Read Caprion's Wings for Free Online

she often spent time with other soldiers in the
higher parts of the city. It truly felt like she had joined another
world.
    "Thought you might need a bit of
cheering up," she said, and lifted a wooden jug in her lap. Caprion
guessed it wasn't water. He waited as she pulled two cups out of
his tiny kitchen cupboard and poured them drinks. Orange juice
laced with ambrosia, if he didn’t know any better.
    He would have liked to sit next to
her, but her wings took up too much space, so he settled for a
large cushion on the floor.
    "Cheers," she said with another
mischievous smile. A dimple stood out on her left cheek. Then she
downed the cup in a smooth swig.
    Caprion looked away. He took a sip and
let the citrus flavor linger on his tongue. It was too sweet for
his mood. He set down his cup, his mind returning to his
conversation with Florentine.
    "I was shocked by the news," Talarin
said absently, pouring herself another glass and gazing out the
window. "I mean, your mother is a Le'Nasir. You, out of anyone,
should have your wings by now." She looked at him. "The Madrigal
must have your charts wrong. How else could your voice not reach
the stars?" She shook her head in genuine bewilderment.
    Caprion shrugged. "I ask
myself the same thing," he said. "I don't know what I'm doing
wrong. I keep calling, I feel my voice carry, but nothing answers
back." Except a demon.
    Talarin nodded. “He must have your
charts wrong,” she repeated. “You're calling at the wrong time of
year. We need to fix this before it's too late!”
    Caprion sighed. “My mother spoke to
him last year, and the year before that. He redid the charts twice
and they were correct. I'm the one who is failing.”
    Talarin frowned at him, obviously at a
loss for words. She paused and then changed the subject. “Your
brother is a captain now,” she said. “A dawning star, that one. My
mother thinks he’s going to be the next General.”
    Caprion snorted. “Trust me, no one
believes that more than Sumas himself.”
    Talarin wrinkled her nose. “He’s
really not so bad, you know, as a soldier. He would make a strong
leader...though I certainly won’t miss him in my squad.”
    Caprion winced,
remembering every time Sumas and his thug-friends had jumped
him. A leader, indeed. “He was transferred to another squad?” he asked.
    “Yes, with his promotion. We’re all
relieved. No more nasty morning temper. He’s in charge of the
fledgling soldiers now. You know, the new wingers—the baby birds. I
certainly don’t envy him that. New soldiers are the
worst!”
    Caprion grinned at this. “But you just
started training!”
    “Two years ago!” she laughed. “I’ll be
starting my third year soon. They might transfer me to coastal
patrol. I certainly hope so! Imagine the sunsets? It’s either that
or the jailhouse, and the jail gets boring fast.”
    Something about her words caught his
attention. He shifted. Then he said slowly, “By the way, Talarin, I
heard a rumor at market this morning.…”
    She looked at him
questioningly.
    “Eh, this might sound strange,” he
added, and rubbed his neck self-consciously, remembering
Florentine’s warning. “I heard there is a secret prison on the
island. It’s supposedly full of the Unnamed. Is that
true?”
    Talarin paused just long enough to
seem unnatural, then she glanced out the window, as though someone
might be listening outside. She dropped her voice. “I can’t really
say,” she murmured. Then she frowned. “How do you know about
this?”
    "Overheard it," he said briefly.
"Would Sumas know where it is?"
    "Possibly," she allowed, pursing her
lips. She fiddled with her cup for a moment, but Talarin had never
been good with secrets. Caprion could tell she had something to
say. Then she leaned forward, a mischievous glint in her eye. “I’ve
been there only a few times,” she said in a hushed voice. “Soldiers
don't train against the Unnamed until after a year of basic duty.
They're dangerous to be