Combined: An Angelic Story

By Lara Volski

An average high-school student, Meghan Weller is blind to the truths she carries. And she is perfectly content with that, until she is unwillingly thrust into the secret nation of Angelics. Meghan is quick to learn that she too is an angel, a child of the Sun, who only through admirable deeds can earn wings. Yet with this newfound knowledge comes an enemy, fallen Angelics known as the Negatives, who will go to any lengths to put an end to those who oppose them. Can Meghan and her friends stop them before its too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465347244

Lara Volski

Lara Volski was thirteen years old when she created Combined: An Angelic Story. Lara has held a passion for writing since grade school and now, at fourteen years of age, she continues to explore the enchanting worlds books can create. A student in the Creative Writing Conservatory of the Orange County High School of the Arts in Southern California, Lara loves to express herself through words, whether it be through the power of theater or the fine print of books.

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Copyright © 2011 by Lara Volski.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011915460

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4653-4723-7

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4653-4722-0

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4653-4724-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

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Contents

CHAPTER FIRST Reality Shifts

CHAPTER SECOND The Boy Behind the Blue Ghosten

CHAPTER THIRD Unexpected Acts

CHAPTER FOURTH Torn in Two Chase

CHAPTER FIFTH Fallen Angel

CHAPTER SIXTH Black Wings Samantha and Lex

CHAPTER SEVENTH Six Months

CHAPTER EIGHTH Departure Elani

CHAPTER NINTH Bonds

CHAPTER TENTH Is This What We Are? Samantha

CHAPTER ELEVENTH Heavy Swing, Small Steps

CHAPTER TWELFTH Cat Eyed Leminrl

CHAPTER THIRTEENTH Walking Nightmares

CHAPTER FOURTEENTH Tying Knots

CHAPTER FIFTEENTH Lost Memories Ghosten

CHAPTER SIXTEENTH To Release

CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH Betrayal

It is sad, really. If we knew that we were to die tomorrow,

we would do everything today. But when we know tomorrow

we will be alive, be given beautiful life, we do nothing to meet it,

and we put everything off until it’s too late.

Life is my sky, and my hope exists as my wings.

So I fly. I fly to meet the life I will face tomorrow.

To my parents. You hold my heart forever.

CHAPTER FIRST

Reality Shifts

Thanks everyone, I let out a breath, a bit startled by the applause. My voice is muffled and cracked from the cheap microphone, but I’m sure they understand. I pack up the acoustic guitar and exit the stage.

That was amazing! From the emancipating darkness of backstage, someone squeals and pulls me into a bear hug.

You were here? I gasp. The entire time?

She nods. Yup—I was really impressed. That might’ve been the best I’ve ever heard you play.

I roll my eyes. "You say that every time."

But it’s true! she whines.

Anyway, let’s get home. I’m pretty tired, I sigh as I push a stray hair out from my eyes, hiding the joy her words give me. I open the door to see San Francisco laid out before me, teeming with city lights. The night is crisp; it bites at my cherry-flushed cheeks and brings fog to cloud at my lips. But I like it—it’s calm, almost soothing compared to the electric heat of the audience.

I’ll race you to the stoplight, she teases with a playful smile.

You’re on.

I speed ahead, easily reaching the pole. Looks like I won, huh?

But, where did she go? I can’t see her anywhere. Heather? I call out in vain, for she does not answer. My smile is swiped from my face, the excitement bleeding down to my fingertips, leaving me cold and drained. To my wide eyes, the street begins to swirl, mix into a slur of chaos. Shivers flee down my spine and whisper in my ears, burrowing under my flesh. I yelp as I see a shadow flicker across the pavement. I know that I am over-reacting, and I’m sure that Heather’s watching me and laughing, but that doesn’t stop the hair from rising on the back of my neck.

A flash grazes by my side, barely missing me as I leap out of the way. It extends for me again, and yet somehow, with the beatings of my heart dominating my mind, I duck as it glides over me.

He slowly comes into focus—a boy maybe three years older than I. His lips are unruffled and his face smooth, yet with eyes narrowed into slits, brooding with deep anger, and I can somehow make out in the faint moonlight that his jaws are tightly clenched together.

What’s your name? he abruptly demands.

M-my name? The question takes me off guard. Meghan.

Well, Meghan, he betrays no emotion as he speaks. I’ll leave you alive—for now.

