Galdoni Read online

  “Brie, I-“

  She looked up and glared, the expression comedic with the tear trails down her cheeks and the way her mussed hair circled her face, but I couldn’t smile. I only saw the hurt in her eyes, the sorrow that she thought I would leave her like that after everything, the loss as one who only dares to hold on to so little feels.

  I stepped back, my heart barely beating. “Brie, you can’t look at me like that. You can’t . . . you can’t feel about me like that.” I struggled to keep my emotions in check, to fight past the feeling of a fist encircling my heart.

  “And you can’t go diving off bridges with a death wish,” she said, her hands knotted into fists and her eyes burning into mine. “You can’t believe that flying is the only thing there is. You just can’t.”

  “It’s all I’ve got,” I replied; my voice catching.

  “No, it’s not. You’ve got me; you’ve got all of us.” She wiped a fresh tear off her cheek. “You’ve got me,” she repeated.

  “I-,” I didn’t know what to say. I rubbed my forehead, then threw my hands down in frustration. “I’m not worth all that.”

  Her eyes softened and she grabbed one of my hands. “Kale, look at me.”

  I shook my head, afraid of what my face would show.

  She put a hand on my chest, her fingers gentle. I looked back, surprised, and she stood on her tiptoes so that her lips touched mine.

  Fire ran from her lips and filled me with such intensity my breath caught in my throat. I kissed her back, carefully, slowly. My hand lifted of its own accord and tangled gently in her hair. Her lips smiled in response and she lowered her head so that it rested under my chin.

  It was all I could do to stand there. My knees threatened to give out, and not just the bad one. The scent of her perfumed hair filled my senses and drowned out my thoughts. I put my arms around her, afraid to let go and afraid of hurting her at the same time.

  “Your heart’s racing,” she said in a whisper after a few minutes had passed.

  “It’s going to explode from my chest,” I replied when I was semi-confident my voice would remain steady.

  I could hear a smile in her voice. “Is it from flying or from me?”

  “You, mostly,” I replied. I felt bare, stripped, as though honesty was the only thing I had left to offer her.

  She tipped her head up and looked at me. “Does that mean flying’s not as grand as you remembered?” Her tone was teasing.

  I shook my head. “Even better, but nothing like you.”

  She smiled and stepped back without letting go of my hand. “Good answer.”

  A thought came to my mind. It was the only thing I could offer her, the one piece of my soul that hadn’t been smashed to bits at the Academy. “Fly with me.”

  “What?”

  “Fly with me. Let me show you.” At her hesitancy, I smiled, my heart lighter than it had ever been. “Do you trust me?”

  “Of course,” she answered without hesitation.

  “Then let me give you the only thing I have to give.”

  She walked beside me back to the railing and stood where I had jumped off a few short minutes before, minutes that felt like an eternity of my life had past. I put my arms around her waist.

  “Ready?”

  “Are you sure you’re strong enough?”

  I beat my wings up and down and felt a grin spread across my face at the power in them. She nodded and we jumped.

  I pulled up shorter this time, surprised that Brie didn’t scream or fight against the fall. She merely clutched my arms around her waist and waited. I heard her breath catch as the wind filled my wings and carried us up and over the fog. I pushed down hard and took us above the cloud cover to the star-filled sky above.

  “Oh, Kale,” she whispered.

  I smiled at her, her eyes on the sparse view of the buildings through the clouds. Her brown hair tangled in the wind and when she glanced back at me, her eyes were alight with the stars and the shine of the moon on the clouds.

  I pushed my wings harder and farther than I probably should have, but it was worth it to finally fly free, to soar without walls or chains or fear, to just give in to the flight.

  When we finally landed behind Nikko’s house, Brie stood on her tiptoes again and brushed my lips softly with hers. She smiled as though she couldn’t smile big enough. “That was wonderful,” she breathed.

  “Then it won’t be your last time,” I replied. I didn’t know why I said it, or why my heart gave an unexpected thump at the way her face lit up, but I knew at that moment that what was left of my heart was no longer my own.

