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“You ever wonder what flying must be like?” she asked in a wicked tone. Her voice sounded louder and… larger. As large as the courtyard, as if her energy now filled every available corner, and her voice followed her energy. “All these other kids with wings… and you have nothing. No powers, no abilities… nothing. You are nothing.”
I took in a deep breath and released it slowly. It was happening again. It was year one all over again. I had no control over my own body. I narrowed my eyes at her, and she only made me fly higher. I was getting anxious. What would she do when she thought I was high enough? I unfocused my eyes for a moment, and I could see her aura. Violent red with specks of black and purple. She was angry, but at the same time, she was hurt. And yes, her aura had now expanded all around her, filling the courtyard and working constantly on overtaking the building. She grew more powerful by the minute. It was as if the more power she used, the more powerful she became. And all her power was fueled by anger and pain.
“Lorna,” I shouted. She couldn’t hear me. I could barely hear myself. The wind was howling now, picking up dead leaves from the ground and lifting them up in a vortex around me. A storm was coming, and I didn’t know whether it was Lorna or the crappy weather we’d had for the past few days. “Please put me down.”
“Up up up you go,” she laughed hysterically.
Students gathered around us, but no one did anything. Some were in shock, others were chuckling in satisfaction. Pandora, Sammy, Sheba, and Kitty seemed particularly happy. Where was Klaus when I needed him? A bunch of VDC guys were there, too, and one of them was a mage. I looked at him pleadingly, but he shrugged and took a couple of steps back. He didn’t want to get involved. Of course he didn’t. Very few people were brave enough to stand up to Lorna. She was, after all, the most powerful mage at Grim Reaper Academy. I remembered hearing Headmaster Colin himself, one time, whispering it to another professor. “Lorna Chiaramonte,” he’d said, “I’ve never seen such power before.”
Fuck. I’m so, so fucked.
I was going higher and higher. I closed my eyes and let it happen, not wanting to see how high she’d gotten me. But I couldn’t resist for long. I hoped she’d stop at some point. Get me back down. Or throw me to the ground, most likely. She wasn’t done yet. When I opened my eyes, I was at the same level with the topmost floors of the four towers. I felt sick to my stomach. Dizziness made my eyes cloudy, and I blinked a couple of times to clear the fog. My head was throbbing with a headache that was out of this world, and I realized my body couldn’t take much more altitude. It was freezing cold up here, and Lorna only lifted me higher and higher. Before I knew it, I was way above the tops of the towers, and the people on the ground were small now.
Can’t breathe…
My hands flew to my throat as I started hyperventilating. It was either from the impossibly high altitude, or it was the beginning of a panic attack. I kicked my legs again, but it only made things worse. Bile rose in my throat, and for a moment, I was worried that I might throw up. If I was lucky, maybe I caught Lorna on the head, but if that happened… would she let me go? Would she let me fall to my death? Most likely, if I did throw up, the wind would carry it away.
Jesus! The mind is a mysterious thing. I’m about to die and… and I’m thinking about what would happen to my puke if I threw up.
Just as I felt like my consciousness was about to slip away, like sand through my fingers, I saw a winged figure break through the clouds.
Grim Reaper.
I was dying. I didn’t know how or why, but I was sure I was dying, and the winged creature was going to pull out his scythe and sever my string of life. There was no scythe, though. As he flew closer, I distinguished his features.
“Sariel,” I whispered.
He batted his wings once, sending leaves and tiny branches flying to the sides, clearing his way to me. His silver eyes were fixed on me, his lips were pursed in concentration, his perfect hair didn’t look so perfect anymore, ruffled by the wind and the air currents, pieces of leaves stuck between his golden locks. He batted his white wings agai
n, and just as I felt like I was going to faint, he caught me in his arms, and I felt the rush of air hitting my cheeks as he flew me down down down. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body against his warm chest. His heart beat wildly in his ribcage, and I wondered… Why is he here? Why is he doing this? I couldn’t keep my eyes open, not with the air whooshing around me at every bat of his wings. I closed them. For one moment, I thought. Just a second, so I could gather my bearings. So I could think this through. So I could wrap my mind around the fact that I was in Sariel’s arms and we were flying.
I closed my eyes for one moment and when I opened them, it was hours after, I was in GC’s bed, and GC and Pazuzu were hovering over me.
CHAPTER FIVE
“What happened?” I sat up, smacking my lips in disgust. There was a bitter taste in my mouth, and I was dying of thirst. Paz grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and pushed it into my trembling hands. I drank like a mad person, water spilling at the corners of my mouth and onto my T-shirt. “Did I throw up?”
“Plenty,” GC frowned. “But it’s fine, really. You puked all over Sariel’s uniform, and I’m so proud of you, goddess.” He laughed.
“It was epic,” Paz grinned. “He landed with you in the middle of the courtyard, set you down ever so gently, and as he was checking your pulse, you sat up, grabbed him by the shoulders, and just went for it.” They both started laughing out loud. Paz could barely finish his story. “Like… you threw up all over his chest, lap, I think you even got his wings real good.”
“And the best part is you fainted right after,” GC added. “You were all like… blargh, and then… poof! Sleep. He just stood there…” He laughed louder. “Oh my God, I can’t even!”
Paz was already half on the floor, barely able to sit straight from all the laughter. I smiled awkwardly.
“Guys, come on… That’s embarrassing. The whole school saw me throw up.”
“And that, dearie, is your superpower,” Paz pointed a finger at me. He just laughed harder when I pouted. “It’s your secret weapon. The jerk deserved it.”
“Not this time,” I mumbled as I tried to get out of the bed. I lost my balance, and GC grabbed me by the arm. “It was all Lorna. He had nothing to do with it.”
“Yeah, yeah… whatever,” Paz waved in dismissal. “He saved you and all that.”
“Stupid Anthropology,” said GC as he helped me into the bathroom. “Mrs. Po took half of our period to explain her stupid assignment. We should’ve been there.”
“You couldn’t have done much. None of you has wings.”
“True,” Paz admitted disgruntledly. “But what he did today doesn’t absolve him of his past crimes.” He shot me an expectant look, and I nodded.
