Earth Bound Read Online Free

her.
    “We have a lot of preparations to make.” Ewyn handed her the leather pouch to put the remaining berries in. “First you need to meet my new aide. I believe you were in class together until he gained his wings.” Ewyn opened a second door in the room and gestured someone forward.
    Brianne barely kept from gaping when Macklyn stepped into the room with a grin. “He’s your aide?” It was an effort to keep her voice neutral.
    Ewyn nodded sharply. “Yesterday. He’s the best in his class, comes from a well placed family and shows potential.”
    Brianne’s hands curled into fists. Best in his class! Only once he’d left the class they’d both attended. Until then he’d been second best. The bitterness she tasted this time couldn’t be washed away with a glass of water. “I thought you didn’t want a lot of people knowing about this.”
    “Only the four of us,” Ewyn said.
    “I’ll be your transport.” Macklyn smiled.
    She could almost hear the words dirt walker at the end of his comment and wanted to knock the smile off his face. Instead, she dredged up her own insincere smile. “I’m glad they finally found a use for you.” Her smile widened as Macklyn’s faded.
    “I want you both back here tomorrow at the same time, but before then, you need to practice flying together,” Ewyn said.
    “Unsupervised?” Brianne nearly took a step back at the smile that returned to Macklyn’s face.
    “We’re trying to keep this quiet. Get out in the desert. Alone,” Briant said.
    Brianne shook her head. “Then people will talk. There’s no way they’ll think we’ve suddenly become friends.” She itched to slam her fist into his smiling mouth.
    “She’s right, sir. No one would believe we’re friends. When I moved onto the next class without her, she started trying to pick fights with me.”
    Her hands curled into fists. She’d show him all about picking fights with someone. It took every bit of willpower not to hit him.
    “Then the pair of you had better figure something out. This mission hinges on the two of you spending time together without raising suspicion,” Briant ordered.
    Brianne opened her mouth to say impossible, but smiled instead. “I can think of one reason people would believe we’re spending time together. Only if it was an order.”
    “Come up with a better idea. There’s no reason for us to order that,” Ewyn said.
    Brianne continued to smile. “You would if you caught us brawling.”
    Briant chuckled, turning to Ewyn. “See, quick on her feet. She’ll manage.”
    “She better. Ailis will have both our hides if she doesn’t come back in one piece and she found out the reason why.”

Chapter Four
    Talon
    Talon stared at the summons in his hand, wanting to tear the paper into pieces. He’d managed to avoid his father for two days, this he couldn’t ignore. “Tell him I’ll be there soon.”
    “But-” the boy’s words stopped when Talon shut the door in his face.
    He ignored the knocking on his door as he locked it and strode to his bed where he dropped the summons. Once his shirt was unbuttoned, it and the bandages joined the paper. After several deep breaths, his wings rose from his back and he winced at the pain as they stretched, his hands curling into fists. There had to be a way to get rid of them. He couldn’t keep doing this. Hiding in his room or keeping them bound so they couldn’t escape and betray him. Letting them out, when they were long past cramped and pain arrowed through his body, was becoming more difficult every day. There had to be some way to be rid of them.
    It took several minutes of concentration before he finally forced them to retract. He wrapped the bandages around his chest, hiding the bony ridges and preventing his wings from escaping.
    As soon as his shirt was buttoned, he strode towards his father’s office to find Bellamy waiting in the corridor. With a daggered look at Bellamy, Talon flung open the door and strode inside,