Page 104 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

“I’m so, so sorry, Daddy…I hope you know that.” She whispers so softly that I would have missed it if not for my connection to the air around us. “I’ll make sure they are safe.” I know those words weren’t for me, but I can’t help but wonder what she means by that.

My chest is a mangled mess of feelings, and I couldn’t have talked even if I tried. Instead, I cover her hand with mine, where it rests on the stone between us, and I hope she understands.

We sit like that for a while until Ara extracts her hand and runs her fingers over the back of mine. A soft caress I feel in my soul. Her fingers are so light against my marked skin. She looks up at me with a sad smile before she leans in and brushes her lips over my cheek. I freeze, afraid to spook her.

“Good night, Tate.” She jumps up and hurries off while I still savor the feeling of her lips on my skin and the sound of my name rolling off her tongue.

I’m stunned, rattled, and awed but also slightly less broken than before. Like Ara started to push the shattered pieces of my soul back together.

Never in a thousand lives would I have guessed that the same pain and regret lurked beneath Ara’s sunny surface, that she would understand so completely without me having to say a word.

Ara isthe only one at the breakfast table when I enter the dining hall the following morning.

“Good morning, sunshine,” I murmur while dropping into the seat next to her. I relax when she smiles at me instead of shutting me out.

“Sunshine?” she asks.

“Your mood, your name.” I shrug. “It fits.”

“What fits?” Jared plops down next to me.

Ara and I share a smile.

“Finally,” he sighs. “The tension between you was giving me anxiety just by watching,” he whispers even though no one else is in the room yet.

“Why are you always up so early?” I ask Ara one of the questions that bugged me since before I knew her name.

“I hate braiding up my hair while it’s wet,” she confesses.

“Maybe you should date someone with air magic who could help you out with that,” Jared suggests innocently, and I kickhim under the table. “Ouch, what was that for?” he complains while Ara giggles. I glare at him. While we talked, I’m still not sure if my questions or the almost-kiss had her avoiding me for the past two days. And I will not risk pushing her away because my best friend thinks he’s funny.

The next days are like a quiet dance between us, both of us unsure of the steps. We’re back at the academy, which means we have to be careful of watchful eyes, and Ara is back with her squadron. Janus released her from punishment after we got back. He didn’t have much choice since Tanner and I reported excellent behavior.

It’s good for her, but fuck, I miss having her around.

Since she has classes and I’m on patrols, we often don’t exchange more than a glance or superficial chitchat when we pass in the hallway. I catch her watching me during strategy meetings, when we are both in the sparring hall, or during lunch, and my eyes sure as hell find her whenever she’s around.

Today, all riders from our division had a drill up in the mountains to practice handling large-scale operations. It made us late for lunch, so I haven’t had a chance to see her yet.

I’m sitting opposite Jared, both of us quietly digging in, when her scent hits me.

“Why don’t you like cake and cookies?” Ara’s voice is teasing, and I find her standing behind me when I turn around. She holds a plate of cake, placing a big piece into her mouth, her teeth trapping the fork while she grins around it. She lets the fork glide out against her soft lips while holding my gaze, then moves right back to the cake for another piece.

I swallow.

“Sugar is not part of a healthy diet,” I answer. I wouldn’t have anything against the sugar clinging to her upper lip right now, though. Her tongue darts out, cleaning it off, and I nearly groan.

Fuck. Focus on something besides her mouth.

“Really, not tempted at all?” she asks, and I narrow my eyes at her.That has to be on purpose.But the look she gives me is pure innocence, like she just continues our game of simple questions.

“Nope.”Liar.

I hear Jared choke behind me. His coughing is accompanied by the sound of a hand pounding his back. She smiles like she knows I’m full of shit.

“I, for my part, like to live dangerously,” Ara says.

“Don’t I know it,” I mutter, replaying the encounter with a certain dragon in my mind. Another piece of cake disappears into her mouth. Yes, I’m definitely tempted.

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