He stared at me for a moment and then cleared his throat, turning his eyes away, nervous.
“If…if you want, I can stay by your side until you fall asleep,” he said. I stared, surprised and a little embarrassed by the proposition. “I know what it’s like,” he whispered, still looking at the ground. “I understand what it’s like to always be afraid…”
I blinked stupidly. A part of me still wasn’t sure I could trust Mykail, despite the fact he was so adamantly against Dana and was plotting with me to take the Commission down. But, the thought of him watching over me while I slept, being sure that Dana was not in the room, was surprisingly comforting despite not knowing Mykail very well.
I stood from my kneeling position and went into my room, grabbing the key to his door off my desk. When he saw me reappear with the key, he stood, his expression surprised. I unlocked his door carefully before fixing him with a strong look.
“I’m trusting you, Mykail.”
“Thank you,” he said. “I promise, I would never do anything to harm you.”
Slowly, feeling a nervous smile creep over my lips, I opened the door. For some reason, when Mykail stepped out of the room, it seemed different than all the other times I had seen him around the house. I felt very nervous and self-conscious as I walked the short distance to my room, acutely feeling Mykail’s presence behind me. I set the key back on my desk and turned to him as he stood in my doorway.
“You can come in…”
He stepped forward hesitantly. My heart raced. It would be the first time I had had a boy in my room that I had a crush on. I looked over his beautiful wings and strong shoulders as he glanced around my room, unaware of my scrutiny. Dex saw him and hissed, something he had done every time he saw the experiment, which caused him to jump away from the cat.
“Just ignore him,” I said, waving absentmindedly at the animal. I took a deep breath and built up my courage, walking past Mykail and closing the door to my room before turning to see him looking at me. I bit my lower lip, trying to decide how brave I was going to be that night.
I walked forward, my shaking legs barely holding my weight. He retreated a step, unsure what I was doing.
I was unsure what I was doing.
“Can I…” I reached forward. “Can I touch your wings?”
He stared at me for a moment and then nodded, turning so I could see the profile of his wings. I gently rested my hand on the feathers, which were soft and smooth, even as they lifted when I touched them.
“How heavy are they?”
“Heavy,” he admitted. “But, they work. That’s what counts.”
“You can really fly?”
“I love flying,” he breathed, his eyes brightening. “As cliché as it sounds, I feel free.”
I remained silent, not sure what to say in response. My fingers returned to the feathers as I watched the wings move, feeling oddly calmed. Soon, my hands were running over the long flight feathers, my fingers wrapping around them, embracing the soft texture.
He turned to me and gently put a hand on my face. I stared at him, calm, relaxed, and mesmerized by his beauty, not at all concerned about the short amount of time I had known the experiment.
His thumb brushed over my cheek.
“You’re not afraid?”
I shook my head. My mind had gone blank.
He leaned closer, tenderly pressing his lips to my forehead. My eyes closed and my lips parted, prepared for him to kiss me.
But he did not. After he pulled away, he took my hand and kissed the palm before guiding me to the bed, lifting the covers for me. I looked at him and then at the bed, wondering if he was going to also lie with me. The thought made me blush and my body lit up with fire—I guessed that it was a teenager thing. Hormones ruled all.
I slid under the covers as he pulled them over me, sitting on the bed.
“Sleep well, Lily.”
“Are you going to stay here until I fall asleep?” I asked, fighting the weight of my eyelids.
“Yes,” he assured. I reached out my hand and he took it with a gentle smile. Then he extended his wing and carefully stretched it over me. I felt the feathers brush my shoulder and neck as my eyes slid shut.
Chapter Twenty-One
I woke with a start from a dreamless sleep. My first concern was finding Mykail, as he was not in my room. My door was shut and the numbers on my clock read eight-thirty. It took some time for my brain to recall the previous night and remember that Clark was going to be coming to the house to discuss treasonous acts, like killing Dana Christenson and dismantling the Commission of the People.
As frightened as I was by Dana, I could not stop the excitement that bubbled at the thought of organizing a movement behind Dana’s back. If we were careful enough, and smart enough, we could triumph over the terrifying leader of the Commission of the People.
Seeing Mykail’s barred door closed when I left my room, I peeked inside to where Mykail was sleeping.
It was the first time I had seen him asleep, and I felt myself melt at the sight. He looked peaceful, laying on his side, his wings spread, nearly falling off the bed as he slumbered. I looked down at the closed door, noticing that it was still unlocked.
I wanted to go in and get a closer look at the slumbering angel but hesitated, remembering the noise that the door made. I was sure that my parents, early risers that they were, were already awake. I went down the stairs, listening to the noises on the first floor.
Sure enough, my mother was cooking breakfast. That meant that my father was be sitting at the table, working.
I hesitated before hurrying to my room to dress. After I pulled on my jeans and a blouse, I brushed my hair, my eyes flicking to the makeup on the vanity.
