A half-swan who sneaks out to become a mechanic wraps her arms around a white swan returning to work at a secret base. Fate, destiny or careful planning?

Whyt has been raised in luxury but craved two things, flight and getting her hands dirty. Her status as a half-swan keeps her from the first, and her mother keeps her from the second. She tries to escape both situations and, as a result, finds life as a test pilot and mechanic.

Styvin Arguat has met Whyt before. He thought she was a shy little ninny. When she breaks out of her family’s home with his help and heads to the research base, he guesses that there may be more to her than even she knows.

Excerpt:

“I thought you would be out here.” Neewin, their housekeeper, crept out onto the balcony.

“Of course I am. Can I ever stop staring at the sky?”

The woman who had been her nanny, her tutor and her confidant put an arm around her shoulders.

“No, you were born to look to the skies, chick. Now, clear off your face and listen closely; tonight, just after moonrise, you need to slip out your window and down to the garden. Run for the south gate, and there will be someone waiting for you. You will get to the flight school, but whether you stay there or not is your own problem.”

The glowing orb was peeking out from behind the mountains. “It looks like I am out of time then.”

“Good girl. Give them hell, chick.” Neewin squeezed her shoulders and left her alone.

Whyt looked at the approaching moon, and she nodded. She would never be able to make it in this robe. This called for a quick change.

She wore a dark brown tunic with a deep hood to conceal her white hair and loose trousers to hide the feather patterns on her legs. Dark slippers covered her feet, and a quick glance out the window showed the moon rising past the horizon. It was time.

Music sounded from the other side of the house, and Whyt knew she wouldn’t get a better opportunity. Her parents were dancing together and would soon be in bed and very distracted. It was time to leave.

The trip out her window was one she had made dozens of times. She moved as fast as she could across the grounds, slipping through the hole in the fence. The person waiting for her was not who she had been expecting.

“Commander Arguat?”

He was wearing dark colours and leaning against one of the newest air skimmers that the Coalition was testing on the surface of Athuuna.

He smiled and settled onto the skimmer, gesturing for her to climb on behind him. It would be five hours of flight clinging to him, but if it got her to Nathrin for the flight school trials, she would do it.

She settled onto the skimmer and placed her hands on his waist. He flicked the controls, and the vehicle rose silently into the air.

The forward movement blew a cool breeze through her clothing. Grimacing, she scooted closer to Arguat and bracketed his thighs with hers. He banked right, and the sudden move forced her to grab at his waist.

When she had first met him, she had pegged him as a jerk, but his agreement to take her to Nathrin overlaid her parents’ attempt at matchmaking and his arrogant attitude that she should be happy to have him.

He pressed a headset into her hand. Once she settled it on her head, she heard, “Running away from another match?”

She wrinkled her nose at his back and debated on how to answer him. She finally settled on, “I am running toward something I have wanted my entire life.”

“You want to be in the military?” His surprise was obvious.

She gritted her teeth. “No. I want to fly. Unlike some of you, I can’t just shift and take off.”