Chapter one

I stood in my sandals, sighing. It was pretty much a normal day, get lectured about school, get grounded, sneak out, get lectured for sneaking out, get grounded, sleep.

"Yes, daddy, yes, I understand. No daddy, she isn't coming. No daddy, she's grounded. Yes daddy, yes daddy. Of course daddy. I love you daddy." My sisters voice echoed in the hall way as her shoes patted against the tiles. Carmen's father wanted to see her this weekend, and because I was grounded, I was lucky enough to get out of said trip.

"Daddy says hello, Iza." She smiled at me before waltzing over to the refrigerator to pull out a bottle of dragon-fruit. I personally dislike the stuff, nasty fruit that's watered down considerably. That, however, didn't stop me from pulling out a can of coke.

"Izadrye, can't you be a little healthier, like your sister?" My mother scolded. See the problem about this family? I'm always being compared to my younger sister. Izadrye, why can't you be healthier, like your sister? Izadrye, why can't you behave like your sister? Izadrye, why can't you be straight like your sister? Izadrye, why can't you be normal?

See, ever since I told her about my little sixth sense, my mother has been on my back. It's so... frustrating. She finds the tiniest flaws in what I do then grounds me for them, it's so unfair. She knew Carmen wasn't exactly the most perfect of people. She even caught her doing 'inappropriate' things with a guy in her room, and all she gave her was a talk about how she absolutely agrees with her choice of partner, not a warning or anything. And I knew that she was rubbing it in my face.

All because of my strange ability.

"Humph, are you ready yet?" I grumbled. My mother gave me a warning look before grabbing hold of her bag and talking out a bottle of water. I scoffed under my breath. Nonetheless, I followed her out the door to the car where my sister was trying to stuff her huge suitcase in the trunk of the tiny thing.

"Drop Carmen off at her fathers then go straight to school." Mother growled. Her eyes narrowed at me as I nodded. I opened the drivers door before backing out of the drive way and onto the street. Thank god she didn't tell me what time to be home by, but knowing her, she'd probably accuse me of not knowing already. All well, it's not like I'm going to do what she says anyway.

****!****

Five minutes into the trip to school was barbaric. Not only was the road slippery as hell, but some nut-case of an animal happened to jump out in front of me. A sickening thud could be heard as I went over the poor thing before screeching to a stop. For a Wednesday morning, it seemed very dark out, but that could be due to the forest surrounding me, and the storm that seemed to be brewing. As soon as my heart seemed to find its pulse, I unlocked my latched hands from the steering wheel. Eyes wide, I opened my door and stepped out into the pouring rain. In movies, this was the part where everyone yells, 'get back in the car and drive!'. But this was real life, and right now, nothing seemed to be working right.

With a tight hold on my door handle, I prepared myself to move on the slippery ground. Surprisingly, it wasn't hard. I let go of the car and slowly made my way around to the back, holding my breath and preparing for the worse.

Lying on the ground was something I didn't expect. He was half naked, only wearing a pair of ripped black skinny's. He was groaning. His eyes were open, narrowed in pain and blazing red. But what more, he had massive black wings that were cracked and splintered.

It wasn't wings of an angel, that was for sure. They were creepy things, pointy and all, except now they they were broken. They were what you'd expect the insides of wings to look like. All bone and nothing else. Because that's exactly what these were.

His hands were on both sides of his face, on the road, scrapped up and bleeding like the rest of him. I tried not to gulp, or gap at him, so I settled for a few blinks. On the plus side, he was pretty damn cute. Even battered and broken. This was when I remembered that I had hit him, with my car, and he needs assistance otherwise he may die.

Just great, if he dies, I could very well be put in jail for killing something that hadn't even made it to the 'has been discovered' list yet.

****!****

"Oh crap." I choked. I quickly opened the trunk and pulled out a towel I keep in there just in case I needed it. I never thought I would actually need it though. I ignored the fearful look he was giving me as I kneeled in front of him. Yeah, yeah, I know, I'd hate to be discovered like this too, I thought. "I'm so sorry." I muttered sadly.

