Page 60 of Court of Secrets and Flames

I stand there, wings unfurled, basking in the moment of triumph and tumultuous feelings.

Today is about new heights. New strengths. And while the past may claw at my heels, I am determined to soar beyond its reach.

“Look at you.” A note of wonder threads through my mother’s voice as she lifts a hand to my cheek. “Your wings are stunning.You’restunning.”

“And your eyes!” Leesa’s own eyes widen while she studies my face. “You look like a goddess.”

A laugh tumbles from my lips. “What are you talking about?”

“She’s right. They’re…different.” Mother drops her hand from my face and fishes out a small mirror from the folds of her dress before offering it to me.

A stranger’s reflection stares back at me. Mussed hair frames my flushed cheeks, but it’s my eyes that steal my breath. Pure gold has replaced the familiar hazel, the color an echo of the shimmering streaks that decorate my wings.

“How?” I turn my head this way and that, fascinated by the way the new color catches the light.

The color isn’t the only change in my eyes. I simply hadn’t noticed before, but the clarity with which I see the world now is almost unnerving. Details, once blurred by distance, stand stark against the landscape. Each leaf on the far-off trees is a crisp silhouette.

Even the very threads in my mother’s dress are discernible.

Leesa clears her throat. “I…I don’t know.”

My fingers trace the outline of my eyes in the mirror. Will they stay like this? I lower the glass, pondering the implications. If my eyes signal the presence of my wings, then what else about me has changed?

What other secrets lie dormant, just waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves?

A familiar voice booms through the crowd. “Lady Lark Axton, please come here.”

King Jasper has summoned me.

Chapter Twenty-One

Flanked by two of his guards, King Jasper appears, elegantly decked out in a royal blue tunic with gold trim. From his expression, I can’t tell which version of the king is in the house right now…the sharp-eyed royal who doles out harsh punishments or the smiling older brother he shared a glimpse of yesterday?

That’s another thing the Barda men have in common. Both Knox and his brother demonstrate a big talent for flipping between hot and cold.

My heart sinks. Between my recent death scare and the soreness in my back muscles, I’m not really feeling up to playing a role.

Mustering as much poise as I can manage, I navigate the cobblestones, fighting against the unfamiliar weight of my wings to answer the king’s directive. Wind gusts into my feathers, ballooning them like sails again while I struggle to maintain my balance. Onlookers’ heads shift and mark my short trek to greet their monarch.

“Your Majesty.” I don’t need to fake my breathlessness. The feathered appendages poking out of my back feel like they weigh as much as a small dragon.

The nobles cluster closer, peacocks draped in finery and arrogance.

Another gust of wind catches me off guard, sending me stumbling to the side.

Someone from the crowd titters. “Such grace.”

Heat suffuses my cheeks.

I don’t see who mutters those sarcastic words, and I have to stifle the laugh bubbling in my throat. I know I must look ridiculous, but come on, cut me some slack. At age nineteen, I literally just grew two new limbs.

I wonder if that same person would mock a toddler who just learned to walk for tripping.

Although, to be fair, most toddlers could probably walk with more grace than I’m currently exhibiting.

“Ah, Lady Lark. What an eventful morning you’ve had so far.” Jasper’s eyes gleam as they trace my wings from tip to tip. He’s definitely in full king mode, but I’d like to believe his smile is at least somewhat authentic. He peers into the crowd and raises his voice. “Our wings are a gift, the feature that proves us as true Tirenese. If any of our citizens questioned Lady Lark’s heritage, there can no longer be any doubt.”

Murmurs follow, and I see several heads nodding in agreement.

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