by Cheree Alsop
I looked at the doctor. “You said yourself that the Galdoni are dangerous and shouldn't be trusted. You want one around your students?”
He chuckled. “You've already been around my students.” His expression turned serious and he put an arm on the table. “I judged too quickly in ignorance. You're a kid like the rest of them and deserve the same opportunities. If anything, you have more self-control than anyone else your age.”
“Hey,” Jayce protested. He knocked a cup over with his elbow and sent orange soda across the table. Brie rushed to mop it up with paper napkins.
“Thanks for proving my point.” The doctor’s brow creased. “Imagine all you could learn.”
I didn't answer because I knew there was too much they weren't considering. They changed the topic and continued with the meal, laughing and chatting about the day and leaving me to my own thoughts. I finished my food in silence, thanked the doctor for his hospitality, and left to my room with more questions than I had the night before.
***
Jayce lounged on the couch, his fingers entwined behind his head. “So you're like a black belt; your hands are considered deadly weapons, right?”
I shrugged from my place on the other couch. I couldn't sit back because of my wings, but it was better than my bed. Sleep had eluded me the last few nights thanks to worrying about the preparations Nikko was making. Against my better judgment, I had finally given in to their arguments about school. Nikko was having a heyday with the planning. I felt butterflies in my stomach for the first time in my life.
“I guess so. We studied so many types of combat I don't know what you'd call it.”
“I'm just glad you're on our side.” Jayce picked up the open can of soda he had set beside the couch and raised it to me before he drank.
“Me, too,” I agreed. I toyed with the tassels on one of the couch pillows.
Jayce chuckled. “Nervous about your first day of high school?”
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I nodded.
He grinned. “Don't be. It's not like they're out to get you. You'll have the advantage.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, and what's that?”
“You get frustrated, you can just fly away.” He glanced at the bandages on my wings and shrugged. “Well, soon anyway, hopefully.”
“Hopefully,” I echoed. I couldn’t allow myself to consider what would happen if not.
“Well, don't worry. Tomorrow we'll get everything straightened out and you can start your first day of school Wednesday.” He sat up and gave me a critical look. “We need to get you cleaned up first.”
I hadn't been able to take a decent shower since the attack. Thankfully, Dr. Ray had created coverings for my damaged wings so I could have a real shower in the morning. Obviously I wasn't the only one looking forward to it.
“Brie can cut your hair.” At my incredulous look, he grinned. “Don't worry, she cuts mine, Nikko’s, Dr. Ray's, and our dad’s. She's actually pretty good.” He gave me another, closer look and nodded. “You're close to Jayce’s height and build, beside the wings of course. I'll take charge of the clothes.”
I sighed. “Do we really have to do this?”
He rose from the couch and slapped my good knee in passing. “Don't worry, man. I really think you'll like it. It'll be an adventure.” He left through the front door and I watched him walk across the street to his house.
“I've had enough of those for one lifetime,” I replied under my breath. I pushed to my feet and crutched my way back to the bedroom. Between the crutches and the wings, Jayce had better come up with a pretty convincing outfit.
***
I eased down into the small bathtub, careful to keep the bandages at my wing joints dry. The hot water eased the aches that had never quite gone away. It was the first bath I had ever had, and though I had been skeptical at first, I now understood why Brie said a hot bath could be the ultimate stress relief. But I was still glad I didn’t stoop far enough to let her put bubbles in the water. Jayce would never have let me live it down.
I felt like a part of the filth that came from my past at the Academy washed away as I cleaned my skin with the hot water and minty soap Brie had provided. I studied the scars that stood out in stark contrast against my skin. I again felt the lashes and weapons that had carved their signatures into my body.
Somehow, being away from the Academy, acting somewhat human, felt like leaving the last bite of pain from those wounds in the bath water. I didn’t dwell on the fact that I wasn’t human and could never be. It was enough just to be part of something civilized, to feel like I was at least somewhat in control of my own life.
