Discovery

Lilyade began to realize consuming food at this rate and also having it leave her body was going to be an annoying chore she would have to deal with for the rest of her life. Every step down the stairs was too much pressure for her bladder to handle. Even walking had to be taken seriously. Is this what it would be like laying eggs? Having them press on your bladder until they left your body?

"Would you like just sugar water this time? Or something else?" Lilyade's mother asked while concocting several juice bottles and cutting fruit for her daughter. Stuck in her mind were those wings. Those gorgeous, green, iridescent curse for wings, and her daughter held them on her back waiting for something terrible to happen. Her mother was always a nervous wreck. Essential oils and scents were all over the house hoping to help calm her nerves. The woman hardly left the house and her husband always brought groceries home. They'd be doing a lot more shopping for Lilyade since her body lived so much faster than other Avians. She'd have to talk to Dr. Romple more to find out what else Lilyade needed to live her new life style.

"I will take anything." She called as she flittered to the bathroom, her wings helping her get to the toilet faster. Once she squats over the toilet and relief came to her, her wings relaxed letting tension leave them.

There was noise at the back door and Lilyade heard her dad come home stomping through on the wooden floors.

"I heard Lilyade hatched, where is she?"

"Peeing! One sec," She pulled up her pants and flushed and quickly washed her hands. Not bothering to dry them she opened the door to see her dad. He stood in the open kitchen and dining room foyer watching her mother cut fruit, "What's all this, Esme?"

Esme put down the knife and her eyes went to Lilyade and then her wings. Her Dad turned to her.

Lilyade stood, one ankle crossed around the other, her wings pulled in sensing her dad wouldn't be pleased.

You can't hide forever. Lilyade thought and her wings listened. Slowly, she turned around and spread her wings for her father to see. She rotated them in the light catching the shine and gleam of the feathers.

"Wait—Lily..." Her dad started but crossed his arms and then stroked his beard. He stared at her wings in silence. He knew. Esme had talked to him numerous times about the slightest chance the species would show up again. The gene ran through their veins but was recessive. They even considered not having a child. But it was too late, and Esme found out the egg she laid was fertile after having it checked in a hatchery. There was a baby in there. Esme hoped there'd be blue songbird feathers or even her dad's rainbow Macaw somewhere in there.

As they watched her hatch Esme's eyes were glued to her daughter's temple. The feathers were slick and dark green and one black feather that changed to pink when the light hit it, and there was only one bird species in their kingdom that had that appearance. The one that was sworn and declared extinct after the Chiroptera clan tore the Hummingbird Avians to shreds.

But survivors of the families lived on and blood continued to be passed down, no matter how small, the gene survived and was sitting on Lilyade's back.

Lilyade grew uncomfortable in his silence, "Daddy please say something," she glanced over her shoulder. He walked up behind her slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder making her turn around.

Sadness, fear, worry, every single concerning emotion were being reflected through the man's eyes. A father worried for his child and would do anything to protect her.

He lifted her chin, "I'm going to tell you something, and if anyone tells you different, they are wrong. Do you understand?"

Lilyade nodded.

"Do not ever be ashamed of being a Hummingbird Avian. They were hunted because of their beauty and were small and underestimated. You are one of a species that everyone will know and remember," He pulled her into a hug, something she hasn't ever been comfortable with or understood but let him hold her, "Hold your wings high, my little Lily flower.

"Ok," Was the best response she could come up with his heartening speech.

They pulled apart and Esme handed her a cup with a straw in it filled with sugar cherry juice. Lilyade sucked the liquid down while her mother made more.

"We should buy more fruit," Her mother noted to her father.

"I'll go out now. How often do you need to eat, Lily?" Her Dad gathered his bag and got ready to head out the door.

After finishing another cup, she took a breath, "I don't know yet, but I should keep food on me at all times. So far I've gotten cramps when I don't eat soon enough."

"Alright, infinite supply it is then." He began to open the front door but instead of leaving, he was blocked by three large men in blue uniforms with large brown wings behind them. Lilyade recognized the symbol on their chest. It was a plumeria flower with wings as the leaves below it.

The King's Patrol.

. . .

"We are here to escort Lilyade Tirse to the Home Tree. Where is she?" The front patrol man asked. But it wasn't really a question.

Lilyade set her cup on the counter, "By who's orders?" She raised her brows glaring at the first guard.

"By the king." His voice was low and clipped. Like he had better things to do than drag a teenager from her home.

"Why? I didn't do anything." She crossed her arms staying put.

The guard was getting annoyed, "We were notified you possess the Hummingbird Avian gene and display it as well. We are here to take you under immediate protective services from the Chiroptera Clan and anyone else who would want to hurt you. Please come with us or we will remove you from the building by force." Fucking, Dr. Romple...Of course he told.

"What is the meaning of this? Oh, I knew I should have kept her here instead of having her hatch at a public hatchery." Esme was shaking and had her nails glued to her teeth. She paced the kitchen and her husband stood in front of Lilyade.

"Until we have a written statement from the king himself, you're not taking my daughter anywhere." His frame blocked the door keeping the patrol from seeing Lilyade.

"Sir, please allow us to take her into our custody, I can have a letter sent—"

Lilyade stormed to the door, "No! Fuck you and fuck your orders."

