Page 66 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

Impatient jerk.

I go over to the door, still trying to get rid of the images Summer just planted in my mind. Her voice husky with want, her skin slick with sweat against mine...

I take a deep breath, but her scent, invading my senses like she has wrapped herself around me, does not help.

A knock sounds again, jarring me out of my fantasies and stopping me from doing something stupid like exploring that statement with her.

I unlock the door and curse under my breath, tempted to slam it shut again. Jared is not alone. Cassius is with him.

“What are you doing here, Cassius?” I snap.

“Don’t be an ass.” Summer steps next to me.

“Did you just call me an ass?” I glower down at her.

“No, I told you not to be one.” She grins up at me. She’s enjoying this.

Cassius does a double take when he notices my shirt on Summer, and I smirk.

“What were you thinking?” he hisses, pulling Summer into his arms, and she lets him.

Not your girl. I take a deep breath, try to relax my hands that have curled into fists, and stop grinding my teeth.

I can’t knock out a squadron leader for hugging a runner, can I?

Summer frees herself and takes the water from Jared, thanking him and striding back into my room while Cassius glowers at her back.

“You drown in that shirt. What is wrong with yours?” he asks.

Summer snatches her shirt off my bed and holds Cassius’s gaze while dipping a clean part into the bowl, then cleaning her face.

“It’s wet and bloody,” she answers.

Jared snickers.

Damn. She sure loves ruffling some feathers. I feel a little sorry for that brother of hers they mentioned, and maybe even for Cassius…okay, I don’t.

Life can’t be easy with a girl like that—but not dull either.

“You missed a few spots.” Cassius beckons her over and takes the shirt from her, cradling the base of her head with one hand while he cleans the blood off her face.

I take a deep breath since beating the shit out of him isn’t an option. Holy mists…I need to harden myself against this…attraction. Against her. Reestablish the distance between us.

Chapter

Nineteen

ARA

I just returnedto our room and changed into a new uniform when I’m summoned to Professor Sanders’s office. The rider accompanying me gives me a pitying glance.

I’m in trouble.

I haven’t seen anyone after Kyronos healed me. Tate. I silently let his name roll off my tongue and decide lying half naked in his bed justifies using his first name—even if it’s just in my head.

The room I share with the runners of my flight was empty when I came back, which puts me on edge, too. They should have been back by now.

It won’t be too bad. I only helped another runner. Having each other’s backs is the basis of being part of a flight, right?

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