Winged

Chapter Thirty-Three

Annabelle

My eyelids fly open with the energy of a good rest, my body aware of every spot the haggard blanket touches my aching skin. My eyes sting and my body shakes from the icy cold, but I notice the chill rather than feel it because my mind seems to be lingering in the realm of sleep. Flames lick at the edge of my vision and I scoot closer to the burning pit, trying to melt the chill from my bones. I feel panicked, trapped under a cover of thick ice casing.

Because I can still picture her face, green eyes burned into my mind the way light is when you look at it too long. Lucy.

In my dream, she sounded breathless, excited, the way someone might on their birthday morning. I miss her with heartbreaking pain, the guilt of losing her- because it was my fault she hit the water like that- makes me want to fall back into my dreamless sleep.

But with the strange clarity I awakened with comes a kick of energy, and I sit up, back straight, as I realise that my sisters aren't here. I'm alone on the second floor of the warehouse, and it's daylight outside.

Panic. I've lost them all now.

I'm on my feet before I realise- my feet, I've changed back to myself in my sleep (that's probably why I'm so cold now)- that the warehouse is, in fact, not empty. My hangry stomach is squished against the safety railing as I fling myself at it in astonishment. The scene unfolding below makes me blink. An illusion?

One, two, three, four.

I count the figures again. Four. And then I'm tripping over myself in the haste, flying rather poorly through biting air, rushing to join the embrace of Jackie, Harriet, Sabrina and Lucy. My face is damp but that's all but forgotten when I see the head of dirt-brown hair, brushed and silky smooth.

I know I surprise her because her shoulders jump as my arms wrap around her thin torso and her soft smile pauses for a second before widening as she sees my face.

It is Lucy. She's here, she's in my arms. Big green eyes stare up at my face and give me chills. My hold tightens until she's squirming, laughing a little and giving me a push back with a small kick.

It must all just be another dream, I think.

But it's not- I know that it isn't. The air is crisp, I'm shivering, I can hear the wind whistle through holes in the tin roofing and my hair's loose in my eyes again.

"You look terrible," are the first words that spill out of her mouth as she surveys me with a cheeky side-eye. I know I must, but she still earns a light punch on the shoulder, quickly covered up with another bear hug.

I stop and step back, holding her shoulders protectively and assess my sister before the other three cover her in piggybacks and hugs and promises.

Lucy looks even better than usual. There is not a cut or a drop of blood on my sister, no evidence of the night before. Her hair is brushed and braided the way she likes it, she's clean and pale, and she's dressed in fresh clothes.

I blink the rest of the sleep from my tired eyes and sweep at the clumps in the corners with my finger. My hair is hooked behind my ears so I can think properly. We can leave now, find Hali. Kill Ethan. Steal to pay for a boat, travel back to Hybren. We have what we came for.

Then I can go home, to ma and da and peace.

But do I want to? I spent my entire time living there in boredom. Now there's no Xavier even to keep me company. I'd see my family, and then travel. See the world without the stress of losing everyone.

Lucy is snatched away, preening with all the attention. It's only now that my trained eyes begin to notice the small out-of-place details. Da always told me I had a good eye, but he would have noticed it sooner.