Page 79 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

I take a deep breath, and my airways fill with her scent. Clean, soapy with a hint of something warm like cinnamon. I pull back and meet twinkling blue-green eyes full of mischief and laughter. I blink. She’s laughing? Of course, she’s fucking laughing. I scowl at her.

“Sorry.” Her voice sounds breathless while she fights for control. “The look that creep gave you was priceless.” She pats my chest, turning away, ready to dismiss me. Again. I trap her hand with mine, which brings her gaze back to me.

“You think that was funny?” I glare at her. Doesn't she have any concept of self-preservation?

“Immensely, I have to say you are quite handy to have around.” She grins like all of this is one big joke. Irritation crawls up my throat. This could have had serious consequences. If the bastard hadn’t backed down so quickly, I might have ripped him to shreds, and she thinks it’s entertaining?

“I'm not some tool you can use how you please.” My voice is dangerously soft.

“Pity, and I would have had so many good ideas on how to use...ah, never mind.” She winks at me, and for a second, I’m stunned speechless.Is she flirting with me? Now?

“See you tomorrow.” She sends me a smile, extracts her hand, and is nearly out the door before I catch her arm.

“Where do you think you are going?” I snap.

“Where doyouthink I’m going?”

“You are not going back alone.” My voice is full of warning.

Her eyebrows shoot up, and suddenly, she doesn't look so sure of herself. Then her smirk is back in place.

“Is that an offer?” She lets her eyes roam over my body in an appraisal that leaves my skin tingling. Fuck, she’s much too enticing for her own good, and that sassy mouth...

“Unfortunately, I have to decline,” she continues, shrugging. “I need some shut-eye before that grueling training of yours.” She heads out the door. And I catch it with my hand before she can slam it in my face.

“I'll walk you back.” I follow her into the dark, and she grumbles something that sounds a lot like “overbearing men.”

She sets out at a quick pace, her long legs eating up the sidewalk. It’s cold tonight, but she doesn’t seem bothered despite being only in a dress. A dress that hugs her body in a way that is impossible to overlook.

I watch her while we walk, but she does her best to ignore me. I expect her to speak, considering how she tends to become fidgety and rambling when tense, but she stays quiet.

A dog barks off in the distance, and a few people hurry along the streets, their eyes on the uneven cobblestone pavement. She turns into a smaller street, and the light spilling out of windows is the only sign of life around us.

“Why did you sneak out?” I start with the most obvious question circling in my head.

“Could I have gone openly if I asked you?” She looks up at me, sounding curious, not slowing her steps.

“No, of course not!”

“Didn't think so,” she says. I take a deep breath, reminding myself that shouting will draw too much attention.

“Okay, why did you need to go out tonight?” I rephrase.

See, I can be patient.

She shrugs. “A yearning for a glass of wine with a friend.” It’s a lie, and I have seen her dedication in training. She may be reckless, but she’s not careless.

“Bullshit,” I tell her.

“If you say so.” She sounds bored and marches on. We’re getting closer and closer to the academy grounds, and I need answers before we get there.

I catch her arm, and she swings around, ready to clock me with the other one, so I grab the other one for good measure. She struggles, and when she tries to knee me in the groin, I back her against the next wall, trapping her between me and the hard surface.

“What the fuck, Ara?”

“In my experience getting manhandled in a dark alley requires fighting back.”

“I just want to talk.”

---