Airborne

by Constance Sharper

  “Oh.” Avery frowned. Her mind wasn’t functioning properly and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She knew Mason had found out something but that something kept slipping away. She grasped at the memories, straining to think properly. Mikhail wanted to know and she wanted to tell him.

  “Come on.” Mikhail reached out and brushed her cheek-- the contact threatening to make Avery’s knees buckle from under her. Blood pounding in her ears, she opened her mouth.

  “Avery, stop!”

  Mason’s voice suddenly tore through her daze. Snapping from the stupor, Avery found herself on the building top again, wet and in pain. Her eyes connected with Mikhail’s but this time they didn’t look inviting, just horrifying. Mikhail’s expression changed rapidly. Going from amused to infuriated, he tightened his grip on the blade.

  “Leela.” He ordered and Avery’s friend became alert again. “Did you overhear them? What were they saying?”

  “Leela, don’t say anything!”Avery couldn’t finish. Mikhail wacked her hard enough that she saw stars.

  Leela blinked as if she was having trouble comprehending, and she was probably going through the same struggle Avery had. As so, Avery was convinced she could snap her friend out of it.

  “They said something.” Leela admitted quietly. “I heard them say something.”

  “Leela, please! You’re being bespelled. Shut up!” Avery yelled.

  Leela didn’t answer. Her brown eyes fixated on Mikhail, it seemed the rest of her world had completely drained away.

  “Mason!” Avery screamed, frantic to stop this. She cast a hurried glance sideways but Mason and Eva were nowhere to be seen. She was on her own. Avery tried to wrestle her way to her feet but Mikhail held her firm. Leela kept talking.

  “Mason was upset. He said that Avery had to die. If she died then the magic would jump to the nearest organic life form. It’s the same way she got the magic inside her body when the amulet broke.”

  Mikhail eyes shot open and his face flashed with some incomprehensive emotion.

  “Eva.” He ordered into the sky. “Come here.”

  Avery crawled to her feet just as the female harpie swooped back toward the building top. Mason was still nowhere to be seen and Avery’s panic grew. Eva crossed the roof and grabbed hold of Avery again. Immobilized, Avery couldn’t escape when Mikhail idly drew his talon across her cheek.

  “So this magic can be absorbed into another person? This means once you die, whoever is closest will get the magic. And they can use that magic as an invaluable weapon.” Mikhail surmised.

  “It’s not that easy.” Avery protested.

  “Because you don’t know how to use it. But if you die, and I inherit the magic-- I will use it well. I will be unstoppable. So that all leads us back to you dying for me.”

  “You’re insane!” She gasped but he grabbed her chin and forced her head still. Bringing his eyes up to meet his, he stopped smiling. He spoke to Eva.

  “Eva be a dear and let her go.”

  Eva opened her mouth to protest but Mikhail silenced her with a shake of his head.

  “I’m not afraid of this girl.”

  His hand moved quickly, launching back and then forward to give Avery a sharp slap. The strike jarred her but also made her fight harder. Mikhail struck her again but this time he slammed his knee into her jaw. Avery’s bones rattled and her vision splotched with blackness. Mikhail struck her and Avery’s entire world threatened to go dark. The back of her head smacked the brick and she found herself staring at the chaotic blue strips of sky above.

  Her thoughts didn’t work right. Where was Mason? Her mind kept repeating the single idea. He should have been here to help her by now. Feeling more than mildly delirious now, she looked back toward Mikhail. His figure, blurry around the edges, had two fellow duplicates at the sides of her vision.

  Advancing on her, Mikhail ordered Eva to back up with a sharp bark. Holding something shiny and thin in his hands, he leaned down before her. Avery’s mind urged her to move before Mikhail could use the knife, but every inch of her body only quivered from the attempt. In the visual distortion, something shining and orange caught her eye. Drawn to it, a last wave of adrenaline ripped through her veins. Avery used it. Darting up, she caught the orange amulet between her fingers and tore it free. The chain snapped before Mikhail could even let out a screech of rage. Holding it tight, she caught his eyes.

  “Stop.” She ordered in a firm but breathy voice.

  He didn’t advance again.

  “Stop it now. Drop the knife.” She said again, feeling empowered. The allure amulet heated in her palm and she clenched it until the glass bit into her skin. Mikhail obeyed on cue and the knife skidded on the floor.

  “Back up.” She struggled to hold his eyes now and forced her aching muscles to stand. She staggered but stayed up right. Mikhail backed up in slow, stiff movements.

  “Now don’t move until I tell you.” Blood turning to ice water, she desperately watched it work.

  She concentrated on the harpie so much, she barely heard Eva’s growl of outrage behind her. The female harpie sprung and before Avery could whirl around, they both crashed into the ground. The orange allure amulet went sliding away.

