Ashborn Chapter 10
Summoned to the Aerie, the Calderin family faces a deadly conspiracy designed to sacrifice them and destroy the Order from within.
Heads turned. A hush fell over the Great Hall. Despite the low volume, Kaelin’s voice had carried through the room.
Jessa’s mouth opened. Then closed. Her cheeks had gone pale.
“I...I didn’t realize,” she said finally, her voice thin and brittle. “No one told me...”
“Perhaps,” I bit, “you weren’t letting...” Kaelin put his hand on my arm, shaking his head.
“No one told you Dareya is my sister?” He said, his tone razor-sharp. “Or that you’ve spent the last several minutes tearing her down?”
“Oh, come on!” Jessa cried. “I was joking.”
“No, Jessa.” I was calm. “We all know that you weren’t. You’ve hated me and tried to have me kicked from the Order from the day the Crucible began.”
“You called her dragon - or was it her? - a consolation prize.” Tamsin’s voice was flat, her arms crossed around her baby, as if to shield her from the poison in the room.
Jessa had barely opened her mouth to respond when a junior steward stepped into the group, his face flushed from running.
“Tempered Calderin,” he said, breathless, but formal, holding out a sealed envelope, “you’ve received special dispensation to escort your family to the Aerie this afternoon.”
My mother looked at me, confused. “The Aerie?”
I nodded, heart pounding.
“Awesome! Cool! Dragons!” Sethus and Orin could barely contain their excitement. “Thanks for arranging this, Dareya! You are the absolute coolest big sister! In the world!”
This wasn’t normal. Civilians weren’t allowed anywhere near the Aerie. Certainly not in the middle of a lockdown.
“I didn’t request this.” I said carefully.