Chapter 23

Max

Fang and Ari are silent as I pluck a feather from my wings. "Home, please," I whisper. In a flash of bluish white light, a circle appears on the ground before me. I take both boys' hands in mine. I hated traveling by portal. I hated it ever since the first time I had to travel by it for the first assignment I've ever received, the fisherman named Heron. A wind appears out of nowhere and wraps around the three of us. It pierces my skin, my wings. The portals were initially built to keep demons and humans out. No human could survive the portal and the wind is designed to repel demons. It hurt angels too but some of us find it exhilarating. I didn't see how.

It lifts me up and I can feel myself fading slowly, slowly disappearing from earth. My mind feels strange like it's shut away from me and I squeeze both Ari's and Fang's hands. Considering how Ari hasn't been ripped away from me, he's definitely not demon anymore.

Then it begins, the part that I really hate. There's coldness deep inside me, freezing me from the inside out and I know that I'm being cleansed. Then there's a searing heat, white-hot that almost feels cold too. I shiver. It feels like my skin is peeling off, the dirt and grime and filth from earth and Hell is ripped off of my skin. I wonder how bad it must be for Ari. It stops, it's over and I exhale in relief.

My eyes open to the Courtyard of my District. How did I end up here? I asked to go home, which would mean my district, but it would mean that I would end up near the Watcher Angels' offices.

"Max? Fang! You're back!" Nudge's voice rang out clear through the Courtyard. I winced a little. How is it that her voice is so piercing? A couple of angels walking by just shook their head. The Flock is already famous around here. That's great. Angel flies into me and I laugh, hugging her. My little girl. She's healed already. You couldn't see any scars and happiness was clear in her eyes.

"Max, we saw the Garden and the Watchers let us play around in there, it was so pretty and I made a new friend that was the caretaker of the Garden and it was so fun in there! Can we go back anytime soon? Max, please?" Nudge says. I realize that angels have powers that humans didn't. But how can anyone speak so much in one breath?

Iggy and Gazzy follow behind. Something about them seems mischievous. I frown at them playfully, "You didn't get into any trouble, did you?"

"That's hurtful," Iggy said, "You doubt us."

"Yes, I do," I say, raising an eyebrow. Gazzy starts laughing. My eyes widen, "What did you two do?"

"Wait for it…" Gazzy says, pointing to a Sermon Room in the East Wing.

"You didn't," I mock-gasp. Secretly, I'm proud of them. They're like sons to me. But still, this was uncalled for.

They smile creepily at me. Suddenly, a dozen or so angels take to the sky in unison in the direction of the Sermon Room. A rotten smell fills the air. I shake my head and hold my nose. Earthborns. They're so wicked.

Ari clears his throat behind me and the Flock turns to him in synchronization, except Fang. They all gasp and I almost laugh at their identical reactions. Fang just looks away, glaring at the distance.

"How did a demon get in here?" Gazzy asks.

I blink, shifting my weight uncomfortably. "He's not a demon anymore," I clarify, hating that I had to explain myself in front of the flock. Fang turns, surprised by the news. "We don't know what he needs but he's willing to testify. By the way, how did your trial go?"

They look at each other. "We had help from Aurelia, a Watcher of the 14th District as Fang probably told you," Angel speaks, "but they didn't believe it. They haven't seen what we have and they said that it wasn't possible for the demons to ever lay a finger on Heaven. I could hear every angel who heard our story thinking about the Old War, and they thought that since they struck down the demons before, they didn't have to worry now. But I've seen the Old War through their thoughts, Max! There were never demons before, and there were never anything to hurt angels before. It's different now and Hell has grown. We've seen it and they won't believe us."

I let out a loud breath, "Well, that's why Ari is here." I say firmly.

Fang

I almost couldn't believe it when Max said that Ari wasn't a demon anymore. I've never heard of this before, but then again, I haven't heard of a lot of things we saw on our little "trip to Hell" before. Max went to her Watcher and pleaded her case. I could tell it was hard for her to control her temper and impatience, but that's Max for you.

The Flock and I were brought to a room to wait in. Max kept pacing back and forth and just hovering in the air, I could see her tension in her movements. I go to her.

"Hey, Max," I reach for her hand. She looks at me, and calms down enough to let me hold her hand.

"What?" she asks, looking at our intertwined fingers.

"Come here," I pull her down a hallway and into an empty room, "We need to talk."

"Is this about Ari? Because I can guarantee you that he's not going to betray us. He needs us and we need him. Now all we need to do is to be heard."

"I'm not going to argue with you," I told her, "I'm sick of arguing with you."

She looks at me; her mouth is opened slightly like she wants to say something but no words come.

"There's going to be a war soon, just like the first one. People are going to die, angels, demons and humans alike."

"I know," she says quietly looking down.

"People are going to be lost, you know that right? I don't want to lose you now. I don't want to lose you ever," I tilt her head up to look at her brown eyes.

"Don't say that," she says with sudden furiousity, "Don't ever say that we're going to lose each other."

"It's a war, Max," I tell her. I was cut off by her lips on mine. She's hesitant at first but then she leans into me.

She pulls back, her brown eyes shining. But Maximum Ride doesn't cry. She turns away from me, her blond hair falling over her face, "Fang. We have to be careful now. This is still illegal, remember?"

"I know."

Max

Fang and I joined the rest of the Flock just seconds before a Watcher came in, I think her name was Fable. She gave Gazzy and Iggy a glare and I can guess that she knows what happened at the Sermon Room. "They're ready for you."

Ari gives me a look and I smile at him encouragingly. The Flock, Ari and I all walk into the Trial Room, a band of misfits. Four Earthborns, each with their own unique "skill", a demon no longer, and two angels forbidden to love but refuses to obey. But we all needed each other. So the band of misfits will stay together. For Heaven, for Earth, for everything.

What say you? I'm tired now, so I'm done writing. They're probably like five more chapters left I'll let you know later if I'm lying. Reviews? তোমাকে ধন্যবাদ (Bengali)