The Diatous Wars 1: Rebel Wing Read Online Free PDF Page A

coming!”
    Aris tried to catch her breath. “I hadn’t planned to. I just . . .”
I just was tired of replaying Calix’s last kiss in my mind. His last “I love you” as he said goodbye. I was tired of sitting alone in my room crying.
“You know. I thought it’d be good to get out.”
    “We’ve all been so worried about you.” Echo pulled back, studying her in the dim light. “Was this morning totally wretched? How are you doing? You look
terrible
.”
    A rueful smile lifted the edges of Aris’s mouth. “Thanks so much.”
    Echo rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. But seriously, are you okay?”
    Aris’s smile faded. “Watching Calix get on that transjet was the worst moment of my life. So yeah, wretched about covers it.”
    “Well, don’t worry, doll. You’ll be your old self in no time. Have you seen the men here tonight? Watch out, Calix!” Echo winked, but her face fell into a pout when Aris didn’t smile. “I was only trying to cheer you up. Don’t look at me like that.”
    Aris sighed.
    Echo pointed to the far side of the dark, cave-like room. “Rakk and Phae are over there. I was just getting us some drinks. What do you want?”
    “Just a pineapple fross, please. Do you need help?”
    “Nah. Go sit down.” With another stifling hug, Echo was gone, her dress sparkling in the dim light. Heads turned to watch her from all around the bar. Aris sighed in envy, not at the looks Echo got, but at the way she moved: smooth and liquid as the lines of paint in the art she hoped to sell in galleries all over Atalanta. Being around Echo made Aris feel even more clumsy and awkward than usual. Her only consolation: Echo was a terrible flyer. Aris could pilot a wingjet just as gracefully as Echo could move. Maybe even better than she could paint.
    Aris made her way to a table wedged in a dark, smoky back corner, where Phae and Rakk were sitting with their heads together. When they saw her, they waved.
    A faint curl of bakka smoke drifted between them, filling her nose with its nutty, spicy scent. It reminded her of the last time she’d been at The Toad, with Calix. She blinked, eyes stinging.
    “On your own now, aren’t you,” Phae said, standing up to give Aris a hug. Her dark skin glowed velvety and smooth against her red dress.
    Aris slid onto an empty stool, grateful for the sympathy in Phae’s eyes. “I can’t believe he’s really gone.”
    Phae patted her hand. The motion set her thick wooden bracelets rattling against her wrist, revealing glimpses of her Commerce brand. Aris glanced at the vines twining up her own arm. The Environment sector’s ivy was the largest of the five sector brands. But it was also the nicest, according to her friends. Phae often wore bangles to hide the small blue barcode on her wrist.
    “I’m sure you’ll hear from Calix soon,” Phae said. “Rakk had time to comm up almost as soon as he arrived at training.”
    Rakk nodded. “It won’t be long. Don’t worry.”
    Aris tried to meet his gaze, but her eyes kept drifting to the red, ridged scar that covered the side of his head and neck. Much of his ear and the hair around the scar was gone. He was still handsome—rich brown eyes, full lips, thick dark hair—but the gruesome scar overshadowed his features.
    The thought that Calix could be in danger, could suffer like Rakk had, made Aris’s stomach clench and her heart race.
    “Maybe the war will end soon,” Phae added, trying to sound reassuring. “You never know. Calix might not be gone that long.”
    Just then, Echo appeared with four frosted, wide-mouthed glasses. She tossed her gravity-defying hair as she placed them on the table. “Am I the only one who thinks she needs to
forget
about Calix?” Echo’s words fell into the loud bar like an anvil.
    Aris reeled back. “What did you just say?”
    “Echo!” Phae said disapprovingly.
    “What?” Shooting a quelling look at Phae, she reached for Aris’s hand. “Doll, I’m sorry. I know you