“Congratulations, Piper Madden. You are officially free,” Myra Elder says. Beside her sits the other head of the resistance; Gamma, my idol. She smiles gruffly.
I actually want to run over and hug them, but I don’t think that would go over well with either one of them. I bow my head with respect, and they stand, holding their fists together and bowing their heads.
“I’ll leave you here,” Grier says. She closes the door behind her.
And in that moment, that sudden silence, it all hits me. That I’ve been incarcerated, tortured, recued, and that I’m finally back with the women I might actually trust with my life. My eyes well with tears, and I sniffle, trying to quell the impending outburst.
“Kid, it’s not a sign of weakness to cry,” Gamma says. I nod, my lower lip quivering as tears stream down my face. I’ve been playing tough for so long, and I just don’t have the strength to keep it up any longer. I curl my body, my head to my knees, and let it all out.
David. Asher. War. I’m so goddamn helpless in all of this. I keep fighting and fighting and it just gets worse. What am I even fighting for anymore? When my sobs quieten, Myra comes toward me, placing her hand on my back. The warmth in her touch surprises me.
“You mustn’t give up hope, Miss Madden. It is because of you that all of this is happening.”
“Thanks,” I reply with a rough laugh.
“What she means is that you’ve made it possible for the resistance to gain ground. People are starting to realize that the world is not right, that we shouldn’t be living in fear. Soon they will realize that Rupert Elder uses fear to keep his people docile, to keep them paying him their tax dollars and giving him their labor. You are not responsible for war, you’re responsible for revolution,” Gamma clarifies.
“It’s too much. Too much to hold on my shoulders. I didn’t ask for this,” I say.
“But you want change. You believed in it before so many others. You’re a natural leader, Miss Madden. People trust you. They look up to you. We needed someone like you.”
I look up at the two of them, and the hope in their faces make me stronger. Even through my despair, I can’t give up.
“I need to tell you something. Something I found on the hard drives Sandy has,” I begin. “I think I’ve found evidence that Roger Elder created Harpies during his lab experiments, and that they escaped.”
Neither of them look surprised. Myra looks guilty, like she’s carrying the shame of her ancestor.
“You knew?”
“It’s all much more complicated than that, but yes, I have always known. That knowledge is passed through our family. When… my husband found out, he began researching, and ultimately sought out a rogue Harpy tribe. He believed we could bond together to take down the Corporation…” Myra trails off, her face blanching. She doesn’t need to say more. We all know what Rupert does to those who move against him.
“So what does this mean for us? I mean, we created our own enemy. I didn’t even know about the battle until I saw it for myself. How are we going to keep fighting those… things?” My foot wiggles as I say this, my mouth grimacing at the thought of those soldiers.
“Maybe you should rest before we go into battle plans—”
“Myra, grow up. Piper’s a Hunter. She deserves to be a part of this from the get-go,” Gamma interrupts. She leans forward as she faces me.
“Right now we’re fighting and recruiting. Grier is Commander, and she has been doing a great job keeping our team strong. She has been teaching the Temple fighting technique, along with some moves I suspect she learned from you. She has become hard, but a Commander needs to be.
“Sandy and Dodge have been heading up research and development. Dodge recruits Harpies, and Sandy has been dispersing the vaccine against Hunter blood. It isn’t perfect. It wear off over time, but it’s keeping our Harpies alive.
“Shelley’s in charge of propaganda and armor. She has created a number of campaigns exposing the Corp’s ways to the cities. We haven’t brought out the big guns, yet. It’s not time.
“As for the soldiers, well, they’re basically drones. They’re mindless, attuned only for fighting. They’re strong, and have regenerative powers, but we’ve been slowly beating them down. There cannot be an unlimited supply.”
It’s overwhelming all that has happened while I’ve been gone. But I’m also filled with so much pride. Grier is finally in her element. Shelley is using her talents in such an amazing way. But there is still one thing.
“So where do I fit in?”
Myra and Gamma glance at each other.
