Page 80 of Court of Secrets and Flames

With a powerful thrust of her wings, Dame lifts us into the air, soaring skyward.

She gives no warning before she releases a white-hot stream of fire into the air. The wind rushes past, snatching away the shrieks and cheers that erupt from the children.

As their voices fade, so does the temporary reprieve from my worries.

The good news is Aclaris and Tirene share something in common after all. The bad news? That commonality involves assassins with their sights set on me.

Upon my return, I track down Sterling and inform him of the attempt on my life. He sets out with Blair and Agner to investigate.

They return empty handed.

The following morning, with an expression of grim determination, Sterling squires me back to the training field, where he proceeds to force me to use my fire magic while avoiding hits from other elements.

That afternoon, during yet another training session, I catch Sterling staring at my eyes. Wonder flickers across his face.

“Something on your mind?”

He turns away, a rare flush creeping up his cheeks. “Your eyes. They’re a brilliant gold color at the moment.”

I laugh softly. The notion that my secondary characteristics could hold such allure for him is both flattering and ironic. After all, it’s not his wings that drew me to him in the first place, despite their impressive span.

This freaking beautiful man stole my breath away the first time I saw him. Well, maybe that had more to do with my smacking into him while running full force.

Focus, Lark. Don’t go there. Now is not the time for?—

“We’re working on stamina today.” Sterling’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. “We’ll be doing long flights to strengthen what we’ve built in mobility. Think of it like a run. Your legs need to be strong. So do your wings.”

“Just a run?” I swing to the side, giving the slower birds a wide berth. The animals keep to their courses, unconcerned by our presence. “No weights or projectiles? I’m not going to be dodging wind users?” I scour the trees around us, half-expecting to spot one of his soldiers hiding among the boughs, ready to throw obstacles in my path.

“Not today. Though you’re giving me some great ideas.” His tone has become businesslike, all traces of distraction smoothed away. But there’s a hint of a mischievous smile at the corners of his lips.

He’d better be joking. I’m bad enough at obstacle courses on my feet, and I’ve been using those for nearly two decades. I’ve only been using my wings for mere days.

Sterling’s shadow flickers across my vision, a brief eclipse against the sun-drenched clouds. His wing brushes mine, a featherlight touch that pulses thrills through me.

“Tag.” His expression remains sober as he assesses me. Then he flies away, as swiftly as a shooting star.

Flustered for a second by the childish taunt, I don’t follow. He can’t be serious. Tag in the sky? We’re supposed to be training, not playing children’s games. “Is this a joke?”

“Not at all. If you can catch me, this training flight will be over and you can spend the rest of the day however you’d like.” He winks. “Not that I really expect you to catch me.”

Challenge accepted.

My wings pound the air with determination as I chase after him. The world below us becomes a blur of verdant forests and sapphire ponds, all distant and inconsequential compared to the exhilaration of the chase.

Heightened clarity of sight isn’t my only new advantage. The wind whipping past doesn’t dry my eyes, and when I narrow them, I can discern the fine wrinkles around his mouth.

He’s trying not to smile, but I can see the strain of holding it at bay as I start to gain on him. The skin tightens along his neck, and I’m certain he’s plotting some move.

My instinct proves right. The leading edge of his wings dip, and he plummets away from me, spiraling with his wings tucked around his body.

“You’re never going to catch me if you navigate like this is a chessboard!” Sterling taunts over his shoulder. “The sky opens up more avenues of movement than the land does.”

I should have known better. He’s been training me on upward and downward motions this whole time. Yet here I am, acting like those directions don’t matter. With his greater weight, he can dodge downward faster than I can.

But I can climb faster.

Not yet, though. That’s a move I’ll have to table until the time is right. His spiraling dive has given him quite a bit of distance between us.

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