AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mom’s eyes grow wide as she takes the flaky dessert from me, and Dad only chuckles when he takes his.
“You know, this day wouldn’t have felt complete without tasting one of these bad boys, kiddo,” Dad says before stuffing it in his mouth.
“Hayliel …” Mom counters, looking torn on whether she should be upset or pleased.
“It’s fine, Mom. I got away without using my wings. Plus, in a few hours I’ll be long gone and no one will see me again.”Yup. I went there. What can I say? I’m a real mood killer.
Ignoring the sad look in her eyes, I take a large bite of the pastry and damn near collapse on the floor. Holy shit. This might be the best thing I’ve ever tasted. Slivered almonds mixed in some type of paste on a flaky dough with powdered sugar? Yes, please!
“Has Dina told you much about the food at SCU? If they have these, I might have to enroll myself.” Dad licks the powdered sugar from his fingers as he stares at the last half of Mom’s pastry like he might just steal it.
“If they have these, then she’s been holding out on me,” I reply with a mouthful of food. Dina enrolled last year after acing the entrance exam, and though we haven’t spent as much time together as we used to, at least I’ll already have a friend at school. She knows me. Every fear and hope, even my secrets. With her by my side, I can get through anything.
“Your principal assured me you’d receive a brand-new slate today. You know you can call us anytime, right?” Mom sets down her pastry and pulls me into a hug.
With her distracted, Dad reaches for the last piece of her dessert but, as expected, he doesn’t make it that far. “Don’t you dare,” Mom scolds, though there’s no bite in her tone.
With one last squeeze, she turns to her pastry and picks it up before striding closer to Dad. “You can have it, but only if I feed you.”
Gag.
Of all the things I’ll miss about living here with my parents, this definitely isn’t one of them.
A short while later, I take a deep, calming breath before opening my eyes and staring at the wrought-iron gate in front of me. Only a few blocks from where I grew up, it shouldn’t have taken me so long to arrive, yet I couldn’t help but drag my feet.
This is it. Once I pass that barrier, there’s no turning back. Not that I could turn back now, but denial rides my ass hard. I don’t know what I envisioned my life to be, but it isn’t this. This place has always been a fairy tale, one I never considered would accept me, let alone allow me in on a scholarship.
But I guess that’s what life is like when the world constantly makes you feel unworthy. You start to believe it.
A shiver races down my spine, some odd sense of foreboding that I don’t really want to investigate. As optimistic as my parents are, I find it hard to adopt the same attitude. Maybe that’s because as much as I try to live a glass-half-full kind of life, something always knocks it over, spilling the contents and leaving it empty.
Shaking my head, I grab the handle of my suitcase and let go of those negative thoughts. I’m here now. It’s time to learn my powers, accept my fate, and hopefully uncover why my wings are so different.
With a confident sway to my hips, I step past the threshold and into my life at Silver City University.
2
Thecementbeneathmyfeet turns to stone and leads toward a pristine building in the distance. Its white walls sparkle in the late afternoon sun, and the scent of the ocean fills the air, making it feel like I’ve escaped Silver City altogether.Beautiful.
On the path up ahead, a single Pure angel waits for me with a smile. I look back once and shudder as reality sinks in. Everything is about to change. After years of dreaming about SCU, I finally have the chance to attend, and I won’t let anything stand in my way.I only hope it’s not just Dina that accepts me.
“Hayliel?” the man asks as I approach, his white wings tucked in casually at his back.
“That’s me.”
Like all angels, his face holds a youthful glow, but something about him gives off the impression that he’s far older than one would expect.
“I’m Professor Castiel, and I’m here to officially welcome you to our great school.” He opens his arms with a flourish, presenting the school behind him. A lock of hair escapes his ponytail, but he quickly tucks it behind his ear. “We’ll stop by the office first to grab your class schedule and other paperwork, then we’ll take a quick tour of the grounds on our way to your house. Are you excited?”
I nod, my smile bright as the tension leaves my body for what might be the first time in days. Something about his presence offers a sense of safety and security I don’t often feel with anyone outside of my parents. Especially not with a Pure. “I’m a little nervous too, if I’m honest.”
His grin brightens further, and he motions for us to continue on the path. “Oh, there’s nothing to be nervous about. We might have high expectations for our students, but just keep your grades up and you’ll be fine. In fact, you’ll probably find that life at SCU is quite similar to how you lived before.”
I laugh, my eyes trained on the glimmering building in front of us. “I very much doubt that.”
He doesn’t respond, releasing a chuckle as we walk in comfortable silence, the only sound coming from my small suitcase as it rolls over stone.
The path ahead branches out in several directions. On the left, large marble Pure angels loom over us, casting eerie shadows at our feet. Along the right are massive stone-carved books, opened to a page with delicately drawn words chiseled into it. My parents would love this.
