Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. I just killed my own dream. Boohooo... :'(

Max

Angel and I flew Fang back to the Palace. Nudge, apparently despite her chatty appearance, was actually a decent healer. She wrapped him up in bandages, biting her lower lip the whole time, wincing as Fang did. His dark blood stained the white fabric that Nudge used.

"I'm so sorry, that's the best I can do, I hope he's okay, but he's a strong one, he'll be fine, I think, I'm so sorry, so sorry, what even happened? I'm so sorr-" I cut her off.

"Thank you, Nudge. Thank you for doing the best you can." I turn away and fly to the emperor's chambers to get my mind off things. It hurt me to see Fang in pain. It hurt me to see his face twist up in agony; it hurt me to see the steady flow of blood ebbing away the life from his body.

"Max?" The pale angel, Iggy I think his name was senses me first. Don't ask me how he already recognizes the sound of my wings. "Where's Fang?

"He's wounded," I tell them, my voice cracking a bit on the news.

Gazzy and Iggy look alarmed, "What happened?" They ask simultaneously.

I take a deep shuddering breath, straighten myself up, and say, "A monster appeared out of nowhere. It claimed to be my brother, Ari, but demons can take on any form. Find and help Nudge with Fang. I'll take care of the royals. Please. I need to be alone right now."

They nod and fly off.

I stare at the Royals sleeping together. They seemed so peaceful, so blissful, and so unaware of the world around them. In his sleep, Emperor Titus forgot all his responsibilities, all his troubles, his enemies and the people who want him dead. In her sleep, the new Empress looked the picture of serenity, of youth, of harmony eternity. I wish I could sleep like a human could and just sleep my life away. What was the matter with me? I've never been jealous of a human. Never.

Sleep, Titus, I tell him in his mind, Sleep, rest, and renew your energy. Tomorrow is another day filled with misfortune, but tonight is your last salvation until then.

In that moment, I truly envied him.

"Max?" Angel appeared on the balcony, her snow-white wings luminescence in the moonlight. She was so young, like a cherub almost. The Earthborns are strange. "Fang is waking. Go to him. I'll watch over the royals."

I jump up into the night and let the wind carry me the rest of the way. Fang lay on a marble slab in the infirmary. His dark hair stuck to his pale forehead with sweat. His breath is labored but growing steady. "He's healing, you know. He's going to be fine, don't worry, Max. You know, he's really strong, even for an angel. He reminds me of another angel I met, his name was Parkin, and he was as strong as Fang, but Fang is doing really well, even though we don't know what attacked you-"Gazzy claps a hand over Nudge's mouth and she blushes. The flock leaves, sensing what I needed.

I sit down next to him, his face is scrunched up in a grimace even as he is unconscious. I kiss his lips lightly. I'm not sure why I did it. He tasted like blood and chocolate. "Stay alive, Fang."

Fang

It was so hazy. The blackness surrounded me, a numbing fog. Even in the fog, a pulsing pain began at my stomach, pumping though my veins like poison. There were voices but they were fuzzy like I was flying through a thick rain cloud. I could hear them, but I couldn't see them. They seemed so far away, too far away to reach. I wanted someone to pull me out of here. It was disorienting in this fog. I couldn't think straight. A thought was as fleeting as a dragonfly through the air. A flash of silver, slipping out of reach. I needed to get out of her. I needed to protect Max. Her brother was going to hurt her, and more people maybe.

But then I remembered her face in the cave, telling me to leave her, commanding me to. Maybe it wasn't so bad in this fog; emotions don't mean a thing here.

It seemed like an eternity before I began to hear voices again, "we don't know what attacked you-"came a voice. There is a silence and I float back up to consciousness to feel Max's soft lips against mine, her brown eyes worried. "Max," I tried to say, but I couldn't move to form the words.

She leaves, and I let the darkness pull me back under.

Max

"Angel," I find the little cherub.

She sits at the edge of the Royal Forest Hunting Grounds. A little bear sits on her lap and she pets its fur, lovingly. She beams as she sees me, "Max, meet Celeste."

"She's lovely," I tell Angel truthfully.

"Well, what is it?" Angel asks, gesturing to a spot beside her. The bear- I mean, Celeste- sniffs at my wings curiously. I shift a little bit away, cautious. After "Ari's" visit, I'm a little wary of furry creatures. "Oh, don't be afraid of Celeste, she's not going to hurt you."

"Of course not," I say, just a little bit dubiously, "I wanted to ask. Can you tell how Fang is doing?"

Angel's smile drops. This is not a good sign. "He's healing quickly, but he's poisoned. There's poison in his veins from Ari's claws. It's killing him from the inside out. Right now, he's fighting off the poison quite successfully, but soon, the poison will take over. Until then, he'll remain in a comatose state. He needs a better healer. Either he'll be healed, or in three days, he'll die."

"A healer, huh?" I say quietly. There is a healer I know. He's a higher up angel in the 14th District. His name was Dylan, and he was a revered angel. I wouldn't know if he could come soon. And I wouldn't know if he would come. He and Fang clashed on several occasions over something or other that I'm not aware of. I didn't know Dylan well, but he's the only good healer I know.

Angel stares at me, her blue eyes encouraging. I take a deep breath, plucked a down feather from my wings. In my hands, it transforms into a small messenger dove. "Find Dylan, bring him here."