Page 46 of Lies That Bleed
I peered at my father’s creature. She stood like a sentinel beside him, ready to devour any foe.
Finally a smile broke onto my father’s face and heshook his head. “My daughter bonded a Talanagi. I can’t wait to see the drill instructors’ faces when you walk in with her.”
I sat up straighter, smiling a little myself. “You’re coming to drop me off?”
I’d assumed he’d be too busy.
My father nodded. “I cleared my morning. But I need to be at Sky Reach by the afternoon. We’ve had a fresh attack there.”
I grinned the entire way through my breakfast. My father, the emperor, was droppingmeoff at boot camp?
On the one hand, he never took time out to do that stuff. It was always Elaine, and so I was excited. But on the other hand, having your father, the leader of the free nation, drop you off at what was literally referred to ashell month, was bound to make a bigger target on my back. But I didn’t care. If my father wanted to be a parent today instead of a leader, I was going to enjoy it.
I’d waited my entire life to make him proud, to do something that would make him notice me. But when I glanced at Elaine, she was giving me one of her warning looks. A look that said,Be careful. I frowned, unsure what to make of that, so I decided to ask her when we had some alone time.
But before I knew it, my father had packed all of my things into his car and I was saying goodbye to Elaine and the triplets on the front porch.
“Give them hell, big sis,” Virtue told me, and reached out to fist bump me. I swatted her hand away and pulled her in for a hug.
“Mind Elaine. Pay attention in training,” I advised her.
She pulled away, rolling her eyes, and nodded.
Valor, the eldest by three minutes, was next: “If anyone messes with you, remember a well-timed throat punch is effective,” she informed me as she peered at Elaine, who smiled at the advice.
I hugged her and then went to Victory, who was already waiting with arms open. I pulled her in and just held her, the youngest of the three but with a mighty heart. She was submissive in nature, companionate, and my favorite. She would probably bond with a less-than-desirable creature and have a lame job in the Imperial Fleet, but she’d be the most well-adjusted and happiest of the Everhart clan.
“I love you, Aisling,” she whispered in my ear and I froze, shocked by the three words. My brain short-circuited as if it didn’t know what to do. She never said it—no one in this family did, and that was normal.
Did she think I was going to die or something?
“You too,” I mumbled, as she pulled away from me and reached out to touch my now half-black, half-red hair.
“So cool,” she muttered.
My father stepped up next to me and Elaine caught my eye, giving me a salute. “Remember what I taughtyou. Be respectful to your drill instructors and your fellow cadets. Head down. Follow orders.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I saluted her back but there was so much more I wanted to say. This woman had raised me for this moment. All the training and advice she’d given me was so that I would bond with a creature and make it to boot camp.
My father tugged my arm and I followed him, hoping that Elaine knew me well enough to know the unspoken words that were lodged in my throat.
I love you.
When we got to my father’s car, something caught my eye in the garden. I turned to the source and saw Liana, with her vibrant purple, red and orange feathers.
‘Let’s make an entrance,’Liana told me.
I grinned. “Dad, I’ll follow you there?”
My father raised one eyebrow but I didn’t wait for him to comment. I was totally flying to my first day.
My father’scar pulled in the parking lot and already I could see hundreds of cadets gathered around the huge gates of the Imperial Fleet Training Center. The gates of the training center had a giant puma on the front standing in a ring of fire, my father’s creature, in a portal. An homage to him.
When my father stepped out of the car, the crowdgasped. Parents, students, creatures, they all formed a circle around him until each and every one pulled up their right hand and saluted him.
Liana began her descent, and one by one the crowd turned from my father and looked up at the sky. Whispers became shouts, then there was pointing and gasping until Liana landed right in front of the closed school gates.
“That’s my bestie!” Tetra stepped out from the crowd, her black wolf creature trailing behind her as she limped her way over to me.