  On her belly, Avery couldn’t struggle. She tried to summon the humming in her blood but Eva shoved her face against the brick. Eva’s weight suddenly lifted from her back. In a flash of moving feathers, Mason had yanked her free. Avery staggered to her feet. The two siblings danced around each other with quick swipes and lashes. Avery backpedaled to avoid the fray when she spotted Leela in the corner. The small girl, wrapped in her own arms, shook. Slipping through the multiple frays, Avery darted to her side.

  The police had brought in reinforcements by now. Reminiscent of the thunderous flapping on Hatcher Pass, they began the assault to retake the island. The police pounced on the immobilized Mikhail. Only when the mass of bodies collided with the floor did Mikhail snap out of his trance and let out an ear splitting screech.

  Eva turned her attention to distracting them and Mason took the opportunity. Quickly returning to Avery, Mason lifted her backwards with one arm around her waist. The roof swarmed with harpies. Reaching out, Avery snatched her Leela’s hand when Mason forcefully lifted them off the ground.

  Then it happened.

  One of the Band members sideswiped Mason to join the frenzy and another came swooping in for them. Mason dodged backwards sending them both over the side of the building. Avery held onto Leela’s hand, but with the sudden jerk she lost her grip. Then Avery held nothing but air.

  Mason flew upward just as the roof began swarming with police. Leela still stood on the edge of the building, growing smaller in the increasing distance.

  “Mason! Turn around! Turn around!” Avery hollered over the deafening wind.

  Mason didn’t turn though and his wings pounded to propel them forward. Just when they touched the first layer of clouds, Leela’s form finally disappeared in the swimming mass of bodies.

  “Mason, turn around now!” Avery kept screaming.

  The sight of the island was fading into a blur of black and blue. The night had finally come and darkness covered the area in shrouds. Avery fought to see clearly.

  “We have to go back, we can’t leave her there!”

  Knowing he wasn’t listening, this time she turned to thrash at him. Desperation coiled a knot in her chest and she kicked at him. His grip seemed unbreakable. He kept flying until the island disappeared in the distance. If he said something, it got lost underneath Avery’s cries.

  Twenty-three

  His choppy flight finally descended in a downward shift. The shore approached rapidly and he barely slowed enough to land. Avery slipped away from him upon landing and tumbled into the dirt. Gasping and spitting, she rolled and sprung upward. Mason had fallen in a spiral of feathers nearby. He stood and straightened his feathers before he unraveled a coat that had been tucked behind his neck. He had clearly prepared for hu
man life and hadn’t forgotten his disguise. Mason then stood to meet her as Avery charged across the beach. Seeing her coming, he intercepted her before she could smack him.

  “What did you do?” She screamed and attempted to swing at him again. With practice, Mason caught her wrists and pinned them together with his long fingers. She wrestled and thrashed. She threw a kick at his knee cap but Mason just lifted her off her feet. Dangling, she flopped in the air.

  “Put me down! I can’t believe you!” She was ready to hit him again if she could just get a shot.

  “Avery, stop it. We had to get away.”

  Frustrated with how calm his voice came out, she swore loudly.

  “Let me go!” She shouted.

  This time he seemed to consider it. Mason finally set her down on her feet, but Avery didn’t go down quietly. She tore backwards but the sand threw her off balance. Landing on her backside on the rigid dirt, she crossed her arms. Hot tears streamed down her face and she blinked to clear her vision.

  “They’re going to kill her now.” She said. “How can you not care? She’s my best friend.”

  Her heart kept pounding uncomfortably in her chest and every inch of her skin burned from the salt water and sharp wind. The sickening watery feeling of fading adrenaline went ignored in favor of her glaring.

  Mason bravely crossed the sand to sit across from her in a tangle of long legs and awkwardly folded wings. She folded her arms tightly before he got the idea to touch or console her. It may not have been Mason’s fault but feeling helpless, she wasn’t done blaming him for his part in it.

  “If the police have won the fray, I have no doubt she’ll be fine.” He said, but must have lied through his teeth. There was a doubt. A very serious one. The police hadn’t exactly demonstrated much restraint when dealing with humans. Deeming them crazy thus far, Avery wouldn’t put them above committing another murder. He shook his head as if reading her thoughts.

  “Leela had nothing to do with this. Those who are compelled often have no memory. And having humans go missing right and left isn’t beneficial to anyone. It’s not Leela you have to worry about. It’s you. You’re the one with the million dollar head on your shoulders.”

  Sniffling, she wiped madly at the dampness on her cheeks. She didn’t answer at first, taking a long look down the shoreline while she regained composure. The beach they’d landed had to be on the California coast but this section of it wasn’t fit for tourists. The sand felt more like mud and the waves ravaged the rocky coastline. The wind made the area freezing and no road made for difficult access.

  They had some time to spare but they hadn’t flown far. Even if they’d reached the California coast, Avery knew that wasn’t far enough. They’d have to keep moving but she wasn’t sure she was okay with the idea of moving farther away from Leela. During her musing, Mason reached out and brushed her knuckles. She reluctantly relaxed her fist and he took her hand and drew it into his own. The gentle touch did little to reassure her. Avery just felt guilty now.