I scrubbed my body until I finally felt clean. My black wings gleamed, the feathers finally clear of the dirt and grime from the alley so that they glinted dark purple at certain angles in the light. The bandaged joints ached whenever I moved, but I hoped it was a healing pain. I combed the tangles out of my black hair. It hung to my shoulders, longer than I usually wore it, and drove me crazy by constantly falling in my eyes. Maybe a haircut would be a good idea.
I pulled on the jeans and black collared shirt Jayce had set out. It took some doing to ease the new slits in the back of the shirt over my wings, but when I had it settled, the clean cotton felt good against my skin. Dr. Ray had removed the stitches from the gash on my forehead earlier that day; I traced the healing line above my eyebrow.
My gaze shifted so that I stared at the stranger in the mirror. He looked back with dark eyes, a firm jaw, and something unfamiliar on his face. Hope. I shook my head and turned away. I would need more than hope to get through tomorrow. I opened the door and used a crutch to make my way into the living room.
Brie sat by herself on the arm of the couch, a comb and scissors on her knee and an empty chair in the middle of the floor. Her eyes widened when she saw me. My stomach turned over strangely at the look on her face.
“You clean up nice,” she said in a tone I didn’t recognize.
“Thanks.”
I stopped by the chair and set the crutch on the ground. Brie sat quietly for so long I finally looked over at her. When she met my eyes, a touch of red colored her cheeks. I frowned slightly, uncertain, and she stood up, dropping the scissors and comb to the floor.
“Go ahead and take a seat,” she said. Her face was hidden by her long brown hair as she stooped to pick up her tools.
I sat and tried to ignore the fact that I was about to let a near-stranger close to me with a potentially dangerous weapon. Her footsteps crossed behind me and stopped for a minute. I jumped at the feeling of fingers lightly brushing one of my wings.
“Sorry,” Brie said, her voice quiet. “You're wings are beautiful. I've never seen feathers like these.”
She ran the comb through my hair. The feeling made me want to stay in the chair forever and fly away and never come back all at the same time. My muscles tensed and I had to force myself to hold still.
“Relax,” Brie said gently. She combed the hair back from my forehead, her fingers soft on my skin. “I'm not going to cut you, I promise.”
I nodded and she said with a slightly teasing note in her voice, “Well, I might cut you if you move your head. Hold still, but don't be so tense. Trust me.”
It took a surprising amount of willpower to close my eyes. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The soft snip of scissors was followed by the almost inaudible sound of hair falling to the floor. Brie ran the comb through my hair again, followed by another snip. She started to hum softly to herself, so soft that I doubted she even knew she did it. The music calmed my frazzled nerves and took the tension from my shoulders.
“That's better,” she said quietly.
I opened my eyes to see her staring inches from my face. Her gaze followed the strands of hair she measured with her fingers. She met my eyes for a second, then continued on, a slight smile on her lips. I memorized her smile.
“Did anyone tell you that you have amazing eyes?” she asked as
she moved around to the back.
I was about to shake my head, then remembered her warning. I gave a rueful smile. “Not exactly a high topic of conversation in combative society.”
I heard the answering smile in her voice. “Well, you do. They match the color of your wings in certain light.”
Her fingers ran from my forehead to the back of my hair, measuring lengths. I closed my eyes again and concentrated on the soft touch. So little in my life had been gentle that I had to fight from tensing against the surprise blow my body assumed would come. I had never realized how many walls I had up until Brie’s touch threatened to crack them all.
I became aware that the humming and cutting had stopped; I opened my eyes to find Brie sitting on the couch across from the chair, her brow furrowed and brown eyes serious. “When was the last time someone cut your hair?” she asked quietly.
I rolled my shoulders despite the pain it brought and leaned forward to put my elbow on my good knee. I studied the faded outline of bruises on my hand. “Never. I do it myself.” I glanced up only to see her frown deepen.
