“I’m sorry. So sorry,” he grunts. I take his head in my arms and push him to lie on my lap, where I can stroke his hair and wipe away any sweat and blood.
“How long has this been happening?” I ask. His wounds heal in front of my eyes, faster than ever.
“About a month. It’s getting harder to control. I remember… I remember this happening to my dad. He would lock himself in his study until the fit left him,” he replies.
We don’t talk about the obvious question. How long before Asher can’t fight it off anymore?
“I’m going to find a way to save you,” I say, determined. “There has to be a way.”
Asher lurches up, his body completely healed. “What if there isn’t a way? We’ve been searching and searching. The only way to get rid of it is to transfer the power.”
“Then let’s do that,” I urge. “We need to do whatever it takes. I’m not going to let this beat you.”
Asher looks away from me. “It isn’t that easy. It can only be transferred to my first-born son, which will never be born, and even if we could transfer it, I think it’s too late. This is the final stage. My father made sure it would be me to have it. He wanted me to be the most powerful Harpy, even if it means war and death to everything else.”
How do we even move on from this? I bite back tears. I’m not going to let him go.
“I’m going to save you.”
“No you’re not!” he snaps. The pure volume of his shout nearly knocks the wind out of me. “Look at me, Piper. My normal body is wasting away. I can’t control this. You can’t control this. I am death. Once this takes over me, there will be no survivors. That’s it. That’s the truth. You need to accept it.”
“But I won’t.” My voice is tiny, just like a mouse. I reach out to him and he tenses, though he lets me stroke his skin, run my fingers across the scar on his back.
“We’re going to get through this,” I lie.
“Oh, I wish. You don’t know how much I wish for you, with all of your beauty and complexities. I want that forever. I want you forever. Just know that.”
He grabs my hands, holding them in between our bodies. Tears stream down my face even though nothing has been said.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because I have to. It’s not fair to you or anyone else. We need to say goodbye,” he whispers. I can feel my entire body shaking.
“You told me there were no goodbyes between us,” I murmur. He clenches my hands harder. Please don’t let go.
“I’ll always be with you. Right there,” he says, placing his hand on my chest, next to my heart.
“That’s not good enough,” I sputter. The moonlight glints off his own tears. Just don’t let me go.
“Red, you know I don’t want to do this. It’s the last thing in the world I want to do. If life were grand then we could run away and live by the sea and hold each other forever and that would be pure, perfect happiness. But this world is cruel. The war is only getting worse, and I need you alive. Without you alive there is nothing anymore,” he says.
He draws me close, kissing me softly, deeply, and sadly. His tears mix with mine.
“I can’t do this,” I plead, lips just inches from his. He turns up my chin with his finger.
“You’re the toughest person I’ve ever met. I love you. I love you with everything I’ve got.”
“I love you,” I whisper. He kisses me again, then spreads his wings.
“If I don’t leave now, I never will. Don’t come looking for me. I’ll always have you here,” he says, holding his own heart. And then he’s gone.
I curl into a ball, trying to hold on to the touch of his lips, knowing I’ll never look at the stars the same way again.
Twinkling chimes caress me awake. My body has sunk into a luxurious feather bed, and the shiny wooden walls around me are covered with wood carvings and painted murals. Feathers and metal wind chimes hand by the open window.
Asher sits there, straddling the opening, looking out on to the city. Shit. I bolt upright, remembering yesterday. I’m still in the freaking Harpy palace.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t freak out,” Asher says as he rushes to me. “You’re safe.”
Right. I’m totally safe surrounded by thousands of Harpies. I let myself sink back into the bed, where I can hard. Then I realize this is Asher’s bed, and this pillow is his pillow.
“What about the other?” I ask, adjusting my thoughts. Asher sits on the bed next to me.
“They’re back in Central, safe and sound.”
“So why am I here?” Did you kidnap me?” I ask. He scrunches his eyes and then launches into a hearty chuckle. I try to ignore the fact that he’s topless and his tight muscles gleam in the sunlight.
