Despite the heat pumping off the canyon floor in waves, Kayla shivered. Why does Zareh always make things seem so bleak? How does this affect the entire world? She and Jaden were the only ones who could see the Gaptor or Zareh or these ridiculously large bats. And what do bats have to do with this? Hmm, good question. “Zareh, why are the bats here?”
Zareh directed his attention to Kayla, relieved she wasn’t falling apart again. Kayla cringed at the memory.
“Your transport from now on, they will be.”
“What?” Kayla squeaked, horrified.
Tazanna raised an imperious eyebrow. “We’re not good enough for you?”
Kayla, caught off guard by the flagrant antagonism, spluttered, “But . . . you’re bats! How can you be our transport?”
“We are not ‘bats,’” Tazanna replied. “While we may resemble those tiny counterfeits in your world, we’re known as gliders where we come from. As to your question concerning us being your mode of transportation—we can fly, can’t we?”
Kayla swallowed. “Yes, but . . . how does the transport part work, exactly?”
“I should think that was plain,” Tazanna retorted. “You ride on our backs.”
Kayla’s legs wobbled. It was bad enough standing this close to these giants, but to touch them? And fly on them? “What happens if we fall off?”
Ohanzee chortled. “We play catch. Shall we show you how?”
Jaden hooted. “Awesome! Can I go first?”
Kayla scowled to dampen his enthusiasm. He’s so excited about flying with these . . . things, he hasn’t even noticed I’m not entirely enthralled with the idea. No, that’s not it. I’m upset because he hasn’t acknowledged my feelings. Although why I expected he would, I don’t know.
Miffed, Kayla asked, “Why can’t we use our transports? They’re a perfectly suitable way of getting around.”
Zareh sighed as if he’d expected her to be difficult about this. “Suitable they may be, safe they are not.”
“I’ll bet they’re a lot safer than flying on some bats or gliders or whatever they are.”
“Disagree with you, I must. When the book you read, those odd antennae on top of the Gaptor’s head, you saw?”
Jaden’s interest perked. “You mean the horns?”
“Like horns they look, but antennae they are. Their purpose, know you?”
Jaden scowled. “To make him look pretty!”
“Agitated, be not,” Zareh said, his little arm making a soothing motion. “Micro transmitters, those antennae are. Emit an intense electromagnetic pulse, they do. Tell me what that is, can you?”
Jaden responded without thinking. “Simply put, an EMP is a surge of electromagnetic radiation that wipes out any electronic circuits within the radius of the pulse.”
“Excellent,” Zareh said. “Now, what will happen, think you, if close enough to your transport, that pulse was?”
“Nothing,” Jaden answered. “They build our transports with shields to prevent interference from EMPs.”
“Mistaken, your thinking is. A demonstration you would like of how ineffective your shield is?” Zareh asked.
Jaden hesitated.
Kayla didn’t believe Zareh could penetrate the shield either. But if it was possible, she had to see it to believe it.
“You can show me only if you promise not to damage my terraporter permanently,” Jaden said.
Zareh bowed his head in confirmation. Lifting his short arms and raising his palms toward the transport, he closed his eyes. Jaden and Kayla flinched when a cerulean flash sparked between his tiny hands, sizzling as he tossed it toward the terraporter. It arced through the intervening space and exploded with a brilliant blue light against the nose of the terraporter.
Zareh opened his large eyes. “Your communicator, check.”
Skeptical, they hurried over and entered the cockpit. On the surface, the controls appeared unharmed. Jaden reached for the communications toggle, wavering for a split second before flipping the switch.
Nothing happened. No hum of sound. No crackle of communication. The system was dead. As unconvinced as Kayla, he flipped the toggle back and forth a few more times, just to be sure.
Then, reluctant to believe the EMP could’ve been so precise, Jaden pressed the button controlling the internal temperature. The current climate settings blinked to life on the in-dash screen. He tested several other controls. All worked perfectly. The only one that didn’t respond was the communications switch.
Swiveling, Jaden looked at Kayla and saw she needed no explanations. They plodded back to Zareh.
Jaden was still shaking his head when they reached him. “How did you do that? It’s impossible to target a specific system with an EMP.”
