Page 133 of Under Restless Skies

“Does Alayel know?”

“No idea. You might want to confide in him now, and yet the moment you quarrel, and it will happen, because it always happens, he will betray you. Or threaten you. That said, I’m sure he could kill you now, if he wanted—and would face no consequence. Why did you get involved with that prince, Mayara? I warned you he wasn’t trustworthy. Perhaps I should never have asked you to investigate him. I thought you’d open your eyes to who he is, but it clearly didn’t happen.”

I don’t think Mallor is being fair, and I want to defend my choice. “We like each other.”

He lets out a bitter chuckle. “That boy only loves himself. It’s clear as day. You might like him, and he might have convinced you he likes you, but it doesn’t make it true.”

“We’re betrothed.”

“Don’t be naive. Do you really think the prince who didn’t even invite you for his coronation ball wants to take you as a wife?” The mockery in his tone manages to stir anger within my numb chest. Plus, his words are absurd.

“He did invite me. He even sent me a dress.”

Mallor scoffs and shakes his head. “I sent you both dresses, and the first invitation.”

That doesn’t make any sense. “Why?”

“You think I was going to let that vile pretend prince humiliate my daughter?”

“What?” The word is a hollow echo as a cold, bottomless dread tears open my stomach.

22

Istare at the man in front of me, unable to decipher his odd, incomprehensible words, while faded memories cross my mind.

A man, coming to our house from time to time. An odd visitor. A man, yelling at my mother, then disappearing, leaving shards of her drowning in tears. I wouldn’t recognize that man if I saw him. Is this who I’m seeing?

“My father’s called Sonos of the Dawn.” My words are pointlessly defiant.

Mallor’s brows contract. “That’s a false name. You truly didn’t recognize me?”

Anger stirs in my chest, poking old wounds. “How could I? I came to this city as a child, carrying my little brother, and I looked and looked… There was nobody.”

“There was. Laristella took you, but I kept an eye on you.”

“Some incredible fatherly duties, no doubt. What else? You kept me from joining this academy? You could at least have warned me, instead of making me wonder what was wrong with me, why I could never get in. Did you laugh when the guards took me to prison after my trial?”

He sighs. “I wasn’t there. By the time I found out, you were already gone. I cleaned up your record, so you wouldn’t be listed as a fugitive.”

I’m still stunned, still in disbelief. “When I was about to join the academy, you put me in the cleaning crew.”

“Yes. I hoped you’d reconsider your choices, except you didn’t. Meanwhile, the pretend prince was trying to win you by granting you small favors on one hand and humiliating you with the other. That’s when I decided to give you everything you wanted.”

“Except flying.”

“Indeed. I have no wish to see you as Auranius’ food.”

“I always dreamed of flying.” The words are bitter now, an anger lingering beneath them, even if the yearning hasn’t dissipated. “It’s why I had to get in, why I had to join the Sky Academy.”

“As long as I exert some control over this place, I’ll never let you fly, never even let you join the Sky Guard. You were much, much safer at the restaurant.”

And yet it felt like a prison, but I doubt he’ll understand. I ask something else. “Why the distance? You had a disagreement with my mother, sure, but… why? We were desperate when we came to Dracolius City.” I’ve spent all my tears, or else they’d pool in my eyes again.

Mallor takes a deep breath and rests his forehead on his hand. “I’ve… made mistakes. I was a young sentinel, luckily talented enough to become an instructor here, and married a former classmate. Your mother… was a servant. And things happened. She got pregnant, and I got her a house in Sirenna, in the northern edge of the Claw Bay. Far from here. I meant to help her raise our child, but didn’t wish to extend our relationship, except that whenever I visited her, we reconnected. She got pregnant again, and I supported her. Supported you and your brother.”

My mother spent days in her garden or crocheting, selling some of her items, but now I realize it wouldn’t be enough to make a living. Even then, this man has the audacity to think that sending some money is enough to make him a father.

I huff. “That’s all we were to you? A costly burden?”