Page 86 of Wings of Ash & Flame
His lips curved into a grin. “True. But I, along with everyone else, was curious to see how you’d fare against a high-ranking fae male without using magic. You didn’t disappoint.”
She crossed her arms. “It’s not the first time I’ve had to defend myself against a brute of a fae. But I’m not here to be used as an experiment. I’m a student, just like anyone else, and I expect to be treated as such. I can’t learn if I’m only here to prove a point.”
Alaire expected a reprimand for speaking out of turn. Instead, Hawthorne’s grin stretched, feral.
“She’s got teeth. Good. A little lamb wouldn’t survive in a den full of wolves. There may be hope for you yet.” With that, he strode away, already calling the next pair to the mats.
As the crowd dispersed, Kaia approached. “Are you okay?”
Alaire waved her off with a resigned smile. “I’ve had worse. Let’s go.”
Twenty-One
Alaire’s boots sank into the soft moss of the Valiant Vanguards grounds, morning sun bleeding gold across the arena. She grinned, anticipation sparking for her Symbiotic Synergy class.
Celestials dotted the field. Solflara’s incandescent plumage caught and refracted the light; beside her, Hadrian stood just as majestic, chest puffed. A leviathan watched Alaire through the narrow slits of its eyes.
Professor Ross strode onto the field in yet another tweed ensemble, this one a deep maroon. Did he own one in every color?
“Good morning, fliers.”
Alaire grinned.Flier.
The buzz of conversation died. Professor Ross’s presence commanded attention.
“Today, we’ll focus on aerial techniques and maneuvers.” His gaze swept the group, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Each creature has its strengths and weaknesses. We’ll work to sharpen those strengths and find ways to neutralize weaknesses before your trial.”
A groan rose from the far end of the field. Professor Ross’s eyes locked on the culprit. “To do that, our foundation must be flawless and impenetrable.”
Alaire’s stomach tightened.The trial.
“Time to mount,” Professor Ross declared.
She approached Solflara, who dimmed her flames and lowered to her knees. With practiced ease, Alaire swung onto her phoenix’s back. Solflara’s muscles shifted beneath her as she rose.
Alaire’s pulse raced. She’d looked forward to these lessons since the moment they bonded. Flying was an unquenchable thrill.
“Ross needs to hurry this along,” Solflara grumbled. “I require sustenance.Perhaps incinerating his obnoxious tweed ensemble will speed things up.”
Her talons dug into the ground.
“Solf,you can’t burn the professors.”
“Says who?I am not beholden to them.”
Around them, other novices mounted with varying degrees of confidence. Most had been flying for years.
Hadrian chirped, flexing his wings.
Solflara snapped her beak dangerously close to his face.
“Solflara,” Alaire warned.
“Males.Always showing off their goods. That will teach him to keep his wings away from us.” She fluffed her feathers, wings arched wide, fire rippling along the edges. Violet embers sparked from her tail—stay away.
Hadrian only preened, lightning skittering along his feathers.
“I don’t think that had the desired effect.Now he sees you as a challenge.”