“No. I want to show you some things, things about the Corp, and about me. But first, I want you to relax, and have some breakfast. What do you like?” he asks.
I stare at him. “Anything not Human.”
He rolls his eyes playfully, then lightly steps to another section of the room cordoned off by cabinets, revealing his serpentine scar. “I’ve got some fruit I found down south, some cabbage, and water,” he announces.
“Fruit is good,” I reply. He bounces back with an armful of tiny oranges. He looks so proud of himself, I can’t help but smile. I take one, peel back the skin, and take a bite. It is beyond delicious. Better than lab-grown fruit by a mile.
“So this is your room?” I ask between mouthfuls.
“Since I was little. I don’t think I’ve ever had a real girl in here before.”
“What do you mean, real girl?”
He inches closer to me. “I mean a girl without wings and sharp teeth,” he clarifies. I let my hand wander up his arm, feeling the hardness of his muscles. I wonder how many Harpies he’s had up here. The Prince must be quite the celebrity around here.
“Thank you for saving me,” I say.
“Don’t mention it,” he replies.
I take my arm back to my side. Tor pops into my mind. I’ve been so far gone I’ve barely thought of him. It makes me sad, drilling a hole through my gut.
“What’s wrong?” Asher asks. I laugh to myself.
“What isn’t wrong? Being here with you, lying to everyone, even him,” I say. He bristles at the word.
“Your lover?”
“My boyfriend,” I clarify. I can’t help but wonder, is Asher my lover now?
“But you love him?” Asher looks at me, and in his eyes I know I’m the only person in the world. Nothing is awkward, nothing is forced. I feel equal. I feel excited like I’ve never been before, like Shelley looks when she’s about to go on a date.
“I don’t know. I thought I did, but everything is different now. I don’t even know how I could go back to him. All my life I thought we’d end up together, be this super couple of Ace Hunters, but I couldn’t even move in with him when he asked me to…” I trail off. My feelings for Tor seem eons away. “Can love just shut off, just like that?” I snap my fingers.
Asher lies next to me, looking up at the wood-beam ceiling. “Not real love. Real love is agonizing and cruel, beautiful and destructive. Real love never leaves you,” he says.
“Have you ever been in love?”
“Not real love. Not yet,” he says. The words trickle from his mouth and float above us, waiting for us to reach out and grab them.
“What is it like? For Harpies, I mean,” I say, breaking from my thoughts.
“Complicated, but simple at the same time. Once you meet your mate, then that’s it. You belong to one another. No one else exists anymore, at least not in that way. I was betrothed once, but we weren’t meant for each other. There was no spark, nothing. Both of us decided it wasn’t right to live without love.”
If only it were that simple.
“I don’t know what to do,” I say finally.
“Just follow your heart. Deep down, the answer you’re looking for is already there.”
The answer. I
already know the answer, but I don’t know if I’m ready to accept it. To accept that means to truly give my life away to all of this madness. But maybe that’s exactly what I need.
“Come on, I want to show you around,” Asher says, rolling off the bed. I laugh.
“You’re going to kill me, you know that?”
“Don’t worry about it. You’re marked, remember? You belong to me now.”
I tumble out of the bed, letting those words sink in. And it doesn’t feel wrong, not even in the slightest.
Outside the bedroom is a large waiting room. A Harpy sitting on a couch made of bent twigs jumps up as the door opens. Then I recognize him: the cocky blond Harpy, the one I let get away. Dodge.
“Pleasure to see you again, Piper Madden. Strange to see you in these parts,” he intones, grin on his face.
“Stranger for me, trust me,” I say. Asher turns to me.
“Dodge is going to show you around. Pretend you’re a Human. You don’t smell like a Hunter, so you should be okay. Just don’t kill anyone,” he says.
