Hey, guys! It's been too long. I'm finally settled in to my new house now, so updates should be coming quicker. This particular update was inspired by and is dedicated to of untold secrets who recently did me and this story a huge honor.

I just want to thank everyone who has stuck with this series so far. I know I'm an unreliable updater. So if you read the author's note at the end, I have a little reward for you.

Chapter 24

Welcome, Soldier

Previously:

"…where I was headed, apparently, was Home. "

"Nudge and Angel went off on their own little mission."

Thorne POV

I have seen Home and she is beautiful. She is also the girl I was previously ordered to help kill. She descends in front of me like an angel, her dark hair crackling around her with electricity from my storm. I am too tired to make much reply and I wonder if I'm dreaming. Or dead.

She's talking and I hang onto every word. I let my world settle back into its new frame that this girl has provided. I am no longer a lonely wanderer, perhaps no longer a killer. Because she's saved me.

I take control of my feet and walk forward to kneel in front of the angel's companion, a little blond girl who I recognize. She has stopped talking and the little girl with her is watching me thoughtfully. From my back pocket I retrieve the singed angel-bear and hold it up to her, meeting her eyes. She smiles. I raise my gaze to the other girl's brown eyes.

"I'm glad I didn't kill you," I say as I rise to stand in front of her. She looks up at me and smiles and it about rocks my world.

"Me too," she says. The look the little girl gives her tells me it is the shortest sentence the other has ever uttered in her life. Something suspiciously like laughter sparks into existence in my chest and I look down at the little girl who has just grabbed my hand in surprise.

"We're going home," she says. I can do nothing less than nod and follow.

I know in this instant that my path has always been pointed toward her. And I was never meant to kill and destroy. That is what she is telling me as we go forward. It is not love or gratitude. It is hope that makes me think this way. This is a new emotion to me and at first I did not recognize it.

MPOV

Rain has painted the sparring platform a dull and grimy silver. My sneakers squeak and slip against the wet rock as I pace. I lift my face to the storm that has come in to preface the arrival of our latest newcomer. I can see the uncertainty in the faces of Mira and Gryffin as they stand side by side, watching the gray sky through Home's rocky back entrance. Rider on the other hand seems perfectly unconcerned. His entire attention is focused on the place where griffins hand rests on Mira's shoulder.

Lightning cracks overhead although the sky is not nearly dark enough to denote a storm. And I see three gray figures emerge in the distance. My breath leaves me in relief. They're safe. My babies survived their first flight out of the nest.

The rain grows heavier as they enter the cavern and we back up to give them room. The rain grows cold and hard, stinging my face and arms. I give Nudge a skeptical look through the pelting water because I know this storm to be Thorne's creation.

Nudge's fingers brush the back of Thorne's hand, and it happens so quickly that I'm not even sure I saw it. He glances at her and I think the tension in his body lessens. The rain lessens along with it.

Mira steps forward and now it's Gryffin's turn to tense like a body guard. I see his normally light-filled eyes narrow and become shadowed with threat. I see Thorne's silent acknowledgment of the threat and acceptance of the unspoken claim of possession.

I tune out as Mira begins the customary explanation and welcome speech. Instead, I size up the new recruit. He's obviously going to be a good addition to our makeshift army and my muscles already hurt at the thought of sparring with such a big guy.

The storm thing is a problem. How well can he control it? I doubt anyone here is going to want to offer themselves as a possible sacrifice to his training. I know in the end it'll be me and Hawthorne who take him on and see if we can reign in those powers for good.

That is assuming he wants to use them for good. I'm trusting Nudge's judgment on this one. I wish I had Fang's opinion to bolster my decision.

Fang. A fresh wave of pain joins the dull ache that is my constant companion. I haven't given up on him and I certainly never stop worrying. He still has yet to wake up. The healer has told me that the last distance to cross to consciousness is usually the hardest and that some people never make it back across that bit of healing.

But I refuse to dwell on these melancholy thoughts. Nudge and Angel have been forced to leave Thorne's side to change their wet clothes and everyone is standing around in awkward silence. I realize that Mira has just brought up the subject of learning the extent of Thorne's abilities and no one has offered to help. I step forward, the brave Maximum Ride, and the silence dispels.

When I meet Thorne's gaze I see a kindred spirit. It makes me feel a lot better about my decision to trust him and help him out.

"Look," I say to him when everyone is gone, "I'm not sure what you sacrificed to get here but I'm considering it the first sacrifice of this war. That means you've been recruited. Welcome to the army."

He grins and it is a grin that is at once coldly excited and self-mockingly warm.

"I've always been a soldier," he says. "It's just that this time I'm on the good side."

"Meet you here at dawn tomorrow to start training," I say. His expression is skeptical but he nods and then his attention is stolen by Nudge who has reappeared to take Thorne to his new living quarters.

I ponder thoughts of soldiers and sacrifice and war as I make my way to Fang's healing chamber. What else will have to be lost to gain the freedom for which we fight? I'm afraid to consider that too closely, for if this is my war, it has to be me who sacrifices the most. And though I would admit it to no one else save the person who lies unconscious in the healing chamber below, I am afraid.

And now to the reward I mentioned earlier. I'm giving you a preview. And not just any little insignificant preview. This preview is important, one might even say crucial.

Obviously I can't post it here because some of you don't want it. If you're interested, review or PM me and I'll send it to you. This is for anyone who bothered to read this story even if you haven't been there since the beginning or you're just reviewing to tell me about all the mistakes I've made.

Just make sure you say something about the preview in your message because I don't want to be sending it to people who don't want it.

It's a crucial bit of information and it's not a misleading scene. What I mean is it's not like a dream scene or a scene where someone's misinformed or whatever.

So review and thanks again.