“If that be true, why accomplish that, did I?” Zareh’s quiet reply more effectively proved their theory incorrect than if he had shouted it from the cliffs towering over them.
Jaden huffed. “Okay, you made your point. But what was the purpose of your demonstration? Besides the obvious fact that our shields are useless against whatever it was you directed against them.”
“To convince you, it was, of how dangerous travel in your terraporter can be, when within the Gaptor’s EMP range, you are.”
Stunned, Kayla asked, “You mean, he could bring us down with a blast like that?”
“That he could. Discharge the same frequency pulse from his antennae, the Gaptor does, and as accurate as me, he is. But targeting your communications system only, he would not be.”
Jaden hummed. “But he has to be within range?”
“Correct. However, travel at speeds significantly higher than your transporters, he does. This limitation count on, you should not.”
“So he couldn’t bring our ’pod down after his attack near the library because he wasn’t close enough?” Kayla asked.
“Exactly.”
Jaden snapped his fingers. “And that’s why we must travel on the bats . . . er . . . gliders? Because they’re immune to this pulse?”
“Finally, they understand.” Tazanna sneered. “Can we get on with it now?”
“Are you always so rude?” Kayla snapped.
“Only when I have to deal with silly humans.” Tazanna tossed her head to one side and gave Kayla a sidelong glance.
Kayla blinked at the blatant insult. Opening her mouth to voice her irritation, Zareh interrupted. “Acquainted, you are. Get along ‘famously’ as here it is said, I think you will. Kayla, with Tazanna you are. Jaden, Ohanzee your glider is. Ride well, young ones,” he hailed, before vanishing.
Jaden groaned. “Not again! Why doesn’t he ever give us a chance to ask our questions?”
“But you asked questions, several in fact. And he answered them all,” Tazanna said.
“Not those questions. Our other questions,” Jaden spat.
“Questions, smeshtions, who cares?” Ohanzee shrugged. “Zareh’s not one to share any more than he intends to. Accept that or lose your sanity.”
Tazanna cut him off. “Ohanzee’s right, but now is not the time to dwell on what’s already passed and what we cannot change. You have much to learn, and we have little enough time as it is.”
Ohanzee scowled. Kayla could swear he was irritated with her. Fascinated by the silent power play, Kayla observed the pair. Tazanna, glimpsing Ohanzee’s stare, glared back, as if daring him to challenge her. Ohanzee cocked his head, considering the wisdom of it.
Then, with what sounded like a sigh, he rolled his broad shoulders. Looking at Jaden, he said, “She’s right. It’s time we fly. Up you get.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Kayla grinned. Jaden’s frown as he stared at the bat meant only one thing: he didn’t know how to climb aboard. In his defense, though, Kayla couldn’t divine a way of getting onto the bat’s impossibly broad back either, short of jumping on like a tick.
Kayla was glad Jaden would have to figure it out first. Ohanzee was solid muscle, so Jaden wouldn’t be too heavy. The bat was
also taller than Jaden, which was saying something. Her grin widened when Jaden scratched his head.
“Alright,” Jaden surrendered, “not to state the obvious, but can you tell me how? And where do I put my legs? Around your neck?”
“You feel the need to choke me already?” Ohanzee’s teasing tone surprised Kayla. “Here, let’s start with the simple stuff.” He bent his hind legs, stooping into a crouch. “Pretend I’m about to give you what you humans call a ‘piggy-back ride.’”
With a grin, Jaden stepped behind Ohanzee and scrambled up the bat’s back. Finding a flat spot near the bat’s neck and roughly over its shoulders, Jaden slid his legs down and curled them under the joint where the upper part of the bat’s wings attached to its body. He chuckled, delighted with himself.
“Comfortable?” Kayla asked, snickering.
“Yes,” Jaden said, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around the bat’s thick neck.
Ohanzee moaned. “This kid wants to kill me.”
Jaden immediately withdrew his arms. “Sorry! Where should I put my arms?”
“Anywhere but there. Hold on with your legs. Here we go!” Ohanzee bounded into the air.
Jaden couldn’t have anticipated the force of the upward thrust because he toppled off. Smacking onto the unforgiving canyon floor, he lay there, unmoving.
