“What’s up?” he asked, stepping closer to her.
“Imorean,” she said, turning him away and talking to him in a whisper. “I didn’t know who else to tell … there’s something you need to know.”
“What?”
The question had no sooner left his mouth when the doors to the gymnasium opened and Michael, Gabriel and Raphael stepped inside. Everything immediately silenced. Imorean settled for standing next to his friends in the crowd of students as the three Archangels crossed the floor to stand in front of the glass simulator. Michael seemed to be scanning the crowd.
“There are only ninety-five students here. Where are the rest?” he asked, turning to his younger, twin brother.
“Some are still in the hospital wing, recovering, and a few have refused to make an appearance. If I were you though, Mikey, I wouldn't worry too much. All the ones who are absent are in the songbird class anyway. I'll be looking after them.”
“Good,” said Michael. He stepped forward. “Welcome to your first flying lesson. Some of you have been in the wind tunnel before. You will be going last. For now, we are more concerned about the students who have never flown before. Does anyone want to volunteer for the position of first flier?”
None of the students moved. There was some awkward shuffling, but no one was brave or willing enough to step forward and volunteer.
“Very well. We will go alphabetically. Mr. Anderson, you are first.”
Imorean looked up as Baxter stepped forward out of the crowd of students. The boy had oversized, dark brown wings sprouting from his shoulders. It didn't seem as though he had managed to fold them properly as he held them slightly flared, out by his sides.
Imorean looked up as Michael inclined his head, studying the wings at Baxter's shoulders.
“Philippine eagle wings. Very nice,” nodded Michael. He returned his attention to the rest of the students. “During your time here, you will be divided into three separate classes depending on what type of bird your wings take the base of. The first group is made up of water birds, birds like ducks, swans, geese and seagulls. The second group covers the garden birds, perhaps better known as songbirds, robins, jays, finches and so on. The final group are the raptors, or birds of prey, falcons, eagles, owls, hawks, buzzards, vultures and ospreys.”
Imorean shuffled his own wings. Gabriel had said the day before that they were based on a falcon's wings. Raptor class. With Michael.
“Get in the simulator, Mr. Anderson, and let us see how you perform in the air.”
A little over an hour had passed and Imorean found himself sitting on the floor. Roxy, Toddy, Mandy and Bethany were all sitting down nearby. After Baxter had stepped into the simulator others had begun to volunteer to go next, so Michael had stopped going in alphabetical order. After their own flight and their friends', most of the students had trickled out, group by group. Imorean had lost track of how many students had already flown. He was already feeling tired and a large part of him wanted to go to bed. The monotonous sound of the fans wasn't helping with his drowsiness. He was pretty sure that it was dark outside now, which only added to his feeling of weariness.
“And here we are, left with you five,” said Gabriel. The sound of his voice caused Imorean to lift his head. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael were looking down at him and his friends expectantly.
“I'll go first,” said Bethany, standing up. Imorean followed her lead and slowly stood. His legs felt stiff, as though they had almost gone to sleep.
“Another raptor,” said Michael. “I think this is the biggest group of raptors we have had so far.”
“I think you're right,” replied Gabriel, passing Bethany a pair of goggles then moving back a few paces to allow her to ascend the steps to the simulator.
Imorean watched as Bethany hesitated in the doorway and glanced at Michael.
“Step into the tunnel in the same way you normally would. Once you feel that you are balanced, spread your wings.”
Bethany nodded and took one more step forward. Imorean watched as the blonde girl was caught by the wind from the fans and swept into the air. Bethany quickly balanced herself and hovered still for a moment. A moment later, she tentatively started to spread her wings.
Imorean watched as her brown primary flight feathers started to catch the artificial wind. She wobbled slightly in the airstream before settling properly once again. Slowly, little by little, she stretched her wings all the way out and hovered.
“Perfect,” said Michael quietly. Imorean looked over at him. The Chief Archangel seemed to be smiling slightly.
