Fallen (Undergoing editing)

Chapter two:

"Who's that guy?" I asked, elbowing Enrique's side with my elbow.

Enrique turned to the young angel with black wings and long black hair that reached his shoulders. His beady little eyes gazed ahead of him, fixed on Falcon who led the Flock.

"A new recruit. Falcon and I were scouting along the Little Islands and found him among a city that was attacked by a pack of Jinn. He was the only survivor."

I nodded and felt Enrique move to the front where he should be, being the second in command meant he stayed with Falcon most of the time when he wasn't walking in my shadow embarrassing me.

I stayed behind, with Sonya and the others, watching the new recruit in the corner of my eye, keeping close. Being near him, something next to curiosity bugged around in my gut.

"Alright, here we go!" Enrique yelled over to the Flock before following Falcon in leaping from the exit ledge and into the sky.

I felt excitement bubble up inside me as I ran alongside everyone else, reaching the cliff and kicking off, hurling myself into the wide open air. Then, I fell.

The wind raced past my ears as I was swallowed up into the sky. The Flock began to space and level out, all in wing distance of each other, each getting their balance. Mentally counting down in my head, I waited, slightly longer than the rest to unfurl my wings and flutter up above the team and roll around in the air, sucking in the sweet scent of freedom.

"In formation!" Falcon called, his wings wide and open, flapping gracefully as he led the others.

Soon the Flock moved into a clean formation. I flew several feet above them, away from the cluster of bodies, hovering like a ghost, following close by.

"Lilly!" a voice called through the wind.

I looked over my shoulder to see an awkward flying Guardian come soaring up beside me, his feathers a deep creamy toffee, tuffs of feathers sticking up in all directions messily.

"Thor," I said easily as I swayed to the left to keep from batting my wings against his.

"Hey, you like the speech Falcon gave?" Thor asked, awkwardly flapping his wings to keep in pace with me. I gazed at his right wing that was bent a little crooked in one place from a nasty battle during a demon raid once. Thor was Gwen's older brother, shared her deep green eyes and sandy blonde hair. He'd been sent into the Guardianship at a young age even before Falcon was in charge. It'd been a rough accident, but not wanting to give up being a Guardian, Thor stuck to pushing through his injury he would live with the rest of his life, pushing a little harder than others to stay up in the sky.

"I didn't really hear it," I admitted.

"Ah, yes, you were too busy smooching with captain hotty, Enrique," Thor said as he tripped over a gust, flapping with several strong down strokes to keep him up in the air.

I laughed. "He started it."

Thor nodded and looked over to me with a crooked grin. "Remember when you first found out he was your sworn love and you hated him, hiding every chance you got when he came around?" Thor sighed dramatically, "Seems like yesterday."

I nodded. Thor and I knew all about the painful selection of sworn loves, partners, mates until you died. There was no such thing as 'true love' or choice when it came to romance. Families along with the Council made preparations for marriages and children that couldn't be refused. It was horrible and sadly, I was chosen and taken for that life.

"Just think about it, you're going to have to get married one day and have cute little babies," Thor said jokingly, quickly avoiding my wings.

Whacked him in the back of his head with my hand. "Yeah, and someday you're gonna have a sworn love too." I glanced down at the Flock that still flew below me. I looked down to a pale winged guardian and pointed. "Maybe Sonya will be the lucky girl?"

Thor paled and shook his head vigorously. "No way, I'd rather fall to my death. She's one of those hardy girls who spends all her time sharpening her blades and hating everyone." He looked at me with fear stricken eyes. "To be honest, if I went and talked to her, I think she'd kill me."

I laughed, my voice carrying over the clouds and air.

"Hey, you two!" Enrique baked, flying up to us. "Keep close, we're not far from our target." He looked from me to Thor and shook his head before diving back down with the group.

"Hmph!" Thor said with a roll of his eyes. "So charming he is."

I giggled and dived down with him with meet up with the rest of the Flock.