Excerpt: Shadowed Wings

Jem stepped down from the bookcase, onto her mattress as she slowly peeled the dress off, and rubbed his soft head against the bare skin of her back. Heather shivered. She knew and he knew her wings were just beneath that skin, and itching to be free. Jem cooed happily, and Heather knew he was longing for the day when she would be able to fly with him. Getting to parties would be so much easier then.

“I missed you Jem,” she whispered, clearing her throat a little and shedding her dress completely. He made a reassuring noise and she sighed and began to fold the dress away.

“I wish you could have seen the party,” she carried on a little louder. “All those people were magnificent. Everything smelt so good...I wish I could have stayed and eaten the food.” She giggled to cover the disappointment she always felt. “But I would be so clumsy. I don’t know the first thing about fine dining. Can you imagine me trying to eat with those fine knives?”

She gave a small sigh. “The next party will be hard...I hope you can come with me. Its at the Cyril estate, just outside Delios, so we’ll be close to the capital. There are bound to be mages there...it will be scary.”

She clenched her fist around the material of her dress and pulled a determined face on. “I will not be afraid. I will be strong and go there. I can hide from them. They will never suspect who I am.”

Jem gave her a long look, and Heather understood that the phoenix was not fooled by her face. He knew she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince him.