Destiny

33.

Chapter 33

Julia, wake up. I need you to wake up.

Waking up meant being in pain and I really didn't want that. And waking up meant it was morning and what if Lucy's dad came back for me?

Julia, I can't find you if you're asleep.

I don't want you to find me.

I promise you I'm not going to hurt you. We want to get you home.

Kellan? I forced my eyes to open and instantly regretted it. It was still light out but it wasn't as bright as before. Either it was almost night time or it was almost morning and the sun hadn't risen yet. I was hoping for night, for my sake and Aryan's.

Shit. Was Aryan okay? Was he even alive?

I pushed myself to my hands and knees, groaning as I did so. I coughed and my ribs protested. Then I threw up. But it wasn't puke. It was blood. Thick, red blood.

It made me dizzy. I hardly ever saw blood, which was weird since I'd been at the hospital for 17 years.

Julia, stay where you are.

I wanted to give him some snarky comeback but I was in too much pain. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I'd just start throwing up more blood.

Footsteps grew louder and louder as someone came toward me. I knew it'd be Lucy's dad and I knew he'd want to kill me. With as much pain as I was in, it didn't matter. Aryan was dead and I was going to be dead and... it was my fault.

My life had been a mess ever since I was born. Even before I was born, really. I was a ticking time bomb that was going off with sirens and lights.

Someone ran up to me and knelt down in front of me. "Julia, it's okay. I'm here. You're safe now."

A sob escaped my chest and I couldn't stop more from coming. I collapsed and, thankfully, I didn't fall to the ground.

Kellan pulled me into his arms and stood up. He started walking and the movement made me dizzy. I turned my face into his chest and coughed several times. I threw up more blood, so embarrassed that it was all over him.

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and tried falling back asleep. I didn't want to see or hear Kellan finding Aryan dead. I just couldn't do it.

"Lucy, she needs you." Kellan yelled.

Lucy was close when she spoke. "I'll take her. Stay with Aryan."

Kellan handed me over to Lucy and I groaned which turned into coughing that turned into throwing up again.

"I have her." Lucy set me down in the grass and shielded the sunlight from my face. "Julia, you're going to be okay. Everything's okay."

She put her hands on my chest and a warm feeling spread over me. My breathing became less ragged and it hurt less. She brushed the hair out of my eyes.

"I'm almost done, Julia. I need you to trust me with this next part, okay? It's going to hurt but it'll be over quickly."

I didn't realize what she meant until she turned me onto my side. She pressed one of my wings against my back before a searing pain took over. I regained feeling in my wing but it hurt so bad I didn't know if I wanted them to be attached.

She did the other one before she called for Kellan. "Take her home. I'll get Aryan."

Kellan picked me up once more and started flyingfor home.