*     *     *

The sun blaze flickers through long lashes, casting delicate shadows streaming over my face. The dreams fade, the realm of a storybook dance burnt away as the sun tears through. I roll out of bed and nestle into my slippers, basking in the warm fleece for a moment before walking over to the dew-coated window and signing my name on it with sloppy cursive.

It’s still early in the morning, the pearl of dawn heavy in the gray wind. I close my eyes for one last moment, treasuring the last hints of night seeping away into the corners, lingering at my toes, and begin to ready myself for the day.

A sharp pain hits my head, and I grimace as the memories of last night flood into me. All I can remember is him—his angry, threatening glower. Had Heather driven me home? As another throb pulses through my head, I decide not to think of it right now. Not yet.

Okay, breakfast is on its way, I declare as I reach the end of the stairs. My little brother is sitting on the couch watching television. The ten-year-old turns to me with tired eyes and asks, as usual, Where’s Mom?

C’mon Ricky, at work, like she is every morning.

Then can I have some eggs? Scrambled?

I nod.

Many people say that Ricky and I look alike, and at first I could not find any logic in that, but as he’s gotten older I can see the similarities. He has the same dirty blonde hair as I do, dark at the center, but lightening to a summer-bleached wave as it branches out. And we both have countless freckles, dotting along our noses and cheeks. In sixth-grade, Heather told me that she could play connect-the-dots with them. It had irritated me at the time, but now, at sixteen, I find myself connecting lop-sided giraffes on my arm in the middle of math class.

There you go, I huff in satisfaction as I pour the eggs onto his plate.

Aren’t you gonna have some?

Nah, I’m good. The eggs smell mouthwatering, but I’m not hungry. I am still struggling to overcome the shock of what happened last night. The boy I saw—he was different. He was brimming with power, like there was magic embedded deep within his skin.

When it is over, the remnants of breakfast are stuffed into the dishwasher, and the two of us depart for school. The trolley is a little less than a block away from our home, and, fortunately, it can carry us close enough to both of our schools. Mom occasionally drives us. She’s gone a lot more than she used to be; now that I can watch Ricky, she can spend more time at work. I don’t mind it though, I like the trolley—you can’t breathe in the ocean from a car.

Heather! My voice hints relief as I run to greet her.

Roaming the halls, we wait for the classrooms to open. What was that last night, Meghan? You were so out of it when I dropped you off. Are your shows that stressful?

I look to the side, wondering how to reply. Wow, I guess I must have been pretty exhausted. I can’t say I remember much of last night. It’s the truth.

She shrugs. Whatever, just take it easy, okay?

We turn the corner to find a group of three blocking the hallway. Oh, excuse me, Heather says without making eye contact, trying to squeeze between them.

Oh, hi there! One of them, a smaller girl, says to me. I haven’t seen you around before. What’s your name?

Her cheerfulness is annoying so early in the morning. Well, I’m Meghan, and this is Heather.

It’s a pleasure to meet you. She smiles, and Heather shoots me a look.

I’m Elani. The girl turns to a tall boy at her side. That’s Chase, and then turning to a blonde boy, she states, And that’s Ghosten.

She’s a tiny girl, her head just reaching my shoulder. Her face is very sharp, with a sharp, pointed nose and sharp, thin lips pulled into a smile, but her eyes are soft, and gentle. Although their expression is light, deep within them they are heavily burdened with a sadness that is locked away. I can tell she’s trying her hardest to stay strong, but the shackles are wearing her out, and soon her pain will overtake her. I also know that Heather, at my side, notices none of this. I’ll never bring it up.

The tall boy at her side looks like a giant in contrast. He has shaggy auburn hair that drapes into his face, and a light beard that trims his chin, but otherwise doesn’t show. He might have been intimidating if not for a toothy grin that plays along his lips as he whistles a light tune. He leans against the hallway wall with a careless air.

Lastly, I take in a boy with golden hair who gazes off to the side. He is stiff and reserved, and keeps his eyes low to the ground. He wears a button-up shirt with a collar and jeans.

But there is something to the three of them that I cannot place, as if heat radiates from their very skin. There’s nothing to it… they are just naturally warm.

Are you new here or something? Heather asks.

Huh? The girl looks confused for a moment, but she recovers quickly. Oh, yes, we’re new.

Heather eyes them suspiciously, but the ring of the class bell steals her chance to continue the conversation. Well, nice meeting you guys. See ya’ around then?

Elani nods. See you around.

As soon as we are out of earshot, Heather turns to me. Something was weird about the three of them. Did you notice it?

