Crystal Wing Academy: Book One: Outling by Marty Mayberry

Author:Marty Mayberry [Mayberry, Marty]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hummingbird Press
Published: 2019-08-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

I scrambled up the ladder and through the window, joining him in the cramped room at the top of the tower that was empty except for a stool, a tiny table and, strangely enough, a clear corked jar that looked to be half-filled with glitter sitting on the table. Sunlight filtered through the dusty second window behind the table and, beside it, another ladder led to a hatch in the ceiling. I had a bad feeling about the hatch.

“More climbing,” I said.

“The view’s worth the effort.”

A burst of daring filled me. “Show me.” With those words, I broke free of one of the ties binding me to my conformist past. I doubted I’d ever reach the point of jumping but I did want to see what waited for me around the next corner. Or, in this case, on the roof.

He nudged his head toward the ceiling. “You want to go first?”

“Ceding victory to me already?”

“You already won.”

What exactly had I won?

Something wild and unnamable flared between us. Part of me wanted to grab onto it and never let go. The other part of me shouted caution. The second part ruled. For now.

“You go,” I said.

“You sure?”

“Yup.”

He climbed, slower this time, either because the ladder was rickety or because this part of the adventure felt revealing.

Not sure how I knew he was nervous about this, but I did.

When he lifted the latch, more sunlight shot inside. It hit the pot of glitter, reflecting colorful prisms across the walls, creating a magical kaleidoscope.

“What is that stuff?” I whispered in awe, the colors swirling through my mind.

He didn’t move. Didn’t look down. “Pixie dust.”

“Like in Peter Pan? You trying to fly?” Which sounded better than the alternative—falling. Splat. Pain.

“Elites can’t fly,” he said as he climbed through the hole in the ceiling.

“Bummer.” I followed him up the ladder. Reaching the top, I poked my head through the opening. Gulp x 2. “No rail.”

“You won’t need one.”

“The roof slopes. It’s not flat like the other one.”

“There’s plenty of room.” He patted the wooden shakes beside him. “You won’t fall. Promise.”

Reluctantly, I climbed out and settled on the warm wooden surface on his left. The scratchy shingles weren’t slippery. My shoes held me in place.

“See.” He swept his arm out. “Beautiful, huh?”

A forest ocean made up of deep greens and the darkest sienna stretched for miles in front of us. We had to be at least six stories above the ground.

Donovan had found the nerve to jump from here. How had he survived?

“It’s unbelievable,” I said, awe in my voice.

“Knew you’d see it like I do.” He pulled out our lunch, and we ate in silence. After putting the trash in his bag and setting it to the side, he laid down on his back, his face reflecting the sky. I dropped down beside him, our shoulders brushing.

We stared at the clouds for a while.

“The flag,” I eventually said, pointing to where it fluttered from a pole mounted on the point. “What’s on it?” I still couldn’t tell.

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