Page 63 of Feathers of Ash and Hope

“I would have landed just fine.” I smile at him. “But thanks for catching me.” I kiss his cheek before I wriggle out of his arms.

I hear a voice and feel arms tighten around me, lifting me. My body hurts.

“I think I landed wrong this time, Dar,” I mumble. “No wings after all.”

I groan when I am jostled. My cheek stings when it hits something firm. There is a rhythmic sound beneath my ear—a heartbeat. Someone is carrying me, but it isn’t one of my brothers; the smell is wrong.

Breathing hurts.

Wait, what? Why does my body hurt so much?

There is something important I have to remember. I flail, fighting the darkness around me, and someone curses.

“Stop fighting, Gray, or I’ll drop you.”

Calix? Why is Calix carrying me?

“You’ll be fine,” he continues while relief floods me. Calix is safe. I relax, drifting off. “I’ll get you to the healers real quick. They’ll fix you right up,” he says while I fight the blackness closing in.

Chapter

Eighteen

TATE

I faceJared in weaponless combat, anticipating his next move. He’s damn fast, and since we know each other’s movements like our own, it’s always challenging. One moment of inattention can make all the difference.

We alternate in our attacks, the movements fluid like a dance. Punches meet blocks or air most of the time, so Jared’s grunt when I sneak past his defense is satisfying.

“Your first year needs help again,”Daeva chimes in, making me stop mid-swing.

“Summer?”I ask, while I keep my attention on the fist going for my chin, dodging it.

“She has guts.”Daeva sounds approving, and that has never happened before.

Commotion spreads from the doorway, and someone calls my name. I catch Jared’s arm before I search for the source.

It’s one of our first years calling me over—Calix Ilario. He’s hard to overlook and draws murmurs in his wake, with what Daeva just told me… I turn in his direction, releasing Jared.

“What the fuck did she do?”I ask Daeva the moment Ilario steps through the crowd surrounding us, carrying someone. I don’t need to signal for a break because Jared is already with me. We both reach him in a few quick steps.

I curse under my breath when my eyes land on Summer.

“Damn. Someone got you real good.” Jared whistles through his teeth.

“She jumped off a flying Strix,”Daeva says.

“You jumped off a Strix?” I step closer, taking in the mess that is Summer’s face, fighting the urge to check her over right here and now.

“Yeah and still fought me like a demon until I agreed to bring him to you instead of the healers,” Ilario says, gazing down at his friend like he still doubts that decision.

“I’m fine. Let me down, Calix.” Summer winces. The right side of her face is a swollen purple mess, her skin torn in places like she slid over something rough, and the split on her lip opens back up while she speaks.

He growls down at her. “I’m not setting you down, Gray. You weigh nothing, and you’ll only fall over again.” He sounds exasperated. “You didn’t even know who I was in the beginning. Called me a collection of names that weren’t mine and apologized for not having wings.”

Shit, that doesn’t sound good.I look her over, but her loose clothes hide everything but her face.

“I’ll take over from here.” I hold out my arms to take Summer. Ilario looks at me warily, hesitating before handing her over. Once again, I’m wondering how close they are.

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