Page 35 of Power of Draken

"I don’t much care about the rest of them." Moving away from Kyrian, I march over to Rowan and pull her back against my chest. I’m not technically allowed to do it, since Rowan has only agreed to feign flirting with me to poke at Kai, and he’s currently darting between patrol leaders. But Rowan is scared, and I’m feeling protective. I want to give her something solid to lean against even if our fearless leader is too busy to notice our antics.

Waste of effort, Nyx, my draken, comments in my mind derisively. Why is he bothering?

It’s a rhetorical question. I'm just as clueless as Nyx as to why Kai bothered to create a solid plan or why he’s spoon-feeding it to the humans now. Frankly, if everyone in the courtyard died or broke beneath whips and questions, it would only be good for the fae.

But Kai has his own moral code, no matter how aloof he likes to seem, and a responsibility streak that’s a mile deep. Which is why he truly deserves Rowan. I know he wants her. We all do. But unlike me, Kai and Kyrian would actually be good for her, too. So when Kai realizes his mistake and grovels back into her good graces, I'll step away. But until then… Until then I'll take whatever Rowan is willing to give. Even fake affection.

Rowan doesn’t pull away and I release my breath, though my heart still pounds against my ribs. I don’t remember ever feeling this way about a woman. About anyone, really. I risk going one step further and put my chin on the top of her head. Her hair smells fresh, like lavender soap, and she is the perfect height for me to rest against.

“Good morning, phantom,” she calls up. She’s taken to calling me that because I keep disappearing from class. She thinks I just despise academics and I don’t correct her. Plus, she isn’t wrong. I do disappear, just not the way or for the reasons she thinks. “Enjoying your morning off from training?”

“Not really, no.”

I snort.

A thin puff of air smacks me right in the middle of my forehead.

My gaze narrows on the air enchanter. “Ellie. Pleasure as always.”

"Of course it is.” She meets me glare for glare, despite being a head shorter than me. “So. You are going to take care of my best friend. Right?" She punctuates the question by pointing a finger at my chest. It's impressive, like watching a ferocious little wolverine. “Because if anything happens to her, the next streak of air is hitting you in the balls. With nails. Rusty nails.”

“That’s… frighteningly specific.” I decide that I like Ellie. I especially like her for Rowan. “And yes, I am going to keep her safe. Kyrian and I both are."

“Good.”

Rowan tilts her head up toward me. Her eyes are large and her lips part slightly. Enough to make me go inappropriately hard. Shit, but I want to kiss that mouth right now. Maybe I should. Just to give Rowan a distraction from the coming exercise. But is the risk of making her mad worth it? How quickly would she shove me away if she thought I was out of line? Or worse, thought that my protection somehow depended on her kissing me?

In the world’s biggest rut-off to my plans, Rowan and I are starting to become friends. Not only is the concept an antithesis to my existence but, to my horror, I find that I like it. I like it enough that the risk of losing the budding friendship is making me nervous.

Nyx hurumps. He doesn’t like humans. Or anyone. Much of the time, I’m not sure he even likes me.

I dislike you the least, he clarifies.

Speaking of disliking people, I mark Collin Chambers coming our way and tighten my hold around Rowan. A growl forms in the middle of my chest and it’s an effort to tamp it down. Humans don’t make that sound. They do make a nice crunching sound when you hit them in the face though.

Unfortunately, knocking Chambers out now might create issues, including something that might keep me from staying with Rowan in the field. So, I hold my fists in check, but watch his every move. I don’t like him getting any closer to Rowan. I don't want Chambers to so much as breathe Rowan’s air.

But of course he does come close.

"You are looking good, Ro," Chambers says, ignoring both Ellie and me. He already has his pack on his shoulders and appraises Rowan from head to toe. "Stronger than before. The extra training has been helping."

“Not looking for your approval Collin,” Rowan tells him.

That’s my girl.

"I heard you had to get pulled from the workshop to get ready for this,” Chambers continues, referring to one of Kai’s more brilliant moves. By arguing that a dead alchemist was less productive than an alchemist who misses a few weeks of work, he got the commandant to release Rowan from working on the auric alloy. The less of that filth that comes into the world the better.

"Anyway, I just came to say good luck.” Chambers raises his hand as if to clap Rowan’s shoulder but takes one look at me and sticks it into his pocket instead. “And that I think it's good that you are focusing on yourself. Learning your limitations. People get hurt when their teammates overestimate their abilities.” He jerks his head toward Ellie before walking off. “We are leaving in fifteen minutes. Get your stuff.”

“I think he is physiologically incapable of opening his mouth without something venomous coming out,” Ellie says, watching Chambers’s retreating back.

“Sorry you are stuck with him,” Rowan says and shimmies out of my hold. I reluctantly let her go.

“Yes. Well.” Ellie shrugs.

I curse under my breath. Unlike Kai, I have no reason to care whether any of the humans return alive, but it would devastate Rowan if something happened to Ellie. That’s enough reason to intervene.

“You’ve been assigned your three waypoints?” I ask. Kai gave each squad a block of check-ins, but left it up to the squad leaders to work out the details.

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