Page 6 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

“Your eyes.” I wink at him and earn a rumbling laugh. “Come on, I’ll show you the way to the stables. I have no idea where everyone has gotten to.”

They follow me to the stables, and I enjoy the distraction.

“Don’t get them into trouble, lass,” our gray-haired stable master admonishes me as soon as we step through the door, and I roll my eyes at him.

“Damn, and here I was thinking about dragging them right off into the hay,” I say dryly. That earns me five sets of round eyes, making me laugh.

“Ara.” The growl comes from the stall next to me. A moment later, my brother Ian appears at the door. He doesn’t look happy.

I roll my eyes at him. “Relax, I’m just kidding.”

“I wouldn’t mind…” one of the new men says, but his voice fades off when my brother sends him a death glare. He includes the other three for good measure.

“To be clear here, I’m Ian Blackstone, commander of this fortress, my brother is General Darren Blackstone, and this is our baby sister.” I see all four of the newcomers swallow. Guess there won’t be any more flirting. “We can use all the manpower we get up here, but if one of you as much as breathes in her direction, you are dead. Am I clear?”

“Relax, Ian, they didn’t do anything.” He searches my face, and his body relaxes. He nods at the men, then leaves the stables without another word. I send them an apologetic smile and hurry after him.

“You can’t go around saying shit like that, Ara,” he seethes. Yep, he’s still in a mood. Great. I open my mouth to say something, but he goes on. “I don’t want to dispose of another body.”

I flinch. Hurt, guilt, and anger bubble up, creating a maelstrom of feelings I don’t know what to do with.

“Really?” I laugh, but it sounds bitter, and Ian is the one flinching this time. “Sorry for being such a damn inconvenience to you,” I croak out, my throat so tight I can barely breathe.

I turn around and walk away, not stopping even though he calls after me. I hate that I’m a burden to them. That they treat me like I need protection from everyone, including myself.

My feet carry me to the one part of the fortress no one will follow. A big part of the southern tower was lost in a landslide years ago, and now the only way up is to scale the wall.

Once at the top, I sit down, letting my legs dangle over the mighty drop. The mountain ends abruptly here, giving me a perfect view over the valley far below with its fields and trees, and the river snaking through. The ground is so far below that my stomach somersaults whenever I lean out too far, and I wonder if this is what flying feels like.I untangle my braid, and the storm whips the long blond strands around me, cooling my heated cheeks.

Dar, Ian, and my mother will never agree with my plan. After Ian’s words, I’m sure of that. But what other option is there?

The rain is a grayish-blue curtain coming closer, washing the world away. It soaks me to the skin as soon as it reaches me, plastering my hair to my face and neck. The raindrops pelt my skin like needles of ice and break through the chaos of feelings burning inside me.

I have no idea how long I’m sitting there, my mind running over the problem again and again, but I only see one solution.

I have to prove I’m capable of solving problems on my own so that they don’t have to worry about me.

“You are quiet today, little sparrow,” Darren says later at dinner, looking at my fidgeting leg. “And restless.” He searches my face. We sit in the dining hall with everyone else atBlackstone, and my eldest brother is a damn bloodhound if it took him less than a day to catch on that something is troubling me.

Not for much longer. I just have to find a way to execute my plan.

“I’m fine. Just tired.” I reassure him, but he doesn’t look convinced.

“Why don’t you take a break?” my mother chimes in from the side, handing me a plate with eggs. I help myself before passing it on. “You train as hard as the boys, and there is no need for that.”

I bristle out of habit, but … that is perfect.

“Maybe I do need a break,” I say, and Dar’s eyes snap to me. I evade his gaze, my thoughts racing. “You know, I thought maybe I could visit Sloan for a while,” I say. My mother beams at that while Darren’s eyes narrow.

Sloan is my cousin, and they live in the south, close to the sea in Telos. A small town that just happens to have one of the four skyrider academies.

“You will have so much fun,” my mother gushes. “Balls and parties,” she goes on and on, and I nod along, smiling, but stop when I see Dar’s suspicious gaze. “Dashing young men.” Mom sighs, seemingly lost in memories. “That is how you should spend your days instead of this.” She swirls her hand around in a gesture, indicating the fortress and its surrounding forests and mountains.

“Dashing young men?” Dar’s voice sounds incredulous. “Mom, I don’t think that’s a good idea without one of us keeping an eye on her.”

“Darren Richard Blackstone,” my mom snaps, which makes all of us chuckle. “They are perfect gentlemen,” she says, and all my brothers snort at that.

“Yeah, right,” Ben murmurs under his breath.

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