Tasting Darkness

Chapter 48 

Aleera POV 

The classes droned on, and I wasn’t looking forward to being in the sun for the rest of the day. Although, for once, I actually made it around the obstacle course. I was pretty proud of myself, yet the cramping was becoming ridiculous.

Lycus sang out to me and waved me over; moving off the course, I made my way over to him. For some reason, he decided to run the obstacle course.

“Did they give you any shit after I left?” Lycus asked me.

“No,” I tell him. He nods. “Good, go to lunch then, after you can take the rest of the day off,”

“Really?” I ask excitedly, and he nods. “Just stay out of trouble and away from Darius and watch Kalen for me,” he asks, and I nod before realizing he wanted m e to go back to their room.

Sulking, I headed back inside and to the mess hall. I felt queasy lining up for lunch, yet no one said anything to me, and I moved to a table closest to the door up the back, so I had a quick escape if needed. One thing became apparent, though. They all feared Lycus because not one of them approached me, and they let me eat. It wasn’t until I went to get up that one of them spoke.

“She is getting up,” Satish smiled while also getting up, and I recognized Lycus’s error. He said not to mess with me while I was eating. That wasn’t going to stop them when I wasn’t. Satish leering smile made me gulp. The man was huge and just as intimidating as Zac and Deacon in his black ops uniform. How they all wore those uniforms in this heat was beyond me.

again, I waited for the siren and for the voices to leave before getting up. I was expecting them t o be waiting outside to torture me but clearly,

to the cells, excited that I could give Ryze some extra food today, and hoped I could keep this up

as he leaned on his good wing when I heard the door open.

the footsteps come down the steps, and I got to

would find you here, interesting pet you keep, Aleera,” Tobias says, sauntering closer, and I step

your pet if he finds it,” Tobias says, looking around me, and I step in front of his gaze, blocking his view of Ryze.

because Ryze was all I had, and I knew he would hurt him. Tobias stepped down the last step with his

him,” I whispered. “Him? How do you know it’s a male?” Tobias asked, tilting

I answer, which

asks, stepping closer, and I turned quickly, plucking Ryze off his nest and tucking him under my arm. Tobias stared at Ryze, and Ryze hissed at him. I grabbed his beak, trying to quiet him, and moved further back into the cell when I noticed that Tobias still had his hand

will put him in the forest. You don’t have to hurt him,” I tell Tobias. Ryze hisses,

nod while watching him warily and the

is how you got close to it and why it’s letting you touch it. Those things are vicious

I saved him. Once he figured out I wasn’t going to hurt him, he got used to me,” I tell him, which was the truth technically. He tilted his head to the

him hidden if you want

his arm out from behind his back, and I notice he has