Kayla rushed over. “Jaden, are you hurt?”
He blinked slowly, as though processing her words. Kayla danced fingers over him, tracing deft, practiced patterns over his chest as she checked for broken bones. She found none. Trying not to think about the hard, smooth muscles under her hands, she began another check. He shifted, and she instantly lifted her hands.
With a concerted effort, he sat up and wheezed. “Not hurt, just winded.”
Ohanzee, who had executed a U-turn in the air as soon as Jaden had fallen off, landed next to them. “You call that a take-off?”
Jaden glared, keeping his eyes on the bat but speaking to Kayla. “They are rude, aren’t they?”
“Chill, kid.” Ohanzee grinned. “That was a test to assess your abilities.”
“Which aren’t very inspiring,” Tazanna sniped.
“Oh, yeah? Let’s see you and Kayla do any better.”
Kayla wanted to punch him. Why did he have to say that? She’d just been enjoying Jaden’s temper for once.
Tazanna eyed Kayla speculatively. “Are you ready?”
Kayla lifted her chin. She was nowhere near prepared for what was to come, but neither would she allow this . . . thing to talk to her like that either. She and Jaden were in agreement about these beasts. “Yes.” She strode over to where Tazanna waited. “Are you?”
Tazanna raised a delicate eyebrow. Wordlessly, though, she hunkered down, allowing Kayla access to her back.
Does Tazanna think I don’t have enough spunk? Kayla fumed silently, clambering onto the bat and being none too gentle about it. Tazanna said nothing, waiting for Kayla to get settled.
But when she felt Kayla fidgeting as she tried to work out what to do with her hands, the bat turned her head slightly. She whispered, “Grab hold of the fur along the ridge below my neck.”
Startled by the unexpected advice, Kayla almost fell off. But a soft growl from Tazanna had her tightening her hold and stiffening her posture. Fisting her hands in the thick fur below Tazanna’s neck, she briefly wondered whether she was hurting the bat. The thought struck a vindictive chord in her, and she smirked, hoping she was. Recalling Jaden’s fall from grace, she pressed her knees into Tazanna’s ribs and curled her legs tightly under the wing joint. She prayed she would fare better than Jaden.
“Watch and learn,” Tazanna said, launching gracefully into the air.
Kayla understood why Jaden had fallen. She would’ve followed suit if she wasn’t gripping Tazanna’s fur with all her might. The ground dropped away at an alarming rate, and Kayla sucked in a sharp, petrified breath. Fear enveloped her. Then, strangely, it strengthened her. No way was she falling off. She was never, ever letting go.
“Good girl,” Tazanna said. “Hang on—we’re about to turn.”
Tazanna tilted her wings, and Kayla panicked as her body slipped sideways. Please, don’t let me die, she prayed, struggling to regain her former position.
“Use your knees,” Tazanna said, aware her passenger was losing it.
Beyond caring about the bat’s welfare, Kayla tugged on the heavy fur with her hands and dug her knees in as she shoved her weight over to the other side. Exultant when she reclaimed her central position, Kayla had no time to revel in her victory. Tazanna was bellowing again.
“Try not to rip all the fur off my back next time. Let’s attempt a turn the other way.”
Without waiting for Kayla’s acknowledgement, Tazanna tipped a second time. Predictably, Kayla slipped sideways again. But she was more prepared—more aware of how her balance shifted with the turn. Manipulating her knees and hips, Kayla twisted her body in the opposite direction. Back in position, Kayla was pleased. She’d hardly pulled on Tazanna’s fur this time.
“Much better,” Tazanna said. “Again.”
They twisted back and forth, arcing to the left and then to the right until Kayla navigated the turns with ease. Then Tazanna changed the game.
“You’re learning. We’ll fly straight for a while, but don’t think you can relax. Concentrate on how my muscles flex and relax under you. Get familiar with my movements. Once you learn them, you’ll be able to sense when I’m turning, and which way, without me having to tell you. It’ll help if you think of my body as an extension of your own. Be aware of my muscles tensing;. Note whether my wings are level, and feel the air flowing under them.”