I lifted his head and winched as he groaned in pain. I put the towel under his head and lied it back down again. Then I examined the rest of him. Other than his wings, the rest of him looked fine. A few cuts and scratches here and there, but that was it.

I bit the inside of on lip and looked back at my car. If I could get him inside the car, then maybe I can get help.

"I want to help you. Can you stand?" I leaned him, looking into his eyes which stood out freakishly on his pale skin, as pale as me. Please tell me he at least speaks English? He blinked at me before placing his hands beside him, trying to sit up. I quickly moved so I was in front of him and grabbed onto his upper biceps. Oh, and muscles he most definitely had.

When I had him in the back seat of my car, I took off.

"Um, Hospital?" I panicked. I hadn't gotten this far in my mind.

"Um, No." He groaned. Oh, right, wings. Duh.

"Annie." I thought, then shook my head. "No, too obsessed. Riley? No, assumes too much. Last thing I want is him thinking I'm sleeping with an angel of sorts."

But I had no ones else. It wasn't like I could go to my mother or my sister. But then it clicked. "Where going to make a stop somewhere so I can find a phone." Trust me not to own a mobile phone in this situation.

'You abnormal freak.' my mothers voice echoed in my mind. 'Just like your father. Stupid abilities. Supernatural, abnormal mutated freaks.' At the time, those words hurt. How would you feel if you were called an abnormal freak by your own parent because of some so called 'gift' you inherited? 'Mutated' rang in my mind.

As far as I knew, my father was able to heal. Whereas, I was able to product fire and use it to my will. He'd be the only person in the world that I know, yet don't know, that wouldn't ask questions or push this particular creature into some lab. He was the only person I knew of that could help.

For the seventeen years of my life, my mother had hid any sort of information of my fathers whereabouts, but I was lucky enough to find a name and number scribbled on the inner-side of her journal. I mesmerised that number in case I ever needed it.

Now seemed like a pretty needy time.

I pulled up beside an abandoned petrol station. It looked like nobody had been here in years. Grabbing some change from the cup holder, I called the number on the phone booth beside my door. It rang, once, twice, three times before someone spoke.

"Hello?" It sounded like he just woke up. I paused. This was the first time I had ever heard his voice. "Hello?" It repeated. I blinked before shaking my head.

"I-Is this, Um, Is this Larose?" I had to repeat the name a million times before I could remember it the first time I heard it. Apparently my father named me, so I knew enough to know that the weird names ran in the family.

"Not many people know that name." The voice sighed sleepily. "Can I ask who's speaking?"

"This is- " I took a deep breeath. "This is Izadrye."

****!****

"Izadrye." The voice was suddenly alive. "My daughter?"

"If this is Larose, then yes, I am." I turned around to look at the form in my car, the red eyes were staring up at the ceiling. "I have a problem. I have no one else to turn to."

"That's okay, what can I do to help?" He asked. I could imagine him sitting up in bed, shaking out his hair while resting his arms on his knees.

"Xelia said you can heal." I stated. It was suddenly very quiet on the other end.

"You refer to your mother by her first name?" It asked. I nodded before realising that he couldn't see.

"Yes."

"So, what's your problem?" I knew it was a way of him agreeing to the healing thing.

"I've kind of hit someth- one. I cannot take him to the hospital, he's, um, abnormal." I used the word mother used to describe my father and I.

"Where are you?" He asked. I sighed greatfully into the phone.

"At Bone's Creak Petrol station." I replied. I heard him move and a woman's yawn on the other end. 'It's daytime, the suns still out, come back to bed.' then I heard 'It's my daughter.' and then 'Wasn't she taken away from you without your conscent?' and I was suddenly part of hell. I was fuming. My mother said that he hadn't wanted anything to do with me. That lying- gah! I pinched the bridge of my nose and held my breath.

"Your calling on a public phone?" My father suddenly asked.

