Page 51 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

“As if you even know what winter looks like,” I tease. “But I think riding a Phoenix has to be great no matter the season or temperature,” I whispered.

“True.” He smiles. “I would take any of them.” He gestures at the painting. “I would ride anything with wings if it meant I got to see the world from up there.”

“Gross, man, with your reputation, that sounds all wrong.” I make a gagging motion, surprising a laugh out of him. He smothers it when we receive a warning look from our professor.

“Not my fault if you have such a filthy mind.” He grins at me, and I look away. His words remind me of my thoughts about a certain centurion, who my gaze finds far too often whenever he is around.

Kyronos, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have a problem keeping his eyes off me.

That is a good thing, I remind myself,I don’t want eyes on me.

The low rumble of the drum marks the end of class and pulls me out of my musings. We grab our books and notes.

“Seriously, I can’t wait for flight practice to start next week,” Calix says with a longing look at the images on the wall.

“Me, too.” I agree, and we make our way to the refectory for lunch. Maybe the new challenge posed by flying will help to keep my mind from wandering.

Chapter

Fifteen

ARA

The trip changed us.Maybe the reality of our lives as riders set in and made us realize we had to work as a unit. Perhaps it was fighting side by side or enduring the grueling march back that welded us together.

No matter what triggered it, our squadron dynamics changed. The current situation is a clear sign of that.

“Just a little farther. You got this, Mariel,” I shout, and I’m not the only one. Our whole squadron has been shouting encouragement and whooping loudly since we started our drills at the obstacle course, and since I peeked at the list Joel keeps, I know our times show the extra push.

My experience in the mountains was also a much-needed reminder that I have too much I can’t share or even explain without landing myself in hot water, which makes our group becoming tighter a double-edged sword.

Feeling the support is incredible, but keeping up my ruse and lying to them becomes harder and harder, especially to Calix. He’s the most open and likable person I’ve ever met, so I feel like shit for deceiving him. But he flirts constantly, and I can’t see him treating me the same once he knows I’m a girl.

The other problem is that suddenly, everyone wants to know where I’m going when I try to creep off.

“She’s getting so much better,” Calix comments next to me, his eyes on Mariel.

“Yeah, she’s incredible,” I say and earn a knowing look from Calix.

“What?” I ask.

“So you’re into her?” he asks while he watches Mariel balancing over a beam, his mood suddenly somber.

“What? No, of course not.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t blame you. She has serious fire and a hot figure on top of it.” He grins. Whatever is bugging him is seemingly forgotten.

“No, I’m not into her,” I protest, but stop when he only smiles.

This argument will get me nowhere.Thankfully, Calix is up next.

“Who’s caught your eye, then?” Calix continues the same discussion over lunch, and I nearly choke on the sip of tea in my mouth. He pounds my back while I cough.

“Don’t break him,” Simeon jokes while plopping down in the seat next to me. Ever since we got back, our squadron has been sitting together during meals without losing a word about it.

I’m thankful for his interruption. My gaze darts to the other side of the room, where I spot Kyronos grinning at something Venti said.

When I snap my attention back to what's going on around me, the guys are roasting Simeon about his crush on a girl from the northern division.

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