Airborne (12 page)

Eva dragged her back, only stopping when they’d reached the two story wooden welcome lodge. The Pass was closed at winter and at night. It was the off season and the building was locked down. Even if Avery did escape, she wouldn’t be finding a phone or help inside.

“This is his fault. This is all Mason’s fault! I’ll tear him to pieces when I see him.” Eva raged, dropping Avery straight back onto the concrete. Eva turned away and glanced to the distant snowcapped mountains. It didn’t take a genius to imagine that was the path to the shallow valley in which Avery and Mason had crashed.

“Don’t hurt your brother too,” Avery pushed herself up to sit. Her body ached down to her bones and yet the thought of Mason brought her straight back to reality. “You slaughtered your own father for an amulet and now you’d kill Mason because he wanted to save his father’s legacy.”

Avery didn’t bring up exactly how she knew that. The dream from a few days ago still lingered in her mind, and it had been so real, Avery would have attested to being there. She was there. Almost there. Avery was off the side of the California coast the night a good harpie was murdered.

Eva’s suddenly whirled to face her. Dirt exploded upward from the gusty motion. When the cloud had thinned, Eva face had twisted into something ugly. Her entire stature had changed into something tense-- into something dangerous.

“How dare he blame this all on me?” Eva growled and advanced to tower above Avery. Fists clenched until her own claws drew blood, Eva shook with a new seething rage. “Mason had more part in this than anyone. Mason is the only reason it could happen. Mason is the reason my father is dead.”

Though on the ground, Avery instinctively leaned back to put an inch more of distance between them. Mind spinning, she shook her head out of habit.

“What? What are you talking about?” Avery then prompted.

Eva paced away, putting clear distance between them as if her twitching hand was at risk of lashing out at any moment. She strode to the end of the clearing and turned on Avery with slanted eyes.

“Mason called Jericho out that night knowing it’d be an ambush, and he set his own father up. The Band offered him a trade-- he’d help us get the amulet from Jericho for our help in return. You’ve met that little girlfriend of his? Well she was engaged to be married to somebody else and Mason wanted the guy gone. Mason wanted us to kill him.” She explained slowly. “But when Adalyn’s fiancé showed up dead, the police followed the blood trail straight to Mason. They exiled him, and the only reason Mason isn’t imprisoned is because they can’t prove it. Then Mason got nervous and decided to hide the amulet from us. His foolishness is going to get me into trouble. So Mason deserves everything Mason gets.” She bit out the last part through clenched teeth.

Light headed, Avery abruptly forgot about her immediate surroundings. Instead, her mind brought back the past week’s memories. She remembered Mason’s story, his words in his husky voice. She remembered the sorrow etched with lines into his face and the darkness in his jade green eyes. Avery shook her head again, finding herself suddenly unsure.

“Then he hasn’t told you one true thing yet.” Eva said and continued with, “I’ll tell you this little girl. You may fight us because you know our motives. But at least you know them. Mason lies and has already lied to you. Don’t believe him for a second. If you needed to die too, he’d let you. In fact, I’m sure he’d murder you himself. Now he should stop hiding behind the white horse façade because it’s pathetic to watch.”

Avery opened her mouth to retort but never got the chance. Eva held a silencing hand up in the air and hissed. “Shut up.”

The moonlight flickered on the concrete, disturbed. Eva’s eyes shot upward and her wings shot open. Internal alarm ringing, Avery sprung to her feet and followed Eva’s gaze up toward the parting clouds. Avery squinted upward just as an explosion in the air sounded out. Head twirling, she glanced back towards the heart of town. Shadows darted in the air-- too quick to be seen but just slow enough to distort the dim blue skyline.

“Mason?” Avery asked aloud.

“No,” Eva’s growled. “The police.”

Eleven

The stars in the sky disappeared when the flocks of harpies amassed in the sky overhead. The thunderous drumming of wings consumed the entire mountaintop but the concentration of it circled the center of the mine site. Already, Avery could hear the piercing cries and shrieks of battle as the harpie police clashed with the Band of Thieves. She even swore she heard the whistling of harpoons tear through the air and the inevitable pop of impact. Unsure how to react she turned back toward Eva only to find that Eva had left her standing on the street alone.

Seeing the opening, Avery quickly took in the remainder of her surroundings. She couldn’t see a single harpie nearby but only the abandoned parking lot and a road that twisted down the mountain. She ran for that parking lot and hit the road. Green information signs led her way from that point. Though the signs all declared something like “thank you for visiting” it translated as “EXIT” in the long run. She followed the signs until they ended and the road began. This time, her new direction became marked out by the yellow road reflectors that lit up from the moonlight. Taking the high road put her more in the open but if she cut through the forestry at this high of an altitude, she may not make it out at all.

Adrenaline kept her moving and Avery made good time. Then the inevitable happened. A harpie quickly descended from the sky and made a grab for her, successfully yanking her sideways. Instinctively, she twisted her body in the opposite direction. The move, mildly effective, knocked the harpie’s grip free but doing so on an icy ground, she lost her own balance. When the harpie pushed her, she went down and met the pavement with a painful crack. He landed on top of her and pinned her this time. She couldn’t see anything more than the road and weeds from her new point of view, but she could hear the unfamiliar masculine voice whisper in her ear.

