Page 21 of The Ashborn

“Lead on, then.” Danek stepped aside, letting Kienna go first. “Listen, now that I’m in training, Connak wants me to focus on my speed.” He reached for her hands and guided them gently around his arm as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Before we leave tomorrow, I was hoping you’d be willing to run with me. You’ve always been fast, and I’d like a fair comparison to see how much work I have left to do.”

Kienna’s heartbeat stuttered, but she walked like it was nothing to her. “I haven’t run since the war or done any sort of training. I may be a bit out of commission.”

“Doubt it,” Danek laughed.

They passed a vendor selling lavender sky plums, the most delicate and tart fruit that Dove Port offered. They bloomed on trees under the moonlight. Danek plucked one and gave the man more coins than the fruit was worth. Kienna noted it, wondering how Danek was making money. Unless Connak was paying him…which was uncomfortable.

The Elvish didn’t appear to rely on monetary facets. Their city contained everything they needed, and she rarely saw any of the forest dwellers outside of Trinity, though Connak and the Blades were the rare instance. They would need money, but how were they making it?

The two caught up with Moira and Connak. Danek bit into the fruit. “Anyway,” He closed his eyes, as if savoring the sweetness. “First thing in the morning?”

The question pulled Kienna out of her thoughts. “Oh, sure.”

Danek caught another vendor selling more sky plums. He tipped his chin to Kienna, eyes warm, and strolled away. Moira shook her head with a quiet laugh. “I’d better follow him so he doesn’t get lost. He thinks he’s something special with those new ears of his.”

Moira trailed off and left Kienna and Connak alone.

Connak stretched lazily. “So, Danek’s got a thing for you.”

Please tell me he’s not just catching onto that one. Ruva laughed.

Kienna bumped Connak with her shoulder as they walked. Her stomach growled loudly. “Are you going to tell me about River Storm?”

“Do you want to talk about the nightmares?”

Kienna stopped in her tracks, staring at the ground for far too long. She’d only been getting nightmares this bad since Dalelry. They were nothing serious and did not last long before she forced herself awake. Even so, she couldn’t deny she was losing sleep, not eating well, and her nails were already mangled again. She didn’t realize Connak sensed them, too.

“Everything’s fine.” She bit her tongue, but her voice was barely more than a whisper.

“I hoped I was the person you trusted enough to admit it wasn’t fine.” Connak’s fingers drummed against the side of his leg.

Kienna didn’t know why she was even lying to him. The man lived in her head, for fuck’s sake. Apparently, he’d already seen the nightmares. “I don’t want to admit they’re real,” she said. “If I ignore it, then maybe I’ll start feeling normal again.”

Connak brushed Kienna’s cheek. She leaned into his warmth, the rough calluses of his skin grounding her. He smelled of sunbaked herbs and worn leather. “You’ll feel normal again, I promise. It takes time to adjust to what you see at war.”

Kienna continued walking. “But we’re still at war. You said River Storm⁠—”

“I am protecting you. There’s no reason to worry until I tell you to worry.” He inhaled deeply, tightening the agitation in his voice. He looked tired. “For now, focus on you. It’s not a luxury you’ve had before.”

Connak stopped by another stall and paid for food that had already been prepared. He handed Kienna a round of hollowed bread, the crust thick and crackled from the oven. Inside, steam rose from a dark vegetable stew, the scent rich with garlic and roots. “Start eating, and then I can teach you to fight your nightmares, too.”

“You can do that?” Kienna asked wide-eyed as the food called to her stomach.

Connak brushed his thumb along her knuckles, focusing too long on her nails.

Kienna pulled them back, hiding them in her palms.

“You and I can, yes. Get into the habit of calling me when you’re afraid. I can either pull you out or help you shift.”

Kienna bit into the bread. Relief flooded her. Relief from hunger. From the nightmares. She wished Connak and Danek didn’t have to leave for the Malintale, but she had to learn to be independent in Dove Port, to be away from it all. She needed to heal.

She wondered how long it would take before that bubble burst.

—Danek—

Kienna met Danek in the morning, leading him to an open area of the city where people had not yet set up for the day. Even half-tired and hair in a knot, she was breathtaking. She wore fitted pants and a sleeveless shirt that clung to her frame. Leather straps crossed her back, and soft wraps covered her forearms. She braided her long hair back tightly. In the skin he was destined to be in, Danek had no problem admitting how beautiful she was out loud. He was certain that whatever awkward glances she’d thrown his way before would end in a blush this time. Intrigue rather than distance. Even if she looked at Connak the same way, the fact that she even looked at him at all made his skin tingle.

“Looking good, Kienna,” Danek said.