Page 78 of Kingdom of Shadows and Wings

Other fledglings take one glimpse of the storm cloud that is his face and scurry out of his path. From a safe distance, they shoot not-so-surreptitious glances our way, as if anticipating the wrath Thorne’s about to unleash.

Wise choice. If I could scurry away, I would. Alas, Mr. Stormy is headed right for me.

He stops a few paces away. Muscular legs planted shoulder-width apart. Thick arms crossed over his chest. “You missed our meeting this morning. Why?”

Irritation simmers in my blood. He could have caught me after class instead of calling me out in front of everyone. But of course, he has to make a point.

I bite back a disrespectful comment. “It wasn’t intentional.”

He studies me with cool appraisal. “Is that so?” One dark eyebrow lifts in challenge, leaving little doubt that he believes I bailed because of his rejection.

Ugh. So humiliating.

“Yes,sir, that’s so.” As much as I’d like to tell him to kiss my ass, I know better than to let my temper run wild in front of another instructor and dozens of peers. “I overslept.”

“Oh?” A ghost of a smirk plays at his lips. “And why is that?”

He knows very well why.

My ire kicks up a notch. I hope he reads the silent message in my eyes urging him to take a long, painful, one-way trip to one of the three hells.

“Because I’m exhausted from all the training I’m doing to catch up.” No way in this realm will I admit to being such a whiskey lightweight. “On top of that, I had to deal with an obnoxious asshole last night, which probably didn’t help.”

Beside me, Olive’s jaw falls open, and Abel launches into a coughing fit. I ignore them both.

Thorne’s lips twitch, almost as if he’s suppressing a smile. He covers his mouth with his palm, leaving me to wonder if I imagined the act. “You blew off this morning’s meeting because you were too tired? What are you going to do if you get tired during battle? Take a nap?”

Several fledglings cackle as Instructor Kinneck strides up. “Is everything all right?”

“Everything’s fine.” Thorne’s attention never strays from me. “Just dealing with an insubordinate student.”

Insubordinate? “I’d hardly call oversleeping insubordinate…sir.”

This time, when I emphasize sir in that mocking tone, Thorne’s nostrils flare. His eyes rake over my body before fixating on my face like a predator’s. “If you can’t manage to get your lazy ass out of bed on time, how do you expect to excel in your training?”

This would be a good time to exercise caution, but I’m far too pissed. Lazy ass?Lazy ass?He knows that’s bullshit. Since my first day at Flighthaven, I’ve done nothing but bust my butt.

With superhuman effort, I summon a sweet smile. “Why, I figured I’d just follow some good advice andfind some other fledglingto help me.” After tossing his words from last night back in his face, I loop my arm through Olive’s. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Olive’s looking a little pale, so I’m taking her to the infirmary to get a tonic for the pain.”

I’m not lying. Olive really doesn’t look so hot, though I can’t deny I’m happy for any reason to escape Thorne. Several pairs of eyes follow us as we exit the arena.

Olive waits until we’re out of earshot before she presses. “What was that all about, with you and Thorne? Did something happen last night?” She holds up a palm. “No, wait. Tell me later, when I’m not feeling like I’m about to die.”

The medic gives her a pain tonic and then changes her bandage, which somehow got dirty over the course of the day. Before he finishes, Olive falls asleep on one of the cots. His promise to keep an eye on her leaves me with some time to kill. There’s no way I’m going back to magic class for round two with Thorne, so I wander outside. Before I know it, my feet lead me to the dragon aerie.

The same guard from the day before stands watch. I honestly don’t realize I have an agenda until the words pour out of my mouth. “Hi, remember me? I was here yesterday with Instructor Thorne and believe he dropped something. I was hoping I could run in super quick to search? I promise I won’t be very long.”

My attempt at a flirtatious smile must suck, because the guard shakes his head. “Not without an instructor.”

“What about instructor permission? Isn’t that good enough?”

“No.”

I let my shoulders droop and exhale an exaggerated sigh. “See, I told Thorne that, but you know how he is, and he’s in a real mood this afternoon. He gave me a look like he was envisioning my skull exploding like a ripe melon…you know the kind I’m talking about…and then told me in that icy tone of his that if I or the guard decide to waste his valuable time and make him come over himself, he’ll be happy to deal with us. Of course, he saiddeallike he meantkill…but I’m sure it’ll be fine if I go get him. Right?”

One second passes. Two. The guard opens the oversized door and moves to the side. “Make it quick.”

“You’re a lifesaver!”

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