Secret Wings

Chapter 39

Aren't you glad you only had to wait a day for this next chapter? ;)
I hope these last chapters didn't feel rushed, I have been trying me best to finish in time for the Wattys.

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Chapter 39

Somewhere below me, Aiden let out a cry like a wounded animal.

An arrow zoomed by, like a bolt of lightning, straight at the grinning stranger. He twisted away, but wasn't fast enough to escape it, and he gasped in shock as it embedded in his shoulder, his dark laughter dying in his throat.

"Poison arrow, you-" Aiden yelled out a string of curse words I never would have thought he knew.

The man ripped it out ruthlessly.

"Very well, then. You shall die second." He started to raise his hands, slowly and ominously.

Next to me, the key had disappeared from sight. The strange symbols etched in the stone started to blink like defective lightbulbs.

A small pebble came out of nowhere to hit the man on the cheek.

"What the-" He turned around.

WHAM! A small boulder slammed into him, making him cry out in pain.

The sielg flashed a blinding blue light and dropped heavily, shaking the whole island. I lost my balance and fell to my knees.

Then, the waterfall seemed to rear up, like miniature tsunami, and crashed on top of the stranger like a ton of bricks.

He was caught up in the torrent, and the hungry waves pulled him down with them.

There was an eerie silence. Slowly, milky white clouds floated back, and the sun chased away the darkness.

'The first rock tolls, the blue spark goes. Drop of water, drop of blood. Rise like a flood and scatter.' The wind whispered around us.

"Did I imagine it, or did the wind just speak," Autumn's voice was blank, like all that had transpired had stripped her of any emotions for anything else that might happen.

I barely heard her. My body was shaking, and I felt like I might cry, scream, or faint all at the same time.

I stood up shakily, mindlessly picking something up from the floor with me. One step at a time. I opened my wings, flying into little hops, closer to the water source at the bottom on the rock outcrop, where Chase had fallen. I didn't trust myself to fly completely just yet.

Aiden was already there, panting, tears streaming down his face.

"Chase! Chase! Can you hear me? Where are you?"

"He was just thrown into a cliff. No one could have survived that." My voice was hollow. Or was I actually the one speaking? I just wanted to curl up into a ball. To wake up and find that all this had been a nightmare. Or a vivid dream. Winged-people didn't exist, after all. It was all a trick of my imagination, to entertain my dad with over breakfast. Yes, I would rather had none of this wonderful adventure happen at all than have it end with Chase gone.

Yet, I didn't wake up. Next to me, Aiden, wiping tears off his cheeks, was very real.

"No, he didn't die. There's still a chance. Just when he was going to hit the rock, he kind of... Glowed? Not like he did when the lightning struck him, more like a glowing bubble..." He trailed off, seeming a bit lost. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Chase!" He yelled, and sprinted into the stream of water near by, which had been created when the waterfall lifted.

I turned around, not daring to hope, not wanting to see his mangled body floating in the water.

I heard splutters, then turned around fully to see Chase's head come out of the water and gasp desperately for air.

"Chase?" My voice was a pitiful whine.

"Out of the water," the High Priest said. "Immediately."

Aiden didn't listen, half-swimming, half-jogging through the water to get to Chase. Out of nowhere, he let out a cry of pain.

"Get out of the water!" The High Priest shouted.

Three quick-thinking Winged opened their wings and flew right over to them, one extending his arm to Aiden to help him take flight, the two other trying to fish Chase out without getting wet.

"What's wrong with the water?" Autumn asked.

"One of the underground pockets must have opened. It's either going to boil or freeze over, or worse."

The water was still not boiling, and no ice was in sight, but thankfully people had gotten Chase out of the water.

As soon as they dropped on land, I ran straight to him. Someone grabbed me before I could get to him.

"Hold up, young lady. It's not safe."

Nearby, Aiden had to get tacked to the ground.

"Don't worry, guys," Chase croaked. "I'm fine."

Hearing this, hearing that he really was alive, relief overwhelmed me, the full blow of the fear from earlier came back, and I burst into tears.

Someone handed him some towels and blankets. Only when he was dry did the High Priest allow people to touch him.

Around me, I heard someone mutter, "Funny, neither him nor his friend were harmed."

"I feel like the Hight Priest's over reacting," His friend replied.

Behind us, a little girl called out. "No, Rascal, don't go there."

A brown dog, probably Rascal, sniffed at the water curiously.

"Rascal," a stern adult voice ordered, "Come here."

The dog didn't listen, lapping at the water. The cry of pain of a brown dog and a little girl mixed, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

I felt like I was about to throw up. Farther down the stream, I spotted the blue butterfly from before, drifting gently with the water. Its blue wings had lost their sheen.

A boy next to me saw the poor insect too, and said, "It's my new favorite animal."

I nodded. "Yeah, butterflies are pretty cool."

He looked at me humorously. "That's not a butterfly." Then his features became strangely serious, "It saved your friend's life, you know."

His mother called him away, but I didn't have time to reflect on his strange words.

The doctors around Chase had finally stepped away. I wanted to throw myself in his arms, but the words I heard from the doctors made me hold my horses, for fear of hurting him.

"One leg broken, one dislocated shoulder and the same arm broken in two places. Pulled a few muscles in his back. Lucky fellow, I should say."

They finally parted, letting me get a good look at him. He looked tired and definitely pale, but he looked alive. He slowly stood up, leaning on two strong men and ignoring the discontent of the doctors. Then, slowly, excruciatingly slowly, he opened his wings fully.

My jaw fell open. On his beautiful, ombre brown wings gleamed a few golden feathers.

His gaze met mine, he opened his arms, and I jumped into his embrace. I was frightened by the coldness of his skin, but his strong heartbeat reassured me. He kissed my forehead, and all was better.

Chase was forced to sit down, and I left his embrace to let Aiden see him.

"I swear to the goddess, as soon as you get better I will beat you up for scaring me like that." Aiden said weakly.