“I am a dually appointed Marshal and you’re under arrest. If you fight me, I will kill you.” She heard a clatter before he fastened freezing metal cuffs around her wrists and tightened them until it hurt. His hands kept moving, freeing another set of cuffs with a tell tale clatter.

Grabbing the popped collar of her jacket, he tugged it back to reveal the blue shirt back underneath. The metal cuffs dangled as the harpie held them loosely and then abruptly he flinched like he’d sprung a mousetrap.

“You’re human.” He said aloud with every bit of disbelief still dripping in his voice.

While to his defense, she wore a heavy enough jacket to conceal wings, Avery didn’t resemble a harpie in any way. On cue, he looked for that next. Lighting up a flashlight, he shone it at her curled fingers. Avery’s fingers barely had a nail, much less talons. She was also short for a human and definitely short for a harpie.

“Definitely human. Can you let me up now?” She pled.

She knew it wouldn’t work. It didn’t take a genius to know that a human running away from the Band of Thieves hideout had something to explain. He held her down while he demanded that explanation.

She tried a different approach.

“I am a friend of Mason’s, Prince Jericho’s son. The Band of Thieves kidnapped me but I got free. Please, let me go. I don’t have anything to do with them.”

She didn’t know Mason’s last name but considering everyone knew Prince Jericho, she didn’t need to explain further. The police officer didn’t let up on the pressure but he did go quiet. Avery could hear the battle rage on up on the hill. The bloody squawks and the ear piercing crashes had only grown closer and louder. Avery didn’t need to look up in the sky to know more police were arriving and that her opportunity to plead her case out was running out.

“Mason was banished for his part in a conspiracy. Affiliation with him only makes you guiltier.”

Avery let out a frustrated gasp. So much for that approach. She’d thought that dropping Mason’s name might have gotten her a reprieve at least.

“I know you have magic. I know you aren’t innocent. Surrender the amulet to me. I’m taking you in.”

Avery grunted when he yanked her up to her feet. The harpie was ready to leave with her but Avery couldn’t let him. Mind racing, she struggled to remember what Mikhail had just taught her about manifesting the magic. She struggled to feel the pull of warmth inside her chest and then desperately pushed it out. It worked just like before, coming easier this time, and soon Avery felt the electrical charge of magic in her fingertips. She used it, grabbing the police officer with her hands. The electricity simmered, crackling, and shocked him. She only heard his roar of outrage and felt him fall back.

Free from his hold, Avery backpedaled. Her wrists naturally moved and unexpectedly the cuffs gave. She brought her hands in front of her face and barely understood what she saw. The silver cuffs had to have been at least an inch thick made of something stronger than steel. Now, the metal had melted into sticky globs of semi liquid. The magic had done a number to them.

Avery prepped herself for battle but another harpie swooped down behind her. Avery barely saw Eva before the harpie grabbed Avery and hefted her in midflight, taking Avery’s feet off the ground. The world spiraled. Unlike her brother, Eva didn’t have the same balance or build to hold Avery’s weight. The resulting choppy flight left them plunging down the hill side at a break neck speed. Avery screamed, clawing at the arms that held her and kicking at the air.

The police officer took to the sky as well, tailing them in a blur of white. Eva’s wings pounded, just enough to glide them. The cop grabbed at them. Eva maneuvered too hard to avoid the man and the resulting motion had let Avery slip free. Avery plummeted through outstretched tree branches, and hit the ground rolling. Though she hadn’t been dropped far, landing just about killed her. In that same second, she turned her head just in time to see unmistakable blinding glare of headlights gunning her way. Her limbs didn’t budge in time. The oncoming truck swerved, breaks squealing in a cloud of burning rubber. Avery’s knees weakened and she hit the pavement just as the truck skid to an agonizing stop.

A full minute went by before Avery finally peeled her white fingers off the asphalt and remembered how to breathe. The moment had past so quickly, it took a second for her brain to catch up. Leaning back, she sat in the damp snow and drew her knees back into herself.

The sputtering blue truck that had just missed making Avery road kill remained nearby. The car’s door opened and its engine finally clicked off with a guttural moan. The driver approached wearily, his eyes apparently ill adjusted to the darkness, probably looking for a wild animal. When he spotted Avery, his face changed considerably. Mouth dropping open, the driver raced to her side.

“What happened? Oh my God, you need help?”

Closer now, Avery could see the man in detail. His scruffy orange beard made the majority of his face disappear but soft green eyes were still visible. Dressed in flannel and heavy duty boots, he could have been a park ranger but Avery couldn’t be sure. As far as Avery was concerned, humanity was enough for her at the moment and she accepted the hand he offered. He walked her to the car, doing a lot to support Avery’s weight, and popped open the door to allow her to sit. Avery did gratefully. The car’s lights came on and the man’s eyes widen and his jaw went slack when he officially got a clear look at her. Avery didn’t have a mirror but it didn’t take a genius to know she was caked with everything from slush to blood. Half starved, frozen, and scared, she probably seemed a little twitchy to boot.