“We need you to find Asher,” Gamma says finally. Thump.
“What do you mean, find Asher?”
Myra sighs. “After you were taken away, we managed to get Asher out of Ehvelar, but he grew increasingly sick. I’m still not sure what my brother’s plan was in just separating you two, but he must have something still up his sleeve.
“Asher began experiencing… side effects from what his father did to him. He started shifting between being ill and… well, we don’t know. He took off a few weeks ago, and no one has seen him since.”
Her words hit me like a sack of bricks. I knew that eventually Asher would be affected by the immense power sealed within his scar, but I never imagined it would kick in so soon.
I thought we had more time.
“I’ve seen him. I know he’s out there,” I say. But I have no idea where he is now.
“Okay. Whatever you need, just let us know. Our people are at your disposal,” Myra says. I nod. It’s time for me to get back into action.
“And Piper,” Gamma calls as I get up to leave, “We’re really glad to have you back, Kid.”
“It’s so colorful,” Essa whispers into my ear. Even I’m overcome by the sight before us. Hidden in a tiny safe-building, our only view of the Harpy City in front of us is through a mostly shuttered window. Even still, it’s jaw-dropping.
Banners of every shape and color wave through the streets, and the buildings—old and pre-war houses—have been painted bright reds and blues. The Harpies are even more colorful. Their wings are gray, tawny, red, blond, and their outfits are loose and bright. Beads and braids stem from their hair, and most of them carry content smiles on their faces.
Without the wings, this could be paradise.
“We need to keep quiet,” David warns. He and Rassler sit in the small parlour, playing with a dusty set of cards. The plan is to wait until the end of the midday market rush, where fresh meat is sold every few days. Our informant has conveniently left his lodgings for the day, leaving the house to us.
Essa and I step away from the window. I’m not in the mood to argue right now. After the other night, David and I have had a silent war. I even went to Tor’s to hang out for the day, though every moment I thought of Asher, guilt swept through me.
I haven’t been honest with Tor at all lately. This mission has consumed me. I can still see the dejected look in Tor’s eyes when I left him this morning, like nothing was okay. Like somehow he knew.
“How long does this damn market last anyway?” Rassler mutters. He throws his cards on the table, spitting to his right as David reveals a stronger hand.
“Sundown,” I say, slinging myself over a dusty armchair. The soft pink light is already starting to shine in through the shutter cracks. Tension fills the room. None of us say it, but I know deep down we’re all hoping we make it out of this night alive.
“And then the feast begins,” David says.
One of the biggest feasts of the year. A night of blood and meat, of carnal desire. We all wear special gear to make us smell like Harpies, but I’m pretty sure the lack of wings and bloodlust will give us away in no time. That’s why it’s important that we do this quickly, in and out. The less attention we can draw while here, the better.
We wait for sundown. David and Rassler play cards, while Essa stretches her muscles. I just breathe. Soon enough the sky runs dark. It’s time.
; “We stick to the plan, no matter what. Piper and Essa, you capture the Harpies and tranq them. We’ll set up the rig and then when you bring them over, we spike them, administer the formula, and get the hell of out here,” David orders.
Before we leave the safehouse, he grabs my hand and pulls me into an embrace.
“Don’t die on me, Pie. You’re all I’ve got,” he whispers. I squeeze him tightly, hoping upon hoping this won’t be the last time.
Essa and I leave first. We figured it would be easiest to nab solitary females, hopefully some that didn’t partake in the feat and remained on the outskirts of town. According to our moles, there’s a Red Light district not far from the safehouse. This is our best bet.
We jog through the back streets, trying to stay in the shadows. I never thought before that dressing in black would make me look more conspicuous, but among all of this color, we stand out like two black sore thumbs.
We hide behind a corner as we reach the district. Sure enough, there are two females standing outside, chatting. No one watches over them, but then again, female Harpies are just a strong as males.
The street is too big for my liking. Anyone could walk by at any minute.
