Page 1 of Feathers of Ash and Hope
Chapter
One
ARA
Three months earlier
It didn’t work.The marking is still there and even darker than before, its edges harsh on my pale skin.
Gods, what now?
I fall back onto my bed, covering my eyes.
But when I open them, I stare right at that damn black mark in the crook of my right arm again. What if this means the king is right to fear people like me? What if I truly turn into something evil? And how am I going to hide it?
If scraping off my own skin doesn’t work, nothing will. I’m plain and truly fucked, which means my family is too, and I’m once again the disaster ruining their lives.
I’ll have to tell them.
I groan.
The handle of my door jiggles and is followed by a knock.
“Why is your door locked?” my brother asks.
“Go away, Ben. I’m not alone and naked,” I shout.
He chuckles at that. Ben and I share not just our birthdays but also our humor, and thankfully, he gets my sarcasm.
He knocks again.
I get off my bed and check that my sleeve hides the mark before opening the door. My brother saunters in and throws himself on my bed in much the same fashion as I have before.
“Hey, you’re in your armor,” I protest.
“So are you,” Ben replies, looking pointedly at my training gear of form-fitting black leather armor over a dark tunic and soft boots.
“Yes, you’re lucky I’m dressed,” I quip, and he snorts.
“You care too much about the fate of others to put anyone under Ian’s or Dar’s command in that position. But if it had been Ian and not me…”
“He would have kicked in the door.” I finish his sentence and sit down next to him. We look at each other and grin. Darren and Ian, our oldest brothers, have many strengths, but sarcasm and humor are not among them.
“What are you doing here?” I ask after a while of companionable silence.
“I just wanted to see my favorite sister,” Ben replies, playing hurt.
“I’m your only sister,” I answer dryly.
“Okay, my favorite sibling, but don’t tell the others I said that.”
“You have to say that since I’m your twin”—I poke his side—“and I don’t think they would be surprised to hear it.” His grin mirrors mine.
Despite not being identical twins, we look very much alike. We both have our dad’s changing bluish-green eyes and our mom’s blond hair, only his is short and mine is long andcurrently braided up. When we were little, we were often confused for each other, but Ben is much broader and a hand taller than I am now.
My eyes catch on the markings running down his right arm. All gifted have them since magic marks its wielders.
“Did your markings spread up and down equally?” I ask. He gives me a quizzical look but humors me.