I nod, but don’t speak. The entire exchange between us was unnerving. I feel like there was something that they were hiding, something that they needed to tell me.

Clips from last night are replaying in my mind, and my headache hasn’t dulled. ‘I’ll leave you alive—for now.’ Isn’t that what he had said? What was that supposed to mean?

Normally I would have sat in the back of the classroom and tried to fend ill feelings off alone, but I have an urge to talk to someone. If I leave myself alone I will think too hard, and my mind will get tangled up in thoughts of last night. I don’t want to have anything to do with that. I want to forget about it and leave it in the past.

The day passes slowly, but eventually I’m able to survive to the last block of the day. As I shuffle away from my locker, I feel a poke on my shoulder and I turn to see the girl from earlier—Elani—looking up at me.

We have to go, she urges, her light voice highly distressed. Now.

What are you talking about? I blink, startled, taking a step back to distance myself from her.

I’ll explain later, but you need to come with me. When I shake my head, she frowns. Please make this easy.

I know it’s probably smarter to go with her—I do not know much about this girl—but I somehow know I can trust her. I can tell that by looking in her eyes. Yet she’s scaring me. I have no idea what she is trying to tell me and why she wants me to come with her, so I respond with natural, frightened stubbornness.

Look, Elani, you can’t just expect me to go with you for no reason. I need to get to class.

She hangs her head in defeat, but what does she expect? Fine, just promise that you’ll stay by me, she pleads.

The taller boy, Chase, appears on my other side. Did she refuse?

Elani nods sadly, and Chase presses his lips together and squints one eye in animated thought. Hm, then how are we supposed to survive this one?

She gives him a look, and something passes between them. The glint in their eyes makes me uneasy. I wish that they would tell me what was happening, but the way Chase glares firmly ahead, his muscles tense, I know that I will discover it soon enough.

In the classroom, they sit on either side of me, both watching the window intently. Other students stare at them, but the substitute teacher doesn’t take any notice, so that is enough for my classmates. Class passes by uneventfully, and for a while, I forget their presence. Until Chase mutters, Here it comes.

I glance at him with my eyebrows raised, but before I can reply, the window shatters and glass whirls around the room. My eyes race frantically to search for the cause of the explosion, but everything is blurred, and I gasp as I feel a heavy darkness clasp around my throat.

Too fast—it all happens too fast. I can’t process it; I’m trapped within basic instincts. Everything is smeared with darkness, blurring my eyes and gurgling in my throat. I clench my fist, restraining myself from turning and running from it all.

*     *     *

The first thing I notice is the window. It is night on the bay, but if I peer out far enough I can see the silver streaks of the moon cutting through the midnight blue, icing it with the weight of the night.

I briefly wonder what Ricky might be doing, he must be trying to find out where I have disappeared to. Maybe I got lucky and he went home with a friend.

Where am I? The least I can do is figure that out. My eyes trace the window, sleek and curved. It makes sense—the quiet growl that shakes the black leather seats, the belt strapped over me—I am in a car. It’s so obvious now. I can just make out the faint rim of two heads in the driver and passenger seats, but otherwise I can’t tell who they are. It takes me a moment to realize that I should be worried, but everything seems so out of place it doesn’t sink in. I can’t get my thoughts straight.

Um, I start and then stop—my throat is burning. My hands automatically rub my neck. Hello?

It is silent for a moment. I bite my lip, the panic beginning to grow inside me. Nice to see you awake, Meghan.

I know that light voice. Elani? Wha-what’s going on here?

She hesitates, looking to the driver’s seat. Is that Chase? We’ll explain everything later. For now, take this. She tosses back a bottle of water. I admire it for a moment, the droplets of ice clinging to its sides. Gratefully I tear off the cap and drink, relieved as the burning gradually dies away.

So why—

Chase holds out his hand to quiet me. Wait, something’s coming. I think he’s back. Can you feel it, Elani?

She nods, her eyes glinting in the darkness. But there’s something else, too.

I sit in the back of the car quietly, fending off the alarm that their words bring, for I feel it too. There is undoubtedly danger lurking in the air, and my breath soon grows short, my skin crawling. I look out on the bay, wondering if I should jump. The cold nighttime water doesn’t seem as uninviting anymore.

The car swerves so close to the edge I worry that we might fall off. There’s something there, something on top of the car. Chase veers the car side-to-side, trying in vain to knock what is on top off.

Stop it, Chase! You might hurt him! Elani screeches.

