Page 24 of Power of Draken

Kicking the tangled sheets away, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, my feet touching the cold stone. As I reach for the water canteen on the bedside table, my attention snags on a movement in the dark corner of the room. I turn to reassure myself that it’s nothing but a play of shadows.

A pair of glowing golden eyes blinks at me from a wolf-shaped silhouette.

I scream.

The door bangs open and Kyrian rushes inside, sword drawn. “What’s happened?” he demands, surveying the room while I slowly recall that Kai’s stationed him on guard duty outside my room.

Light from the corridor spills into my chamber, and it's not as dark now as it was when I first opened my eyes to see a pair of golden ones. The wolf they belonged to is gone now. If it ever existed outside my imagination to begin with. Which, it obviously didn’t.

Heat rushes to my face. "I..." Fuck it. I don’t even have the wherewithal to lie right now. "I thought I saw a wolf," I confess. “But obviously…”

Kyrian does a full sweep of the room anyway. It’s a little bigger than a broom closet so it takes him all of three seconds. Which is actually a long time when one is stewing in humiliation.

"I'm so sorry," I cover my face with my hands. “I must have dreamt it. I mean, I’d obviously dreamt it.”

"Still better safe than sorry,” Kyrian says with more kindness than I deserve and lights a lantern for me. “If a wolf-shifter made it into here, we would have a problem."

“You mean if a fae got past the wards, eluded the border patrols, crossed all the way inland to Doverly, out-maneuvered the elite defenses of Spire East Command, and then infiltrated the barracks undetected… only to stand in the corner of my room and watch me sleep? We are better safe than sorry in case that scenario is playing itself out?”

Kyrian winces. “Right. Just in case of that.”

His kindness somehow makes everything even worse.

“Do you have nightmares often?” he asks. “I mean if I’m going to be standing outside your door for the next two weeks, it helps to be prepared. Lest I order the barracks cleared first and ask questions later.”

“No.” I lie. At least I can manage enough self-control for that now. I’m also suddenly very aware that I'm dressed in nothing but a sweat soaked nightshirt that clings to my body, while Kyrian towers above me in full uniform. It makes me feel even smaller than I am. “I’m sorry for the bother.”

Kyrian studies me for a moment and I think he is about to say something, but then he just sheaths his sword down his back in a practiced motion. I wonder if I’ll ever make anything look so effortless. “I’ll leave the door open a crack for the rest of the night."

Since arguing will only bring more attention, I thank him graciously instead and ensure sleep doesn’t claim me again. The last thing I need is for Kyrian to hear me whimpering in a dream. Or worse, crying. So I don’t do that either. Mostly, I just spend the night concentrating on not thinking about wolves or Collin. Or Logan. It’s something of a feat.

The following morning I drag myself out to morning formation. The commandant updates us on the latest skirmishes with the Flurry fae and another reported sighting of a riot of draken riders. Our wards dampen much of the fae’s magic, but they don’t stop them from crossing.

The fae have been marauding through the countryside the past two months, burning and leveling everything in their path. They’re going after civilians and destroying livelihoods just because they can is what angers me the most. I long to disappear into my workshop and lose myself in my magic. I may be shit at firing a bow myself, but at least I can arm the archers with the weapons that give us a fighting chance.

The commandant yields the dais to Kai, who reminds everyone that we move out to the first field exercise in less than two weeks. He goes on to instruct squad leaders to do whatever is needed to ensure all the cadets under them have their shit in order. Kyrian snorts, as if Kai said something funny.

Finally, we are dismissed to morning physical training.

"Ro." Collin steps in front of me before I can escape the parade grounds. He looks disheveled, with large circles under his eyes. At least I wasn't the only one who slept like shit last night.

"I don't want to leave everything the way we did..." He gives me a sheepish look that makes his cheeks dimple and pulls something out of his back pocket. He holds it out to me. It's a bracelet made out of knotted cord. "Remember when we were first learning knots and you wanted to make pretty things with them, and I kept teasing you for being silly?Well, that’s all I could think about last night. I got this urge to make this for you."

I look at the bracelet in his hand but don't take it, though it’s one of the nicest things anyone’s done for me. Collin isn’t wrong. We go back a long way together. All the way back to when I spent more time weaving friendship bracelets than making alloy for weapons.

Collin runs his fingers through his hair. "I never wanted to hurt you. I love you, Rowan. You know that. But sometimes, you make me feel like I'm not enough. That girl? She is nothing. A quick fuck. You're the one who matters. The only one who makes me complete.”

"She was just a fuck? Is that supposed to make it alright?”

Collin's jaw tightens, the bracelet crushed in his hand. "I spent half the night making this stupid thing for you, and you won't even take it? Really?”

“Really.”

“That’s just childish, Ro.” He reaches over and tucks the bracelet into my pocket. “Look, what happened yesterday, it’s an us problem. So can we be adults for a moment and listen to each other? Maybe, gods’ forbid, have a reasonable discussion?"

A part of me wants to say yes, but fortunately it's only a small part. This man talked about marriage in the same hour he took another woman to his bed. I can still see the combat cadet, laying back lazily against the headboard. She seemed not at all surprised at my appearance. In fact... A new wave of nausea grips my belly. "How many?" I ask. "How many women, Collin? How many times?"

"Calm down and check your voice," Collin snaps back at me. "You are making a scene. If you took a moment to think, you'd realize how absurd you're being.” He waves his hand toward the hundred cadets moving about, his voice low. “Everyone here fools around. There is nothing else to do. You are the one never in the mood. Did you ever think about how that might affect me? Frankly, I've bent over backwards to be discreet and protect your feelings, but you're making a public spectacle now. It’s not a good look.”

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