Wings of Roses

Chapter 1

"Smells good, Mama." I say with a peck to her cheek when she straightens at the sound of the door closing behind me. She grins, her round, red face heating with the warmth of the fire.

"Will you head into town for me, love? I just need a loaf of bread and a few other things."

"Of course," I say before heading for my bedroom to grab my satchel. Everywhere I look are small vines of paint I doodled as a child. Various flowers from my mother's garden and those I had seen walking the forest beyond. My bedroom is even more decorated. I painted the walls with all sorts of plants and flowers. Potted wisteria hangs loosely over my small dresser, and herbs hang upside down over my bed for drying. I grab my satchel and sling it across my chest before heading back into the kitchen, where my mother is waiting for me.

"A loaf of bread, a bundle of eggs, and see if Rose has some wild berries for jam." The coin purse she hands me sits heavily in my satchel, and she waves me off.

The afternoon sun is hot on my face as I walk down the dirt path. It's a good distance from the farm to the village. Usually, we take Papa's wagon as a family into the market square each Sunday, but when my mother needs something, I head out on foot. It'll be good to stretch my legs anyway. The breeze sways my long skirts around my ankles. As I leave the safety of the farm behind, the trees of the forest begin to close in until they're right up against the wide dirt trail I walk. Birds chirp happily from their perches. Some swoop down ahead of me, their small wings flapping so quickly my eye can only see a blur of feathers. A reminder of what is to come, of what I'm meant to be.

Though I've learned the history of this world, what is expected of me, and have trained with weapons, I don't feel ready for tomorrow. What if the High Priest of Agliath thinks me unworthy? I would be a disappointment to my parents, to my village, and to all our kingdom. Chosen are turned away often during the ritual, but I don't know if I could stomach it. My entire life has been leading up to this day. What would I do if I could not fulfill the only destiny I've known? I have no real dreams aside from keeping my family safe and flying among the stars.

Thatched roofs come into view as the path turns into that of stone. The woodcutter's son, Jeremias, heaves an axe down on a log, splitting it into two as I pass their family home. His bare back and blond hair glisten with sweat as he bends down to pick up the pieces of wood. He tosses them into the pile by their fence along the road. Jeremias has always been handsome, even when we were children. He's the only person, aside from Rose, that speaks to me.

My heart flurries at the memory of the kiss we once shared a few months ago. We'd laid in the meadow outside the village where the creatures of the forest join to drink the waters of the small lake residing there. He'd tucked a daisy behind my ear, told me I was beautiful, and kissed me under the light of the moon. Which may or may not have led to other acts that are typically reserved for those who are engaged or otherwise married.

Since then, we've spent countless nights wrapped up in each other in that meadow.

My mother always suspected he was keen on me, and she is known for never being wrong. I have feelings too, of course, otherwise I wouldn't be physically entangled in the man. There can never be anything more between us, though. We know I may never return to Windson. He'd offered to help me run away from fate, to have us live our days across the sea in a foreign kingdom. I declined, because running from the ritual is seen as treason, and you will be hunted down and killed. It would be selfish to put him in harm's way.

I stop a few feet from the fence to give a small wave, which Jeremias returns with a grin that shows the dimples in his cheeks. "Heading to the market, Aeris?" he asks, both hands gripping the fence as he leans over.