Read Online Fledgling: Book 1 (Afterlife) by Katrina Cope - Free Book Online

that. They will find out,” I say.  
    “We don’t know that. Maybe they will not see it.” He shakes his head.  
    “I don’t want you to put yourself on the line for me,” I say. “This is my problem, my mess.”
    He lifts one side of his mouth and says, “That’s what friends are for, right?”
    I turn away to ponder while looking at the desert plains. It is a strange desert — dry but not completely barren and still made into good farming lands for produce and ostriches. After a few moments, still undecided, I turn back. I see Blue crouching over the man; he is already inserting a conscience. I remain torn, but he has made the decision for me.  
    When completed, he scoops him up and flies him back to his car. I follow and assist him by making the car visible again, so he can return him to the driver's seat. I’m sure this man will be in for a shock when he wakes.  
    When Blue finishes, he turns to me and says, “Come on. Let’s go back before our absence is noticed.”
    I want to hang around and see what happens to the man, except Blue has already grabbed my hand. He pushes into the air, and we start to fly. I flap my wings with my eyes observing the car until it is no longer visible.  

- Chapter Seven -

    With each stroke of the wings, the guilt impales its piercing claws further. Blue has broken the rules and all because of me. I am dragging down my best friend. A sickness fills my stomach. He can't be dragged down because of me — he just can't.
    We're almost back to our base. The smell of the salty seawater is strong. I hear the squawking and chatter of birds. I looked down and see a small gathering of rocks pushed up in the middle of the ocean. Seagulls and other seabirds occupy it. A thought hits me. I look to my right and see Blue flying strong and steady.
    “Blue,” I call out.
    Before now, our flight has been silent. Not a word has been uttered between us. He looks at me with a curious expression.
    I point down below. “Let’s land for a minute.”  
    He nods and angles his legs so he lands feet first on the rocky island. I do the same and land next to him. A spray of feathers and dust fly up around us, escaping from the force of the wind formed by our wings. A couple of close birds, from the shock of our presence, take flight immediately. The remainder of the birds on the island continue on with their business. They know that angels are not a cause for concern.
    "What's up?" he asks. His dark brown eyebrows are pushed together.  
    I see the worry on his face and I sigh. "I’ve been thinking; there must be a way to block the archangels from seeing everything in our mind. I think we should stop for a bit and give it a go.”
    He raises one side of his mouth in a half smile. "There you go again, thinking outside the box with the rebel's heart." He shakes his head. "And to think that the last six months I thought you were a good girl."
    "Hey!" I pretend to be hurt. "That's rich coming from someone who just broke the rules."  
    The smile drops from his face and I shut my mouth. I realise what I've just said and shake my head.
    “What I mean to say . . . is . . . thanks.” I stumble out. “What you did means a lot to me, but I don't need you getting into trouble.”  
    A solemn look is on his face. "It's okay. I'll deal with it," he says. His eyes have turned the deepest shade of blue.
    I shake my head. "No. I can't live with that. We have to try." I lift my hand and place the pointer finger his forehead. “I want you to try and block what we just did.” He nods and I start probing his mind, searching only the recent events. I catch glimpses of his day.  
    I see his Innocent and the job that he did well — following the rules and completing his mission by inserting the conscience into the perpetrator. I see the perpetrator’s life flash before me. A deep nauseating feeling penetrates my stomach. The task overwhelms me and my knees want to give, but I don't let them. I'm puzzled why