  She took my hand in hers and walked slowly toward the front of the house.

  The second we crossed into view of the windows, the front door opened and Jayce burst out, his eyes sparking with anger. “What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded. He threw something on the lawn and charged down the stairs.

  I put my hands up and backed away against every fiber in my body that screamed for me to get in the first strike and take the advantage in the fight. Jayce brushed past Brie and swung for my head. I ducked and instinct took over. I butted my head against his stomach and bowled him over. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me over after him. I rolled over the top of his head and landed back on my feet in a crouch, then spun back to face him, my hands loose and muscles tense for his next attack. He pushed up to his feet and started toward me again.

  “Jayce!” Nikko yelled from the door. He ran down and stood between us, a hand on Jayce’s chest. “Jayce, think about what you’re doing.”

  “I know what I’m doing,” Jayce growled, his eyes locked on mine.

  “No, you don’t,” Nikko said. He shoved Jayce hard enough to make him take a few steps back. “Look who you’re attacking. Kale could tear you apart. It’s what he’s trained to do.”

  Jayce’s chest rose and fell as he glared from Nikko to me. His eyes then widened slightly and he dropped his hands to his sides. “But the danger. You said so yourself they’d be on us in a heartbeat if they ever found out.” He pointed at the pile of cloth he had thrown on the ground. “I found that on the bridge. What do you think they would do if they found you without it?”

  “Who?” Brie demanded.

  I looked at where Jayce pointed and recognized my crumpled trench coat. I walked over and picked it up, my eyes never leaving Jayce. “The police,” I answered. I clenched the fabric hard in my fist. “You’re right, Jayce. I put us all in danger.”

  “Kale, no,” Brie protested.

  I glanced at her. “He’s right, Brie. It’s too dangerous, and I know better. I just wasn’t thinking.”

  “None of us are thinking too clearly after all the cramming for midterms,” Nikko said in an urgent tone. “Let’s get in the house and talk about this. There’s no need to make any rash decisions.”

  I looked at Jayce and he nodded, his eyes on my wings. The shadow from the porch light behind me pooled at my feet, and I saw what he did. My wings were open, held out and loose, no longer bound tightly to my back. In my shadow, I looked like a huge winged beast waiting to spring.

  I pulled my wings in tight and threw the coat around my shoulders as I walked up the porch steps behind Jayce. A slight shudder ran through me when the coat settled around my shoulders; it felt as though I relinquished my freedom with the simple action, but I pushed the feeling down and stepped into the house.

  Chapter Seven

  “It can’t be like this, we all know it can’t,” Jayce said with a shake of his head.

  “Then what does Kale have to do, leave?” Brie protested.

  “Yes,” Jayce and I said at the same time.

  Jayce glanced at me. “It’s not that I don’t like you. I think you’re great and all; it’s just if they find you here-“

  “I know.” I stared out the living room window at the night beyond. “It’d be a danger to all of you.”

  “And yourself,” he pointed out. “This area isn’t exactly the s
afest place to hide from the cops if you know what I mean. They’re always on the rounds here, checking for underage drinking parties and what not. It’s only a matter of time.”

  “But we’re not out of time yet,” Nikko said. “We just need to be more careful.”

  “But you were meant to fly,” Jayce replied. He met my gaze. “We might as well break your wings again; it’s like you’re being held hostage anyway. I know I'm not the only one who's noticed how often you stare out at the sky.” He glanced meaningfully at the trench coat. “I can tell how much you hate wearing that thing.”

  “And where would you like him to go?” Brie asked. She sat in a corner of the couch with her knees drawn up under her chin and her hands clenched around them. “It’s not like places are screaming welcome for Galdoni.” She looked as though she was fighting back tears.

