The Killex’s second estate is large but surprisingly empty. There’s one groundskeeper and after Adonis paid off the three guards, it’s only us in the huge empty house. Adonis helps the groundskeeper unload the luggage and then offers his shoulder for me to limp beside him inside.

“First things first. This way.” Adonis leads me along and I follow warily.

He unlocks a room with a large iron key the groundskeeper gave him, pushing it open to a library of sorts. He helps me into a chair, pulling the white sheet off it first. Then he fiddles about some drawers before pulling a small table and another chair over. On the table he lays out a stack of parchment, a quill, and ink.

“You said you were a messenger, right? That means they would have been very careful to make sure you couldn’t read. Here.” He scrawls something on the paper.

He’s right. I can’t read, it was one of the strictest rules. A messenger who can’t read the message is always the safest bet. Adonis slides the paper over and offers me the quill. “Copy that.”

It takes some blotting and encouragement from Adonis, but I figure the quill out and do my best to copy the words. Adonis points and reads them out, “Taff, a free man.”

I freeze. Both relief and rage filling me. Relief that Adonis kept his promise—although until I can fly it could just be words—and rage that he makes it sound so simple, that he can just write the words and that makes it true. The quill snaps in my hand and I drop it.

“You think it’s that easy,” I say, my voice quiet and low. I reach down, crumpling the paper. “That my life is some sort of catch and release?”

“What? Of cour—”

“I can’t be free!” I’m yelling now, standing quickly and knocking the small table over.

“My people are gone, my homeland a glorified zoo. I have flown all across this continent and there’s nowhere else to go! That—” I point to the discarded paper, “—means nothing! Your people have taken every safe place and made this world a cage!”

Adonis stands up, his face is red, but his voice is calm. “That’s why I want to get you to the rebellion, if—”

I punch him with my good hand. He falls back, tripping over his chair to the ground.

“What rebellion?” I laugh emptily. “You mean the one I watched get rooted out across En. Watched get publicly executed? The rebellion is a dying cause with no power to do anything.”

Adonis rubs his jaw where I hit him. “But it exists!” he retorts. “Despite the empire’s growth, despite the attempts to root it out, it survives. I understand your reservations but—”

“You don't understand anything,” I growl and walk out, limping as fast as I can. I need to get outside, clear my head.

The groundskeeper notices me but just retreats back into the room he came out of. I burst outside. In front of the house is a large dirt patch, a training field. Following its edge, I reach the treeline, the leaves red and orange. I hit the tree with my fist and then gingerly slide to the ground. Leaning against the tree with my shoulder, I take a deep breath.

What was the point of coming here? It didn’t matter where I was or who I was with, I’m an Avin in the Solis Empire. The time to fight for freedom has passed and all that was left for me is death. My eyes feel hot and I touch them, frustrated tears pour out. Through my blurred vision, I poke at the dirt ground and write ‘Taff’. Or at least what Adonis said was my name.

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I wake up with a groan. I’m still against the tree, but someone’s thrown a blanket over me. Despite it, I shiver. The air is cold, warning winter is coming. I wish I hadn’t woken up. It would have been easier that way.

My morbid thoughts are interrupted by a series of soft thuds. I turn and see Adonis in the training field with a practice dummy, going at it with his sword. He’s shirtless despite the cold and has obviously been at it for a while judging from the sheen of sweat. As I suspected from when he drew his sword on me before, Adonis is well built and clearly trained in swordplay. I watch for a while before he notices. When he catches me looking, he leans down and grabs his discarded shirt and wipes his face and neck, sauntering over.

“Not the best place for a nap, you know, especially in your condition. Do you feel better though? Or are you still in a punching mood?” He holds up his sword. “Although, this time I’m armed.”

His tone is joking but I can see quite a bruise blossoming from his chin.

“Leave me alone,” I mutter and Adonis shakes his head.

“I’m afraid letting you freeze to death on my front lawn is out of the question. Especially after Nikolie worked so hard to keep you alive.” I give him a dirty look and he leans on his sword, his voice growing more serious. “Look, you’re right. I don’t understand. I can’t possibly understand your position, but at least do me the courtesy of recognizing you can’t understand mine either. All I ask is that you let me be judged by my own actions and words. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of things I say worth a smack in the face, but at least give me the chance to say them.”

He reaches out a hand to help me up, giving me that pearly white grin of his. I’m beginning to think the universe is punishing me, continuously dangling hope in front of me only to shove reality in my face—and like a fool I keep falling for it. I take his hand and he heaves me up, an impressive feat on its own. “There you go. Alright, let’s get inside and eat something warm.”

As we move indoors, my stomach growls as I smell something delicious and warm. Adonis laughs. “Go get yourself a seat in there, I’m going to change.”

I hobble into the room where the groundskeeper, Hodges I think Adonis said his name was, is stirring a stew of some sort. He gives me a wary eye as I sit gratefully onto a stool.

