Heroes and Wolves [book 1]

Chapter twenty-five

Layla

My breath hitches and tingles prickle all over my body as my wings are blown upwards and curled around me fromthe strength of the wind. 

I plummet. 

I stretch my arms, trying to grasp something to stop me from hurtling downward but there is nothing but air. I am spiralling out of control. My whole body tenses from the violent wind battering me. It's constant. The spinning doesn't stop and I lose all sense of direction.

     "Get your wings above you!" I just about hear Maylock and the panic laced in his voice. "Layla!" The blasting wind howls as I continue to lose altitude "Turn around!"

Knowing my options are either hit the ground and die or attempt to do something to prevent that ultimate outcome, I aim for the latter and dig in to try and keep calm. Losing yourself in this situation will just make it worse and hard to control. 

I push through my anxiety and the force of the wind and slowly turn my body so I am leaning forward. As soon as my position differs, there is an instant change in pace of the wind as I am shunted upward. My wings are broad and above me as they battle against the powerful wind to slow me down until I come to a halt in the air. They flap to keep me afloat and steady.

     "Blimey, I thought I was going to lose you there." Maylock flies to match the height I'm at. "You alright?" he looks at me, his eyes wide with anxiety from my near-death experience. I'm breathless. Did that just happen? "Take a few breathes"

I inhale deeply through my nose and out through my mouth until my racing heart goes down. I was so focused on getting balanced that I didn't realise my heart rate was that fast and my breathing was shallow. Now I have registered these feelings, the anxiety I pushed away comes creeping back. Cold tingles nip up my arms and my palms are hot and sticky with sweat. 

     "Get me down. Right now" I demand as the hairs on my back of my neck prickle with fear. 

     "Hey, it's alright" Maylock tries to calm me. 

     "No it's not!" I snap. "How do I land?" I'm determined to get both feet back on solid ground. 

     "You aren't going to like it" Maylock looks disheartened. 

     "Maylock" I urge him. 

     "It's similar to what just happened. You have to focus on the ground and tilt yourself forward" I clench and unclench my hands to gain focus and courage. "Your wings will take control, slow you down and you will land automatically. Do you see the three-office skyscrapers?" he points to the left of me. 

     "I see them" They are clustered together in height order. 

     "Aim for them. We will go together. On three" he counts down and my heart sinks with each number. 

I lean forward at his call of three. As soon as I make as light change in my body position, it's like the air around me can sense it as I bolt down. 

Bloody hell I'm going fast. 

The ground is getting ever so close and I'm not stopping. I am not stopping! 

I am going to crash! 

The anxious tingles multiply as I cover my face with my arms to protect myself from the impact when when I'm suddenly whiplashed backward. My wings have extended and are acting as a parachute to slow me down. 

I float down to the ground and Maylock swiftly follows, his wings wrapping around him like a present.

I bend over and rest my hands on my knees to help lessen my rapid breathing. That was a lot. My fear and prickles of nerves have receded but my heart is still pounding a reminder of what I just went through. I just flew in the sky.