Natural Born Angel (Immortal City 2)

ully and smoothly. All the while, other Guardian nominees had basically come out of the womb knowing how to fly properly. It was like learning how to walk while all the other students were world-class runners.

“My goal with you is to get you to a basic aptitude and hope that nature takes its course from there, assisted by continued supplemental training. OK?”

She nodded, although that was not what she wanted to hear. Maddy wanted to hear that she was going to learn to fly like a Guardian. Today. Not tomorrow. Now. She was tired of feeling different from the rest. Even her lessons from Tom hadn’t seemed to be making too much of a difference, although they hadn’t reached the stage where she flew the plane yet.

It wasn’t even her fault that she couldn’t fly as well as other Angels, and it wasn’t fair to get shown up by someone like Emily, who’d had every advantage that being an Angel could bring throughout her life. Maddy was just a nobody; she knew nothing.

Trueway pointed at the line of metal poles that extended into the distance. “Each pylon represents a station along the way for the time trial. You have to fly within three metres of each one for it to register. Breaking each leg down, we’re able analyze an Angel’s performance and see what sections can be improved upon.” Her instructor handed her a small earpiece to put in. “I can communicate with you through this. Normally we’d start working for speed, but since you’re, uh, new to this, we’d better just begin with having you run the course. Any questions?”

She shook her head.

Maddy’s instructor held up a device a little bigger than a phone. “We monitor your progress and times here.”

“OK.”

“Whenever you’re ready, start on the mark.” Trueway pointed to a perfect red circle painted on the smooth concrete. “The clock will automatically begin as soon as you lift off.” Maddy stepped on to the mark.

A wind blew across the desert flats, shaking the dry scrub. The sun glared over the whole scene as Maddy prepared herself. She could do this. She could. She tried so hard to concentrate, thinking about everything she would do. What had Jacks told her? Just fly? That was easy for him to say – he was born with the ability.

“Remember, poised on the balls of your feet,” Trueway said.

Maddy leaned slightly forward, lightly.

WHOOSH.

Her wings suddenly extended from behind her back, sliding noiselessly through the specially designed slits in the back of her training gear. Maddy groaned in pain, dropping to a knee. It was getting better, but it still was incredibly painful each time she spread her wings. Another difference between her and full Angels.

The other Angel with their group moved forward to help her, but Trueway put his hand in front of him as if to say it was OK.

Maddy pulled herself up, dusting off her knee, and leaned forward, poised on the balls of her feet again.

“Good, good,” Trueway said. “Now launch.”

Leaning forward, one, two enormous flaps and she jumped up. The wings suddenly propelled her forward and Maddy was flying off the mark, her trainers lifting from the asphalt. The muscles in her back burned with effort. She raised herself up six metres with four powerful thrusts and then set her wings, trying to gain speed. The desert ground sped beneath her. Her breath came sharp and ragged. She was wobbly as she attempted to jet straight towards the first pylon in the distance. Maddy tried to remember flying with Jacks.

“Come on,” she said under her breath. Still struggling to maintain a straight course, Maddy flew by the first pylon, which had two lights on it. It turned green, signifying she’d passed within three metres of it.

A little confidence growing, Maddy set her sights on the next one, getting slightly faster. She was still struggling to maintain a straight course, however. She concentrated as hard as she could, but it still felt somewhat unnatural. Passing the second pylon, it turned green, and Maddy found the pylons beginning to zig and zag slightly, like slalom gates, across the desert landscape.

Setting her teeth, Maddy neared the third pylon, her wings flapping desperately as she tried to make the hard right turn towards the next marker. She overshot the mark and awkwardly had to circle around to get to the fourth pylon. The light turned green, but Maddy was pretty sure she was breaking some kind of record for slowest flight ever. With determination, she exerted as much energy as she could to gain speed towards the fifth marker.

The pylon grew closer and Maddy suddenly wobbled, mid-air, and flew wide of the mark, off to the left. She looked back at the pylon: the red light came on. She had failed.

“Bring it on back. We’ll try it again,” Trueway’s voice said over the earpiece.

Maddy circled around back to home base, trying to figure out in her mind where she had gone wrong. Trueway watched her approach through a large pair of field glasses. Landing, she drank some water and collected herself, making sure her ponytail was tied tightly.

“Ready again?” her instructor asked, his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses.

She nodded, stepping on to the mark again.

“This time try to . . . flow with it a bit more. Drop your starboard wing and lean in to bring you around that pylon.”

Maddy nodded that she understood – and she did understand, physics-wise, how that would work – but she wasn’t sure she felt it. Maybe this time she could. She set her jaw and leaned forward on the balls of her feet.

“Anytime you’re— ”

Before Trueway had finished his sentence, Maddy was off. She looked down at the desert scrub as it zoomed underneath her; she was actually gaining some speed this time. She smiled as she got to the first pylon, passing it quickly, and then on to the second. Both lights turned green. Maddy got to the third pylon, but this time she didn’t overshoot it, and was able to turn quickly and start gaining speed for the fourth. Passing it as well, she made a sharp turn towards the fifth, which she’d missed last time.