“Bethany,” said Gabriel. “See if you can start to fold your wings and we'll bring you back out.”
“Okay,” replied Bethany. She sounded a bit nervous. Imorean couldn't say he blamed her. He would be nervous as well. In fact, he was nervous now, just at the mere thought of having to try out these wings. He swallowed hard and his mouth ran dry. Gabriel had said the day before that they would eventually learn to fly. That meant in the air. Above the ground. Heights. Fear nipped the air from his lungs at the very thought. Flying just seemed impossible.
While Imorean had been wrapped in his thoughts, Bethany had folded up her wings and was simply hovering in the air, only slightly out of balance.
“Very well done,” said Gabriel, stepping into the wind tunnel and helping Bethany come out. “Who's next?”
“I guess I'll go,” said Mandy, taking a step forward.
“Ah, the seagull,” said Gabriel, smiling at Mandy. Michael and Raphael stood talking quietly. Michael pointed to something on a clipboard that Raphael was holding and jerked his head toward Bethany. Raphael nodded in agreement and wrote something down.
“You did great,” said Imorean as Bethany returned to the group and stood next to Roxy.
“Thanks,” she replied, smiling and brushing a hand over the feathers of her right wing. Imorean inclined his head. She seemed almost fond of them.
“Hey,” she said in a quiet voice, taking Imorean’s hand. “There’s something I have to go do. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay,” nodded Imorean, watching as she left. He looked after her for a few minutes after she left the gym and suddenly realized he had missed most of Mandy’s first flight. He gave her an apologetic smile as she descended the steps back towards him.
“All right, Toddy,” said Gabriel, smiling. “Let's see how you do.”
“Okay,” said Toddy, stepping into the wind tunnel. The force of the wind swept Toddy temporarily onto his back, but the boy soon righted himself and started to spread out his powerful, gray wings. When they finally caught the wind rushing up from below, Toddy smiled and beamed at Michael and Gabriel. Toddy's smile was infectious and despite his lingering feelings of anger and misery, Imorean found himself grinning back at his friend.
Toddy's grin faltered however, when he lost some of his balance and wobbled in the air.
“I think that's enough fun for one night, Toddy,” said Gabriel, helping Toddy out of the simulator.
“That's fun,” said Toddy when he returned to the group. “I hate to admit it, and I know what they've done to us is awful but that right there is fun.”
“Easy for you to say,” said Imorean in a low voice, looking down at the polished wood floor of the gym. “You're not terrified of heights.”
“That's true,” replied Toddy, lowering his voice slightly. “But I’m sure you’ll be fine. This isn’t real flying, after all.”
“I'll go next,” said Roxy after patting Imorean on the shoulder reassuringly.
“Imorean,” said Mandy, tugging his shirt sleeve.
“Hold on a second, Mandy,” said Imorean. “I want to watch this.”
Whatever was so important would have to come after this. Imorean watched as Roxy made her way up the steps to the wind tunnel. She didn't seem unnerved at all, despite the fact that she had never been in the simulator before. She took a pair of goggles from Gabriel and listened attentively as the Archangel briefed
her on what she should do.
A moment later, Roxy stepped forward into the tunnel and allowed the artificial wind from the fans to buoy up her body. Imorean could see from her expression that she was starting to feel nervous.
“Just relax,” said Gabriel, smiling at her. “It's not as bad as it seems.”
Imorean watched Roxy take a deep breath and a moment later, she started to spread out her wings. The vibrant colors seemed to create a rainbow as she balanced in the wind. Something about them held Imorean spellbound.
After a few minutes of Roxy balancing herself, Gabriel nodded.
“That's enough for tonight, Miss Daire,” he said, stepping forward and extending a hand into the tunnel for Roxy to take. She exited the simulator and returned to Imorean's side.
“You're going to enjoy that,” she said, grinning.
“I hope you're right,” replied Imorean, grimacing and stepping forward.
