Dark Angel by Lisa Tuter (reading in the dark .txt) 📖

said,” look behind you.” I’d felt a slight heaviness on my back, and tentatively touched my shoulder blades and sure enough I felt wings. “Wow…” I said, excitedly, “I FINALLY have my wings!! I wonder how good they work?”

“I don’t know, wanna find out?” She asked.
“Sure.” I said. At that, I took off at a run, and then amazingly was in the air. “Alanah!!” I shouted, “I’m flying!!” I landed by her, and then for some reason got a cold chill down the back of my neck, I looked around but didn’t see anything or anyone, but I DID notice it was getting late. “I think we should head back now.” I told her, she agreed and, because we BOTH have wings now, we took a running head start and flew back to the village. I left her at her house, after saying hello to her mother and father. I thought I would practice my flying on the way home, so I took a running head start, like I’d seen so many other Dark Angel children learning to fly. Again, I was able to fly without a problem and was on my way.

I had almost reached the gates to the Palace, when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I paused in midair and circled round, observing my surroundings. I may be only eleven but I am still well trained in several forms of fighting. I hovered in air then, keeping a hand on the hilt of my short sword (because even though my parents were good rulers and well loved there WERE those, like the Council, who sought to overthrow my parents and so the older children of Royalty and nobility always made sure to keep themselves armed when alone) and flew on keeping an eye out. I finally came to the gates and nodded hello to the guards. Once I was inside the gates, the feeling I’d had went away and I breathed a sigh of relief as I looked upon the palace that I called home.

As I entered the doors to the Grand Hall, I looked around with pride at my home. The vaulted ceiling, painted with depictions of battles and coronations from years past, soared to seemingly endless heights. The wall tapestries, woven with bright colors depicting past celebrations and births, and our clan symbol the Panther, rippled in a slight breeze that the opened door had brought in. In two days time the hall would be glittering from hundreds of gowns, jewels, and laughter. Already it was bustling with people eating dinner. Everywhere was the aroma of roast fowl, beef, pork, fish. Sweet breads dripping with honey-butter, pastries, and sweet scented horthwax candles filled the room. “Ceciliana!” someone called. I turned and saw my parents sitting at the high table. Smiling, I knew just the thing to surprise them. I walked back to the doors and turned around to see the confused looks on their faces. Then I took a running start and soon was in the air again, flying high to touch the top of the clan tapestries then flew down to neatly land before my parents, grinning at their shocked faces.


Mama was the one who came to first. “How…when did you get your wings?” she asked, shock and pride both in her voice.
“When I was playing with Alanah in the Felcan forest.”
“What in the Great Mothers name were you doing in the Felcan?”
My father asked.
“Alanah and I were gathering some herbs for her mother. Then we were climbing trees, and I guess it started getting windy, and I fell out. My wings just kinda…popped out.” After I told them this, they exchanged a, worried?, look and then Mama pulled out a chair beside her and had me sit in it. “Ceciliana, after dinner your father and I need to talk to you and your sister, yeshta?”

“Yeshta, Mama.” I said as I sat down to eat. Lani was sitting next to me, and Enish was sitting at Papa’s side. Looking at the platters I noticed that most of the foods at our table were my favorites, which meant that the head cook, a good friend of mine, had cooked all my favorite foods. It was a good night, as always, with everyone laughing and talking over platters and bowls of steaming, mouth-watering food, and pitchers of ale, wine, and (in the case of children like us) juices. We could see a storm brewing outside from the ice-crystal windows. Lani and I were talking animatedly about our dresses and other plans about my birthday celebration when a messenger from one of the other clans arrived. She hurried over to Papa and whispered something in his ear. It must have been something bad, because Papas face turned as pale as one of the horthwax candles. The conversation between Lani and I died, as did all the others at our table. He was lost in thought, as the messenger stood by his side, waiting for a reply.

Eventually he came back to reality and looked around at us, having noticed the silence at our table. We all watched him as he told the messenger to go eat and rest, because she surely was hungry and tired from her journey. Then his face went back to normal and he smiled at us, and slowly the conversation round the table started back up. Lani and I went back to our conversation, but every now and then I would glance at Papa, and at times I would catch her doing the same. Looking in her eyes we opened up the Link that she and I shared, for though we were not twins we still had the same link.

