The Battle for the Sky by Dalila Caryn

Author:Dalila Caryn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dalila Caryn Holness
Published: 2022-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Asha watched her sister trudge into the house. For the life of her she couldn’t think why Hadhi didn’t fight harder to get their father’s attention or her mother’s love. The only things Hadhi fought for were Nuru and...well maybe it was just Nuru. Hadhi was the only child Baba had ever taught to hunt. Asha had always been jealous of that, but Baba told her it wasn’t for her, that she was too fine. Still, when he spoke of Hadhi and her skill as a hunter, you could see his eyes sparkle with pride. He’d said she was better even than him.

Hadhi could get his love if she really wanted it, but she preferred to sulk. Just like she sulked when their tutors said she had no skill for languages and no mind for figures. Nuru was a proper genius with figures, and she could pick up any language she heard spoken. But she had no real interest in studying the rest of the world; she only wanted to hear the stories of Maltuba. So, by and large, Asha directed their lessons. Their tutor Okal was thrilled with her curiosity; he loved to feed it. Every time he brought up a subject, she challenged him to explore it more thoroughly. He’d told Baba that Asha had a brighter mind than any woman he’d ever met, brighter than most men even. And Baba hadn’t even been surprised.

“Of course she does. My girl is the brightest mind in all Maltuba save her Baba’s.” He’d beamed at her.

Asha grinned to herself as she made her way into the house. She ran through the women’s wing of the mansion and banged on Sabra’s door. Sabra was not the same since marrying; she fancied herself too adult now to do things with Asha. But she was more fun when Baba was away, and he would be home in a few hours. Asha wanted to tell her friend about Okal.

He’d met her in secret again. He’d kissed her once, and he’d wanted more, but she’d danced around him, giggling that he didn’t want to know what her father did to men who toyed with his favorite daughter. She’d just meant it as a jest, or maybe a prod to see how much he liked her. But he’d backed right off at those words, with his body anyway. His words were positively scandalous; Asha would bet he’d ask for her hand soon.

But she wouldn’t marry him. He knew a great deal of the world, but he hadn’t been anywhere. She wanted to see the world. Maybe she would never marry, but one day she would find a man brave enough to kiss her, even with the threat of Baba’s wrath.

“Sabra,” Asha hissed through the door. She’d banged on it a number of times already. Servants were beginning to give her disapproving looks, but Asha could tell she was inside.

“Asha, not now,” Sabra groaned. “I’m very ill.”

“I only want to talk. Let me in. I’ll bring you a cool cloth.

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