  “I took Mikhail’s amulet from him and then dropped it somewhere. Will that break Leela’s spell? And if it does, will she remember everything then?”

  Avery naturally began to think about the details. Mason had a point. Leela had nothing to do with this situation. Still, if she snapped back to normalcy and began to freak out about harpies, would she be deemed as a problem? Mason had once said that harpies didn’t particularly hide their identities. So if Leela knew about their existence, that shouldn’t be an automatic death sentence. Right? Avery wasn’t sure. The harpie government didn’t seem evil but they did seem to deal with problems harshly.

  Mason finally answered her question, squeezing her hand.

  “Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine.” He said and then explained why. “Mikhail’s allure amulet doesn’t have to be in contact to work. It can leave a lasting impression. That’s how he made Leela walk into the prison. But some people aren’t really susceptible to the magic. They can fight it or make the magic wear off quicker. I don’t think Leela is one of those people.”

  “I am though, aren’t I?” Avery pictured Mikhail on the rooftop. He’d used the amulet on her too. It worked at first and she remembered being so intent on pleasing him. Then Mason called her name and she broke free from the allure amulet’s power entirely.

  “You scare me sometimes, Avery.” Mason said, catching her off guard. “I know that people can break free from being compelled if they are not being directly commanded. But unlike Leela, Mikhail was right in your face. He was even touching you-- ordering you with all his strength. No one breaks free from that kind of magic. No one.”

  Disconcerted, Avery didn’t know how to take that statement.

  “I’m not special. He’s gotten to me before. And I wouldn’t have broken free if not...” She stopped herself before amending her sentence. “I wouldn’t have broken free if not for help.”

  That didn’t make sense either. They’d followed Leela straight out of the prison and screamed at her to snap out of it every step of the way. Mason’s face revealed that he thought the same thing. Avery moved onto a new tactic.

  “It’s the Willow magic then. That’s the only thing that makes me different.”

  “Most likely. But if the magic is that strong and that dangerous, Mikhail won’t stop until he gets it and that is not good news for us.”

  A strong wind whipped down the beach and growing cold, Avery took her hand back from Mason and wrapped her arms around herself. She cast another hesitant glance up in the air. Cloud coverage blocked most of the sky from view but the sky otherwise remained desolate and calm. No harpies in sight.

  “Do you think he was caught and arrested? There were so many police.” Avery would have assumed that no one could escape the dog pile that Mikhail had been under but he’d shocked her a few times already. She wouldn’t put anything past him.

  Mason neglected to answer for a prolonged moment and instead took a long look down the empty shoreline.

  “Maybe. And even if they didn’t, he’ll be temporarily out of commission. That will give us some time.” He finally said.

  The idea didn’t comfort her. Mason must have thought that no prison could hold Mikhail. Time though, Avery repeated to herself, it gave them time.

  “So are we really running away?”

  “It’s about our only option now.”

  “Okay then,” She ignored the fatigue building up in her muscles and stood. “Lets hop to it. If we wait then they’ll catch up.”

  Despite her eagerness, Mason didn’t move immediately. His eyes flickered over her form.

  “We aren’t going anywhere until we clean you up.”

  For the first time, Avery realized she’d been bleeding steadily. She’d been smacked around enough by Mikhail to certainly warrant it but adrenaline had kept it off her mind. Tentatively touching her head, she found the soft spot and sticky blood met her fingertips.

  “Okay.” She agreed wearily.

  Mason busied himself with ripping the sleeves from his shirt and spreading out the white fabric for a make shift bandage. He leaned over to the ocean water and soaked some fabric in the salt water. Avery watched him idly. Some sense of calm finally setting in, she let her mind wind down. Mason had saved her life. And he hadn’t once chided her for being childish or stupid in the light of things.

  He came over and splotched her wound with the damp rag with his green eyes in deep focus. The salt water stung and she grimaced until he stopped.

  She opted to wrap the rag around herself, tying it once around her forehead. It looked more like a gang sign than first aid. Her windswept black hair hung over the white until the bandage’s striking appearance faded into the background.

  “How far do we have to run? How far until they can’t track the magic?” She didn’t forget how Mason had tracked her all the way to Alaska. Most people couldn’t even find Mayweather Academy with a map. Finding it accidently was just unprecedented. He frowned, face dark
ening with shadows.

  “I’m not sure. It wasn’t this bad when you first absorbed the magic. After my father died, it took me months of searching for the magical trace. And even then I only came across a clue after talking to humans who were there on the beach that night.” As he thought aloud, he drew figures in the sand. The first thing was a tiny stick figure wearing a see through triangle dress. “You were, for all intents, practically invisible... but since you’ve begun to use its power...”

  He drew lines around the stick figure like a child would draw a radiant sun. The stick figure shone with the lights around it. And even through the crude illustration, Avery understood. She was the misshapen stick figure and the radiance of magic kept drawing the harpies right to her.