As he approached, Michael looked down at him with utmost disdain. Imorean felt that the Archangel was looking at him as though he were a lower life form. In a way, Imorean supposed he was. Imorean saw anger in the Archangel's eyes. Perhaps he was still resentful after Imorean's outburst the night before.
“I suppose we shall see now if you have retained anything at all from your time on the skydiving team,” said Michael, raising his eyebrows.
“I guess we will,” replied Imorean.
“Don't be rude, Michael,” said Gabriel, passing a pair of goggles to Imorean. The white-haired teenager donned them and took a few more paces forward so that he was standing in the threshold of the wind tunnel. He hesitated for a second, then took one more step. The rush of wind that greeted him was familiar and he allowed it to take his weight. For a few seconds, he adjusted to the feel of it and balanced himself in the air. When he felt properly balanced, Imorean started to spread out his wings. There was a jerk through the muscles as they started to take some of his weight and disrupt the air flowing past him. He wobbled a little bit, but continued to extend his wings until he felt that they could go no more. An overwhelming sense of freedom flooded through him. All of a sudden, Imorean felt on top of the world. There was a nostalgic sensation of having done this before. Having returned to a world he had once loved and been forced to leave. He was in bliss.
Then Imorean glanced from side to side. It felt almost as though the tips of his primary flight feathers were touching the sides of the simulator. All of a sudden, the simulator felt far too small and he felt far too big. The sensation of bliss evaporated. Claustrophobia trapped his chest like a snare. Imorean sucked in a sharp breath. It felt as though everything was closing in around him. He repressed a whimper and looked up at the three Archangels standing on the other side of the glass. While Raphael was engaged with the information on his clipboard, Michael and Gabriel were focused on the simulator. Imorean was grateful for their attention and found a bit of comfort in them.
“I think that's enough, Imorean,” called Gabriel, somehow making himself heard over the sound of the wind in the tunnel.
Imorean nodded and started to fold his wings back toward the center of his back. He felt a surprising bittersweet sadness that the use of his wings was already over, but glad that the simulator seemed larger the more he drew his wings in. His wings were almost fully folded when the speed of the fans suddenly increased and he shot upward in the glass tunnel. Imorean looked up in fear. Michael was standing several feet away from the controls. There was a sudden suspicion written on Michael’s face. There was no way that the Archangel could have reached them. Imorean paddled nervously in the air as the wind pushed him higher and closer to the top of the simulator.
As he rose, Imorean focused on Michael. He and Gabriel were arguing about something. He watched as Michael pointed first to him, then to the controls.
Imorean trembled. He had never been to the top of the simulator. The highest off the ground he had been yet was ten feet. The top of the simulator was fifty. He did his best to keep his body relaxed, but it was growing increasingly difficult. He couldn't move. He felt paralyzed by fear. He could do nothing to get himself back down to ground level. He was at the complete mercy of the speed of the fans. Imorean risked a look up over his shoulder. He was only inches from the top of the simulator. A full fifty feet off the ground. His breath was coming in ragged gasps now, fear fueling his body. Then, with a juddering thunk, the fans shut off.
Imorean cried out loudly as he plummeted from the very top of the simulator, hurtling toward the elastic netting at the bottom. He wanted to spread his wings, but his body refused to cooperate. He couldn't move. He had frozen up. As he fell, Imorean wondered if the thin netting at the bottom would hold him or if he would rip straight through it and land on the quickly spinning fans below? Imorean squeezed his eyes shut and tensed his body, waiting for the impact of his fall.
Imorean cried out as something crashed into him. Fractions of a heartbeat later, there was a second impact. This one though was somehow duller. Then, there was stillness. Nothing moved. Imorean dared to open his eyes. He felt as though he had been hit by a train. He was lying on his side, there was a set of arms wrapped tightly around him and it was dark. Dark? Imorean wriggled, but the arms holding him were too tight. He stilled a moment later and blinked a few times. He noticed that there were gaps in the darkness surrounding him. Were those feathers? A small shock ran through Imorean's body as he realized that he wasn't surrounded by darkness itself, but by dark, emerald feathers.