“You alive then?” the man says and I scowl. He turns his attention back to the cooking and scoffs, “Suit yourself.”

After about ten minutes of us ignoring each other, Adonis arrives, his hair’s wet and he’s wearing fresh clothes. “Smells delicious, Hodges. Here, Taff, you left this in the library.”

He holds out my cane and I take it with a small nod.

Adonis gathers some bowls from a cabinet and Hodges dishes out the stew. It’s delicious with hearty chunks of potato and venison. I finish my bowl quickly and Adonis refills my bowl. “You can really eat, huh?”

I shrug. I can go quite a bit without food, but I also eat a lot when I can. The handful of times I can remember eating with other Avins, they were the same. Avin metabolism I suppose.

After three more bowls, Hodges dryly mutters, “So much for leftovers. Pardon me asking, Master Adon, but what exactly are you doing here all by yourself.”

“You mean without the entourage?” Adonis winks. “I’m finally starting my plan Hodges, first—”

Hodges holds up a bony hand. “Nope, stop. I don’t want to know. Just be careful and try not to get yourself killed.”

“I’m always careful,” Adonis says and Hodges snorts.

“Says the boy who thought it’d be a good idea to jump off a cliff.” Hodges gives an almost toothless grin.

“I was ten! Also, I only jumped off it because your daughter was lost and I saw her down there crying. I didn’t realize it was quite that high up at the time.”

“Yes and then I had to explain to your father why his only son and heir had a broken leg when he was supposed to be taking his first riding lessons the next day.”

“Oh, I remember that. How is Julia anyway?”

Hodges stands up giving Adonis a wink. “Finally got over you and found herself a nice lad in the village. She’s expecting this spring.”

“Good for her.” Adonis helps Hodges lift the pot into the large sink. Hodges then bats him away.

“I’m not so old I can’t do my job. Go on, get out of my kitchen.”

Adonis waves me over and I stand with a groan, limping out of the kitchen. Without turning to look at me while we walk, he says, “Hodges is smart. He brought that incident up to ask me if I was sure about what I’m doing.”

I keep following silently.

“I thought my father would be proud of me. Proud that I’d found Julia even if I’d broken my leg and shouted to alert the search parties until my voice was hoarse. But instead, I was told off for risking myself over someone so unimportant.” Adonis laughs dryly. “I knew my father and I saw things differently, but that was the day the facade started. Hodges wants to make sure I’ve thought things through before breaking that illusion.”

Adonis stops suddenly and turns, opening a door. “Here. This’ll be your room.”

It’s a nice room, a very nice room. A massive four poster bed covered in an embroidered blanket dominates most of it, but there is also a fine mahogany wardrobe, desk, chair, and a large window with silk curtains.

“Make yourself at home. I’ve put Nikolie’s basket by the desk. I’m two doors down that way if you need anything.”

I eye the familiar crest on the headboard. “Is this…?”

Grinning, Adonis winks. “Why not? There’s only three bedrooms kept up all year and I didn’t think you’d fit or want to sleep in my sister’s room.”

He shuts the door with a laugh and a few moments later, I chuckle as well. There is a sort of sacrilegious thrill in making myself at home in Lord Killex’s room. I go ahead and apply the poultice from the basket before slowly and painfully undressing to lay on the bed. It’s incredibly comfortable and I fall asleep quickly.

I wake up to a knocking. “You up Taff?” Adonis calls cheerfully.

I groan but sunlight is streaming through the curtains. I can’t believe I’m still tired.

“Taff?” The knocking continues.

“Yeah, I’m up.”

I’m slowly and painfully distangling myself from the blanket when Adonis bursts in.

“Good morning!” he says cheerfully, setting down a suitcase. “I’ve brought you some more clothes I had ordered.”

He opens the trunk and sure enough there are some more pants and more importantly Avin style shirts—sleeveless, secured at the collar, and low cut in the back to accommodate wings. Adonis pulls some out and tosses them at me and I grab them with my good hand. Breathing hard with effort, I pull the pants on and then start to struggle with the shirt. Even with its Avin construction, I have a hard time doing the buttons on the back with my wing tied down and only one hand.

“Star’s sake, can I help you?” Adonis says after trying unsuccessful for a few minutes to look like he’s not watching me struggle.

“Fine,” I growl and he comes over and buttons the back quickly. He pauses behind me for a moment.

“How long did Nikolie say your wings would take to heal?”

I move away and reach for my cane which is leaning against the bed. “Four months.”

Adonis whistles. “Well if you're not too busy, we could go back to the library. There’s not much else to do and before the punching, you did seem pretty excited to write.”

I stare blankly. Seriously? After all that...

“Sure.” I shrug.

“Wonderful!” Adonis claps his hands. “Let’s get started, I already asked Hodges to put some breakfast in there.”