A Crown Of Fire And Wrath (The Shadow Walkers Saga #5) - Sloane Murphy Page 0,8
still unable to look away from the gleaming city. “Levi taught you how to fly again, right?”
“He did.” I nod while I bite my lip. “I’ve not done it much though.”
“Well, time to sink or swim, little bird.” He extends his wings behind him, I still can’t get over just how white they are when he climbs up onto the glass perch and steps off the ledge. He drops and my heart practically stops, but then he laughs as he shoots towards the sky, like a shining beacon. It’s as if the whole city pauses to watch him as he climbs higher before swooping back down to hover in front of me.
“Show off,” I mumble as I unfurl my wings, hoping like fuck I remember what the hell I’m doing. I really should have practiced this more, and now I feel like an idiot for not. The ache in my bones extends through my wings, and I pray to anyone that might be listening not to let me die from this flight after everything I’ve been through to survive up to this point. I try not to pay attention to how Michael is studying my wings. I get it, they’re different too. It seems everything about me is.
I take a deep breath, stretch out my wings, and step from the ledge. My wings catch the air drift, and I float for a minute, before Michael appears at my side, a smile back on his face. He seems happy to fly at my pace, which makes me feel better, because trying to fly while I ache, plus trying to take it everything around me is a lot.
Most people avoid us as he shows me around from the skies, and I don’t know if that’s because of me, or him, but I try not to pay much mind to it. Levi told me how unpopular Shadow Walkers are among angels, so it’s not all that surprising.
We fly around this island, not venturing towards the bridge, and Michael points out to me different sectors the island is split into. The white central spires are the Archangel Towers. They also have cells beneath them that link to tunnels running throughout the entire island. There’s the residential quarter, the industrial quarter, the commercial quarter, and then finally, the enforcement quarter. Where the angels who police everyday life here live and work.
There’s so much to take in, and I’m pretty sure not everything sticks, but since Michael is going to unravel the mystery that is my memories, hopefully it will all make more sense soon. It’s about time, I need my memories back. They could hold the answers I’ve been searching for, the clues to what the hell has happened to my life this last year.
I nearly miss Michael speaking to me, lost in my own thoughts as we head back to his sky loft. The Archangel Towers are something of beauty. They’re so very different to anything I’ve ever seen, but then, that doesn’t surprise me considering where we are.
“Are you ready to get back? You look tired,” Michael asks, looking me over. His brow is furrowed like he’s worried about me, but he’s right, I am tired. I haven’t ever flown this much. Even though he’s taken it easy on me speed wise, it’s been a lot.
“Yeah, it’s so beautiful out here, but I am tired.” My stomach rumbles as I speak, and I blush as he chuckles.
“We’ll get you some food too. Unless you’d rather go out to eat?” He sounds so hopeful, but I don’t want to blur any lines here. He’s helping me, I get that, and Levi said himself I’m safer here, which is the only reason I’m not protesting healing here right now, but the second I feel better, I’m going home and I don’t need any more complications in my life. Fates knows I have enough of those. Much as this place feels like a missing part of me, it’s not home for me, not anymore.
“No, I think I’m too tired for that. If we could just grab something small and then I can sleep for a bit?” I try to be as friendly as I can, because he really has been nothing but nice, and he’s still Michael. A guy doesn’t have that many stories flying around about him without some reason for it.
“Of course.” He smiles at me, though some of the light in his eyes has dimmed. “Let’s head back.” I follow him as he