Free Fallen by Elise Marion

walking.”

Chapter 13: Flight
     
    When they had reached the roof of her building, Amir scooped Shayla up into his arms and cradled her against his chest.
    “ I look different in my angelic form,” he warned her. “It can be a bit bright, so close your eyes if you need to. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”
    Excitement hummed through Shayla, and a tingling ran outward from her spine. She was going to fly, really fly. She knew this night would never be forgotten. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held on and waited.
    Amir tipped his head back toward the sky, and the white glow she had witnessed in the apartment appeared around him again, his eyes flashing bright white. His skin color began to change until he was the color of polished silver. Shayla squinted against the brightness, but could not look completely away as wings the color of pearls sprouted from his back spread wide to either side of him. She realized that they were going up, yet he had not started to fly yet. Shayla gasped when she realized that it was because in his angelic form, Amir stretched up nearly ten feet tall. He was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen; so stunning that tears came to her eyes
    “ Hold on,” his gentle voice boomed as he ran toward the edge of the building. Shayla squeezed her eyes shut as the sensation of falling stole the breath from her lungs. Time seemed to stand still, and for a moment Shayla could not breathe. The thunderous sound of Amir’s wings broke through the roaring in her ears and she forced her eyes open. New York’s lights dotted the landscape below; the full moon beamed through the clouds from above. Amir, brighter than any light or star, kept his gaze focused below them.
    A smile crept over Shayla’s lips as she realized she was enjoying the flight. The rush of the cold air against her cheeks and the sight of the city speeding by below them thrilled her. All too soon, they were landing, and Amir was transforming back into his human form.
    He set her on her feet with a grin. “Exhilarating , isn’t it?” he asked when he saw the wide grin on her face.
    “ Airplane travel doesn’t even come close.”
    He laughed, linking his arm through hers. “I’ve been flying for centuries, but it never gets old.”
    They lapsed into silence as they moved toward the fire escape, where they began the slow descent. The assignment was a man with pancreatic cancer. Amir had explained to Shayla that pancreatic cancer was almost never caught in time and was almost always a death sentence. Shayla was relieved to hear that Amir would be ridding this man of his cancer once and for all.
    “ Stay here,” he whispered when they’d reached the outside of the right apartment. Shayla could see through the window that the man they were looking for was asleep on the couch, the television blaring noisily in the background. “Watch from here.”
    Without touching the window, Amir walked through it and was instantly on the other side.
    “ Very cool,” she murmured as she watched him walking stealthily toward the couch where the man lay sleeping. Amir stood over the man for several seconds before he doubled over as if in pain, clutching his stomach. Shayla’s brow wrinkled with concern, but she remained silent and in her place. Whatever was happening, she was sure Amir could handle it. After a few more moments, Amir straightened with much effort. Just as he had with the flower, he held his hands over the man’s middle, his eyes closed. A white smoke-like substance came from Amir’s hands and hovered in the air over the man before disappearing into his belly. Amir stood watching a few more minutes before turning back to the window and Shayla. When he had walked back through the wall, he took Shayla’s hand.
    “ What did you do? ” s he asked as they made their way back up the fire escape.
    “ Instead of curing him instantly, I caused his body to turn on the cancer. It will be a gradual process, but soon he will