I shook my head quickly, messing up my hair again, wondering what the hell was wrong with me. I never used to care about wearing makeup and now, just because of Mykail, I was becoming a girly-girl.
I was determined not to change because of a boy.
Throwing my hair into a messy pony-tail, I went downstairs, trying to be quiet so I did not disturb the still-sleeping Mykail.
I walked into the kitchen and my parents smiled, greeting me as always.
“What are your plans today?” my mom asked. I sat with my father at the table, trying to act nonchalant.
“Clark is going to come over and help me with a project.”
“What kind of project?” my father asked. I faltered, trying to think of something on the spot.
“It’s for J.A.N.E.,” I said. “A presentation-type thing.”
“Oh,” my father said. “Are you enjoying that book?”
“It’s interesting.”
“Do you know what time Clark will be over?” my mother asked. “I was going to go grocery shopping. But if you’re busy, I’ll just have your father help me.”
My father hung his head.
“You know I hate grocery shopping,” he groaned playfully.
“But I need a strong, strapping man to help me with the bags,” my mother teased, walking over and kissing him on the head.
“Well, when you ask so nicely…” He grinned, winking at me.
I was happy to see my parents acting normally, but it also startled me. It felt like I was in the times before we had become part of the Commission, back in the days when we were just a family in the Western Region. At first, it surprised me, then it frightened me as I began to wonder if their change in behavior was due to them accepting their part in the Commission of the People and adapting to our new life.
The thought of Dana turning my parents into true members of the Commission of the People was terrifying, and I was starting to feel the pressure of taking down Dana before his influence could spread to my family.
“I don’t know when Clark will be here,” I admitted. “Probably around ten or so.”
“Okay, Thomas, seems like you’re coming with me,” my mother chuckled. “Breakfast is almost ready,” she said, turning to me. “Will you go and w
ake Mykail?”
“Sure.”
I tried not to hurry to the stairs in fear of raising suspicion, and then I hesitated before opening his door, just to be sure that my parents weren’t listening for anything strange.
I opened the door and moved to Mykail. The noise of his door opening had stirred him, but he was still half-asleep. I gently placed my hand against his shoulder, shaking him.
“Mykail…”
His eyes fluttered and he groaned, acting like a young child unwilling to wake up as he buried his head into the pillow. I chuckled.
“…what’s so funny?” he grumbled.
“You’re acting like a little kid,” I teased, keeping my hand on the warm, soft skin of his shoulder.
He turned to look at me, a smile gracing his lips.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked. I couldn’t help but blush, realizing that he was tired because he had stayed up with me.
“I did,” I said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He inhaled deeply, his wings stretching as he reached under his pillow. “Your key.” He extracted the small key and placed it in my palm. “Thank you for trusting me, Lily.”
I blushed fiercely again.
“Breakfast is almost ready,” I told him. He nodded silently, heaving himself upright, his wings expanding the length of the room as he groaned and stretched his arms.
I held the door open for him. As he walked past, I saw the cuffs on his wings and the cuts that the stretching had made on his back. My heart broke.
I walked downstairs with Mykail and brought him to the kitchen, where my parents greeted him. He bowed his head, remaining silent. I had meant to ask why he did not feel comfortable talking to my parents, but had forgotten after the treasonous topics of the previous night’s conversation.
The family moved into the dining room and had a mostly-silent breakfast. Around nine-thirty, when I was helping my mother clear the table, our doorbell rang.
My mother was the one who answered.
“Clark,” she greeted, inviting him inside. I turned to Mykail with a discreet smile.
“I am sorry for coming over unannounced, Mrs. Sandover,” Clark greeted. “I hope I am not disturbing you.”
“No, not at all,” my mother assured. “Lily told us you were coming over.”
Clark looked at me, and I could see hesitation in his eyes.
I smiled gently to reassure him that they were unaware of his real reason for visiting.
“I see I have caught you at the end of breakfast,” Clark said apologetically. “I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Oh, you are such a sweetheart.” My mother grinned broadly. “No, that’s alright. You and Lily go have fun.”
I looked at Mykail and then at my mother.
“Do you want me to put Mykail back?” I asked, trying to think of a way to get the angel back upstairs so that we could include him in the conversation.
“Oh, no, Lily. Let him stay out here for a while longer. He has been cooped up in the room too long. I’ll put him back when we leave, alright?”
“Okay.” I threw a quick look at Mykail and then nodded to Clark as we moved through the house to my room. I closed the bedroom door behind Clark as he looked at me seriously.
“What did you tell them?”
“Nothing. I told them you were coming over here to work on a school project for J.A.N.E., that’s all.”
He visibly relaxed, moving to my desk chair and sitting as I plopped down on the bed.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’m just nervous about this whole thing.”
“But you agree that we need to do it.”
“Of course I do,” he said strongly. “But…you’re talking about something that is nearly impossible. Dana is the most powerful man in the world. Taking him down will not be easy, and it will do nothing to stop what the Commission is doing.”