Esme gasped, "Language, Lily!"

Lilyade turned her head, "Really Mom? That's your concern right now?" Her mother didn't respond.

"Everything will be explained. Right now, her safety is our first concern." The patrol was edging their way into their house making Lilyade's dad move closer to them.

"Well, I'm sure not feeling safe by the way you're demanding me out of my own home." Her feathers were prickling away from her body in defense.

"You've left us no choice." One of the guards pushed through and began fighting her dad. The patrol men struggle to get through and Lilyade stayed put.

"Leave us alone!" Her mother cried, her bird call coming through with her screech.

No one listened. Fists flew and her father was shoved out of the way. He managed to get one in a choke hold but was kicked between the legs. He buckled releasing the last patrol man out of his grasp.

Lilyade began to flee but her wrist was grabbed pulling her towards the door. The second man got too close and something pinched her in the neck and her vision went black as her parents screaming faded into nothing.

. . .

There was darkness. There was nothing. Then there was movement.

Shadow figures moved in front of her and the ground swayed beneath her. Lilyade's head lolled down and her feet rotated around her vision.

"Lilyade?" A voice echoed, "Can you hear me?" The figure lifted her head and shined a light into her eye. Her lip twitched and she attempted to grab the light but ended up gently slapping the person in the face. That worked too, she guessed.

"She's responsive. Her blood sugar levels are where they should be. Keep the fluids coming." Another voice echoed.

With each second, she got more lucid and could see clearer. Her muscles responded to her brain enough for her to look around. She knew from the strong smell of medical alcohol she wasn't at home, but in a healer room. Even though it was in a tree with many windows, air didn't seem to circulate well enough.

"Where the fuck am I?" Her voice was dry and groggy and could feel the dry skin on her lips.

"You're in the Home Tree." A healer said while writing something down on the spreadsheet at the end of her bed.

"Where are my parents?" At this point she tried getting out of bed.

"Ma'am please don't do that. You need to stay put." The healer rushed over.

"I was sedated, I'm not dying, good grief." Lilyade tried to push her aside but failed.

"We're running some tests, then we will release you to your quarters."

"Oh, so I'm a prisoner now?"

"No, you're under protective services by the king. You were told this." The healer went back to writing things down.

"Yeah, doesn't mean I like it." Lilyade snapped.

"I'm just doing my job Miss Tirse. Please rest." At that, the healer left the room closing the door behind her. There was a click of a lock being put in place. But it didn't stop Lilyade from checking.

She pulled herself back out of the bed and shuffled over to the door. The knob didn't budge.

"Fucking damn it," She hissed.

"Quite a mouth you have there." A low voice came from behind her. Lilyade jolted and spun around. There was a patrol man sitting in the corner of the room. He was younger than the ones who came to her house. Probably in his early twenties.

"How the fuck did you get in here?" Lilyade tried to cover herself in the shitty gown they dressed her in. She could feel that was all she was wearing.

"I'm assigned here. Nothing to freak out over. Just making sure you don't—"

"Escape? Yeah. That's been made pretty clear that I can't leave." She walked back over to her bed pulling her IV with her. What was it even giving her? She started to remove it.

"Don't take that out." The guard warned.

"And why should I listen to you?"

"Because I know that is sugar. And that is the thing keeping you from passing out, Hummer." He said the last word like it was foreign to his mouth.

Lilyade sat on her bed, her hand still on the IV playing with the tape, "You don't know shit about me."

"Wanna test that? I have all day." He crossed his arms and sighed. He was built. But what caught her eye were his wings. She hadn't seen wings like his before. Blue with black and white stripes around the edges.

"Fine, then what species do you belong to?" She grumbled.

"I'm from the north. I'm a mocking jay." Explained the foreign wings, somehow he could tell she didn't recognize them, "It's too hot in this region. How do you live like this? Summer all year round."

"I don't fucking know. I was born here."

There was some awkward silence, then Lilyade looked up at him, he was staring at her wings. Dark eyes, she could hardly see his pupils.

"I don't see what's so amazing about what everyone is saying." She responded to his stare.

"Really? A genocide of a whole species over a span of ten years isn't concerning at all?"

"I didn't know it was a thing until today." She shrugged, "My mother has a talent of hiding shit from me. Thinking it'll be better off if I don't know."

The guard nodded, "I can see how she'd think that. I'm Oscar by the way. Not like you care to know, but."

"You're right. Because I don't." She smiled a fake smile showing all her teeth.

"Do you think I find this amusing?"

"I don't know, but I do know I'm enjoying it quite a lot." She smirked to herself.

"Whatever you say, Hummer."

"Don't call me that." Lilyade snapped.

"Ok, Lilyade."

"Don't call me that either. Fuck, it sounds even worse."

"Well, what would you like me to call you?" He raised a brow, his throat bobbed. She glared.

"Nothing. Because I'm getting out of here. This is kidnapping. I didn't ask for this." She turned around and lay down on her side. Oscar shuffled in the background and she listened. Her eyes started drooping. She didn't want to sleep. She wanted to know where Oscar was going. She sat up.

"Relax, Hummer. I'm getting you something to drink that tastes better than IV sugar."