He’ll survive, mutters Chase, taking a firmer grip on the wheel. He scrapes the car against the railing of the road, a harsh squealing ringing in my ears.

And then he does the unthinkable.

My arms fling out wildly. I am tumbling, just exceeding the avalanche of rubble and grime, but tumbling no doubt.

I feel my stomach drop out, and for a moment, I am hanging in mid-air with wide eyes as the murkiness stretches out before me. And then I sink into the dusky waters.

It’s so quiet. I want to stay, relieved from the chaos. There is a darkness here, different than night, the black is here, but it only appears to be a curtain, a ghostly mask, and behind it holds the dawn of an entirely new world. As I rise higher, I can see golden ribbons dancing in the current, tinged with the silver of a fresh moon. And soon I break through the veil and suck in a mouthful of air. It feels sharp in my lungs, but I gasp in more, until the numbness dies away and I can feel the water slicked against my hair and dripping from my lashes.

I can see it now—there’s a small beach cut into the edge of the cliff. The sand is as black as the waters, but if I squint hard enough, I can just make it out. Taking in one more breath of air, I make my way towards shore.

Meghan! Elani waves to me from her seat on the beach. She looks cold and miserable, and she has her arms wrapped around her legs in an effort to keep warm. Are you okay?

I nod, not wanting to speak, and join her. The terrible thrill of danger has receded, and Elani doesn’t seem to be in a rush to leave.

Where are they? she mumbles nervously, scanning the waves. Chase can’t swim, but it was his idea to jump off.

Where’s the car? I ask.

The car? After all that, you’re worried about the car? She smiles and laughs lightly. It’s still on the road. Chase grabbed you and jumped, and I followed.

Oh, is my only response. It had all happened so fast.

Don’t worry, there’s a reason why your brain is working so slowly.

Huh? I gasp. There is?

She nods. Yeah, we’ll explain it all. Look—there they are. The slowpokes. She points ahead to where Chase and the blonde boy, Ghosten I think, are rising from the waves.

How did he get here? I question, gesturing to Ghosten.

Like I said, we’ll explain.

Here? Chase asks, shaking his hair like a wet dog. On the beach?

Elani shrugs her dainty shoulders. Why not? We are all too tired to go anywhere else. And Meghan’s starting to wake up again, so we should tell her before she ditches us. She laughs yet again, despite the goose bumps running up her arms and legs.

Sand coats my shoes and hands, and my clothes are plastered against my body. At this point, I probably look about as miserable as Elani.

Aren’t you worried that he’ll come back? Chase asks.

We can take him. We know now that he came alone. Elani turns her eyes to Ghosten. Can you start?

Chase chuckles. Yeah, you always have your nose stuck in a history book, right?

Ghosten sighs in defeat and looks at me with a sharp gaze. I shift nervously. I need you to take this with an open mind. I know that…

Cut it and get to the point, Ghosten, Chase interrupts.

Anger bites at Ghosten’s eyes, but he hides it well. Ignoring that, I’m going to be blunt when I tell you this. We’re not human; well, Chase is, but Elani and I aren’t.

Hey! Chase growls. I’m only half.

Disregarding him, Ghosten continues, We’re Angelics, guardians of the Sun. We all have blue eyes and our hair color ranges from snow-blonde to burning-red. We are a bit more powerful than your average human, but only when we earn our wings are we at our full power. Many say that an Angelic’s true purpose is to earn their wings, but the only way to do that is through extremely honorable and just actions, and barely any Angelic has achieved such a gift. When you earn your wings, you leave Earth. No one knows where you go, but somewhere very nice, I’m sure.

There is a group of Angelics known as the Elites. The Elites are a group of four who have chosen to stay on Earth despite the fact that they have earned their wings. In a way they act as our rulers; they are respected and are looked to for guidance by most of us. Three of them—Théodin and Endrigan Amador, and Ximenah Aldaine—live together in the white manor, but the fourth, Lendrik Lopalt, is the Headmaster of an academy for Angelics. I grew up in that manor, along with my brother and Ximenah’s husband and daughter.

At this the atmosphere darkens, the waves on the shore becoming suddenly loud.