“I know, that’s why I was talking to Mykail about it, and—”
“Wait, wait,” he interrupted. “The angel?” When I nodded, his eyes went wide. “Are you crazy?!” he snapped. I leaned back, startled and slightly-offended by his tone. “Lily, just talking about this with me is a reckless venture. You cannot just go talking to anyone about it, particularly those who have been so close to Dana. You don’t know where their loyalties lie.”
“What about you then?” I growled. “I’d say you’re pretty damn close to Dana. Yet, you’re here. Should I be worried about you?”
Clark’s sighed.
“Lily, look,” he started, “I have seen the damage that Dana can do, and I have seen how loyal others are to him. We’re going against a master manipulator and a psychopath. We have to be careful in any and every way possible. Otherwise, you and I will be strapped to those tables in the back of the Commission, being turned into who knows what.”
“I know,” I said strongly. “But Mykail is the one who told me that he was planning on killing Dana. He has actually been through the testing. He knows how horrible it is. Don’t you think that he hates Dana for it?”
“Maybe,” Clark admitted. “I don’t know. I have seen how some of the experiments are loyal to Dana, worshipping him, even. We can never be sure. I told you before, never think that Dana is not watching. He is everywhere.”
“I know,” I repeated, exasperated. “Are you going to help me with this or not?”
Clark stared at me for a moment, hesitant.
“As much as I know I shouldn’t, I want nothing more than to be free of that psycho,” he stated strongly. “So of course I will help.”
I heaved a sigh of relief.
“Good, because we could really use your expertise.”
“What do you want to know?”
“At the moment, we’re just trying to think of a way to organize. We are going to need people inside the Commission first, since they already know what the Commission does. Can you think of anyone who may have had thoughts of taking down Dana and the Commission before?”
“Maybe a few people, but not many,” he murmured. “And they are around our age. I don’t think we can approach the adults about this. Most of them are completely under Dana’s spell, or are too terrified to even think about trying to defy him.”
“I agree. Mykail was talking about how some of the experiments are against Dana as well. And, if we could get them out—”
“Get them out?” He laughed brokenly. “Now you really have gone insane. Do you have any idea the amount of security inside the Commission?”
“No, not yet,” I admitted. “I’ve decided to try and get closer to Dana to learn more, maybe even get into the back of the Commission to see if there is any way we could break out the experiments.”
“That is too dangerous, Lily.” Clark’s eyes were wide. “You might as well run right into the middle of a tornado. If you show the slightest interest in Dana, he will sweep you up and tear you apart.”
“He hasn’t for you.”
“No, but I didn’t go looking to get closer to him,” he said. “You have to think about Dana like a dangerous animal. You play too close to him and it will only be a matter of time before he attacks.”
“I am willing to risk that if it gives us a chance to take him down.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying…” Clark breathed.
“We have to make sacrifices for what we believe is best, and nothing has ever been achieved without risk. Look at Thomas Ankell,” I said, motioning to the book on my desk.
“Don’t you think that had a lot to do with luck?” Clark chuckled brokenly.
“I’m starting to wonder if you want to do this,” I grumbled, pouting. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, groaning.
“Of course I want to, but you’re talking about doing something that is overly-dangerous, and that worries me,” he said. “You’re going to try and get closer to Dana, hoping that he will take you on a tour of the Commission so you can figure out weaknesse
s in the security and break out experiments?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“And you want me to try and figure out who would be willing to help us with all of this?” Clark raised his eyebrows. “What then?”
“We need to find a place to keep the experiments until we are ready to reveal them.” I told him what Mykail and I had already discussed. He did not interrupt, listening carefully, his eyebrows sometimes rising. When I was done, he took several moments, his eyes wide, turning over the information silently.
“So?” I pressed when he had been silent for too long.
“We are going to need some luck and, more than anything, we are going to need to be careful and slow. This is not something we can rush into.”
I agreed, though I was a little irritated to admit that we could not eliminate the problem quickly. “Do you think you can try and convince people to help us against Dana?”
“I honestly don’t know,” he admitted. “I can try, but I have to warn you, we might not get the type of response you want. Most are probably too afraid of Dana to even risk it in the first place even if they do want him gone.”
“We’ll just need to convince them otherwise, then, won’t we?” I said. Clark’s eyes were sharp, the nervous boy gone. He was studying me intently, unsure of my words. When I felt that the silence was too uncomfortable, I turned away.
“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?” he hissed. I continued to stare at my feet. “You really want to kill Dana and tear down the Commission?”
“Don’t you?”
He took a deep breath. “…I guess we better get started…”
“So, you don’t think it’s crazy?” I asked, feeling hope leak back into my chest.
“I think it’s suicidal,” Clark groaned. “But…the way I see it, our lives already rest in Dana’s hands, and we are totally fucked just for being in the Commission of the People, so…we might as well try to go down swinging.”
“We can do this,” I insisted. “If we can just expose what the Commission does, we can get the American people behind us and it won’t be as suicidal. Even Dana Christenson can’t stop millions of people.”
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