Free The Rabbit and the Raven: Book Two in the Solas Beir Trilogy by Melissa Eskue Ousley

training.”
    As Solas Beir, David didn’t need Cael’s approval. He could have gone anyway, but he trusted Cael’s judgment and submitted to his guidance.
    “All right,” David said. “When can we start?”
     
     
     
    The more Marisol came to know Cael, the more she admired him. Cael supervised the combat training himself and coached her, David, Abby, and Jon on military strategies. He was pleased with their progress, and praised them often. Cael seemed to understand that while David could easily break the class curve by virtue of being Solas Beir, Marisol and his other human students also needed encouragement. He had high expectations, but he was fair. He recognized hard work, and that his pupils understood what was at stake.
    For a girl who had shied away from conflict her whole life, Marisol found that she was quite adept at the logic involved with strategies for battle, and not too shabby with the hand-to-hand stuff either.
    When she knocked Jon flat on the training lawn—again—Marisol apologized. “Sorry! It’s only because I took mixed martial arts when I was a kid.” He was sprawled on the ground, trying to catch his breath after getting the wind knocked out of him. “My mom was a little paranoid about the paparazzi,” she explained.
    “No—don’t be sorry,” Jon said, looking up at her and rubbing his jaw. “My aching pride and swollen face aside, it’s kinda hot to have a girlfriend who kicks butt.”
    “Am I?” she asked, extending her arm to help him up.
    Jon brushed himself off. “Hot? Two words—last one’s ‘yes.’”
    Marisol laughed. “No, you ginormous dork. Your girlfriend.”
    “Uh,” he faltered. “I actually thought we’d already established that, considering the, um, quality time we’ve been spending together. Sorry—I assumed…”
    “Well, you never actually asked me,” she pointed out, putting her hands on her hips.
    “Oh. Easy enough,” Jon countered. “ Will you be my girlfriend? Don’t leave me hanging—please say yes.” He flashed his big, brown, pleading-puppy eyes.
    Marisol grinned. “Two words—last one’s ‘yes.’”
     
     
     
    David was surprised to learn that aerial combat might come into play. He had been rather pleased with himself when he learned to fly on his first official day as Solas Beir, but he had assumed that the purpose of that power was simply transportation. Fighting while in flight seemed a bit more complicated. Erela, the tall, enigmatic councilwoman with billowing, white wings, volunteered to train him.
    David had thought of Cael as stoic, but working with Erela brought new meaning to the concept. Cael would never be mistaken for a joker, and he was not known for his winning smile (although David was seeing a few more smiles these days, thanks to the time Cael was spending with Eulalia). Nevertheless, Cael was capable of emotion—he had just been trained to keep it in check. David wasn’t so sure about Erela. She was intelligent, but seemed to have a strong moral compass that lacked in compassion. She noted when he did well in his exercises, but there was an emotional flatness to her feedback—you couldn’t exactly call it praise. It was simply information.
    Her response to his failings was more difficult to discern. It was almost like there was a dark undercurrent there, but whatever it was, it was secured under lock and key. Her grey eyes were those of a cold, calculating killer—not because she was cruel, but because she was a predator.
    Gorman had told him a story about gryphons—those proud eagles with the bodies of lions. They were symbolic of nobility, strength, and protection, and renowned for being judicious. No one would mistake them for being cuddly. David thought Erela might be like that, only a different species of predator. The word “valkyrie” came to mind, but even that didn’t seem to be the correct classification for her. He didn’t know what she was, or how she had come to serve on his council.