The Sun, to us, has a double meaning—it gives us our strength, and it represents all integrity. To abandon the Sun is to abandon all virtue; we call those Angelics… the Negatives. Ghosten pauses, allowing his words to settle, and then continues. The Negatives are beyond any criminal, they are banned from life itself. Their body remains on Earth, a shell of what they were, but their spirit dwells elsewhere. Yet, recently, the Negatives have somehow broken from their shackles and contacted Earth. They’ll contact us in dreams, and gradually convince an Angelic to join them. Of course, if you have the will to, you can refuse. But it takes a lot to do that. Those that join with the Negatives are given immeasurable power, but that power will begin to control them. Most of the Angelics with these powers aren’t even recognizable by the time they receive them. By doing this, one by one, the Negatives are creating an army. These crazed Angelics are called the ‘Possessed’.

This has caused trouble among the Elites. Endrigan is convinced that we must go to war to stop them, and while Ximenah and Lendrik were a bit hesitant, they agree. My father Théodin, on the other hand, is completely against the war. He knows that it will be impossible to beat the Negatives in combat, their powers have by far surpassed us. He does know another way, though.

My grandfather’s name was Ghosten Amador. I am named after him. He was a wise, admirable man, and one of the most respected Angelics in history. Before his death, he discovered not only what the Negatives were planning, but he was also able to discover their weakness. Each Negative can grant power to three Angelics here on Earth. But if you can find that Negative’s ‘shell’ and destroy it, those three will lose their power and return to the Angelics they were before becoming possessed. Although it can be a drag finding ‘shells’, there’s even a greater problem. The Possessed will try to stop you at any cost from destroying the shell, and that’s half of the reason why we were attacked today.

"You see, our plan is to gather a group of Angelics to aid us in hunting for the Negative shells. But to defend ourselves from the Possessed, we must have powers beyond those of the average Angelic. Angelic’s gain their power by taking in the sun’s rays, but Elani is a little bit different. She can actually absorb the sun’s rays and reflect them onto things, and by doing this to plants, she can speed their growth, and overall, control them. I have Elitist blood in my veins, so that alone makes me a bit more powerful. And Chase, well, he’s a human infused with Angelic power. So although he can’t really earn his wings, he is still considered to be an Angelic, and he is still a lot more powerful than he was before. It isn’t just us, though. There are others that are searching for the Negative shells. But we’re here because of you, Meghan."

Because of me? I point a weak hand at myself.

He nods. Meghan, you are an Angelic, just like us. And even more, you possess a special power, just like us. That’s why we came to you, to ask for your help.

Of course, Elani says, we thought you knew that you were an Angelic. When we met you at school, we thought that you would be able to tell that we were like you. But you were completely oblivious. We decided that we did not want to involve anyone in this blasted war if they did not need to be, but it was too late. The Possessed noticed our interest in you, and they took an interest in you as well. They came to attack you at your school, so we had to quickly knock you out and take you away. I injected you with this.

She holds up a needle with a glistening liquid inside—the label reading ‘Calderwood’. It’s a dazing syringe. For humans it can have harmful, and sometimes lasting, effects, but you’re powerful enough to handle it. I am sorry that we could not explain everything before, and I’m sorry for getting you involved in this. You don’t have to help us, but we’ll do our best to protect you. It’s our fault, after all.

I’m at a loss for words. I want to run away, far away. Nothing makes sense anymore, for it’s impossible that what they say is true. Was this all some big, twisted joke? If they are being honest, I can never go back to leading a normal human life. I will always be haunted by the supernatural.

Impossible, I whisper, sounding like a dead woman bearing her last words. My mouth aches with the clutter of thoughts that yearn to be spoken, but do not part through my lips. Nothing she said can be true, yet somehow, I know it is. Something in the back of my mind is positive of this. But I don’t want to think about it, to process it. Perhaps it’s best to accept it, and leave it at that.

Elani. It is Chase that speaks now. Can you protect Meghan? I think that he came alone, but you can never be sure.

She nods and stands by me, but her eyes are ahead. Elani? I ask softly, as if fevered with a dream. What’s happening?

There’s a particular Possessed who is after you. We have had a lot of dealings with him in the past. He’s coming now, but I’m not sure why. It’s stupid of him to come alone.

I follow her eyes to where a young man now stands, and I hold back a gasp. It’s him—I had met him last night. I am certain of it.

It’s the first time that I am able to completely see him. His hair looks black in the night, a halo of moonlight rimming the edges of his head. His eyes are as black as his hair, but with the slightest tinge of red around the pupils. He is chalk pale, but blotchy, like paint was dabbed over his skin, and the moon makes it seem like he’s glowing. He’s a frightening thing, deriving from the realm of nightmares, with his tortured eyes and grim smirk, and I wonder if this is the price of his power.

