Destiny

30.

Chapter 30

"What if we get caught?" I asked, watching Aryan climbed out the window.

"We're not going to get caught."

"Be reasonable, Aryan."

"I am."

"Lucy expects me to be in my room. What if she comes looking for me?"

"You're old enough to make your own decisions."

"That means nothing if I don't know where I am. I've only ever been at the hospital and here."

He took both of my hands in his. "Trust me. I know where I'm going. I won't get you lost."

"What if I die?"

He kissed my forehead. "I'll bring your body back."

"How thoughtful." I turned toward the window and took a deep breath. "So do we just jump?"

"I'm going to jump. You're going to sit on my back."

"I thought you were going to teach me to fly."

"I am. But I don't want you to kill yourself by jumping out a window."

I raised my eyebrows.

"You'll learn better by getting a running start."

"You're a terrible teacher. I hope you know that."

"I can drop you twenty stories."

"As long as you tell Lucy you did it."

He sighed. "Come on, we need to get going."

I got onto his back and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Maybe this isn't so bad."

"Hold on tight."

I nodded. He opened the window and climbed into it. He jumped and spread his wings out almost at the same time. He lifted us into the air above the house and started flying away from it.

He flew us over the trees and back roads that separated the house from the city. He found a clearing several miles from the house and made a walking landing. He helped me down, keeping one hand in mine.

"My turn."

Aryan smiled. "Don't get frustrated if you don't get it right away. Flying doesn't come natural."

"Easy for you to say. You were born with your wings."

"You'll be fine."

I rolled my eyes.

He took a few steps away from me. "Relax, Julia."

"Can we just start?"

"You are so much like your mother."

"So I've been told."

"Okay, let's get started. Let your wings hang at your sides. Get a good running start. Then pump your wings once, really hard, to lift yourself into the air."

"Don't laugh at me." I warned, narrowing my eyes at him.

The corners of his lips turned up. "I won't."

I took a deep breath before I ran several feet. I pumped my wings and lifted myself into the air. Then I started falling. Why was I falling? I did everything Aryan told me to do.

I hit the ground on my back and winced. I didn't get up right away. When Aryan walked over to me, he was laughing.

"What the hell?" I asked him.

"You need to keep your wings moving once you're off the ground."

"You didn't tell me that."

"Julia-"

"You said once. I listened to you. I swear."

He held out a hand. "That's your first mistake."

I yanked hard on his hand and pulled him to the ground beside me. "And there's yours."

"You're like the spawn of Satan."

"Don't let Lucy hear you say that."

He smiled. "There's a lot she doesn't know."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really. Like what?"

He got to his feet and spread his wings. "Let's try again."

I glared at him before getting to my feet. "I don't get to have any secrets. It's not fair that everyone else gets to."

"My secrets are secrets for a reason."

"You said that about Lucy, too. Look, no one tells me anything and it's starting to piss me off."

"Julia, it's not like that."

"I'm tired of being treated like I can't handle anything. I'm not an innocent child."

He met my gaze and held it for a few seconds before he spoke. "I don't want to scare you."

"I can handle it."

"I don't think you understand..."

I stayed silent and waited for him to continue.

He sighed. "I don't want you to be afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"Why aren't you?"

"You're just not a very scary person."

"That's comforting to know."

I smiled. "Now Kellan scares me sometimes. But not you. You're probably the last person that would scare me."

He walked up to me and his wings rose. "My mother had me when she was young. She was in a mental hospital more vicious than the one you were in. One of the doctors raped her and just told everyone she was crazy when she tried to tell them. A nurse helped my mom and got me out of there. I never got to meet my mother. She killed herself shortly after my birth. I didn't have any stability until I met Lucy. She was the first good thing to happen to me. Certainly not the last."

"I'm sorry." I said, blinking away tears.

"I'm glad you got out of that hospital. Lucy may have connections and she may try to keep an eye on you but there's only so much she can do."

I nodded. The thought of never making it out of the hospital, of never knowing who I really was, was a terrifying thought.

"Are you ready to try again?" He asked.

I nodded.

"This time, don't forget to keep your wings going."