She’s not asking for much. Kayla pouted. Like I would know what it feels like to have air flowing under my wings. But as they flew, Kayla grasped what Tazanna meant. Through her knees, hugged tightly around Tazanna’s chest where the wing muscles connected to the body, Kayla gradually discerned the micro-movements needed to lift and lower the wings.
With that understanding came a keener appreciation of the angle of Tazanna’s wings. Then Kayla registered how the wingtips lifted ever so slightly to slow them down. The breeze assumed a clarity she’d never known, touching her with warmer pockets of air, interspersed by cooler ones. When they hit those, Kayla learned to brace for a drop in altitude.
As they flew on and on, Kayla became one with the fluid movements that kept them aloft. And when Tazanna dipped to the right without warning, Kayla adjusted subconsciously. Exhilarated by her success, Kayla relaxed, shocked to find she was enjoying the experience.
Glancing down, Kayla saw Jaden and Ohanzee attempting another take-off. Either Ohanzee had given Jaden the same advice Tazanna had given her, or Jaden had learned from his previous mistake because they soared up without incident. They trailed the girls, Ohanzee modeling to Jaden what he saw Tazanna teaching Kayla.
To Kayla’s chagrin, the boys didn’t follow for long. Ohanzee was soon pushing Jaden harder. If she read the bat’s expression correctly, he was impressed when he perceived Jaden’s ability to handle deeper turns and faster runs than Kayla.
Kayla turned away, disgusted. Naturally, Jaden would excel at this. Still stuck in her head, Kayla didn’t notice Jaden and Ohanzee catching up until they brushed past and took the lead. They passed so close they nearly knocked Kayla off her perch, then grinned like naughty schoolboys as they shot away, Kayla yelling insults after them.
“Your fault for not paying attention to your surroundings,” Tazanna said. “If that had been a Gaptor, it would have snatched you off my back.”
There goes any hope for further praise, Kayla thought dryly. But the bat was right. Studying the way Jaden and Ohanzee flew so effortlessly in front of them, she wondered whether she and Tazanna looked as graceful, arcing and swirling through the air.
Feeling an impish need to repay the scare Jaden had just given her, Kayla leaned toward Tazanna’s ear. “Let’s buzz them. Can you catch up?�
�
Tazanna snorted. “Watch me!”
Scared witless by the sudden burst of speed, Kayla gouged her fingers into Tazanna’s dense fur, trying to maintain her fragile hold on the speeding bat. But her fingers slid through the fur, finding no purchase. Wind crushed her eyelids closed. This must be what it feels like to sky dive without goggles, Kayla thought, fighting to open her eyes.
So quickly that she didn’t realize it was happening, her breathing became labored. By the time Kayla registered, dizziness washed over her in swampy waves. Opening her mouth to convey her distress, the gale snatched the whispered words away. Kayla was losing her hold on Tazanna, her body gasping for oxygen. But she was powerless to do anything about it. Kayla’s last thought as she slipped into oblivion was whether she would die this time.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The soft, warm fur under her face was heaven. Kayla stirred and would’ve fallen again had the bat not shifted to counter her awkward attempt at sitting up. Her eyes snapped open. Then Kayla remembered where she was and what had happened. Bile rose in her throat. “Down, get me down, now, please,” Kayla begged.
Tazanna responded without hesitation, gliding down at a steep angle and settling smoothly on the ground seconds later. Kayla stumbled off her back, fell to her knees, and heaved. Half of her afternoon snack landed on the canyon floor. The other half soon followed. Groaning, she wiped her mouth with her hand. Ugh, I feel awful.
Water and towels appeared in front of her. Glancing up, she found Jaden studying her, his face grim. Gratefully, she accepted the items, scrubbing her face and rinsing her mouth. With hands that were still shaking, she sat back weakly. “What happened?”
“You gave me heart failure,” Jaden said, a weak smile finally curving that gorgeous mouth.
“Yup, because that was precisely what I planned on doing.” Kayla groaned. “Don’t play games. What happened after I passed out?”
“It was incredible,” Jaden said, his concern fading when he realized Kayla would be alright. “You fell off Tazanna, and I thought you were a goner! I yelled at Ohanzee to help. But he was all zen and told me to chill and then just turned us around so we could watch you fall. I was so frantic I started beating him on his back.”
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