“Does anyone take care of you guys over there?”
“At the Academy?” I asked, though it was obvious. She nodded and I shook my head. “We take care of ourselves. Dependency is a sign of weakness, or so they tell us.” I pushed myself to my feet. She picked up the crutch and held it out. My hand brushed hers when I took it and I paused as a jolt of electricity ran up my arm at her touch. I took a calming breath and settled the crutch under my arm, then gave her a half smile. “What would they say if they saw me now?”
“Do you really care?”
Her question caught me by surprise. I glanced at her. “You are forward, aren’t you?”
She brushed her hair back from her face with an impatient gesture. “You shouldn’t care. Really. Look at what they did to you. They meant to send you out there to die. You don’t have to go back. You don’t have anything to prove. It’ll be a death sentence.”
Her words echoed the argument that had swirled in my head the past few days. Anger at my own lack of answers surged through me. I gritted my teeth before I said anything I would regret.
But she saw it. “What? Tell me.”
I shook my head and turned to go back to my room.
Brie caught my arm, her grip firm. “Kale, I helped save your life. You owe me that much.”
The way she said my name made me turn back against my will. She must have seen something in my face because she let go of my arm and stepped back. I took a breath and tried to push away the pent-up fury in my chest. I leaned against the arm of the sofa.
“It’s what I’m meant for, Brie.” I ran a hand through my hair. It felt good to have it shorter. I shoved the hand in my pocket. “It’s all I know. I’ve been taught to fight my whole life, and now, here I sit and wait to heal for what end? How can I do anything the way I am? Who are we kidding thinking I’ll fit in at this school? And what happens to you guys when we’re caught? It would have been better if you'd let me die out there.”
Brie's eyes widened; I looked away. She took a step forward. “You don't really believe that, do you?”
She tried to hide the hurt she felt, but I could hear it in her voice and hated myself for it. I lowered my head. “I believe it for you, for all of you. You shouldn't have gotten caught up in this.”
“We chose to, and we accepted the risk. We aren't kids, Kale. We know what we're doing.” At my glance, a faint blush stole across her cheeks again. “Well, at least most of us know what we're doing.” She sat down on the couch and motioned for me to join her. Her gaze was soft and trusting. Knowing what she did of my background, I wondered why she dared to be in the same room with me, let alone ask me to stay. I frowned but took a seat against my better judgment.
She sighed and toyed with a small beaded bracelet around her wrist that I hadn't noticed before. “Can I tell you something?”
I gave a small, guarded nod. “Yes.”
She looked at me carefully. “Promise you won't tell Jayce?”
“You have my word.”
“Our parents, well, my step-father.” She hesitated, but I nodded encouragingly. She looked down at her hands. “He has a drinking problem and he gets violent. I want to get my sister away from them.”
“How old is she?” I had never tried alcohol; it was a banned substance at the Academy for obvious reasons, but I had read about its uses and effects.
“Eight. When my parents divorced, my father won custody of Jayce and me, but Allie was so young that they let her stay with my mom. I almost didn't go with Dad because I was so worried about leaving her, but Jayce talked me into it. He said if we could establish that this was a better place for her, we would eventually be able to take Allie away from it all.” She glanced at me and I could see the worry in her eyes. “But when I spoke to Mom on the phone yesterday, she mentioned that Rob lost his job.”
“And you're worried his drinking will get out of control,” I finished her thought. She nodded, her eyes bright with concern. I knew I should reassure her, but her reasoning made sense. “Does your sister know how to reach you if things get out of hand?”
“She has my cell number, but it's a two hour drive. Dad’s gone for the next few days on a business trip and I worry about something happening while he’s gone.” She rubbed her eyes tiredly. “Maybe I worry too much. Jayce thinks everything's okay.” Her voice dropped softer. “But he never really felt there was a problem in the first place. Even when Rob was beating on Jayce, he figured it was better than Rob beating Mom or me.”
