Page 75 of Cruel Destinies

I floundered for a moment. Could I really fly with these wings? Would I crash?

“It’s okay, dear. How about I take a moment to show you something else about your new form first.”

I nodded, releasing a forgotten breath. “That would be good.”

She nodded. “I want you to stretch out your fingers, making sure to point them away from yourself or anyone else.”

I did as instructed, nervous anticipation coursing through my veins.

“Now flick like you’re flinging off some water, and imagine your fingers are getting longer.”

I did, and razor-sharp talons extended from my fingernails. I turned my wide-eyed gaze on her.

“Unlike your feet talons, your finger talons come out at will. You can do one at a time or all at once. Like this.” Ms. Heather lifted her pointer finger, and a talon sliced upward. She relaxed her finger, and it retracted just as quickly. Then she flung her hand as she’d instructed me, and all her talons flew out. She wiggled her fingers, and I could imagine how deadly those glinting blades would be in a fight.

A pang of regret hit me as I remembered my helplessness during the fight in the alley. If I’d only known...

I shook off the thought. I couldn’t change what happened. I could only work on not being helpless going forward. And I was making some progress in that area—now I actually had a weapon at my disposal.

“That was so easy,” I said, looking at Ms. Heather with awe.

Being a harpy was so different from being a mermaid. It felt natural, freeing. While being a mermaid made me feel more myself than I’d ever remembered before, it was just so much harder to access than my harpy form.

“And flying will be easy, too. Here.” Ms. Heather stepped back, shaking her head as her wings released and unfurled in their full glory. The angelic sight still caught me by surprise.

She smiled as she crouched, then leapt into the air, her wings sweeping downward. With a few quick beats, she was aloft, taking full advantage of the height of the room. She rolled onto her stomach and tucked her wings in, darting through one of the rings that hung from the ceiling, then under the second and spreading her wings to buoy upwards before diving through the third.

It was elegant, effortless. I doubted I could even come close, but I was beyond eager to try.

I waited for Ms. Heather to land, my heart drumming a frantic beat.

“Alright, your turn,” she invited, folding her wings but not retracting them. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”

I nodded, then took a step back from her to give myself launching space. I crouched like I’d seen her and took a deep breath.Here goes nothing.

I leapt and pressed down with my wings, but the timing was off, and I ended up flopping down on my hands and knees. I quickly scrambled back to my feet and brushed myself off.

“That was an excellent first try. Why don’t you extend your wings first this time, so you don’t have to coordinate as much for your lift-off.”

I gave a brief hum of agreement, then crouched again, this time lifting my wings as instructed. When I jumped, the timing was perfect. I felt a pocket of air catch under my wings, and I beat them frantically to continue to lift.

My chest tightened as my wings began to tire. But a rogue breeze ruffled my hair, and a moment later, I caught the draft from the vents in the walls. I spread my wings to glide, marveling at the ingenuity the Dome was built with. I’d been in this room so many times and had never once wondered what the giant vents were for.

A smile spread across my face as air flowed through my feathers and hair.I’m flying!This must be how Tobias felt, and I had the sudden urge to go for a flight with him.

“Excellent job, Arya! You’re a natural.” Ms. Heather crouched again and was soon in the air, gliding beside me. “Would you like to attempt a few tricks?”

I laughed and shook my head. “I’ll consider it an accomplishment if I can land without falling on my face.”

She chuckled. “You’ve done exceptionally well. Why don’t you take a few laps while I show you how to land?”

“That would be great.”

I circled around the upper reaches of the transformation room as Ms. Heather tucked her wings in and fell away. At the last minute, she spread her wings wide, and her feet readied in front of her, talons and bent knees absorbing the impact of her landing.

Standing again, she retracted her wings, leaving behind the simple, unassuming nurse I knew so well. “Feel free to stay aloft as long as you’d like,” she called to me.

As much as I was enjoying myself, there was one place I wanted to be more.

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