Page 139 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

We walk until there isn’t enough light left, and we stumble repeatedly. We pick a spot with soft ground for our camp, and after two nights on stone floors, it feels like heaven. Calix pulls out the rest of the meal we shared for lunch, and we split it between us. Not enough to be filled, but we aren’t going hungry either.

We later lie on our backs in the small clearing we found, facing the sky bright with stars.

“Do you think many runners have bonded already?” Mariel asks.

“Hard to say.” I shrug. “But did you see the Rukh circling us? He kept close for quite a while.”

“Yeah,” Mariel answers. “I pray to the gods that one of them picks me. Could you imagine going through the last three months for nothing?”

Calix's breathing next to me is slow and even, hinting he’s asleep already.

“We’ll be fine,” I tell her and wish I could believe it, too.

What if birds don’t bond with cursed ones?

I push the thought away and nudge Mariel instead, jerking my head in Calix's direction. She looks over at his sleeping form and giggles when he grunts.

“Have you told him yet?” she asks.

“No, I’m afraid it will change things between us.”

“Eh…” Mariel waves her hand like she’s trying to get rid of flies. “He is not the person to hold it against you.”

“True,” I agree. “But you know how he is…”

“With every female but me, you mean.” Mariel sighs, and I wonder if that is regret in her voice. But the moment passes, and Mariel switches the topic back to the most obvious one.

“So what bird do you wish for?” she asks.

“I don’t know.” I sigh. “Probably Strix or Rukh. They are the most common ones, and it’s not like I have the intimidation vibe Night Ravens seem to go for.” I shrug.

“Well, you are pretty badass, like when I grabbed you earlier.”

“You laughed.” I deadpan.

“Well, I knew you wouldn’t hurt me once you saw it was me,” she explains.

“See? Not intimidated,” I counter.

“Okay, okay, intimidating is not the word I would use to describe you. More like cute and fun and a little reckless?”

I snort at that. I sound like a freaking puppy.

“That is a good thing, you know,” she rushes to explain. “And because you totally are badass under all that sunshine, it works in your favor because people tend to underestimate you.” She smiles at me.

I frown.

“And you are mysterious and sexy and…” she hurries on.

I laugh. “Cute and fun, got it. You can rest your case now…”

Mariel gives me a worried look but relaxes when she sees I’m not mad. How could I when sunshine is a nickname I’m very fond of now?

“Areyou sure we’re still walking in the right direction?” Mariel asks after a while, and she has a point. I, for my part, am not sure. I look at Calix, but his expression tells me he isn’t either.

“How about I get up there real quick and see where we’re headed?” I point at the cliff next to us with heaps of massive boulders at its foot.

Calix snorts. “Real quick? Well, go ahead. We don’t want to spoil your fun.”

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