Page 7 of Angel of Ruin

Lena sighs, swallowing hard. But then, she glances at me with a glint in her eyes.

"That's why we've got to prove them wrong," she says firmly. "We'll show them what humans are capable of."

Her words spark something in me, rekindling the fire that Sariel's harsh words had nearly extinguished.

"You're right," I say, straightening my shoulders. "We're not going to let them define us. We're here to earn our wings, and that's exactly what we're going to do."

Lena's smile brightens. Before we can continue our conversation, the door swings open, revealing two more girls.

"Guess this is our home for the next few weeks," a tall girl with spiky black hair announces, dropping her bag on one of the empty beds. "I'm Kai."

The other newcomer, a curvy girl with tight curls and dark skin, follows suit. "And I'm Mira. Nice to meet you all."

"I'm Lyra," I introduce myself, "and this is Lena."

Kai glances around the cramped space, her amber eyes narrowing. "Not exactly the best accommodations, huh?"

Mira chuckles, unpacking a colorful scarf from her bag. "What'd you expect? Gold-plated toilets?"

"That's what the xaphan have, why not us?" Kai retorts, flopping onto her bed. "So, we're all here for the same thing, I guess. Wings or die trying?"

I wince at her blunt words, but Lena nods. "That's the gist of it. Though I'd prefer to focus on the 'wings' part rather than the 'die trying' bit."

"Smart girl," Mira says, grinning. "I like your style, Lena."

"Speaking of style," Kai interjects, eyeing Mira's eclectic outfit, "where'd you get those threads? We don't see anything like this back in my village."

Mira beams, twirling to show off her ensemble. "Made 'em myself. You should see what I can do with a needle and some scraps."

"No way!" I exclaim, genuinely impressed. "That's amazing, Mira."

"Thank you," she says, winking at me. "Maybe I'll whip something up for you if we survive this mess."

"When," Lena corrects gently. "When we survive this."

Kai snorts. "Optimistic bunch, aren't you?"

"Better than being a pessimist," I counter, surprising myself with my boldness.

Kai's eyebrows shoot up, but then she grins. "Fair enough, blondie. I like a girl with some fire in her."

I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding. It feels nice to make some friends, despite the unfortunate circumstances. And I really hope everyone in this room makes it in the end, even though our chances are slim.

But a girl can dream.

4

SARIEL

"Stupid fucking humans," I whisper, watching as they struggle to follow along with the physical exercises administered by Zephyr. She leads the cohorts, directing them on what to do, and they still flail like a pack of idiots.

I lean against the railing of the glass platform I stand upon, arms crossed, watching the pathetic display before me. Zephyr's voice rings out, clear and commanding, as she guides the humans through their exercises. Most of them stumble and pant, their faces red with exertion. Pitiful.

My eyes scan the crowd, landing on a familiar blonde head. It's her—the clumsy girl who ruined my uniform a few days ago. Lyra, I think her name is. She's in the front, determination etched on her face as she follows Zephyr's instructions.

I hate to admit it, but she's not doing half bad. When Zephyr calls for a quick change in exercise, Lyra drops down and pops back up with surprising agility. Her form isn't perfect, but it's better than most of these sorry excuses for candidates.

"Pick up the pace!" Zephyr yells. "You think this is hard? Wait until the real trial begins!"

---