CHAPTER 22

Max POV

Roughly two days later, my back finally healed.

"Alright, Max," my mom smiled as we stepped onto the back porch. "You should be able to fly with no problems now."

I gave her a nod and stretched out my wings. They were so sore from the lack of use. I continued shaking them out as I walked to the middle of the yard.

Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy raced past me and shot into the air, snapping their wings out impressively and flapping hard.

The sight was awe-inspiring, but the actual feeling is exhilarating.

Fang crept up to my side and smiled.

"Go for it, Max," he encouraged softly.

I smiled tentatively to him. Looking back to the sky, I saw the others waiting with anticipation.

"Here goes nothing," I whispered. I don't even know if Fang heard me.

I ran a few feet, leapt into the air, and gave a few powerful strokes.

The pain radiated through my spine and out the tips of my wings. Fighting that pain, I continued to work the muscles out. After a few minutes, the pain ceased, and Fang joined us.

Flying was exactly what I needed to relax. I mean, sure, I hadn't really done much of anything for the last two or so days, but that was just boring. Not relaxing.

This. This was relaxing. Incredible. Not to mention, fun!

The six of us flew around for another hour until my mom called us down for dinner.

Fang POV

Dinner was the same as always: six hungry bird-kids attacking their food, one talking mutant dog eating at the table, and two regular humans who no longer found any of this strange.

I was sitting across from Max, who seemed to be zoning out. I assumed the voice was talking to her because she was hardly touching her food for a good five minutes. Something was wrong.

"Max," I muttered, kicking her lightly under the table.

Max POV

There I was, simply enjoying my dinner, when the voice decided to pop in for a visit.

"You shouldn't stay here much longer, Maximum," the voice said.

I knew the voice was right, but we were in the freaking middle of dinner!

Can I please just enjoy my meal with my family? I sneered back.

"Leave tonight," the voice stated. "Flyboys are tracking all of you."

How? I demanded. I don't have a chip anymore! We got rid of that a while ago!

The voice went silent.

Can you at least tell me where we're going? I sighed in frustration.

"You should start heading back to the east coast."

That wasn't exactly helpful. Could the voice be anymore vague?

So, like, Florida? Georgia? South Carolina?

I swear the voice was laughing at me. "Not quite. You're needed a little further north."

Figures.

Fine, Max. You're going to Virginia. The Lerner School for Gifted Children.

"What? Why?" I asked it.

"Max," Fang whispered as he kicked me, startling me back into reality.

He raised an eyebrow, and I mouthed "voice."

"Max?" Mom asked. "Will you be staying another night?"

"Can't," I frowned. "We're needed elsewhere."

The kids groaned and began complaining.

"Guys," I replied with a strong, yet sympathetic, tone. "I'm really sorry, but the voice said we have to move on."

I didn't want to straight out tell them that we were being tracked again. They should only have to worry about one thing at a time. Fang, however, would find out before we left. He may be able to make more sense of what the voice said than I can.

Fang POV

After dinner, Max told the others to start getting things together and ready to leave while she pulled me aside.

"Fang," she whispered, looking around to make sure no one else was around. "The voice told me that Flyboys are tracking us."

"What?" I whisper-shouted with surprise. "How?"

She shook her head and continued, "I'm not sure. I asked the voice, but it didn't respond."

I looked up at the ceiling, trying to figure this out.

"Fang," Max sighed looking up at me. "I don't have a chip anymore. We got rid of that. What if…what if…you…and the others…have a chip, too?"

That seemed like the only possible explanation. How else could they keep tracking us down?

"We'll figure it out, Max," I replied. "For now, I think it's time we get the heck out of here."

She nodded, and we joined the others in packing.

Next stop: Virginia. Wonderful.