by Laura Mae
“Raoul. You think he’s ever seen a fairy before? That might get him talking!” Giovonna said louder.
“We don’t want him fainting like someone I know did…” Sydona added.
“A moment of weakness…” Giovonna said. “But really, try to talk to him, Raoul.”
Raoul fluttered his wings with an expression of confidence.
“Hiya, Devon!” Raoul exclaimed as he puffed his chest out like he was a superhero.
He looked over the top of his glasses and then back down at his notepad.
Raoul exhaled and scratched his head. “Uh.. whatchya drawin’ there?”
Devon continued drawing, ignoring the fairy. Raoul tried to sneak a peek by going behind him, but Devon turned his pad over. His nose flared with frustration.
“How old are you, little man?” Raoul asked cheerfully.
“I’m not a little man and leave me alone!” he cried. Every head in the car turned.
Lacey rubbed Devon’s back, and she shook her head at the newbies. Raoul flew back up to Giovonna with arms crossed.
Lacey asked Devon with a hushed voice. “You wanna listen?”
He nodded his head and took her cassette player and headphones. He turned the rock music up so loud Sydona could hear it, too.
“What’s his deal?” Silas asked with a lowered voice, still afraid he might overhear.
“He’s a little fragile... Jet knows more than me.”
They all looked at him. He stopped mid-drink and stared at everyone like a deer in headlights. “What?”
“Why is Devon with you guys?” Sydona asked.
“It’s a long story.”
“Come on babe. Just tell them.” Lacey nudged him and swiped the flask out of his hand. “You’ll get this back once you tell them.”
Jet groaned and sat up straight in the seat. “You sure he can’t hear?”
“He’s good,” Lacey assured.
Jet let out a loud sigh. “Me and Lacey stopped at a gas station for snacks or whatever. There was this kid inside that kept looking at my eyes. Just to have fun with him, I thought of something sad so my eyes would change color, and he loved it.
“Next thing we knew, some guy came in and held the cashier at gunpoint. I put the kid behind me. The kid’s dad tried to calm the guy down, but he freaked and shot him point blank. His mom was next to him, and the guy shot her, too.
“He pointed the gun at me next, but then he stopped and took off. The cashier started to call the cops, and I bolted. When I was about to get in the car with Lacey, I felt something tug my shirt. The kid followed me out.”
Lacey spoke up, “He’s been with us ever since[125]…”
“His parents were killed in front of him? How horrible!” Giovonna cried out from the front seat.
“Wait, so he just came along with you?” Silas asked.
Lacey replied, “We asked where his home was, and he didn’t know. But we drove around until things looked familiar. We went inside with him and asked if he’d be okay by himself, but he said no. He already attached himself pretty hard to Jet and didn’t want to be alone. So, we had him pack up his stuff and we left.”
“No wonder he’s so quiet,” Willow added.
“They’re going to be looking for him,” Sydona said.
Jet grabbed his flask back from Lacey and chugged.
“You left the scene of a crime. And you’re a flier. Aren’t you scared the police are going to come looking for you?” Silas asked.
“Let them come. I didn’t do anything wrong,” Jet snarled.
“Why did the guy just take off when he saw you?” Raoul asked.
“I don’t fuckin’ know,” Jet raised his voice.
Lacey tapped Jet’s leg. “Okay. Calm down, babe.”
“And in case you’ve been in the dark, humans hate us. I did you all a favor.”
“Hey now!” Willow yelled.
“Jet!” Lacey slapped his arm.
“Are you serious?” Sydona asked with narrowed eyes.
“Just piss off,” Jet snapped. He turned his body and took another gulp from his flask.
She thought she had some unresolved issues with humans. But Jet had more than a few screws loose. The boy was an orphan and witnessed his parents’ murder. It was a wonder that he kept himself together so well. Jet seemed to be worse off than the ten-year-old. What would they do with the boy? And why would he cling to a complete stranger? She assumed in the few moments they had in the store were enough to build trust. Jet claimed to hate humans, yet, he took the boy in anyway.
The rest of the car ride there was silent. Tensions built up and didn’t seem to come down. Not even with Raoul cracking jokes in lull times. He ended up falling asleep once no one laughed anymore. After a few hours on the highway, they arrived in the outskirts of the city. The buildings stood much higher than those in the city back home.[126][LM127] She figured she could put fifteen of her own city into this one and still have room. How did people survive living so close to one another? How did they move? Or breathe? She wondered if being a flier meant she felt like she needed wide open spaces. Living in the city, for her, was like a bird living its life in a cage. She couldn’t wait until they got out.
Finally, as the sun began to set, they passed the last industrial building. Her stomach filled with butterflies, and she couldn’t figure out why. As a new Sparrow, she knew the tattoo was coming, but that wasn’t why. Excited to meet the leader of Sparrows, she sat up straight in her seat and gripped Silas’s hand.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you excited, Syd. Like, ever,” Silas said as he rubbed her back.
Sydona grinned. “Aren’t you excited?”
“Mmm, I guess?”
“Really?”