I don’t know how I feel about being left alone with Dodge, but I don’t have much of a choice. Asher sprints toward a wide window and takes off into the sky. I stand awkwardly, not sure what to say or do. Dodge cocks his head.
“Well, come on, then. There’s lots to see.” He holds out his arm for mine.
The palace is a maze of halls and towers, all designed for flight. There are few Harpies here, and those we pass don’t seem to notice me at all. Dodge and I laugh and joke, and it doesn’t take me long to feel comfortable with him. He’s naturally charming and confidant.
He stops me before a massive set of double doors, intricately carved and gleaming.
“Where do these lead?” I ask.
Dodge lowers his voice. “The Empress’s wing. She would very much like to meet you.”
I can feel my skin paling. This has all been a trap. They’ve brought me here for the Empress to make a warning from me.
“Don’t worry. You won’t be hurt. Asher has claimed you. We may be Harpies, but we aren’t as barbaric as your government makes us out to be. Now, I can’t go in with you, but you don’t need to be afraid.”
“Great pep talk,” I mutter, but I’m already this deep in this mad fantasy, I may as well go through with it.
Dodge pulls a long tassel, and servants open the door. They beckon me to sit down and wait. The doors close, locking me in.
The first thing I hear is loud howling and wailing, like someone is being tortured, then a commanding voice,
“Darcy stop behaving like an animal. You’re in the Royal Family after all. I don’t care a thing about this ‘Wilding’ of yours. I raised you better.”
So it’s the daughter, Darcy, who has returned. I wonder what they’ve done with her, if they’ve chained her down or worse. She growls in return to her mother.
“You’re just weak, Mother. You’ve lost your true self. You’re no more a Harpy than Asher, with his feelings,” Darcy spits. A loud slap echoes, followed by a loud thump, like the girl has been slammed against the wall.
“Don’t you dare speak to me that way, you ungrateful fool. You’re on lockdown,” the Empress snarls. The door to the room slams and locks, and quick footsteps sound closer and closer to me.
I’m awed when I see her. Tall and lean, Asher’s mother demands respect just by her presence. Her skin is pale and her lips are blood-red. Her wings are the same shining ebony as her son’s. She stands in the doorway to the parlour, eyeing me curiously.
“So, you’re the traitor?” Her lips are smiling, but her eyes are daggers.
“If what I’ve done makes me a traitor, then I guess I am,” I reply, matching her gaze.
“My son has told me all about you.” She walks about the room as if to display herself at every angle. “I don’t know whether to think you courageous, or incredibly foolish. You see, you aren’t the first Hunter we’ve had within our midst, but you are certainly the first Hunter to fall in love with a Harpy, especially being that he is my son.”
“Love?” I stutter, my mouth hanging open, heart pounding. She grins at me slyly, her sharp teeth shining.
“You people are blind, aren’t you? You can’t see what is in front of your own eyes. But I will warn you about Asher.” Her expression sours. “He is not normal. He’s a special young man, destined for greatness. A greatness that cannot possibly include love. You do understand?”
“I’m not sure what you mean, your…” I falter, unsure of what to call her.
“Ciar. Call me Ciar.” She comes close to me, something else flickering in her eyes. Urgency?
“I want you to know that I am sympathetic with Asher’s motives. I truly admire my son for his bravery, and I too would enjoy less murder and war. However, in my position, I cannot show this. There are other forces at play. I’m sure you heard my daughter Darcy moments ago. She and my other son, Gabriel, believe in a different world. A Harpy’s world. I abhor their basic, animalistic motives, but it is not yet time. You must return to your Underground and you would do best to forget about my son.”
She reaches out to me, gliding her fingers through a strand of my hair. “I see what he sees in you. You are strong and brave, even if you are not incredibly beautiful. Those are admirable qualities in our eyes. Don’t lose that fire, even when times may be hard.”
She steps away from me then, the cold hardness returning to her face. “Dodge, you may escort Piper away now,” she calls.
The huge double doors swing open, and the guards lead me back to Dodge’s arm.
