Flight Made Easy by Helena Maeve

Author:Helena Maeve
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Erotic Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
Published: 2014-02-14T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

“He did it!” Sage shouted as the mess hall doors swung shut in his wake, words just lightly slurred by the swelling in his cheek.

Reed had never been his biggest admirer, but even he winced as laughter spread through the ranks. He drew closer to Lynwood in the queue because she alone didn’t seem to find any pleasure in Sage’s outburst.

“What happened to him?”

Lynwood shook her head. “Drank himself stupid and collapsed in the marketplace. Swears Waters knocked him out.”

“Waters?” Reed couldn’t keep disbelief out of his voice.

“He’s not incapable,” Lynwood shot back. “Son of a whore made a clean living under Rosthine—killing folk,” she clarified when Reed didn’t catch on. “But there were a hundred witnesses around and none of them saw anything but a drunk guardsman. Doesn’t help that Sage reeks like an alehouse.”

“Sounds pretty cross too.”

“No shit. He’s still sore about the promotion.” Lynwood tossed her fair head. “Don’t know why. S’not like setting up rotations is anything to brag about. I just write reports all day.”

If the alternative was marching down the same crooked lanes and checking the same perimeter at all hours, Reed could understand how a desk job might hold a certain appeal. He saved his breath, though, because Lynwood had only just deigned to put him on the laundry rotation—not a great improvement, but infinitely preferable to scrubbing toilets and trying to remove decades’ old grout from the shower tiles.

“Where’re you off to so quick?” Lynwood asked him as they stepped outside. “You practically inhaled your grub and I know for a fact that it tastes like bile.”

It wasn’t much better in appearance, either, but Reed had had enough appetite not to care. “Think I’ll go for a walk,” he said.

Lynwood smirked. “Do you? Suppose that means you’ve got a date with your favorite milkmaid… Watch yourself, there’s a delegation or something.”

“What?”

“I saw a town car outside Waters’ place. Steer clear,” Lynwood advised, slapping his back with a broad, calloused hand.

Reed felt each thud like bursts of cannon fire. He thought of what Calliope had said, of Valentine leaving for Corhall whenever his presence was requested.

He left behind the barbed wire fences of the garrison, put the vale at his back as he stomped into puddles and potholes alike, taking no notice of the mud stains speckling his uniform. He sped through the labyrinthine tangle of dense alleys, cutting across the town square where the market tradesmen had already packed up their wares, leaving only scattered bits of refuse to be picked at by pigeons and mice. The lights in the tavern were gleaming bright already, a faint echo of raised voices and drinking songs spilling out into the street.

Valentine’s house appeared on the horizon like a beacon, its whitewashed façade gleaming bright in the moonlight. There was no car out front and no light glowed in any of its windows.

Reed slowed down, choking on his breath. He thought he saw something move just at the edge of the forest, but when he blinked, he found only leaves stirring.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.