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.

glaring at me. Once 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

ducked down to the cells, excited that I could give Ryze some extra food today, and hoped I could keep this up because he would

on his good wing when I heard the door open. Ryze hissed, and I grabbed his beak to

skin itched as I listened to the footsteps come down the steps, and I got to my feet trying to hide Ryze with my

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

looking around me, and I step in front of his gaze, blocking his view of Ryze. Tobias

you come down here this morning,” Tears welled in my eyes because Ryze was all I had, and I knew he would hurt him. Tobias stepped down the last step with

 “Him? How do you know it’s a male?” Tobias asked, tilting his head

his is black,” I answer, which seems to shock

birds?” he 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

him,” I tell Tobias. Ryze hisses,

I nod while watching him warily and the hand he

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

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 side, and I could tell he

you need to keep him hidden if you want to keep him,” Tobias says with a shrug while

Tobias nods before pulling his arm out from behind his back, and I notice he has a cage full of mice. Ryze hisses and squirms,