Page 112 of Kingdom of Shadows and Wings

Given Axton’s aptitude with weapons and her remarkable improvement in flying skills, she’ll be an asset to Flighthaven and the King’s Flyers.

No unusual or rare skills/abilities noted.

That second line strikes me as a bit peculiar. I don’t recall Leesa’s evaluation from Thorne noting unusual skills or lack thereof, but maybe he just had more to say about her overall. Taken on its own, I might even be offended. Luckily the first part overrides any insult.

I reread the end of the first line.An asset to Flighthaven and the King’s Flyers.

My chest warms as I turn to Sterling. “Do you really mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“Your evaluation of me, where you said I’d be an asset.”

Leaning over my shoulder, he swears under his breath. “Quit reading that shit and find what you’re looking for. We don’t have time for this.”

“Okay, okay, sheesh.” By his alarmed tone, you’d think I caught him bad-mouthing me rather than saying something nice. Although, with him, that’s probably the issue. He’s more comfortable dishing out insults than compliments.

With my focus back on my file, I flip to the end of the folder. “Do you think?—”

Thorne covers my mouth with his palm. “Shh. Listen.”

At first, I hear nothing. Then I catch a faintcreak creak.

Nerves turn my fingers into noodles. The file slips from my hand and slaps the floor, the noise an explosion to my ears in the otherwise quiet room.

Crouching, I snatch the file and cradle it to my chest. Thorne’s glare is the last thing I see before he douses the light. In the darkness, we wait. Sweat dampens my palms. My heartbeat drums in my ears.

The creaking grows louder. Footfalls, I think. They approach the door and pause outside.

Sterling pulls me to a door in the far corner, which opens into a storage closet. The space is so tight, we’re pressed together.

The doorknob rattles. Teeth clenched, I try to recall if we locked the room from the inside. A metal noise sounds, then the slightwhooshof the door being opened.

A bead of sweat slips down my back as someone enters the room.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Pressed against Sterling, I struggle to slow my breathing.

He rests his palm over my mouth, his arm tight around my waist, keeping me from making any noise or moving.

Illumination from a lantern seeps in from beneath the closet door, spilling over our boots. I cringe. Footfalls slap against the wood floor, the sound growing faint, along with the light, as the sentry steps toward the bank of files.

Eyes squeezed tight, I can’t recall if I reopened the drawer after Sterling closed it. If I left the drawer open, I hope whoever’s out there doesn’t notice or care.

Tapping fills the room, as if the sentry is drumming a cabinet. The swishing sound signals…a drawer opening?

I clench Sterling’s tunic, my knees bumping his. He holds me tighter, his increased grip warning me to keep quiet. I nod my compliance. When he lowers his hand from my mouth, I press my face to his shoulder, needing his closeness. Inhaling his familiar leather and soap scent helps calm my frantic nerves.

A faint click suggests the drawer is shut.

Feeling sick, I swallow the bile rising in my throat. More noises follow as the sentry shuffles around the room. The stress is going to give me a heart attack.

Without warning, Sterling lifts my face, his smooth, warm lips gliding over mine. The kiss takes the edge off my anxiety by providing a momentary distraction. After a few moments, he eases back and presses a finger to my lips.

I nestle my face against his shoulder, his chin resting on my head, each of us quieting our breaths. The room has fallen silent, and the lantern light has vanished.

I press my mouth to his ear. “Are they gone?”

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