What do you want, Leon? Elani asks, her voice bitter.

I want to talk. He narrows his eyes and scans our faces. When they rest on mine, his smirk widens. His voice is collected, and polite, but sounds suppressed and artificial to my ears, like his kindness is merely an act.

You want to talk? Ghosten challenges. Talk, after you attacked us like that?

I never attacked you. I came to confront you, and you took it as an attack.

Neither of them look very convinced, but they don’t object any further. Well what is it that you have to say? Elani asks shortly.

Leon shakes his head slightly. I want to speak with Amador. He gestures towards Ghosten.

Why can’t you say it to all of us? Ghosten bites his lip, his meekness showing through. But how can I blame him? A monster—that’s what Leon is, and he’s at least five years Ghosten’s superior.

You’re the mastermind behind all of this, aren’t you? But as he says it, he looks over to Chase, who has his head turned away from the scene, concentrating hard on the waves. It’s obvious that Chase, too, feels very uncomfortable around him.

Letting out a short sigh, Ghosten agrees. With a quick look back to us, he and Leon walk further down the beach to speak in private.

Can you drive Meghan home, Chase? Elani asks. When he looks hesitant, she continues, Don’t worry, I’m staying here to make sure that this isn’t some trap.

Okay, then follow me, Meghan, he says and, with that, we leave.

*     *     *

I am half-asleep when we pull up in my driveway. After giving my thanks to Chase, I run up to my brother’s room. I need Ricky, someone bright and cheerful and, more importantly, normal. He is curled up in his bed, his chubby arms wrapped around a plush animal. I can feel my face grow hot, and after all that has happened today, crying is a relief. I don’t want to lose my brother, he is now my tie to the normal world, to a world that makes sense.

How bizarre it is… and it’s not only the fact of being thrust into this distorted world that scares me, but the fact that it seems so right. It is always in the sun’s presence that I feel most level-headed, and it has always confused me how no one else seems to share this bond. I have to take care of not only myself, but Ricky, in my mother’s absence, and it would be only too easy to get frustrated with that, but I always manage to stay calm—at least when it doesn’t rain.

I close his door softly, and prepare myself for bed. As I make my way to my room I can feel my muscles tense. Freezing in my tracks, I stand pondering at my bedroom door, for something is definitely there. Clenching the doorknob, I slowly creak it open to peek an eye between the crack.

The laugh is light and bubbly. No worries, Meghan. It’s simply me. I swing the door open to see Elani sitting on my bed.

Elani? How’d you get here so quickly? I ask in surprise. And why are you here?

You take a longer time brushing your teeth than you think. And I’m here for a sleepover.

A sleepover? I echo doubtfully. That’s the last thing I want.

She sighs. You’re still a novice, Meghan. We need to teach you everything as fast as we can. So I’m here to explain.

I’m curious, deathly curious, but I want to run away. The thought of being anything but a human makes my head spin, and yet I know that there’s something else to me. Something different. I just… don’t want to think. At all. Especially tonight, when I am already so exhausted.

Meghan, we said that we took interest in you because you possessed a special power, right? We could tell that from the first time we saw you—you are brimming with potential. You don’t have to aid us in our cause, but I’m going to teach you how to use your power so you can protect yourself. Our first step is to discover what it is you hold. I’m stronger when the sun dawns, most Angelics are, but we’ll have to practice at night.

Elani, I stop her. This isn’t real, it can’t be. How can I hold some sort of power without knowing it? I’m sorry but… this is too bizarre.

She turns away before I can see her expression, unlatches my window, and begins to climb out. H-hey! What are you doing? You’ll hurt yourself!

Have some faith in me, Meghan. She gracefully jumps from the ledge of the window to the tip of the roof, and then turns to beckon me forward. Come on, follow me.

I’m heavy with fright but a craziness overtakes me. I squeeze through the window, gingerly tapping my foot at the paneling before swinging my other leg onto the roof. Heh—I’m doing it. I’m… on the roof, I squeak with a nervous giggle. I inch slowly forward, my arms ready to catch me if I fall, and I almost laugh as I compare my clumsy footsteps to Elani’s refined dance. I allow my feet to run softly before I halt at the edge, looking over to see the front lawn.

What do I do now?

Jump!

I stand pondering for a moment before inching my toes out over the tip of the roof, releasing my ankles, and letting flight take me. With a light thud and stumble I land, and I smile with awed satisfaction.

"Hm, we need some