Central by Raine Thomas Read Free Book Online

well, Olivia. Come with me.”
    Curious more than nervous now, she stepped forward a few paces until she was right in front of him. She thought he might do something like a tandem flight with her to give her the sense of flying. It couldn’t be that different from having training wheels on a bicycle, right? But instead he lightly touched her shoulder and urged her to walk with him. They moved away from the others and she figured he wanted to discuss something privately with her. Because her gaze was centered on him, she only belatedly realized they had walked nearly all the way to the edge of the cliff.
    “You were an exceptional student on the human plane,” he observed.
    “Um,” Olivia responded, her gaze moving warily to the cliff’s edge. She took a half-step back. “Okay...”
    “Why do you suppose that was?”
    He stood calmly a couple of feet from her, his hands still held behind his back. Switching her focus to his question rather than the cliff, she said, “Well…I studied.”
    “Why did you study?”
    “I wanted to learn.”
    “Humans have tests to determine the level of a student’s learning, correct?”
    Thoroughly distracted by the off-turn to the conversation, she merely nodded.
    His face expressionless, he pressed, “So, you were studying to pass these tests.”
    “I suppose so.”
    “Did you ever fail a test?”
    “No,” she said, shocked at the very idea.
    “So it is safe to say that failure is not an option you are willing to accept,” he deduced.
    Now that she understood the point he was making, she relaxed a bit. “Okay, I’ll admit that’s true. I never—”
    And then he suddenly stepped up to her and lifted her from the ground. She couldn’t even manage a squeak because his hand was pressing so tightly against her abdomen. He took a few long strides forward until they stood at the edge of the cliff.
    “Very well, Olaya. Here is your flying test. You either pass or you fail.”
    And he threw her over the edge.
     
    The air filled her lungs so quickly as she plummeted that she couldn’t even scream. Ini-herit’s words clashed through her brain, overriding her absolute terror.
    You either pass or you fail.
    She would not fail.
    Even as the ground rushed toward her, she drew on the well of determination that had seen her through her entire human education. She knew now, as she had always known, that there was absolutely nothing she couldn’t learn, especially when challenged.
    And as that knowledge flooded her, she realized that she was no longer falling, but soaring.
    “Woohoo!” she shouted exultantly, bringing her arms up in triumph.
    Giddiness overtook her as she swooped down to the water and then used her intuition to climb higher. She had thought that flying would prove tiring, but it took surprisingly little physical effort at all. Laughter bubbled from her throat as she circled and veered to different sides, testing her abilities.
    When she again moved closer to the water and skimmed above it, she saw her wings reflected on the stiller parts of the surface. Unlike Skye’s wings, hers were segmented and rounded, like the wings of a dragonfly or one of the images of fairies she had seen many times on the human plane. They glowed a brilliant, iridescent green and had intricate detailing etched all through them, making them look a bit like stained glass. Most importantly, they obeyed her every thought.
    After another minute, she sensed James. He hovered at her height near the cliffs, his dark blue wings barely moving as he watched her. She guessed he was making sure she didn’t need any assistance like Skye had. As elation coursed through her, she zipped over to him.
    “Look at me, James!” she exclaimed breathlessly. She slowed a bit as she got closer, but ultimately threw herself into his arms and gave him an enthusiastic hug around his waist. “Oh, my goodness—just look at me!”
    When she pulled back from the hug, she realized he was smiling. Not just a little