Page 23 of Great Falls Cadet
“Tyelor is an upperclassman and a known quantity,” River said, reclaiming his equilibrium as they entered familiar ground. With the young man’s athletic background and natural knack for combat training, River put Tye in the same category of warrior as himself, Coal, and Shade—something River would not say for anyone else in Great Falls. River trusted Tye with little else, but he did trust the man to defend himself. “I’m still of a mind that Tyelor can be turned into a halfway-responsible human being if given limits. I will deal with him this afternoon.”
“Understood.” Coal’s intelligent blue gaze pierced River. “OnlyTyelor?”
“Yes.” River walked to his desk and settled into the large leather chair. He had never delegated responsibility in his life, but this… River needed to hand this one off lest he do something he would regret. “I am leaving Leralynn’s punishment to you. I trust you to make it commensurate with the severity of her trespasses last night.”
No questions from Coal. No cocked brow of surprise or a questioning glance as the warrior nodded, pushed away from the wall, and strode to the door.
River’s chest tightened, his heart pounding his ribs as he raised his voice once more. “Coal.”
Hand already on the door handle, the warrior paused but did not turn—for which River was grateful.
“I’d like Leralynn of Osprey gone from Great Falls,” River said.
2
Lera
Tink.
Rubbing my eyes, I sit up in bed, the small room of the Great Falls Academy dormitory blinking back at me. The sunlight streaming through the large window illuminates the tall pale white walls, bits of dust playing in the strong rays. Having only returned from my unfortunate run-in with sclices—and perhaps equally unfortunate run-in with River and Coal—in the middle of the night, I’ve only had four hours sleep. Several paces away, Arisha is already swinging her legs toward the floor, her messy braids swaying against her chest as she swivels her head in search of the noise’s source.
Tink. Tink.
“I think it’s coming from the window.” My voice is groggy. Today’s liberty day was supposed to allow for a bit of a lie-in, but something—or someone—seems to have other ideas. The noise comes again. Yes, definitely the window. Like a bird’s beak hitting glass, except I see no bird anywhere.
Tink. Tink. Tink.
Stuffing her feet into slippers, Arisha puts on her glasses and shuffles to the window, her heavy cotton nightgown swaying about her ankles. Grasping hold of the shutters, she swings the panes open, jumping aside with a yelp as a pebble intended for the glass knocks into her shoulder instead. A heartbeat later, Tye swings himself into our room, his emerald eyes sparkling with self-satisfied amusement while Arisha sputters. He flicks a lock of red hair out of his face, looking painfully handsome and unfairly well rested. In some semblance of justice, the cleared lock of hair flops right back over the male’s green eyes.
“You… You!” Rushing back to her bed, Arisha pulls a sheet over herself, her face suddenly paler than normal underneath her scattering of freckles. She points a finger at Tye, her mouth opening and closing as if searching for new words. “You—”
“Aye. Me. I think we’ve established that part quite solidly, lass.” Tye’s long arm reaches for the window, shutting it to cut off the chill wind. Through Tye’s wide collar, I see the bandage crossing his shoulder as he stretches and suppresses a wince. I’d forgotten he took a sclice claw in last night’s battle. He is dressed in a modified version of our training grays, his tunic sleeveless and wrapped tightly around his muscular abdomen, his jacket hanging loose. Tye’s wide shoulders and taut waist draw a clean triangle, darker patches of sweat glistening against the light fabric. A scent of soap beneath the sweat underscores his masculine scent, mixing with the pine and citrus that is always Tye.
Catching me watching him, Tye grins with feline impertinence, his soft growl reminding me exactly of how he’d tasted against the forest’s moonlight, how my body roused to the feel of his deft fingers sliding along my skin. Slipping deeper. My sex clenches at the very memory, and Tye’s grin widens. Yes, the bastard isn’t even trying to pretend he doesn’t smell my arousal. Tye may think himself human, but his fae senses are picking up all the details.
I get up, crossing my arms. Unlike Arisha, my nightshirt is a thin slip of red silk that falls to midthigh, but I’ll be damned if I let Tye make me scramble for clothing in my own bedchamber. “Is there a reason you are in our room?”
Tye’s eyes glide over my thighs and hips, catching appreciatively on my suddenly heavy breasts, on my nipples peaking in the cool air. A heartbeat later, he shifts his legs uncomfortably, the bulge there twitching.
“I hope it hurts. A lot,” I murmur so quietly that only Tye’s fae ears have a chance of picking up the words.
The male snorts.
“H-how did…” Arisha, still stuttering, points to the window. “That is fifteen feet off the ground.”
“He climbs well,” I tell the girl over my shoulder while my gaze narrows on the male. “But yes, after Tye tells uswhyhe’s graced us with his presence, he can explain whether the door somehow offended him.”
“I’m delivering a message from the deputy headmaster.” With my bed vacated, Tye makes himself at ease on it, pressing his back against the wall while stretching out his long legs. His mussed red hair looks nearly aflame in the room’s golden morning light. After giving me one more slow caress with his gaze, Tye’s eyes stray to Arisha, who has somehow managed to tangle herself in the bedsheet she is using for cover. And who knows nothing about the night’s escapade.
Right. I grope for some plausible excuse to speak to Tye alone and come up empty-handed.You could have waited, you ass.
“I know Lera snuck outside last night.” Arisha rolls her large blue eyes at us both. “I now imagine she was with you, Tyelor, and that the pair of you were caught by none other than River himself. The next time you need to make a stealthy exit, please wake me up so I can close the window before the room freezes.”
“You left the window open?” Tye covers his face with a large palm. “What kind of hooligan are you?”
“A cranky one.” I sigh, recalling River’s fury over finding Tye and me on the other side of the wall and his ominous promise to deal with us. I don’t recall ever facing the full force of the male’s cold ire, and I little like it. “I’ve also the sense that my day is about to get worse.”
Tye nods, the humor from his face fading. “I’m to report to River at two this afternoon, while you are to join Coal in the training corrals. I imagine they think making us wait will play nicely on our anxiety.” The tightness in Tye’s voice says there might be good reason to be anxious. He sits up, resting his corded forearms on his thighs. His biceps shift and ripple under his bare skin, making it impossible to look away even if I wanted to. “Now, listen to me, lass. And listen carefully. Coal is going to ask you what the bloody hell you thought you were doing outside the wall last night. When he does, you will tell him that you were just following me. I convinced you that I know the best place to stargaze, and before you knew it, I was helping you over the wall. Are you following?”
