A/N: I'm sorry to say, that as a Canadian, I have a very limited education about the geography of the U.S.A. As in, I know there are fifty some-odd states and they are somewhere in the land mass to the south. So if I've made any grievous errors, feel free to mention them in a review.

We'd had to move again. Not that moving was anything to horrific for us. But still – would it have killed Mom to let us stay there with her? She hadn't had much of an excuse, saying something about not making it hard for Ella.

So we were going to fly up to Colorado and Mom (I still get a kick out of thinking that) was supposed to meet us there. Then we'd fly (in a plane this time) to Michigan, which was so far north it was like I'd never heard of it.

"Max? Do you think we'll have uniforms at this school? And I hope the food is good at this new place. Maybe she'll make us tacos, like your mom does…" I began to tune out the rest. Nudge could go on for an hour without taking a breath. Instead, I focused on the movement of my wings. I felt powerful, like this was what I was meant to do.

This is what you were meant to do, Max.

That would be my handy-dandy Voice – always cropping up at the wrong moments and making life difficult for me.

That would explain those weird feathery things on my back, I replied snarkily.

My Voice was like that, throwing out a cryptic comment or two, then falling silent. I tended to ignore it. Unless, you know, it was telling me to kill the evil scum of the world. That sort of fit in with my agenda anyway.

"Max, are we there yet?" I frowned in Gazzy's direction. If he had too, that kid could go for hours without stopping. But as soon as our lives weren't in danger, it was a contest between him and Nudge to see who could drive me to the screaming point first.

I let out a lo-o-ong breath.

"No. We are not there yet."

"How much longer?"

"I don't know." I kept my voice calm and leaderly. Calm thoughts. Like cute little bunnies. Like smiling unicorns. Pretty rainbows.

"Max, do you think there'll be cute boys at this school? Do you think this new lady will help me with my hair? Do you think that all headmasters are evil? Will we have to take a school bus? Can you imagine going on a school bus? That would be so weird!"

Bunnies. Unicorns. Rainbows. Happy children.

"Will we be there soon?"

"Gazzy! Shut up!" He cackled, grinning wickedly at Nudge, who was pouting.

"I wiiin! Agaaain! Undefeaated!"

If it was ever in doubt, there's nothing more annoying than a triumphant eight year old.