Then the wings and arms moved, releasing Imorean, and allowing him to move and to see light properly again. He blinked a few times adjusting to the brightness, then sat up and looked over his shoulder to see Michael lying flush against the glass of the wind tunnel. The man's face was stoic and impassive.
“Imorean!” shouted Roxy from the threshold of the wind tunnel.
Imorean looked up. Gabriel was holding onto Roxy's shoulders, keeping her from entering the tunnel. Raphael was picking himself up off the floor, his pen and clipboard lying several feet away.
“Are you all right?” asked Michael, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head ruefully.
“Yes,” nodded Imorean. His voice sounded weaker than he had expected. “Are you?”
“I am fine,” replied Michael, standing up and folding his wings back behind his back.
“Thank you.” Imorean copied Michael's motion, then stood as well. His legs felt shaky beneath him.
“You are welcome,” replied Michael, putting a hand on Imorean's shoulder to steady him. Imorean took a step forward and made his way across the simulator to the door. He was almost knocked off his feet when Roxy hugged him.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah. I'm fine.”
“Dude, that was scary,” said Toddy, patting Imorean on the shoulder. “How did that happen?”
Imorean shrugged and shook his head, still gathering himself back together.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” asked Mandy, pulling him into a tight hug as well.
“It's not supposed to happen,” said Gabriel, standing next to the controls by the door.
“What was the cause?” asked Michael, exiting the simulator to stand next to his brother.
“I don't know. None of us have touched this since we turned it on a few hours ago.”
“Have a look into it. Perhaps you four should go back to your dorms. It is late.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Toddy, moving toward the entrance to the gym. Roxy and Mandy fell into step next to Toddy. Imorean though, lingered for a moment more, looking at Michael.
“Do you require something?” asked Michael, looking up.
Imorean swallowed his hostility for Michael and looked at the floor. “I just wanted to say thanks again.”
There was a long pause, then Imorean heard Michael descend the steps and looked up to find the Chief Archangel standing in front of him.
“While my brothers and I have had to change you and your classmates through force
of circumstance, do not believe that we do not care for you or that we wish harm upon you. All angels are related. Every angel in this world is one of my siblings. You and your classmates are part of our family now and we will care for you as such,” said Michael, one side of his mouth quirking up in a small smile. “I hope I can safely say that you and I will start to reach a form of an understanding now, Imorean? If not understanding, then at least a truce?”
“I guess you could say that, sir.” Imorean slowly returned Michael's small smile.
“Good. Go now, catch your friends.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Imorean, turning away and taking large strides to catch up to Mandy, Toddy and Roxy.
“Everything good between you two?” asked Roxy, holding the door open for Imorean.
“Yeah. I think so. I guess Michael's not as bad as he seems. Don't get me wrong, he's still a prick, he's still rude and I still don't like what he did to us, but I think there's a chance I might start to get along with him now.”
“Imorean,” said Mandy, exiting the gym first. “I need to talk to you.”
Chapter 8
Imorean wrapped his wings a bit tighter around his body as he, Roxy, Toddy and Mandy walked away from the gym. While he still didn't like the fact the wings were there, they did have their uses, he supposed. It was cooler than he had expected this evening, and his wings added a small extra buffer between him and the cold.
“So, what is it?” he asked, looking at Mandy.
“I saw something today.”
“Well?” asked Toddy. “Please tell.”
“We aren’t supposed to have DenTech Computers here, are we?”
“I don’t think so,” said Imorean, frowning. He paused. “No, definitely not. I had to get a new laptop before I came. My old one was a DenTech.”
“Bethany has a DenTech Computer … it’s under her bed.”
Angels Soaring (Angels Rising Book 2) Page 6