Outcasts

Chapter 17

Lia woke to a bright light, shining down onto her skin. She squinted and held a hand up to her eyes, groaning as she sat up. Sleeping on the hard metal floor of a space ship was definitely not comfortable.

Lia blinked the spots from her vision, rubbing her sore back. Seemed she was the first to wake.

Doctor Jones was whistling from the captain's chair, his feet up against the dash, barely missing some important-looking buttons. His fedora was discarded on the chair next to him, his shiny boots clicking together.

Lia sat up and took some weary steps towards him, moving the fedora and dropping it on the floor next to her. She sat in the chair next to him, watching the sun rise.

"Where are we?" Lia asked, her voice scratchy from disuse throughout the night.

"Icaria, Greece," said Doctor Jones. "I have a house here and this is where you will train."

Lia looked out at the vast blue sea, white sand and beautiful trees. It was a real life paradise.

The ship seemed to be situated on a high outcropping, with a full view of any boats coming in.

A rustle and groan came from behind them and Lia turned to see an awake and sickly-looking Juliette. Her wings hung behind her and she winced as her body lifted into a sitting position.

Doctor Jones jumped up and walked up to her carefully. "How do you feel?" he said before kneeling down beside her.

"Tired, like my body is wading through mud," Juliette said. She winced though, confirming her injury was still pretty fresh.

The doctor pressed a hand to her forehead. His brows furrowed and worry clouded his face. He then pulled up her shirt and sucked in a breath at the sight.

Her wound was red and irritated, green snot-like fluid leaking from it.

"Oh dear," Doctor Jones muttered, holding a hand to his chin. "We need to get you inside. Can you stand?"

Juliette attempted the action and cried out, her legs wobbling and giving out. Doctor Jones bit his lip worriedly and scooped her up in his arms, straining under the weight of her and the wings she bore.

Lia's gaze travelled them as the landing pad slowly opened, the doctor and Juliette exiting the ship. Lia knew he would take care of her. It was the fact Juliette was so weak she could hardly walk that scared her.

Lia heard Noah stir and she looked to him. The boy was careful not to wake Daisy, who'd slept in his arms the entirety of the trip. Her gold hair fanned out behind her, a stark contrast to Noah's dark locks.

Daisy covered her face with a hand and Noah stepped over her petite body. "Where's Juliette?" he said to Lia at noticing the open landing pad and the girl's absence.

"Doctor Jones took her to his house, I assume," Lia said and brushed her palms down her pants.

"Should we follow?" Noah said, raising his eyebrows.

Lia thought for a moment and nodded. They would be living there soon, anyway.

Noah shook Daisy lightly and she yawned, stretching her arms and smiling softly. Lia proceeded to wake the others, all of whom she'd been introduced to prior to now.

The first boy she approached - Diego - jolted awake when she touched him. Lia stumbled slightly but regained her footing. Diego gave her a confused look and she offered a sheepish smile in return.

"Rise and shine," she said quietly before moving on to Akane - the telekinetic, Doctor Jones had informed her last night.

Lia tentatively knelt by the girl. Akane's lids were closed, her slender face calm with sleep. She was stunning, in Lia's opinion. Her almond eyes, pale cheeks and shiny black hair managing to make her look even more gorgeous.

Lia held a hand over her left forearm, ready to wake her. In a flash, Akane's right hand flew up, grasping Lia's wrist with a grip like iron. Her eyes flew open, dark pupils pinning Lia to the spot.

"I-I'm sorry," Lia stammered. When Akane realised there was no threat, she let go of Lia's wrist and stood up abruptly. And with that, she strolled out of the ship.

The boy next to Akane - Luca - was beginning to wake up, his brown hair messy with sleep. Lia decided to let him wake up on his own, not wanting anymore encounters where she was possibly going to get beat up.

Lia grabbed her backpack, reaching down for her skateboard and descended down the landing pad. The others followed her and all walked out of the ship, each equipped with their belongings from home.

The smell was what entranced Lia first. The breeze ruffled her hair, sending a cacophony of scents into her nose: salty ocean, the syrupy sweet smell of figs and an undertone of coconut.

"Wow," Luca said next to her, his hazel eyes wide at the scenery around them. Vast aqua oceans and pure beaches were a pretty sight to the human eye.

"Up here!" Doctor Jones yelled and Luca and Lia collectively looked up.

Where Doctor Jones was waving from was a gorgeous two story villa, a quaint cobblestone path leading from the ship to the front door. Fig trees dotted the area, their branches full of the fruit.

Lia and Luca grinned at each other, climbing the path to the house. The sun rained down on them, giving the atmosphere a summery vibe.

When they, and the others, reached the house, Doctor Jones stood out the front, looking like a child who'd drawn something and was showing it to his parents.

"Welcome to your new home!" he said and ushered them inside.