Page 27 of Wild Bond

All too soon, he ordered us to go back and walked me through landing as we approached the cliff and lowered down.

The landing itself was jarring, but I didn’t fall off, for which I was grateful.

I glanced at Rakim with what I knew had to be a blazing grin on my face as he and Naasir landed beside us, already wanting to ask him when our next lesson would be.

There was something about him that seemed lighter, more relaxed after flying. His face was serene. Like he still enjoyed it just as much as I just had, even though it was my first time, and he had no doubt done this thousands of times.

“I hope I never get used to that feeling,” I gasped, brushing some stray hair from my face.

Rakim grinned—actually grinned. And my heart felt like it might stall in my chest at how breathtaking it made him.

“You don’t,” he vowed.

He climbed down from Naasir, then came over on Skye’s other side. Skye bent down so I would be closer to the ground as Rakim instructed me on how to dismount.

Even with his instruction and Skye helping as much as she could, I still ended up sliding down Skye’s side and landing in a sprawl on my backside.

I cursed violently and could feel Skye’s bubbling amusement in the bond. Her long neck curved to watch me as I tried to climb to my feet but ended up back on my butt. Even after such a short flight, my legs and lower back were already stiff and protested any movement.

A large hand appeared in my vision, and I grasped it as Rakim pulled me to my feet. “It’ll get easier,” he assured me. I looked up at him and saw a faint smile on his lips. Standing so close to him, I caught a hint of a citrus and sage scent and had to fight the urge to lean in and breathe it in more deeply.

Instead, I pulled back and brushed myself off. “Thank you, Commander.”

“Meet here the same time tomorrow,” he directed. “We’ll train every day unless I am called away like I was this past week. But if that happens again, I will let you know before I leave.”

I nodded, then shot Skye a scowl for laughing at me. She just ignored me and shrunk down to her minor form and came to stand at my feet.

I turned to leave but paused, deciding it was now or never. “Why did you do it?” I asked.

His brow furrowed. “Do what?”

“Why did you volunteer . . . to teach me?” I glanced away briefly. “Zade told me you’ve never taught anyone before, so why now?”

He stared at me with that overwhelming gaze, and for several moments I didn’t think he’d answer. But then he said, “Because once, a long time ago, someone did the same for me.”

I searched his eyes, but when he didn’t continue, I knew he wasn’t going to offer anything further.

I breathed out. “Okay, well . . . until tomorrow then, Commander,” I said, giving him a tight smile. I turned to begin heading back down the stairs, Skye following behind me. I had only made it a few steps when his voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Oh, and Rin?”

I looked back over my shoulder at him. “Yes?”

Those unnervingly blue eyes were unreadable as he spoke, “During our lessons, and when we’re alone . . . call me Rake.”

Throwingmyselfonmybed, I winced as I rolled onto my back and stared up at the stone ceiling of my bedchamber, trying not to think of the horrible day I had just had.

It had been over two weeks since my first flying lesson with Rake—it still felt strange . . . and thrilling to call him that, even in my head—and it had been long and exhausting. Daisha, Warran, and several of the other prospects had taken it upon themselves to remind me, every time we sparred, that I was inadequate and inept compared to them, though my own skills were improving . . . marginally.

Today’s class had been even worse. Knife throwing, I had learned, came rather easily to me. The blades felt natural in my hands, though they were smaller and lighter than the daggers I was used to. After a few practice rounds, I had soundly beat out everyone in the class. Trenton had given me my first ever words of praise from him, a robust ‘well done’ and that apparently was unacceptable to them.

Con was the only one that made my time with them bearable. He’d helped me see to my wounds after a particularly nasty bout with Warran, where he nearly beat me unconscious. Even with his help, and my accelerated healing, my jaw still ached, and I was sure my knuckles were still bruised under the skin. I thought of putting on the salve Dembe had given me—some concoction made from the saliva of some creature I couldn’t remember and didn’t want to think about—but even that sounded too exhausting.

Then Skye chirruped, and I begrudgingly sat up on my elbows to look over at her. She was in her minor form and sat on the open window ledge, her small body framed by the late evening sky that was quickly turning to dusk behind her.

“What is it?” I asked aloud. I could feel her sudden excitement in the bond.

She looked outside then back to me several times before I grasped what she wanted.

---