘Rest. I’m here. I’ll watch for you.’

‘No! I’m going to talk to you while I can!’

‘There’s no need, Grace. I’m here now. I’m not leaving without you. This is it. I’ll be here every moment…

And as he continued to reassure me, telling me all the ways he loved me and all the things we’d do when we were finally free of this mess, I finally relaxed. For the first time in weeks. My limbs felt heavy. My mind began to fog.

And I fell asleep to the sound of his voice in my head.

I dreamed that we sat in the gardens, hidden from everyone, sitting on a bench together, hands clasped, speaking. Telling each other everything that had happened, and everything we would see together when this was done.