The Angel's Flaws

Chapter 15

Tashby gave Ivy a surprised look. Ivy nodded.

"Were you friends?" Tashby kept asking.

"At first, best friends. After I got her wings clipped, I was angry at her... But now it has passed."

"Why were you angry?"

Ivy sighed. Tashby understood what that meant: she didn't know how to explain.

After a two-second pause, Ivy started speaking.

"I got my wings clipped for starting a fire. It was at your mother's old house... She got damaged. Probably the reason why you're so... You know."

Tashby would need time to take that in. That sounded strange, but on the other hand, she now had an explanation. She realized how lucky she was that everything turned out like that and she had met Ivy. She didn't even feel anger after all the good things Ivy had done to her.

"And actually," she heard Ivy's voice pierce the darkness. "It's my job to find out about cases of winglessness and escort such people to our village."

"Cool. So you're like a spy?"

"Yup."

Suddenly it seemed even more interesting than it already was. Tashby was involved in top secret things, in something like a conspiracy. She was part of it all.

"So my mother knows?"

"She's the only one who does. I forced her to take a pledge to keep it all to herself for the safety of her daughter, also known as you," Ivy let out a laugh.

"So if she gives something out, you will kill me?"

"No, of course. We're not that cruel. We'll just leave you alone and stop caring for you."

That was still bad enough. Tashby was nothing without help. Maybe when she had spent years in the village, she'd grow strong and capable of surviving. But for now, she was in need of help.

Still, she had just begun. She needed to learn, to grow, and then she'd be powerful. A true wingless person, no matter how weird it sounded.

"Is your village civilized?"

"Extremely civilized. Not comparable to the cities, since we depend on nature and we don't want to destroy it, but in general, we're organized."

Judging by Ivy's tone, she was fond of the village. Tashby was more than glad about it: that meant that she could still be happy. The conversation had given her a rush of hope.

And as they stopped talking, Tashby paid attention to the landscape. They were on the outskirts of the city, about to leave the capital. The sun was already rising behind her, bathing her in its rays.