A/N: Since this is going to be ongoing and from three separate POV I am going to title them with their names- to make it easier to keep track of who’s story we are on.
Talia didn’t go back to the house for two days. After leaving she spent hours debating flying back at first light. She wanted to observe, to watch them again to just confirm what she had seen that night. Those two faces would not leave her mind. What had happened? Were they both still alive? Had the conniving, smiling woman killed the man? Or did he still believe she was some desperate woman who he had saved?
In the past two days she had decided on a few things. The woman was not some poor woman who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was not someone to be pitied. She was twisted. She was crazy, evil or a combination of the two. She wasn’t a damsel in distress that needed saving.
Anyone else who had thought their life was about to end and then had been saved would have been an emotional mess. For the last two days she had been debating using her gift. A gift she had had since she was very young. A gift she didn’t understand the point of, but it was fun to use sometime. And sometimes it was incredibly useful. She could visualize a situation perfectly, almost like putting herself into a movie scene. She pictured the moment and let it play out in front of her. In any other time she would have become a writer or actor, in this world it was more a form of escapism if nothing else.
She knew diving into the scenario and playing it out would do nothing good for her. She would end up wrapped up in this whole mess just that much tighter. But she didn’t care, they were inside her head; and she wasn’t completely sure she wanted them out. She sat cross legged on her bedroom floor and closed her eyes. Seconds later she was sitting on the soft, damp grass. Her heart was racing, she could feel the panic pouring through her veins unchecked and uncontrolled. They were coming for her. All her efforts to survive had ended with her dying, right here and now.
Her life, life as she understood it, was completely over. He emerged from the house, all tall and handsome and full of power. He saved her, connecting them for life. With a few words he gave her back a life worth living.
Relief flooded her life, a cool shower softening the panic and letting her feel whole once again. She was indebted to this man and she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arm around him and thank him until she lost her voice. He was her savior and she owed him everything she had.
She opened her eyes and felt her heart sink. That was how the event should have played out, how it should have gone if they were any normal people. But what she had been trying to deny for the last two days came crashing down on top of her now. They weren’t normal, they were wrong. That woman was not helpless, she was not about to die. There had been no true desperate emotions, just cold and calculating looks and triumphant smiles. All of it was so wrong. The woman was an actress and a terrible one at that. There had been no relief or confusion shown as she had followed him into his home. Just satisfaction.
Talia paced her apartment trying to decide what she should do. Should she fly over and confront the woman? Attempt to show the man that the woman was a fraud? Or should she watch a bit more? Did he actually need saving? Maybe he knew and he was playing her to save himself and others.
But then again the man wasn’t normal either. His reaction was cold and uncaring. It was as if he barely cared that he had won. He didn’t hug the woman or confess love to her. He had turned his back as if disgusted. He hadn’t won. He hadn’t done it to win. He did it for another reason, one that did nothing for him. So why did he save the woman?
For two days she had gone back and forth desperately trying to determine what to do. Save him? Her? Run away and never look back? Her head was swimming and she could barely get the ideas into a coherent thought.
The suns as slowly setting into the horizon. Here she was again trying to determine what course of action was best for her. She didn’t make a conscious decision, just opened her wings and took off. She let her wings guide her. Let her body move where her mind wandered. Within minutes she reached the top of the street. Down at the end was the house. It was half an hour before nine. She had thirty minutes before the hospitality rule was over for the day. He or the woman had to let Talia in. It was one of the new laws created by the Winged Ones, something about bonding and strengthening society, creating a community. It was all a bunch of words that she could careless about.
She arrived at the front step and raised her fist. She hesitated for half a heart beat before she finally knocked. There was no answer and no sound. She stood and waited for a minute more before she raised her hand and knocked harder. She held still for a second before repeating the action. Still no response.
She hesitated. According to the law she had every right to turn the knob and enter the house without permission. The door had to remain unlocked. She twisted the handle and tried to push the door. It wouldn’t budge. She tried again and pushed harder. Still nothing. It was locked.
She glanced down at her watch, it was 8:45. The door was not allowed, under any circumstances, to be locked at this hour. The mystery man could be imprisoned or worse depending on his previous record. The woman could be prosecuted as well, since they were now connected. At least that was how it should go but that word didn’t seem to mean much to this pair.
She should leave the thing alone. This was none of her business. Maybe one of them worked for the government or was being held prisoner? Maybe they were criminals now, locked up to keep everyone safe? But none of those scenarios made any sense to her, something more was going on here. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman was holding the man prisoner though. Question was, was it sinister? Harmless? And was getting involved dangerous for Talia?
She slid off the porch and flapped her wings gently. She drifted to the side of the house inches above the ground, trying to remain soundless. She rose a few inches, peeking in the gap between the curtain and the top of the window.
She was looking into the living room. Standing in front of a sofa, a mirror behind him was the man, shirtless. He was flexing his back attempting to observe the slits in his back where a few grey strands were peeking out. He pushed at them and they didn’t budge. He tried to flex his back to make the tips move in some manner. They remained immobile, not pushing forward or sinking back into his skin. He growled and pulled a grey T-shirt over his head.
Talia watched with fascination. He was becoming a Winged One, very slowly it seemed, but it was happening, which made her head ache with confusion even more. He had saved that woman from her fate of becoming Winged, yet he was giving in now? Would that mean the woman would turn to? Why save her to only end up right in this spot?
A creak on the floorboards made her jump. Someone was walking through the house. She quickly took off and headed back toward her apartment. As she landed on her balcony she had made up her mind. Those two were absolutely none of her business. Their decisions should mean nothing to her. Again there was that word, “should.” She should stay away, should ignore this whole thing before it killed her. She shouldn’t make her life revolve around those two, be so determined to figure out what was going in their secret world. She never was good at listening to that word, she sat at her desk and pulled a piece of paper towards her, making a plan
Stories Have Power 