Page 52 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

“How do you intend to charm her?” one of them asks.

“You mean how he’ll charm the pants off her,” another throws in.

“Assuming he hopefully knows his way once he has,” I joke, and Simeon groans next to me before he begs us to stop.

“I take it you do then,” a voice asks right next to my ear, startling me. I look over my shoulder and meet the gaze of a girl from the eastern division, her hand resting on my shoulder.

“Hey, Trina, looking good,” Calix pipes up next to me. That is another problem I didn’t anticipate when I stepped in front of our centurion. I fight down a groan.

How does getting nearly fried make me more desirable?

Since flirting is his second language, I have no guilt over leaving Calix to deal with Trina.

“Nice meeting you, Trina,” I say, my eyes on Mariel’s plate, who just sits down opposite me. “Oh, Mariel, those cookies look great.” I jump up.

“Yeah, I know you like them. I brought one f—” I don’t let her finish before I grab my plate and hurry away.

Crisis averted.

I grab two cookies because they really are delicious, and when no one is watching, I rush out the door and head to our next class early.

It takes a while before Calix sprawls into the chair next to mine. He stares at me, shaking his head.

“What is wrong with you?” he asks. “You ran away like your pants were on fire.”

“I don’t need distractions,” I grumble. “And she’s only interested because she makes me into something I’m not.”

He bumps my shoulder with his fist. “Who cares? Loosen up. We could die any day. One wrong step on that damn squirrel path you like so much … and your body makes its last journey.” He shakes his head. “And you throw away a chance like that.” He gestures to the door. “Live a little.”

His encouragement makes me think of our centurion and the way he looked this morning, his hair still wet from a shower while he sat down for breakfast.

Damn, this is getting ridiculous.

I huff out a breath.

“I’ll happily let you do the living for me,” I say.

Calix smirks.

“Don’t even pretend you didn’t seize that chance.” I raise my eyebrow at him.

He shrugs, still grinning. “I had to boost Trina’s confidence after you brushed her off like that.”

I snort. “Yeah, right. How utterly selfless of you.”

“I do what I can.” He sends me a wolfish grin, and I burst out laughing.

Two hours later, after Geography and Lore of the Sky, we find ourselves in the courtyard.

Arkwright decided the sunny day is perfect for drills outside. I’m facing Mariel, and she’s as good with a sword as she is without it. Her bright red hair is braided back, a fiery splash of color whenever it catches the sun.

She is one of three girls on my squadron, four if I count myself, but the only one in the same flight.

“Switch partners.” Professor Arkwright’s voice cuts through the clear winter air, giving us a short reprieve while Mariel’s side shuffles up to the next runner. The sun has nearly reached its peak, stealing all the shadows and turning the air far too warm for a winter day.

I roll up my sleeves but undo the last turn of the right when my mark becomes visible.

It is growing. When I marred my skin to hide it, it was the size of my thumb. It’s three times the size now, like an ugly, dark caterpillar crawling down my skin, and I’ve been so occupied with everything else that I haven’t even started my research on that.

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