"Yes, I am unallowed to own a phone." I spoke, then realised how ridiculous that sounded. "I mesmerised this number, Xelia doesn't know I know it."

I suddenly remembered the red eyed man in my car. "Can you please meet me here real quick? Its urgent."

"I'm already on my way." And then the line cut out. I dropped the phone.

Stepping back into the car, I turned to the man who was now staring at me. Pitiful noises were coming from him. I leaned over between the passanger and driver seat before bracing myself on the backseat so the man didn't have to bend his neck to see me. The less pain the better, I suppose. "Helps coming." I muttered.

"Who?" He choked.

"My father."

"And he is to... help me?" He asked. I nodded. "He will see me."

I could clearly hear the fear in his voice. "My father and I, we are different. We will not harm you intentionally." Well, at least I hoped so. "We will not put you in danger. Well, any more danger then you already are."

He nodded. It wasn't like he could do anything about this situation. It took nearly ten minutes until I saw a car. Well, two.

One was a black and shiny sports car. The other was a black SUV that I was kinda scared of. As the pulled up not a few steps away from me, I slipped my body out of the passanger seat and rounded to the trunk. I quickly grabbed a bottle of water, ignoring the car doors open.

"Have a drink out of this. I believe you may need it." I handed the bottle to red eyed man and waited until he took a few gulps before I turned to face the entourage. I knew immediately which one was my father. As I came towards him, I looked onto the others. They call seemed wary of me, and when they began to move, I freaked out and froze. They surrounded Larose like a pack of wolves, and I had a feeling that if I took another step, they'd growl.

"I did not think a daughter could be so threatening to her father." I chuckled. Honestly, I felt as if I was going to throw up. So much attention focused on me was clearly frightening. "That an army is needed for protection."

With a flick on his hand, the crowd departed and I was left to face my father. "Hey Daddy." I chuckled at the use to Carmen's wording. It felt strange coming from my lips. "So, how you doing?" We both chuckled. I think it may have been a way to eliminate the tension.

I looked over him, taking in his pale skin, like mine. His deep blue eyes, and black hair. He was tall, towering over me by quiet a few inches. He held his hand out to me, and I let him pull me into a hug. I buried my face in this chest, taking it all in.

"Your heart is dark." He muttered. "You've not been treated well."

"My heart is small and limited."

He sighed. "That is a very depressing thing to say."

A rustling from behind us had me pulling away and looking to my car in confusion. Two of Larose's men held the man up by his arms. His feet dragged on the ground and the pushed him down to the ground at our feet. I gasped. What the hell were they doing?

One man stood behind him before yanking his head back. His red eyes stared into mine with accusation, while I stared back wide-eyed.

"What the hell are you doing?" I snapped. "Let him go!"

"He is the Darkened prince sire." I froze. Larose stepped in front of me, brushed the black hair from the mans face next to his right ear. Right there was a black swirl with an arrow pointed through it. It was a tattoo, and I was confused.

"Izadrye, where did you find him?" Larose asked. His voice was dark and cold and I gulped.

"Hit him with the car." I shuttered.

"Very well, I believe if we leave him out here he will die. Well, that was easier than expected." My father smirked up at all his men, and they laughed. I felt sick. "Leave him here, he shall be dead by evening. Especially with the sun out."

The men let him go and began to depart.

"No." I snapped, suddenly furious. "If you intend to leave him, then you shall put him back in my car."

Larose turned to me, eyebrow raised. "You would associate with this creature who rebels against us? No daughter of mine will leave this ground with a monster."

I almost growled. I was pretty darn close. "Then you shall not think of me as your daughter. For the last seventeen years you have not, so do not begin now. I will leave this ground with him, and if you truly think of me as your daughter, you will let us leave without incident. I will not be held responsible for a man's death."

"He is not a man." He snapped.

"He pretty darn looks like one to me." I snapped back.

"Very well, have it your way. You do not understand what you are getting yourself into." He sighed, defeated. I nodded, I wrapped my arms around his waist once more before backing away.

Either way, he was still my father.