“But now there's no one else to beat on,” I replied.
She nodded. “It keeps me up at night. Jayce thinks I worry myself sick for nothing, but I can't help it. I can't wait to get her out of there.”
“I can’t blame you. You’re a good sister to worry.”
She gave me a grateful smile. “It’s nice to have someone else to talk to about it. Thanks for understanding.”
But I didn't, really. I had never been concerned for another person besides myself. At the Academy, it was fight or die. There wasn't room for chivalry or mercy.
“What’s it like, having a family?” I asked, curious.
She gave a slight frown. “Mine isn’t the best example, really. My dad’s away on business all the time. We’ve practically lived here at Dr. Ray’s since the divorce, but it’s better than living at my mom’s. Jayce, Nikko, and I have pretty much become our own family.” She glanced at me. “But it’s nice to have someone you know is there when you need them.”
“I’ll bet,” I replied quietly.
She gave me a kind smile. “I know you don't have the whole family problems thing, but you’re a good listener.” She rose and offered me her hand. “You need more sleep, and I could use some myself. Tomorrow'll be a big day.”
I took her hand and made it to my feet. Though I didn't need the help, she led the way to the bedroom and opened the door. I crutched past her and eased down on the bed.
“Be careful,” she said with a teasing twinkle in her eyes. “You might get comfortable here.”
“We wouldn't want that,” I replied, only half-joking. I reached for the shirt and shorts Nikko had given me to sleep in.
She grinned and started to close the door behind her, then paused. “Kale?”
“Yeah?”
“I'm glad you're here.” She shut the door behind her and left me in a darkness that didn’t seem quite as thick as usual.
Chapter Five
The scent of books, old carpet, strange food, and a smell similar to workout socks met me when we stepped into the school. I stared at the flow of students rushing around us and jostling each other as they made their way to their classrooms. Two students bumped into me, then stumbled away laughing and holding onto one another. Brie touched my arm and smiled. I took a steeling breath and followed them into the chaotic throng, reminding myself that we were safe as long as no one figured out what I was.
The anxio
us glances Jayce, Nikko, and Brie exchanged as we made our way down the hall toward our first class weren't lost on me. To my surprise, the black trench coat Jayce gave me to hide my wings didn't raise any eyebrows. He said it was an older style, light enough to blend in with the rainy weather, and short enough that it didn’t bring to mind a mass murderer, which he stated with a humorous twinkle in his eyes. I was tall enough that with my wings bandaged tightly against my back, there was only a slight bulge against the loose cloth. I hoped the casual observer would take it as just an odd fit of the coat.
Jayce kept glancing around as if worried about something. I put it off as concern about sneaking me into school, but the look on his face and the way his eyes darted down each hall we past put me on edge. He caught my look and leaned over, “I kissed a girl last week and now her brother’s out for my blood.”
The words sent a thrum of anticipation through my veins. We were almost to the classroom when a tall student with short red hair spotted us through the crowd. My muscles tensed at the look on his face, but he ignored me, his eyes on Jayce. Two students, obvious acting as his backup, followed him toward us. “Jayce, I’m gonna-“
I stepped in front of Jayce, grabbed the student by the shoulder and shirt, then threw him headfirst against the lockers. He crumpled to the ground in a motionless heap. Jayce stared from me to the unconscious student, then grinned at the student’s two wide-eyed companions. They turned and ran back up the hall.
“That’s right!” Jayce yelled after them. “You’d better run if you don’t want to end up like Dane!” He slapped me on the shoulder, awe bright in his eyes. “Thanks man, that was awesome!”
Brie’s brow was creased and she opened her mouth to say something, but a shrill bell rang above us.
“Come on,” Nikko said in an exasperated tone. He threw another glance at Dane. The student had pushed up to his hands and knees and stared at the thin carpet as if wondering how he had gotten there. The locker above him was dented. Nikko shook his head and entered the classroom with Brie close behind.
