Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
ARA
Being back is harder than I anticipated.
Not the part about seeing my friends again.
That is great. But everything at the Aerie reminds me of him.
The spot in the library where we shared our first kiss.
The place in the refectory where I teased him about cake.
And don't even get me started with the storage room I pass every damn day.
And as if all of that isn't enough, there's also the fact that my awareness of magic encompasses the whole academy by now. So if Tate is here, I'm aware of him. And even staying out of his way is easier said than done since he is still my centurion and about as easy to ignore as a damn lighthouse.
“Is it just my imagination, or does he push us harder than usual?” Mariel pants. I lie next to her in the sand of the atrium, both of our chests heaving, our bodies covered in a mix of sweat and dirt.
“Summer, Tethys, this is not a tea party,” Tate interrupts before I have the chance to answer.
“Oh wow, I would have never guessed,” I mutter while I will my trembling arms to hold me long enough to get up again.
“What was that?” Tate stops next to me.
“We’re trying,” I spit.
“Then try harder,” he snaps before stalking off.
“He is definitely in a bad mood,” Mariel observes.
“When isn’t he?” I ask, but images of him grinning and joking pop into my mind. The teasing spark in his eyes back then is a world away from the cold and guarded expression he wears now.
After Picking, we started training with the other riders. And what’s even worse, whenever Joel’s flight is on patrol, Tate takes over to whip our asses into shape. And he is a damn bastard about it.
“Please tell me that whoever takes over as our decurion will oversee training.” I gasp half an hour later while Mariel pulls me up after she threw me down for what feels like the millionth time. I won’t ever reach her level when it comes to weaponless combat.
“Nope, Joel will have the honor until we’re split up.” So by default, Tate will torture us whenever Joel isn’t present. Great. Thank the gods, Joel is scheduled to be back by this afternoon. I glare over at Tate, who is explaining something to another rider.
“Are you alright?” Mariel asks.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You look like you want to murder someone and haven’t heard a word I said.”
“I didn’t sleep well.” The excuse comes easily since it’s the truth.
“Yeah, I noticed. You were turning and sighing all night.”
“Shit, I’m sorry if I kept you awake,” I apologize.
One of the benefits of being a rider is that I share a room with Mariel now instead of my whole flight.
She waves me off good-naturedly. “As long as it doesn’t become a habit, we’re fine.” And I vow that from now on, I will head to the common room instead of keeping her awake.
“Hey, girl.” Zaza comes up next to me, pulling me into her side. “I miss having you around, especially now that I know I had female reinforcement without even knowing it.”
I grin. “I miss you, too. But I can do without Tate’s version of hell every morning.”
She laughs. “Yeah, he can be rough, and I have no idea what crawled up his ass today. But you’ll thank him whenever you are seeing action, believe me.”
That thought sobers me since the men I’ll fight are probably going to be Tynan’s. How can I do that while knowing they only do their best to save people like me? People the king deems too dangerous to live.
Zaza notices my face.
“Don’t worry, you still have time until then.” She gives me an encouraging smile.
“She seems nice,” Calix comments when Zaza leaves us to join her own flight for breakfast.
“Sorry, but I’m pretty sure she goes for blondes.” I look over at their flight, just when Jared throws his arm over Zaza’s shoulder, and I grin.
“That is not what I meant,” Calix protests, making Mariel and me snort with laughter.
“Sure you didn’t,” Mariel deadpans.
“Can’t I comment on someone’s behavior without you assuming I want to sleep with that person?”
“On a gorgeous woman’s behavior, who has legs for days, curves in all the right places, and hair so amazing that even I want to bury my hands in it, not to mention the fact that with her skin she’ll never look like a boiled lobster?
” Mariel asks. We look at each other and say simultaneously, “No.” Only to start laughing.
“I have no idea why I’m friends with you. I’m not that shallow,” Calix grumbles.
“We know you aren’t.” I gasp, catching my breath, and throw an arm around him when he looks genuinely hurt. “You are the best friend a girl could wish for. Look at you suffering through our teasing to brighten our mood.” I wink at him.
“That’s what I always was, the funny, chubby guy everyone wanted to be friends with,” he grumbles.
“And now you are the funny, ripped skyrider every woman—but us—wants to jump, and we won’t judge you for enjoying it … only tease you a little now and then,” I tell him while we start loading our plates.
