Angel Academy

Chapter Two

"Now Luci, all you have to do is imagine the feathers disappearing," my father told me.

I closed my eyes and did as he said.

When I heard him clap, I opened my eyes and glanced over my shoulder. The wings that were normally there, were gone.

I gasped in shock and turned around to see my back in the mirror. There were two pale marks near my shoulder blades. They looked like scars.

"Daddy! Daddy! I want them back!" I said, my breath hiccupping with the start of a sob.

"Don't cry dear, now do the same, picture them coming back," he told me.

I took a deep breath and nodded, giggling when he swiped the tears off my cheeks.

Closing my eyes, I imagined the feathers of my wings slowly coming back. I could feel when they returned and opened my eyes with a squeal of delight.

My wings were big and very strong. The tips touched my heels and when I stretched them out, they were several meters across.

I brought one of my wings around in front of me so I could stroke the plush feathers. The feathers were white but faded to black at the edges. They looked like they were burned.

"Can we go out yet?" I asked, running to the window.

The sun was just setting, giving me a perfect view of it over the lake.

He ruffled my hair, making me growl. "Yes, my little demon," he chuckled, "let me get your mother."

I cried out gleefully and jumped up and down in excitement.

He walked out of the living room to the kitchen where my mother was cooking. He returned with her by his side and I ran over to give her a hug.

"Come on mommy we're gonna miss it!" I whined, grabbing her hand. She laughed and let me pull her out the door.

As soon as we walked outside, the wind from over the lake hit us. It was chilly at first, but the sun quickly warmed my skin again. I dashed to the water and stuck my hands in it.

I pulled them out with a high-pitched squeak. "It's cold!" I shrieked, making my parents laugh.

I dried my hands on my pants then skipped back over to them, letting my wings stretch out.

I watched my father roll his shoulders and black and silver marbled wings appeared behind him. They were massive, dragging on the ground behind him and spanning neearly a dozen meters across. They were fluffy and very powerful and there was a sound like thunder when he unfurled them.

My mother let out her pure white wings as well. They were not as big as my father's, but she had to hold them quite awkwardly to keep the tips from resting on the ground. I desperately searched for a hint of color among the sleek feathers, but I found nothing; they were so white it almost hurt to look directly at them.

I stood between my parents as they faced each other. Their wings spread out to their full size, and in a single sweep, they were lifted off the ground.

I gasped at the force of the wind that hit me; I stumbled and nearly fell over as the gust caught my wings.

I watched in awe as they circled around each other, soaring higher into the sky. I extended my wings and took a deep breath before letting them lift me off the ground.

I had flown before, but not very high. I used long, powerful strokes and just barely reached my parents.

Clouds swirled around us, and I could feel the air getting colder and thinner. They smiled and I closed my eyes in pure bliss. I sucked in a breath of the freezing air and flew a little higher above my parents before folding my wings.