The following night, Angel came over to me and Max and told us she wanted to talk to us.
"What is it, Angel?" I asked.
"I got a secret," she whispered excitedly. "About us—from when I was at the School. Where we came from?"
I stared at Max and then looked at Angel.
"What are you saying, Angel?" I asked, calmly.
Iggy came over, followed by the others and demanded, "Spill, already, Angel."
I glared at him and snapped, "Ig, be nice."
He nodded and Max groaned.
Angel looked at her and said, "Max, it's just as well that everyone is up now. If they weren't, you and Emerald would explain what I'm telling you now—tomorrow."
I nodded, and agreed silently with Angel.
"So, what's up, Angel?" I asked.
"I heard a lot of stuff while I was at the School," she began.
"Stuff people said or stuff people thought," I asked.
"Stuff people thought. A lot of it was sad," she said. "It made me feel icky. I don't wanna cry again. Aw, I'm crying again."
"It's alright. You're safe now," Fang called.
I smiled and Nudge blurted out, "I saw my real name in Jeb's files. I really did."
"I know Nudge," I called. "I saw my real name—Elphaba Thropp—too."
"Emerald and Nudge are right," Angel blurted out suddenly. "We did have parents. We were born—from human mothers—like normal babies."
We all looked at each other and Iggy glared in Angel's direction. "What?" he roared. "You've sat on this since yesterday! Just because you're the youngest that doesn't mean you have to be the dumbest!"
I sprang to my feet and snarled, "Iggy, calm down. Let's hear Angel out."
She looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, Emerald. I'm so sorry."
"For what?" I asked.
"You were 'kidnapped'—but really I think that the whitecoats thought that your father arranged for you to be taken away—he had hated—hates you—since the day you were born. And your mother died when your sister was born," Angel explained.
I snarled and sprang to my feet. "That…jerk," I growled, blocking my thoughts so Angel couldn't pick up on them. "I hate him. I absolutely hate my father!" I yelled, furiously, wiping away the tears of anger and betrayal I felt welling up in eyes.
"What about him?" I asked, curious.
"He was abducted. They were able to reunite him with his parents. The three live in some place called the Vinkus," Angel explained.
I nodded and sat down, wrapping my arms my knees. Nudge came over and Angel said, "Your parents were told you were dead."
"I did have a mom and dad," Nudge murmured. "I did."
"And Iggy's mom died," Angel gasped. "She died when he was born."
Iggy's eyes flashed with pain.
"What about us?" Gazzy asked. "How'd they get us, two years apart?"
"Our parents gave us to the School," Angel whispered. "They let them put the bird genes in us and then gave us away for money."
Gazzy and Angel both curled up against Max, sobbing.
"What about me and Max?" Fang asked evenly.
"They told your mom you were dead," Angel explained. "She was a teenager. They don't know who your father was."
Fang nodded dully.
"And I didn't hear anything about you, Max," Angel admitted sadly. "I'm real sorry."
Max and Fang sat up, later talking about Angel's information.
