Broken Wings Read Online Free PDF

stepped forward, and she stifled a gasp. He was her fantasy and nightmare come to life.
    “I am Astien Akhiera. I will be instructing you on psychic sculpture.” His wings rustled as he approached, and he smiled.
    She couldn’t stop staring at the black wings and midnight skin. He had the skin tone of a Selna and the wings of an Enjel. It was not a common blend. The sapphire blue eyes added to the magical nature of his appearance.
    “Is there anyone else?”
    He chuckled. “No. You are my only pupil for this class. It is simply something that I like to play with and enjoy teaching others how to do. This is my third time with a pupil. It is best taught one on one or the clay gets a little crazy.”
    To her surprise, he inclined his head. “I am pleased to meet you, Poppy.”
    Minerva laughed as her new friend fluffed herself and posed for Astien. She caught images of focus on the silky black feathers of his wings.
    “Oh goodness. She is coveting your wings, Instructor Astien.”
    “Just Astien. I will have to help direct your mind and that doesn’t leave much space for formality.”
    He beckoned her to follow him further into the room where a large box was on the centre of the table and a halo was waiting for her.
    “Put on the halo and reach out for the clay, carving, squeezing and twisting it in any way you want. This isn’t about a reasonable product; this is about experimentation and stress relief.”
    A ring of chairs surrounded the table so that is where Poppy was settled.
    Once her friend was set, Minerva put the halo on and it sprang to life.
    “Wow. That is fast. I usually have to turn them on.”
    She sighed. “Apparently, things turn on when they touch me.”
    He grinned and came up behind her to help her focus. “I would have to agree with that statement.”
    Minerva concentrated and tried to take a strip of clay off the block. A minute curl twisted away and fell to the table.
    “May I touch your head?”
    She blinked and nodded.
    He leaned in close and he murmured. “Focus on the image you want to pull out of the clay. Picture it and stare at the clay to see what needs to be removed or added to the structure.”
    She could smell the warm, spicy scent of his wings and his skin. She tried to focus on the clay, but it was difficult.
    To her surprise, the clay took shape, twisting upward into an image of an Enjel woman in a long gown holding a laughing baby with stubby wings.
    Astien removed his hands from her head, and he stepped back as she filled in the details of her mother’s smile.
    “You have a natural knack for this. It is a beautiful sculpture.”
    She stared at the clay as her mind filled in the details. “Yes, she was very beautiful.”
    Tears streaked down her face as she watched her memories sculpt her mother. She whispered, “Can I have another block of clay, please?”
    Astien moved around and he shifted another block of clay next to the statue. Without his help, she carved and pulled it into the strong and caring figure of her father. His wings swept out to protect both his wife and child. He got more and more handsome the more she worked on his face until, finally, he was the image of the man she remembered and her family was complete.
    “That is amazing for your first time. Did you know them?”
    She nodded and swallowed, removing the halo. “I did. They died on Decla.”
    “I am sorry for your loss.”
    She got the feeling that he meant it. “Thank you. They were amazing people, and they could have had so much more life ahead of them if not for that mining consortium.”
    She wiped at her cheeks and smiled weakly. “What happens to it now?”
    He looked from her to the sculpture and back again. “If you like, I can have it altered to a more solid form and delivered to your quarters.”
    The statues were four feet tall. “Can you make them smaller?”
    Astien smiled. “Yes; yes, I can.”
    He reached out and touched the base of the clay. The statues shrank and formed into a