“How should we proceed?” I wonder aloud, but Essa beats me to it. She fires two silent shots filled with an extremely potent tranquilizer, landing both shots right in the Harpies’ necks.
“That works,” I say. We lift them up before they’re noticed. Essa grins wickedly.
“This one’s cute,” she says, gesturing to the silver-winged Harpy in her arms. I roll my eyes.
“Stop being a perv. We need to get them out of here, now.”
She nods, but I catch her rubbing her thumb along the Harpy’s smooth skin. I guess there are pigs in every gender.
Dragging two dead-weights isn’t as easy as we’d planned. The Harpies are freaking heavy, and we need to stay beside each other so that if anyone comes along, they’ll see the wings, and hopefully ignore us.
When we reach our rendezvous point, David and Rassler are nowhere to be seen. Essa glances at me, a hunt of fear in her eyes.
“They should have been here by now,” she whispers. She’s right. Where the hell are they?
“Looking for these?”
I whirl around, dropping my Harpy in the process. In front of us, our “informant” has David and Rassler bound and gagged. I gasp. David tries to signal me with his eyes to leave, but I can’t. I can’t just abandon him.
“What the hell is going on?” Essa asks.
The informant, a slim Harpy with mousy wings, just laughs.
“Did you really think I’d betray my own kind for the Corp? Are you all really that stupid?”
“You’ve been with us for ten years. You’ve led us to kill hundreds of your kind. Why the sudden change of heart?” I growl. This guy isn’t smart enough to be a double agent. My bet is that he’s trying to get back in, and what better way to show his allegiance than bringing in some Ace Hunters?
“Your government thinks they control the minds of its people. But a revolution is happening. Once Gabriel takes the throne, none of you will stand a chance.”
I signal Essa behind my back, then lunge toward the Harpy. He comes back at me, set on a collision course before a tranq dart lodges in his neck. He goes down in seconds.
I give Essa a thumbs-up and then rush to David, slicing off the ropes keeping him bound. As soon as his gag is removed he leans close to me.
“He’s got reinforcements coming in. We need to get out of here,” he whispers harshly. I glance at Rassler and at Essa. There’s no time for the mission. We need to escape.
We run together down the street toward the safehouse. Shit.
“We can’t get out the way we came in. That place will be crawling. We need to hit a gate.”
But where can we find one not covered by Harpy soliders?
Our direction is decided as a group of armored Harpies fly up on our right. We dodge left into a thinner alley, one they’ll have to fly above or chase us on foot.
But they’ll be waiting for us on the other side. I look around as I run, and spot an old fire escape.
“Let’s hit the roof. If we need to fight, we fight, and then we spot our exit up top.”
I make my way up the ladder first, ignoring its rickety wail. Rassler fires some bullets below. The Harpies decided to proceed on foot, then. I keep climbing. Rassler will hold us off for now.
Reaching the top of the building, I look down the ladder. David is a few steps below me. I reach my hand out for him, but then the ladder wails, the rust crackling.
“Grab my hand! It’s going to fall!” I shout, but it’s too late. David’s hands reach for me as the ladder breaks off and free-falls to the other side of the alley. David lands with a sickening thud. I try not to scream. I can’t get down from here, not without the risk of dying.
Essa reaches David’s body, and by some miracle, he gets up slowly, dusting himself off.
“Go, Pie!” he shouts at me. I really have no other choice. Harpies are swirling through the air, ready to attack. I spin around, and run into a hard body. His hands hold my torso steady. His touch is so familiar.
“Asher?” I whisper as I look up at his determined face. He quickly slices his hand with a talon and rubs his blood over my collarbone.
“This means you belong to me. Hold on tight. I need to get you out of here.”
“What?” I stammer, but I have no time to repeat. Asher grips me hard and jumps from the building, his strong wings lifting us high over the city.
“What about David and the others?” I ask, breathless. The air is frigid on my skin.
“They’ll be safe. I have people on it,” Asher says. And I believe him. I trust him. I’m safe, and so are my team. For now, at least.