Calix sighs, and Mariel changes the topic, but I tune her out, my thoughts still on how I can get my fingers on a patrol plan to make sure Tynan’s people can avoid them. Hopefully, that would prevent casualties on both sides.
I keep making plans in my mind, pushing thoughts around while I do the same with the food on my plate. But I avoid thinking about one person at all costs.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t avoid me.
“Summer, a word, please.” Tate stops me as soon as we step into the corridor.
“I have class.” I don’t look at him, but Mariel’s and Calix’s eyes widen at my tone. Shit.
“And it’ll take even longer if you argue,” Tate says and steps to the side, clearly expecting me to follow.
I gesture for my friends to go on without me.
“You’re part of Beak Flight First Squadron from now on,” he says and turns like he wants to stride off. I grab his arm, but drop it when his body goes rigid at my touch.
“I don’t want to be part of your flight,” I mutter.
“And when did I ask for your opinion, rider?” He looks at me over his shoulder and arches one eyebrow.
“There has to be another way.” I’m close to begging because being around him all the time might actually kill me, or him.
“You could quit and leave Telos,” he suggests.
“I will not quit.” I grind my teeth. Considering how that leads to a premature marriage with Frederick, I would rather fail the first year a few times.
“Then we are out of options, it seems.” His voice is emotionless. “Tomorrow, fifth strike, weight room,” he says, turning as if the conversation is over.
“I want to have Mariel and Calix on our flight.”
That grabs his attention, and he scoffs while turning back to me.
“Sure, why don’t you pick all your friends, and I’ll fill my whole flight with them?” he says sarcastically, raising his eyebrow again. My stomach flutters with annoyance.
“You have to take them. They—”
“I have to? It seems someone is embracing their future role? Well, I hate to disappoint you.” He stalks closer.
“I don’t take commands from you … never have and never will.
” He leans in, his breath fanning my ear.
“And no, harder, deeper, faster doesn’t count.
” He smirks when I jerk back, my cheeks glowing.
“You’re such an ass,” I hiss.
“Only fulfilling expectations,” he replies.
He wants a fight? Fine. I smile at him sweetly, fluttering my lashes, and his eyes narrow in suspicion. He’ll get a war.
“My mistake. Let me rephrase. You’d better make sure Calix and Mariel are in your flight too, or I’ll have you removed from this Aerie.”
He scoffs. “You don’t have this kind of influence.”
“Hmm, let me see…” I tap my finger against my lip. “Who will I write first? Your brother or mine?” The thought of going through with it turns my stomach, but I need them.
“To tell them what?” he challenges.
“Whatever the fuck I need to.” I turn and smile at him over my shoulder. His jaw and his shoulders are tense, and his eyes … a thunderstorm.
“Weight room at fifth strike,” he snaps.
“We’ll be there,” I tell him, and don’t look back while I stride off to class, already late by now.
I should be happy that I won. But my chest is heavy, and my lip is nearly raw by the time I get there since I can’t stop biting it.
He started it , I remind myself. Only it doesn’t make me feel better.
The next weeks are going to be hell, I just know it. Tate is not one to take a threat like that lying down. But I can’t join his flight without someone having my back.
I scurry into the classroom, smiling apologetically at Professor Myrsky before I slide into the row with my friends.
“You’re going to be in the flight games. I hope you aren’t angry with me,” I say as soon as I drop into the empty chair between Calix and Mariel.
“What?” Mariel’s eyes go wide.
“How in the mists did you manage that?” Calix asks.
I fidget. “I might have threatened Kyronos with my brother,” I whisper.
“Do we want to know who your brother is?” Calix asks.
“Hmm … no?” I slide deeper into my seat when Myrsky’s gaze lands on us.
“Spill it, Ara,” Mariel demands.
“Darren Blackstone.” I sigh, and both heads whip toward me.
“As in General Darren Blackstone?” Mariel squeaks.
I hide my face in my hands but nod.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you before.”
“Now I know why you vanished while he was visiting,” Calix says. “Any other surprises we need to know of?”
I stay silent because how do I answer that without lying?
“There are, aren’t there?” Calix looks at me and groans. “Fuck, Gray, you might be the person with the most deceiving first impression I’ve ever met.”
“Guess she can’t hide behind her Phoenix now,” someone whispers behind me.
And I don’t have to look back to know it’s Livia.
I haven’t even been back three days, but she tries to provoke me all the time, and I’ve heard similar comments from other riders as well.
It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s behind that, too.