  “I’ll be fine,” I told her. I couldn’t bear to meet her gaze. Jayce’s expression was firm, his fear for his sister in his eyes. Nikko’s brow furrowed and I assumed he was searching for a way around the problem, a solution that would make everyone happy. I shook my head. “The plan was for me to go back to the Academy when I was healed, and I’m good enough now. I’ve got to stop what they’re doing; it’s wrong and there’s got to be a way to end it.”

  “But putting yourself in danger isn’t going to solve anything,” Brie argued. “They’re going to start the Arena battles again. What’s to stop them from throwing you back in there?” I could hear the heartbreak in her voice and it tore through my chest like a dagger.

  “That’s what I’ve got to figure out,” I replied quietly. “I’ll go tonight.”

  “Tomorrow,” Nikko said; his was voice firm. “There’s no reason to leave right now. We’ll all sleep on it and perhaps a better solution will present itself in the morning.”

  I met his gaze prepared to argue, then shrugged. “You know there won’t be a better solution tomorrow. There’s only one answer to this and it’s the one we’ve known from the start.” I put a hand briefly on his shoulder before I made my way past him to my room. “Thanks for trying, though.”

  I stopped at the door and turned back. “Jayce?” He looked up, his expression dark. “I’m truly sorry for putting Brie in danger. You know I never intended it.”

  “I know,” he answered quietly.

  I glanced at Brie and held her gaze for a second. Tears made her eyes shine bright; I cursed myself for making her cry twice in one night. I turned and shut the door behind me, then slid down against it until I sat on the floor, my wings to either side and my good knee under my chin. Darkness filled me so deep that it threatened to destroy any light I had found away from the Academy.

  ***

  Someone banged on the door near my head and I jumped. It took me a second to remember why I was sitting on the floor, but the memories of merely a few hours earlier came rushing back all too quickly.

  “What is it?” I forced out through a dry throat.

  “Jayce and Brie need your help. Come quick.” The urgency in Nikko’s voice left no room for argument.

  I pushed to my feet, wincing at the pain in my knee from sitting on the cold floor. My wings ached, but I ignored them and pulled the door open.

  Jayce and Brie sat at the card table, their heads close together as they spoke in quiet undertones. Brie held a cellphone and when she looked up at me, her eyes were rimmed with red and her cheeks pale.

  I took the chair across from her. “What’s going on?”

  “Our mom called,” Jayce said. “She was hysterical. She said Rob got drunk and beat her, then went after Allie. She hasn’t been able to find Allie anywhere.”

  Brie buried her face in Jayce’s shoulder to hide her sobs.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Nikko said. “They’ll find her.”

  “Did he hurt her?” I demanded. Protectiveness, a feeling I had never known before, welled up in my chest at the thought that this Rob had hurt someone Brie and Jayce loved.

  “We don’t know,” Brie said. “Rob’s back home, but he doesn’t remember anything, and I think he’s still drunk by the sound of things.”

  “We’re hoping she’ll call. She knows the number,” Jayce explained. Their eyes both turned back to the cellphone.

  “How far away did you say it was?” I asked.

  “Two hours,” Nikko replied behind me. “But the buses don’t run there until morning, and a cab would cost more than we’ve got. Their dad left on a training trip and won’t be back for a couple days, and Dad’s on an emergency call at the hospital.”

  The phone rang and Brie handed it to Jayce, her eyes wide with a mixture of hope and fear.

  “Allie? Allie honey, where are you?”

  Jayce’s voice was calm, but his knuckles showed white where he gripped the phone. Brie hovered as close as she could to listen in.

  “Okay, just stay there. We’ll find a way to come get you. Can I talk to the manager?” He and Brie exchanged a worried look and she stepped back.

  “Where is she?” Nikko asked.

  “The video store down the road. Luckily, they’re open twenty-four seven,” Brie replied, her eyes on Jayce.

  “Thank you. We’ll be there as soon as possible. Bye.” Jayce closed the cellphone with reluctance. “He said he’ll watch over her until we show up. She sounds so scared.”

  “Rob better keep a safe distance when I see him again,” Brie threatened, a dangerous spark in her eye.

