Fallen

Chapter 16 (Bella's POV)

Pic is of Bella ^^

*

"It's me," I say with amusement. Angels are so stupid - whether they're going to be angels or not soon is irrelevant. They all have less brains than a pot plant. "Bella."

I hear her attempt to conceal her gasp, but she fails pathetically. I can't help but laugh at her shock. "Was it that much of a surprise?"

"Well I never imagined that you would be Wingless," she replies defensively. "You always seemed like such a demon." I laugh again, but the sound is without happiness. It sounds rough, harsh, cruel. Because, yes, I seemed like a demon.

However, I'm not one. My laugh seems to scare her off for a little bit, because she says nothing, but she's soon back with another question.

"What did you ... see? That made your brain develop funny?"

I close my eyes and purse my lips. "That's not your concern." I don't like thinking about it, or talking about it. The more you do, the less demon-like you become. I guess it's a little late for that, but old habits die hard.

Once again, she shuts up for a bit, but she pings back like an elastic band. This girl just can't take a hint. "Do you know what ... happens? How you become Wingless?"

"Weren't you taught about it?" To be honest I'm not sure what angels are taught at this point.

"Well, no. Just that the wings were taken out. But we were never given details."

I roll my eyes. "Demons have tough wings - they are larger than angel ones, leathery, a lot stronger and more attached to the body. Those wings are cut off with a very strong knife, like you would if you were removing part of the body. After that, they won't grow back. They're a part of the anatomy like an arm or a leg. Angels' wings are different. They grow inside the shoulder, tiny feathers that keep on growing until they are full-fledged wings. The individual feathers have to yanked out from the shoulder. The closer to the shoulder and shorter the wings are, the more painful it is. The process for angels wings is a lot more prolonged and it hurts more than the demons'. It also is a lot more likely to get infected."

She says nothing - at last. I don't blame her. Even I, whose been taught pain since birth, would be slightly intimidated by what she's facing. I can barely imagine how she's feeling.

For the record, this isn't pity. It's just reading someone's emotions and character. I don't pity people.

"Get some sleep," I say finally. "You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

*

We're shaken roughly awake by two burly looking demons that leer unpleasantly at us. I guess angels are too 'good' for such a violent job. Or they just enjoy making others do their dirty work. Concentrating is difficult; the drug makes it hard to see, everything zeroing in and out. My head is still hurting a little; everything is dulled. I guess it's to numb the pain, which is nice.

"Ready, are you?" one sneers.

Cadi whimpers as she gets up, her head obviously not as accustomed to the drug is mine. I used to smoke a bit, and I only took the tiniest sip of the drink they gave us, which they had to force down my throat. I was glad to say that the guy that managed to get it down me received a bloody nose in return. I manage to force myself to look properly at what's going on.

They grab Cadi a little more roughly than me, but to my surprise she doesn't wince, even when they grab her wrists hard enough to make her bruise. In the harsh daylight that's just arrived, with ripped clothing, I can locate shiny pink scars on the base of her feet, down her hip, even some down her back. Initiation hasn't been kind to this angel.

I'm pulled back under the influence of the drug and a low hiss escapes my teeth. Focusing more only makes the pain worse after you're done. I push myself through the pain and allow the drug to take as much control as possible. It dulls my senses, yes, which I'm not particularly fond of, but it helps. It means that I'm going to be less hurt during the Wingless process.

To be honest, it really wouldn't kill them to give us an anaesthetic, but they're not going to be nice enough for that.

I'm going first. I'm pushed roughly to the ground, on my knees. Everyone is present. I catch myself forcing to look again, just to see the crowd. Andres is looking amused with another girl; Milo, I think her name is. Her lips are blood red, just like her pointed nails, and are also stretched into a mocking smile. Her hair is raven, thick, and curly, pinned behind her head, and she's wearing a low-cut short dress to celebrate her successful initiation. I see her place her hands on his chest, smiling cruelly. I resist the urge to get up and slap the stupid smile off of her irritating face.

I allow the drug to come back and almost fall flat on my face. For a second, I don't think I'll be able to feel anything at this rate.

And then, I feel it. Unless you've had part of your body physically carved out of you with a serrated knife, I don't think you could understand how it feels. It cuts through bone, muscle and skin as if they're paper, and it's so relentless and so constant. It must have only been thirty seconds for each wing, but it felt like decades. I'm vaguely aware that I'm whimpering and moaning under my breath, but the only thing I can really concentrate on is the pain.

Finally, it's over. The drug is still clouding my head, and doubled with becoming Wingless, I'm more than a little woozy.

"Bring the second Wingless to the pit." I hear someone say, but it takes my brain longer than usual to process the words.

It's Cadi's turn.

*

Tadah!

I know this update took ages but y'know ;3 I hope you liked it ;D Anyway, next chapter is in Cadi's POV and will hopefully be more descriptive about the process of becoming Wingless than this one >.> Remember to VOTE and COMMENT :P