Okay, I'm not going to apologize profusely for not updating in so freaking long. Life has been so busy and I have a really hard time actually writing continuing fanfictions that aren't co-written. If I have a co-author to keep me in line I do good. If not...well...this is a good example. But anyway, we have another chapter finally! It's been so long but I reread the other chapters before I started writing this, so I really hope I managed to maintain the tone and Nu--Zalle's personality. :) I'll try to update this again sooner this time! Thanks in advance for reviews and boo on you in advance to everyone who doesn't review...

Nameless

When I woke up the next morning, there was a boy standing over me. Of course, the first thing I did was leap up, squeeze my wings tighter against my back under my jacket, and back away, assuming a defensive position.

I blinked the sleep out of my eyes—it was only just dawn, and he had to wake me up then. He couldn't've snuck up on me two hours later, no.

His brown eyes were wide with the speed I'd jumped back, but he was sort of smiling. Sort of, like, it was one of those lopsided grins but smaller. Faintly puzzled but also amused.

Anyway, I took a deep breath and prepared to deliver a scathingly sarcastic retort to whatever he asked me. But he didn't ask me anything, just ran a hand through his soft brown hair and blinked a couple times.

"Hey, it's okay," he said softly, walking to me carefully.

"What do you want?" I snapped, trying to put all the scathingness that Ara always had into the words.

"Nothing," he grinned, "I just come up here every morning. I was fair surprised to see you here, though, not many can make that sort of climb."

I couldn't remember just how hard a climb it might have been. I flew. Duh. I edged to the edge, though, and looked down. The rising sun was hidden behind the taller buildings on the east side of the street.

"Yeah, well, I'm special," I said, smiling at him. I knew Ara and Seth would have—no! They're not here, I thought, they don't get to determine who I trust or not. He's nice.

"Well I guess so. Where'd you come from, anyway? Haven't seen you around. Most people don't move around here on purpose either."

"Really? I'm, uh, just passing through I guess. For now. What about you? You live here, then?"

The boy—he looked about my age or maybe a couple years older since avian-hybrids look a lot older than they are—sat down on one of the crates that lined the roof and I sat on the next one over.

"Yeah, I guess. I was just passing through but I had nowhere to pass through to so I just . . . stuck around." He looked off in the direction of the sunrise we couldn't see. He didn't sound sad, exactly, but maybe he was just covering it up.

My wings were hurting so bad from being cramped and tense all night long, and I couldn't even stretch them out this morning.

"Well, um, I'd love to stay and talk but I'm looking for my mom—" Oh my God I can't believe I said that!

It was because I had to wake up so early. I was tired and said whatever came out of my mouth, I know it. That always happens. I don't wake up very well. That's one thing I always tried to be better at, like Ara—but wasn't.

He turned toward me, brows furrowed. "You lost your mom?"

I mumbled around the words "Sort of," which wasn't totally a lie, not totally. I just needed to get out of here and away from him so I could stretch my wings and start looking for my mom!

"Well, hey," he said, smiling sympathetically at me, which was so cute, even though I knew I couldn't be falling for random humans like that which we weren't even supposed to be trusting. "Do you, y'know, need help? I don't got parents and I don't have anything to do . . ."

I blinked. He tilted his head at my shock but I just started laughing. After everything Seth and Ara warned us about humans—after everything we'd been through—I was just looking for my mom and, and this totally random and probably homeless kid wants to help me and he doesn't even know me!

"I'm just crazy," I said, trying to stop the hysterics, "for laughing like this, but I can't believe you'd want to help—" I gulped. "You wanting to help . . ." tears were running down my face and I finally figured out I was starting to cry—which Ara seemed to think was something to avoid at all costs and so I felt guilty every time I started, I just couldn't be just like her all the time, I guess. I said the last word, "me," through slight sobs.

I didn't even flinch or try to pull away when the boy was suddenly holding me, letting my cry into his shoulder. I didn't even know his name—he didn't even know mine, but I sobbed out my story, as much as I could. Just not the wings.

When I finally finished babbling and crying, he pulled back and quirked a smile. "I bet you feel better now."

I nodded and smiled back. "I just guess it was getting to me and you were being so nice and offeri—" he stopped me with a finger to my lips. I blinked in surprise but stopped talking.

"So it's a deal? I'll help you find your parents?" he asked almost hopefully.

I opened my mouth to say yes, to say that it wasn't much of a deal, though, to say that I should help him find his own—didn't he say he didn't have any either?—in return, but just then I heard a creaking behind me.

A metal door, opening.

Almost before the same man from last night shouted, "Hey! You! Trespassers, I oughta . . ." I was up on my feet and running to the edge. First instinct—fight or flight. I guess I was gonna fly.

Without another thought, another glance back at the boy, another heartbeat, I tore off my jacket, grabbing my pack from the ground along the way, and leapt off the edge. Startled, strangled cries resounded behind me but I didn't notice them as I unfurled my tawny wings. It hurt like heck! They were sore from yesterday and stiff from overnight and I thought I was about to die but I just coasted to the street with what grace I had left and hit the ground running.

It was empty in this part of town in the morning, which was probably lucky for me. After a few blocks I finally slowed down, breathing hard and massaging my shoulder. I found an alleyway shadowed from the dawning light and crouched in the back.

I needed food and a better place to base my investigations from than this little alley, but for now I was content to sit in the back and mope.

I'd showed my wings, I'd panicked and run away. Totally stupid! I thought to myself as I banged my head against the wall.

I hoped the boy was okay. I wondered if I'd ever see him again, if I should even try to find him now that he knew my secret. Most of all, I realized I didn't even know his name.