*What do you think is wrong?* I asked her.
*I don’t know, but Mama and Papa wanted to speak with us later, I’m guessing after dinner. I suppose we’ll find out then, nyeshta?* she replied then asked, *Ceci, what happened in the forest today?*

I looked at her, warily *What do you mean? I told you, Mama, and Papa what happened.*

At that she looked at me, with that Look that older sisters, and best friends, have when you’re not being completely honest and they know it, and she said, *Ceciliana, I know you better. You’re more careful than to fall out of a tree, even when it gets windy. What really happened?*

I looked around the table at our family. Mama, Papa, and Enish were all laughing and talking with the messenger, but there was a strained look on our parents, and the messengers, faces. Here recently our training has been more on observing our surroundings, and such. Watching for danger, and getting away safely. I felt a nudge in my side, and looked up into Lani’s concerned, and impatient, eyes. *You didn’t answer me. What happened, and I mean really happened, in the forest today?*

I sighed again, then replied *I was up in a tree, and it felt like something, or someone, gave me a little push. Then I was falling, and suddenly I heard a ripping sound and my fall stopped.* Her eyes grew large as saucers, but then she masked her alarm before anyone could see. I figured since I told her part of what happened, I might as well tell the rest. *Then while we were flying around, I got a chill down my back, like I was being watched. I looked round us, but couldn’t see anything. I noticed it getting dark, so we headed back. Also, I was almost to the gates of the Palace, when the hairs down the back of my neck stood on end. I paused in mid-air to look around, but again saw no one and nothing. It stopped once I was inside the gates.*


As I told her this, I noticed that her fork was in danger of being snapped in two. Gently I placed my hand on hers. *Please don’t tell Mama or Papa. At least not until later, after dinner is over. They’ve already enough to worry about. Please, Ala?* Glaring at me, she nodded her head slightly, just enough for me to see. *Fine, but they need to know!* she said, *As I was on my way here, from my foster family, I heard a lot of talk in some of the inns along the way. There’s talk that Mama and Papa’s enemies are getting bolder, that soon royal and noble children alike will not be safe to go to foster families, as has been tradition for Mother knows how long.*

As soon as Lani and I were finished eating, Mama and Papa pulled us into their room for our talk. Sitting down Mama was the first to speak. “Alanisah,” my mother began, “ your sister will be going with you to your foster family.” Our eyes grew wide, my sisters and mine, because that had never happened before. Traditionally royal and noble children were to be sent to different foster families. Seeing our shock and confusion Mama hurried to explain. “Times are becoming dangerous to separate children from their siblings. Plus, this will give you a chance to gain more friends without having to completely start afresh.” Lani and I grew excited at this, because we’d missed each others company terribly. We’d always been best friends or, as my mother and father would say, “thick as thieves.” Our father held up his hand for us to be silent. “There is more,” he said. We looked at each other, and through our link exclaimed *More? What more could there be?* We then shrugged and looked back at our father.

“We’ll be breaking tradition a little bit more,” he began, “because your brother will also be going with you.” We stared at him, wide eyed, even more shocked than before. He smiled, “I can see I’ve shocked you even more. The reason he’ll be going with you is because over the next few months, if not year, the palace will be no place for a child. He’s been wishing he were already twelve, so that he could join you. As far as he will know, we’ve granted him his wish of going to his fostering early.”

At this time, my mother spoke up. “Judging from the looks that were on your faces at dinner, I believe you’ve something to tell us as well, don’t you?” Looking at each other we sighed. “Actually Mama,” I began, “I have something I need to tell you. When I fell from the tree, it wasn’t because of the wind.” As I said that, my parents eyes grew wide and they shared a worried look. I went on, “It felt like something gave me a little push. That’s what made me fall, and thankfully that’s when my wings came out. Then Alanah and I were flying around and I felt a chill down the back of my neck, and it happened again when I was almost to the gates of the palace, like something