Wingless by Taylor Lavati Read Free Book Online Page A

with some serum that forces me to sleep anyway.  
    I've been alone for a few hours now—the longest time alone since I checked in. Nobody has been in or out or even peeked in the tall, rectangular window. It's oddly quiet around here, and for the first time since I've been admitted, I can hear myself think. In the silence of my stark white room, I crave familiarity.  
    I feel like I'm on the verge of a breakdown when the doors to my room suddenly swing open. One slams against the wall, making pieces of white flecks fall to the ground as it creates a crater like dent. I sit up in my bed, finally having some movement, and stare at the spectacle in front of me.
    All seven Archers fly into the room, their feet just two inches above the ground. First is Gabriel, then Uriel. Both are blonde with electric blue eyes. Their heavy presence looms in the air as they come in beside each other, barely fitting through the wide doorframe. Gabriel nods at me in greeting, while Uriel just follows behind him, his face drawn tightly together in what seems like a scowl.  
    Power radiates off of them. I can feel their charged energy, and the closer they get, the more it suffocates me. I want to be like them. I want to have that same thing. But, I never will. I guess I should accept it, but it's just too hard.
    Behind the pair is Raphael and his brothers Raguel and Remiel. The trio is almost identical in every way—both personality wise and appearance. Their black wings are exactly the same length and size, shooting up past the top of their heads. They all have brown hair and their eyes are so green, it's like the most magical grass you'd imagine from Earth. The green that the televisions show us pales in comparison.
    Last is Saraqael and Michael, the ultimate couple. Saraqael is the only female Archer, and she flaunts it well. Everyone says it's because Rem couldn't create a more perfect woman than her, and seeing her in the flesh, I believe it. Two blonde braids cascade down to her kneecaps in intricate hand-woven designs. She has dark eyes, but when the light from the window hits them just right, they're like liquid gold.
    And of course, Michael: dark hair, blue eyes, and the darkest wings of all the Archers. To say he is perfect would be an understatement. I can't help the jealously I feel looking between all of these Angels and then down at myself. I feel pathetic in comparison. I guess it makes sense that I'm human after all.
    I sit up a little straighter in the bed and fix my matted down, painfully boring, brown hair. I don't bother to say hi to them. If they've all assembled here, it's for a pretty good reason. The curiosity eats me alive. All of them surround my small lounger in the order they came in, making a 'u' shape around me.
    "Hello, Annie. My name is Gabriel, and we've all come to figure out what to do about your situation."  
    "Okay," I answer back quickly, nodding my head.
    "Through our tests, it's clear that you are mostly human. While you did not get your wings, you will still carry all of the Angel traits you've had since birth," Gabriel explains.
    "So what traits do I have?" I ask, my eyes darting between Micha and Gabriel. They're the only two I trust for some odd reason. Call it natural instinct, but it is what it is. I don't fight it.  
    "Well, from the testing, we've concluded that you'll still have to meditate to regain energy. Solid foods have no effect on you. You'll be a little stronger and faster than humans in general. Other than that, you're just human," Sara speaks up from the edge of the group's semicircle. Her voice entrances me, making me hang on to her every word despite how much I hate what she's saying. It's amazing the affect her softness has on me. I don't like it one bit.
    "But I'll never have wings. How will I get around?" I ask. I know I can't be a Fighter anymore, but what am I going to do in the Veil? I can't even get home from here without having to fly. Rem, I'm crippled. I'm going to have to