I let myself look over the city. It’s breathtaking. Buildings exist on top of buildings, and Harpies that aren’t a part of the mob in the center of town fly from one crow’s next to the next. Adrenaline keeps my heart pumping. This doesn’t even feel real.
“Where are you taking me?”
Asher looks down at me, his smile a little more gleeful than it should be, given the situation.
“I’m hiding you out in the palace, of course. Welcome to Ehvelar.”
12
Once night falls, I slip away from my bunk. Thankfully the guards let me out of the cave without any questions. I’ve never felt so useless. Everything is under control. Without me. My friends are really making it work, but there isn’t a place for me. Except to find him.
I wander through lands of petrified trees, trying to ignore the smells of fire burning and death-rot not so far away from me. The moon shines bright, leading my path. My feet take me to where I need to be.
He’s waiting for me, sitting on a massive rock. His hair has grown longer, and his wings nearly shimmer in the moonlight. When he sees me, he smiles, but it isn’t real.
“Ash,” I whisper. I want to run to him, to feel his touch, just to be in his arms. I want him to tell me everything’s okay, even if it’s not. He motions for me to join him. I sit between his legs and he wraps his arms around me, clasping my hands and burrowing his face in my hair.
“You smell like home.”
His skin is freezing cold, and paler than it should be. He’s sick, I know, but I didn’t expect it to show on him. I didn’t expect it to start rotting me to my core.
“Cab we just stay like this for a while?” I ask. All I want is this, for as long as I can have it. He clutches me tighter as we look up at the stars.
“You know, when I found you in Central, I was so afraid they’d gotten to you, brainwashed you. I was terrified you wouldn’t remember me again. But then you looked at me that way that you do, and I felt so stupid for doubting you,” he says. His breath against my ear feels so good. I turn myself around so that I’m facing him.
“I told you I would never forget you again.” It was my personal vow. “Just knowing you were out there kept me s
ane. You save my life every day.”
A sad smile tickles the corners of his lips.
“That makes me so happy, Red. There were so many times I just wanted to storm in and bust you out of there to be with me. I wish we had more time,” he says.
“What do you mean?” Just pretend. Just pretend it’s going to be okay.
“Eventually you know what’s going to happen,” he says.
“But not now.”
I push myself forward, pressing my lips into his. Just his smell drives me wild. He pushes back, wrapping a hand around my neck, pulling me overtop him.
He moves his lips to my neck, to my collarbone, down the hem of my shirt. A sigh escapes me as I run my fingers through his hair. I feel him harden beneath me.
He returns his lips to mine, hungry for me. I press my hands over his strong chest, gripping his shirt, biting his lip.
His hands slide up my shirt, pulling it over my head impatiently. The cold breeze hardens my nipples, and he leans forward, using his teeth and tongue to play with the barbells I have there. My body screams for him as he growls softly.
I reach my hand to the hemline of his pants, unbuttoning the front and dipping my hand below. He bites hard on my nipple as I take hold of him, wrapping my fingers around him.
“I fucking love you so much,” he whispers. I’m about to wrestle his shirt off when he suddenly recoils. He backs away from me, sweat pouring from him. His eyes have turned pitch black, and his wings tremble.
“Shit. Ash. What’s wrong?” I hastily slip my shirt back on, horrified as he holds his head in his hands. His skin is literally crawling, like something is about to burst from his veins. Thick, metallic feathers burst from his shoulders, and his teeth grow long and sharp as his hands morph into talons on steroids.
It has begun. The ultimate goal of H000, Asher’s father.
“Come back to me,” I say soothingly. I reach for his hands, cautiously holding their monstrous form in my suddenly miniature fingers. “Don’t let it beat you, Ash. You’re stronger than this.”
He looks up at me, his noir eyes menacing, but as I rub my thumb along his hands, his breathing slows, his hands slowly return to normal, and he’s left panting heavily, head hanging low.
Wasteland (Flight) Page 11