Chapter 153

  Roses & Gold

  Dawn bled across the sky in streaks of orange and gold. The glare hung low, masking the distant outline of Novarek’s ruined fortress. Soldiers moved methodically about Daegan’s camp.

  Daegan himself stood near the remnants of the tower, his cloak drawn tight against the morning chill, facing Karas. She was already armored, her dark hair tied back, her expression carved from stone. Nearby some of the Twin Garde men stood, their faces marked with the same frustration. They didn’t like being left behind and Daegan didn’t blame them. They’d followed him out to this tower, deep in hostile territory.

  And now he was leaving them here.

  “Hold the tower for now, but anything larger than you can handle I want you to withdraw to Harriston,” Daegan instructed Karas. “When I meet with Torvin, I’ll send word on what to do next.”

  Karas didn’t argue, but her jaw tightened, the muscle twitching beneath her scarred cheek. She had a strong build, and her hair was shaved at the sides in the same warrior’s cut that the Rubanian men favoured. The Twin Garde men exchanged glances, their displeasure unspoken but loud enough to hear.

  “Torvin told me not to leave your side,” Karas finally said.

  “I’ll be fine,” Daegan allowed himself a smirk, nodding over to where Rowan stood at the edge of the camp. “I’ve got a bodyguard.”

  “We’re thin here,” Karas went on, “I’ll follow orders. But I don’t want to die defending land nobody even lives near.”

  “I’m not asking you to,” Daegan replied. “If it’s too much, you pull out. No shame in that. But until then, I want eyes on the rakmen in this area. Keep watch on their movements. And if you’ve got bodies to spare, send scouts to track the alpha draega’s trail in the mountains. I want to know which direction it’s heading.”

  Karas gave a sharp nod. She didn’t like it, but she’d do it. That was enough.

  Daegan turned, leaving her with the soldiers. This was something Daegan was a little more accustomed to. He was used to giving commands. He was a prince after all. He’d spent his entire life with servants and people ready to do his bidding. He’d just never been a military leader. The soldiers had always been under Landryn’s command.

  Because of his affliction. No matter the blood in his veins, Daegan had always felt like military officers barely tolerated his presence, their respect something brittle and thin. And he had worried that they wouldn’t be as responsive to his instruction.

  But Bluewater Wall had stripped that doubt away.

  He moved across the camp to where Rowan stood, already packed and ready.

  “Ready?” Rowan asked.

  Daegan gave a curt nod, expecting Rowan to whistle, or call out to the ferrax in the trees. But Rowan didn’t budge, didn’t even glance in that direction.

  The beast appeared, emerging from the trees in a flicker of motion. It bounded up the rise to the tower, red fur rippling like fire in the wind.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Daegan was always amazed when he saw the creature running like that. It moved with a grace that belied its size, sleekly gliding over the frost-covered grass.

  There was an unmistakable intelligence in its eyes. Daegan had seen dragons before. There were many dragon ranches in Reldon, where the creatures were bred and farmed for oil. People said that sometimes they could see a knowing in the eyes of the beasts. Like you could sometimes see with a dog or a horse. A deeper understanding with humans than other beasts. But this was different. There was something more in the ferrax.

  When it bared its teeth, they flashed like daggers in the morning light.

  Daegan felt it then—that instinctive, primal fear rising from somewhere deep in his chest. A fear rooted in the knowledge that he was looking at something that could end him without effort. Something that screamed at Daegan that he was prey and the beast was predator. He swallowed it down. He’d faced down assassins, rakmen and draega. And let’s not forget that bear in the woods. He was not about to wet himself in fear of one damn beast.

  Rowan didn’t seem to notice—or maybe he did and just didn’t care. He, of course, showed no hesitation. He approached the ferrax with the same lazy confidence he had when handling a horse, completely at ease. Which only made it worse.

  Rowan had only tamed this creature two weeks ago. How in all hells is he already this comfortable? How could he be so certain it won’t turn on him, that it won’t sink those dagger-like teeth into his throat?

  “Come on,” Rowan said, motioning for Daegan to follow.

  Daegan hesitated for the barest moment before stepping forward. Hralvek’s eyes tracked him, unblinking, as if measuring his worth.

  “He won’t bite,” Rowan reached out, offering a hand.

  His expression was so familiar to Daegan now. The same damn look Rowan had given him back when they were camping in the woods, teaching him how to start a fire with damp tinder or how to keep a bedroll from soaking through in the rain. Gods, Daegan had hated that time, lost and confused, following two strangers through the wilderness with no clue what came next. And yet… a strange ache twisted in his chest.

  A part of him missed it.

  It was simple then. Rowan had taught him how to survive, Tanlor had led the way, and all Daegan had to do was follow. No pressures from his father, or any of the bullshit politics. Although having damned Ferath Vitares hunting me down like a rabid beast wasn’t ideal but otherwise it wasn’t so bad.

  It had been quite good, actually. Just a simple campfire, and two men who didn’t treat him like a broken thing.

  He took Rowan’s hand before the thought could settle too deeply.

  Rowan pulled him up, helping him mount the creature. Hralvek shifted, powerful muscles tensing beneath Daegan like coiled rope, but it didn’t buck or snap. Still, every instinct in Daegan’s body screamed that this was a mistake—that humans weren’t meant to ride things with teeth like that.

  Rowan vaulted up behind him with the ease of someone mounting a horse, though Hralvek was anything but.

  “Hold tight,” Rowan instructed. Daegan could see the other man gripping the beasts fur tightly, and Daegan did the same.

  Daegan felt the rumble of the growl beneath him. Then the Ferrax bounded forward, surging into motion with a speed that stole Daegan’s breath.

  Wind howled past his ears, the landscape blurring into streaks of color. The speed was staggering—faster than a warhorse, faster than anything Daegan had ever ridden. His stomach lurched.

  Daegan heard screaming and took a moment to realise it was his own.

  He gripped the ferrax’s fur tighter under his hands, leaning closer down on the creatures back.

  Behind him, Rowan was laughing.

  “You’ll get used to it, Dessie,” he called over the roaring wind. The bastard grinning like this was the best damn morning of his life.