I landed on the tallest peak of the Sierra Nevadas. Spreading my arms and wings wide, the freezing wind felt like a warm balm against the Hellish cold of my body. I stood on top of the snow as if I were weightless, yet the mountain trembled beneath me.
“Desolation." Father's voice startled me and I whipped around. He strode across the snow, easily maneuvering over the rugged terrain. He wore tan charcoal-gray slacks and a white shirt open at the collar. His footsteps left no impression on the pristine white snow, though the biting wind teased at his black hair. He looked like a movie star out for a stroll along the beach. I narrowed my eyes and said nothing.
“I see you have embraced your true nature. Have you returned to me?"
Without meaning to, I pressed my hand against my throat, to t
