Forbidden Touch
an excerpt

The pain. Everything was pain. But unlike other times when she had tried it, along with the pain came something else. Even in the throes of agony Rilessa could sense something, a new and strange but somehow familiar feeling. With a jolt of something unlike joy she realized what it was. It was simply the feeling of knowing that she was complete, truly her self for the first time in her life. At that moment Rilessa knew that even if she could bring her wings back inside of her she would never feel truly right without some sense of them.
Arako circled around the girl’s head, in awe despite herself at what was happening. The back of Rilessa’s t shirt had been torn straight through when the bond opened, and was now simply gone, all the way down to the small of her back. However, Rilessa’s back was only visible for a few moments, for almost instantaneously wings burst from her shoulder, the new muscles on her back rippling as they materialized. The feather’s on the brunette’s wings were a blue gray color, and her wings, once fully grown, appeared to be about eleven feet from wingtip to wingtip. At the moment they lay limply on the ground, for Rilessa was collapsed flat onto her stomach with her arms cradling her head, but the falcon knew that they would be breathtaking when opened in flight.
The girl groaned, slowly returning to her knees. She sat back on her heels, or at least tried to, but something was blocking her way. Rilessa’s eyes widened, even though she knew what was there. Still, the reality of what was happening to her struck her to the core of her being when she felt her movement impeded by her wings, and the girl could only stare in unrestrained wonder at her long wings.
Rilessa stood unsteadily to her feet, stretching unfamiliar muscles. Arako flew down and landed at her feet, a small distance away. Somehow the girl’s posture was different, more assured, more natural than it had ever been before. Something had been given to her that she had been waiting for her entire life, and Arako knew that Rilessa would never again fear her wings. Rilessa swallowed hard, and then spoke softly, jumping in surprise when her voice suddenly sounded slightly rougher, more birdlike than it had ever before. “So, how do I look?” She asked uncertainly. Arako could only gaze at her human in wonderment.
Rilessa suddenly looked more defined, as though she had been covered by a haze her entire life. Her hair seemed darker, her eyes brighter, her face smoother, and altogether more avian. It was a shame she couldn’t look this natural all the time, but both of them knew that the only time she would look so real was when she held onto their full bond, and with the rarity of people who had a complete stage three bond, the girl was sure to be hounded for it.
Rilessa felt an aching need to be in the air and she stumbled forward, the tips of her wings dragging on the ground. Arako hopped in front of her, making the anxious girl pause. Rilessa locked eyes with her falcon, conveying everything that needed to be said in a single glance. The bird nodded respectfully, and took off, soaring onto the air. She trusted in the fact that after all those years of flying mentally with Arako, the girl would know enough to stay in the air.
Rilessa walked to the edge of the cliff, her toes curling around the thin soil at the very edge. She opened her eyes and ever so slowly leaned forward, balanced on the very tips of her toes. The valley floor laid thousands of feet below her, the very air beckoning to her. The very atmosphere seemed to sparkle with startling clarity. Rilessa took a deep breath, gazing out across the valley to the far away mountains. With her eyes fixed on that far away point, she leaned forward and fell away from the cliff.