Wingborn Read Online Free Page B

hand over her hair, Mhysra
summoned up the centuries-long breeding of her ancestors and walked
across the room like she owned it. Cumulo would expect nothing
less.
     
    “WHAT’S YOUR WAGER? R unaway
brat, curious miss or genuine girl?”
    Lyrai looked up from studying the depressing
duty roster. He was surrounded by grumbling Riders equally dismayed
over their new assignment. Merry Midwinter, everyone. “P ardon? ”
    “We have
another one.” Stirla nodded across the busy room, eyes bright and
mischievous.
    After five years together – from
Lyrai ’ s first day at
Aquila through to their current officer training – Lyrai had
learned to be wary of that sparkle. Still, a little amusement might
ease the sting of being quartered in Nimbys until the following
autumn.
    He turned to face the cluttered front desk
just as the girl reached it. Slender and tall, her dark brown hair
was pulled tightly back, accentuating the sharp features of her
sun-bronzed face. She wasn ’ t pretty, but had big, pale eyes that glanced
frequently at the Riders. Seeing the silver flashes on his and
Stirla ’ s shoulder, she
nodded respectfully before turning to the clerk at the desk.
    “Strange
little thing,” Stirla murmured. “So, which is it?”
    Lyrai waved him to silence, wanting to
listen and far too wise to wager with him. Even when he
wasn ’ t cheating,
Stirla ’ s luck was just
too good to trust.
    “Enrolment is
closed.” Brenai the clerk had fussy ways, but he was the best
administrator in Nimbys. Lyrai smiled, wondering how the girl would
react to his sharp manner.
    “ I know,
but I was unable to come until this morning.” Her voice was
polite and clear, softened with a hint of a country burr. Well
born, but not local. “ Since classes don ’ t begin for another five days, I hoped I might
still be admitted. ”
    Her friendly smile didn ’ t sway Brenai one bit. He peered over his
glasses and sniffed. “ Enrolment closed yesterday. Rift Riders live or die
by their punctuality. We make no exceptions. ” The gathered Riders snickered. In theory
what Brenai said was true, but in practise …
    Irritation flashed over the girl ’ s face. Instead of unleashing it,
though, she took a deep breath. “ I was unable to come before, sir. ”
    “ Try
again next year,” Brenai advised brusquely, with more than a touch
of disapproval. Which came as no surprise. The clerk had
been particularly vocal in opposing the recent changes to the
Flying Corps.
    The girl took another deep breath and forced
a smile. “ If I had
another choice, sir, I would not ask, ” she said, a hint of desperation creeping in. “ It ’ s Midwinter. ”
    Brenai ’ s eyebrows drew together and he pushed his papers
aside, squaring the corners neatly as if the haphazard piles behind
him did not exist. “ I
hesitate to be rude, miss, but what ’ s the hurry? The proclamation will still apply next
year. It ’ s a five-year
trial. There ’ s no rush
and there wi ll be plenty
of miryhls left, if you want this badly enough. The thinking time
will do you good. This isn ’ t an easy life. Take a little Midwinter advice and
leave it for another year. ”
    The young woman ’ s hands clenched and her body stiffened with all
the hauteur that the upper classes had cultivated over the
centuries. “You do not
understand, sir,” she growled. “I’m not some featherheaded miss
with no clue as to what Rider duties entail. I don’t need to think about it. A year ’ s grace will not do me good . I am not
anticipating an easy life . ” She leaned over the waist-high desk and whispered
something too softly for the curious Riders to hear.
    Brenai sat back, clearly surprised. Then he
laughed. “ What a
Midwinter tale! Wingborn, indeed. You must think me thirty years younger than I
am.”
    Wingborn! The shock rippled through
the room as the Riders reassessed the girl. She couldn ’ t have been more than fifteen or
sixteen and showed no signs of a life with miryhls.