Feudlings In Smoke (Fate On Fire Short Story) by Wendy Knight Read Free Book Online Page B

shroud on her so her own people didn't turn against her, as well.”
    She glared at him for several more seconds before the vehemence seemed to die and the rigid set of her shoulders relaxed. “No one says 'as well', Will,” she snapped mildly.
    He snickered as he jogged out the door.
    When he returned with Ward, he made Ari give him a rundown of the battle. Dani was still sleeping in his bed, despite all Ari's yelling, and he was inclined to let her rest, lest she get a lecture from the angry Edren Prodigy as well .
    “When we landed, the battle was already in full-swing. I didn't even have to kill anyone. Once they realized I was there and their numbers were too evenly matched, they ran.” She watched with interest as Ward's blue flames swirled with her red ones just below the surface of her skin. She wouldn't heal, not completely. Ari never healed completely. But it would be good enough. “Some of them stuck around, trying to be brave.”
    “That's how you got this?” Will asked, motioning toward her burned entire right side.
    She nodded. “Yup.”
    “They set a trap for you, Ari,” Will said. Ward looked up sharply, his ever-present smile vanishing.
    “I know.” The knowledge had scared her several days ago, when, if memory served him correctly, he had specifically warned her not to go into battle, but now she seemed fine with it.
    “Our Carules sources said the information came from someone in the Edren family. That they were playing both sides.”
    Ari frowned, finally looking up at him. “You think Franklin?”
    Will nodded.
    “Well. That sucks quite a bit.”
    Ward sat back. “That's all I can do, Ari-girl. You gotta do the rest yourself.”
    She smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Ward. Burns like that would be awful hard to explain at school.”
    “Not a problem, missy. One of these days you need to learn to let the flames heal you all the way though.”
    “I know. I'm working on it.”
    Will showed Ward out, thanking him again before he shut the door. Ari came out of her room, already changed out of battle gear and into black sweats. Her cloak, the one she'd inherited from Ada Aleshire, lay over the back of the couch in the living room, but she ignored it. “I have this very handsome coat rack for a reason, you know,” he muttered, picking up the ancient cloak and tossing it on one of the hooks. The thing was bloodstained and burned, but Ari still carried it with her into every battle.
    His sister was weird.
    “Can I talk to you about something?” she asked. She slid over the back of the couch and landed in a heap on the cushions. Because it was hard to walk all the way around and sit like a normal person.
    To set an example, Will made a point of walking slowly around the couch to sit in the chair across from her. “Yep.”
    “It's not… fighting related. Or family related. It's… teenager related.”
    Will froze. This definitely sounded more terrifying than he could handle right now. “Are you sure it isn't fighting related? Maybe new spells we need to learn or something?
    She ignored him. “It's about Shane and Hunter and Charity.”
    Oh no. He'd been afraid this was coming. With Ari's secrets, she couldn't let anyone get close. Her friends, any that she'd allowed herself to make over the years, always got tired of being shoved away and left her. But maybe this time was different. Maybe that wasn't the case now. He crossed all his fingers hopefully. “What's up?”
    “We were totally fine. Hanging out, having all kinds of fun. We even went zip lining, Will. You don't go zip lining with just anyone.”
    Will wanted to point out that yes, you could in fact go zip lining with just anyone, but he kept his mouth shut.
    “Then all the sudden, they want nothing to do with me.”
    He'd been right. Why did he always have to be right?
    “But it's not just me. They don't want anything to do with anyone. They come to class, and then they're gone. They aren't even playing football anymore. And