  “Okay then,” Nikko cut in. “How are we going to get you guys there?”

  “I’ll take them,” I said without hesitation.

  Everyone turned to stare at me. Brie shook her head. “You can’t fly with both of us and still get Allie. Besides, you’ve already flown too much today. You need to rest your wings or you’ll seriously hurt yourself.”

  I shook my head. “I know I can make it, and you need someone there fast. You said yourself that the buses don’t run ‘til morning, you don’t have a car, and I know you don’t want to leave her there any longer than you have to.” I frowned. “And you don’t want to chance this Rob guy finding her. I don’t see that you have many options other than to trust me.”

  Brie and Nikko both looked at Jayce. He studied me, his face pale and eyes calculating. “You think you can fly us both there?”

  Nikko cleared his throat. “He might, but how would you all get home. One of you go, and since Brie’s lighter, I suggest her. Give Kale the best possible chance to return.”

  Jayce stared at the wall behind Nikko and I could see him weighing the options. He finally sighed and turned back to me. “Fine. If you think you can do it, go for it. But if anything goes wrong, call me right away.”

  “Got it.”

  He glanced at Brie, then back. “And take care of my girls. If anything was to happen to them. . . .”

  “Yeah, I remember,” I said with a meaningful nod toward the front yard.

  He gave a tight smile and slapped me on the shoulder. “Nice to see those wings are good for something.”

  I walked with Nikko to the front door to give the siblings some privacy before we left. Nikko took a deep breath of the cool night air. “You sure you can make it that far?” he asked, watching me out of the corner of his eye.

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  He gave a short nod. “Right. I supposed so. Well, good luck. And thanks. That little girl means the world to all of us; I don’t know what we’d do if anything happened to her.”

  I stood quietly for a moment. A strange sort of adrenaline filled me at the thought of the flight. I realized after a moment that it had even more to do with who we might meet at the end. My body yearned for a fight. I swallowed uneasily and voiced the thoughts in my head. “I can’t promise to be rational if we meet up with this Rob guy. It’s one thing to fight someone who’s trained, but a little girl? It makes me so angry I can barely think. Nothing I’ve gone through has prepared me for this.” I clenched and unclenched my fists in an effort to stay
calm.

  Nikko leaned against a post and studied me. “Just do what your conscience tells you. And remember that murder is illegal no matter who you are.”

  A humorless laugh escaped my lips. “Thanks, I’ll try to remember that.”

  Brie opened the door and walked with me to the lawn. “Take care of her,” Jayce said in a tight voice from the porch.

  I nodded and wrapped my arms around her waist. “Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  I stretched out my wings to ease the ache from our earlier flight, then gave three powerful downward thrusts. We lifted into the air and it took less than a second to clear the tree line. Brie held my arms, but her touch was soft. I followed her directions and winged toward the glow of another city on the dark horizon. I flew higher, then glided along the night wind in an effort to save my strength. The chill of the crisp air cut through us and Brie drew closer in my grasp. Her warmth kept me going.

  We made it to the edge of the city within an hour by cutting straight across big chunks of forest where cars were forced to follow the meandering road. I landed as close to the video store as we dared, then slipped into the trench coat Brie had carried. She threw me one last worried look before running toward the store. I followed close behind, my senses straining for any sign of attack.

  “Brie!” a young voice called out as she pulled open the door.

  “Allie!”

  I stepped inside and squinted in the neon light in time to see a little blond-haired girl throw her arms around Brie’s waist. I caught the glimmer of tears in Brie’s brown eyes as she knelt down and stroked the little girl’s hair. “It’s alright. We’re going to take you with us.”

  “I was so scared,” Allie sobbed. “He was so mean to Mom, and I told him to stop. Then he got really mad and I ran.”

  “He didn’t hurt you?” Brie asked anxiously. Despite Allie’s reassurances that she was alright, Brie held her back at arm’s length and looked her over from head to toe. Satisfied, she pulled her back in for another hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”