Feathers of Ash and Hope by KJ Altair

Some lies protect, others destroy, and when forbidden desire sparks, they can be your downfall…

Ara’s curse is a death sentence—one that could doom her entire family. Joining the Skyrider Academy, bonding a mystical bird, and earning magic is her only hope… if she fails, she dies, and if her identity is exposed, her family falls, too.
Lying, deceiving, and bending the rules are all part of her plan. Running into her childhood crush and catching the eye of her dark, scarred, and beautiful centurion… is not.
Tate joined the Skyriders to climb the ranks and settle a debt—in blood. His past taught him to keep everyone at arm’s length, and he has neither patience nor intention to deal with a reckless recruit who seems to have missed the basics of self-preservation.
But he can’t keep his eyes off her either, and trouble follows wherever she goes. Staying away becomes continuously harder… until he can’t help but tug on those secrets swirling behind her eyes.

When enemies rise and forbidden attraction sizzles, choices of who or what to trust become nearly impossible. Loving him could be her ruin. Letting her go may be his.