“Never forget what I’ve said,” Ciar calls.
The doors slam shut.
13
Everything feels empty to me when I return to the base. I’ve always know this time would come, but I never really accepted it, that eventually Asher and I would be apart forever.
It’s morning now, and the base is buzzing. I notice Shelley and Dodge sitting together at a makeshift rock table, food served. I’m starving.
I watch them as I approach. Shelley looks at Dodge like he’s everything in her life right now, but this time it’s different from the others she has fallen for. This time her eyes aren’t shining stars and her lips don’t spill girlish giggles. Instead her mouth sits in a contented smile.
One relationship ends as another blossoms. I swallow any bitterness. She has finally found what she’s been looking for. Dodge’s eyes light up when he sees me.
“So, she returns. We were all a bit worried.”
I scooch in beside Shelley, laying my head on her shoulder.
“Where did you go?” Shelley asks.
“I saw Ash,” I whisper. Dodge’s eyes widen.
“Is he okay?” His tone is low, serious.
“He’s gone.”
Shelley pushes me off of her, eyes lined with concern. “What do you mean?” she explains. I shush her, not wanting to attract any attention.
“He’s leaving. He can’t control himself anymore. I don’t know where he’s going, I just know that he’s gone.”
“And you just let him go?” Shelley says. Her tone is sharp, accusatory. My brows furrow.
“It isn’t like I can stop him. He’s sick, and dangerous.” Why am I even bothering making up excuses like this?
“It’s just not like you,” Shelley elaborates. Thankfully Dodge butts in before I can retort.
“I, for one, think what you’ve done is very brace. You’ve sacrificed the most important thing in your life for the safety of all. Shelley, my dove, can’t you see that? Piper hasn’t given up on him. This is what is meant to be.”
“I guess so. I just don’t want things to be this way. Babe, I don’t want you to be lost without him,” she says, addressing me.
“I’ll be fine,” I say. “I’m prepared for this, but I need to go think for a while.”
I can’t just sit here and talk like everything is okay or should be okay or will be okay. Inside my body is crawling, scratching, screa
ming. I snatch an apple from the breakfast tray.
“Where are you going?” Shelley asks.
“I’m going to the front lines. I’m going to help finish this war.”
Flame greets me as I march the long walk from the base to the camp. I giant pure has been built, burning the remains of the dead. Hunters. Soldiers. Lives lift through the black smoke. The cries of their families and their comrades hiss and scream. There is no hope for these souls. They gave up their lives for what they believed in.
And I have to make sure that belief isn’t in vain.
At the entrance to the barb-wire fenced-off camp, I’m halted only for a moment before the guard realizes who I am.
“How is everything?” I ask. Defeat fills the young man’s face, the sorrow of what he has seen scarring him.
“The waves haven’t stopped. We’d hoped the Empty would wane, but there seems to be an unlimited supply.”
“The Empty?”
“The soldiers from Elder Corp. They are alive only in body. No soul lies within them,” he says.
Rupert’s dream has come true, then. He now has the perfect army to defend his little Empire, killing Harpies to keep people afraid of anything beyond the paradise he has built for them. But how has he amassed so many? What powers them?
“Who is your leader?” I ask. The boy nods his head and gestures toward a clump of soldiers huddled around each other.
“Captain Fife,” he declares. I pay his shoulder as I pass him. My heart aches for this kid. He’s been exposed to horrors his mind could never have been ready for.
“We’re going to end all of this,” I say. The barest glimpse of a hopeful smile escapes over his lips, and a sense of pride and determination fill me. I know this was the right decision.
I step through the camp, weaving around tents and med stations, junk piles and food stashes. When I reach the huddle of soldiers, they don’t notice my presence.
A man stands in the middle, covered in a muted armor, making his form barely noticeable from his surroundings. His long dark hair hangs in curls around his face, and his mouth is surrounded by a stiff stubble. He paces among his soldiers. They stand, completely devoted to him.
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