Giovonna unbuckled her seatbelt and turned around. “I’m super excited!”
“That’s no surprise, Gia. You love everythin’,” Willow said.
“I don’t love everything! I don’t like… Uh…” she faded off and whispered. “Not a fan of Jet. Seems like kind of a jerk.”
The group shrugged in agreement.
“We’re here!” Willow shouted and put the car in park.
They exited the van one by one. Sydona grabbed her green tote and dagger as always and scooted across the seat. As she took one last look around the van to see if she forgot anything, she noticed the notebook Devon was drawing in sitting on his seat. She absentmindedly grabbed it to give it back. Curiosity got the best of her, and she examined the drawings. The image shocked her, and she almost dropped the pad. Two stick figures stood with holes in them, and red covered them and the background. He scribbled with the red pen so hard it went through to the next page. More than half of the notebook held crumpled, used pages, and each image was as disturbing as the next. Blood dominated all of them, covering the stick figures and the surrounding areas. A hooded figure appeared in some of them with a gun. Sydona wondered if Jet and Lacey knew of these and if they talked to him at all yet. Regardless, she felt she needed to keep a close eye on him. Witnessing both of his parents murdered in front of him already seemed to have repercussions.
Chapter Five
Sydona hid the notebook under her seat to remind herself to talk to Devon later. The way Jet drank, she guessed there wasn’t much talking in their strange little family. But today was the day she was meeting Knox, the leader of the Sparrows. Her attention refocused. Raoul rode on her shoulder like he used to. They walked through the parking lot and toward a huge metal warehouse. It wasn’t clear what it used to hold when it was active, but it seemed to be long abandoned. The number of cars parked around the lot made her excited. There had to be dozens of Sparrows attending from all over the country.
A man stood at the entrance holding a clipboard with everyone’s names. Sydona noticed each person also had a notation on what race they were and had to reveal their real eye colors. Willow told her if they didn’t have the right eye color, they weren’t allowed in. It pained Sydona to see her name written down as
a flier but with blue eyes. She was the only exception. The man nodded respectfully at her despite her unusual eyes. Perhaps he knew what happened.
After everyone checked in, her first thought was how happy Raoul would be. Not only were there tons of people but several fairies as well. His own family[128][LM129][SD130] were the only other fairies he ever associated with. Chatter echoed loudly as folks were elated to see friends from the past. Willow gathered with several people outside of their small group, and her voice carried over everyone else in the metal building.
Sydona stayed close by Silas and Giovonna, and they talked amongst themselves as they observed the crowd from the sidelines. Jet, Lacey and Devon went off in their own direction to catch up with a few people, too. She saw, at one point, Jet and Lacey introduce Devon to their friends, and he was just as distant. Her heart ached for him. It wasn’t long before Willow bellowed Sydona’s name to come over to a large group.
Once her name hit everyone’s ears, the loud chatter softened to whispers. Most of them turned their attention to her, and her face felt warm from the attention. Mumbles of the doctor made their way through the waves of conversation. If her eyes were normal, she was sure they would be turning brown. But for once, she was thankful her eyes were blue. She wore a fake smile as she walked through the crowd to get to Willow. Some people patted her on the back and congratulated her, while others gave her looks of pity because they heard she couldn’t fly anymore. She didn’t know what to think.
“Syd! Tell ‘em how you took out the doctor! They been dyin’ to know.” Willow clapped Sydona’s back with approval.
Her stomach twisted itself into knots. She never had to tell the story before, and knowing the outcome, she had to lie. And it had to be good, no holes.
“He’s dead. Do you really need to know how?”
“Hell yeah!” Willow cheered, getting the people[131][LM132] worked up.
She cleared her throat as she thought back to the horrific day. “It was dark. Very dark. I was looking for him in the woods because he was nowhere to be found. As I learned of his location, a helicopter came out of the blue, shining a bright light on the field. That’s when I saw him, running like a coward. So I ran after him and tackled him to the ground. I was just about to kill him when I was shot by someone in the helicopter. I lost my grip, and he got away…”
The crowd gasped.
“But I wasn’t about to give up. I got up and chased after him again. He began to climb up the ladder, and I followed him up. He tried kicking me off, but I was so focused; there was no way to get me to let go. I grabbed my dagger, climbed as high as I could, and--I slit his throat. As he bled out, I let go, and watched the life leave his eyes before I hit the ground. The man who shot me probably thought he could be saved, which is why they flew off. But I saw. He was already dead.”[133]
The crowd burst out into cheers and applause. Sydona’s jaw clenched, and she picked her nails nervously. Everyone seemed so happy, except for one. Raoul floated nearby with a skeptical face. He didn’t believe her, but she hoped he wouldn’t say anything. If anyone could see through her, it was Raoul. She dreaded having to talk to him later, but she needed to. He had to believe her story.
Soon, another voice shouted over the crowd. It was the Sparrows’ leader, Knox.
“Silence, please,” he bellowed in a deep, powerful voice. His voice matched his intimidating look. Sun from the high windows reflected off his bald head. A deep scar above his right eye contrasted his dark mocha brown skin, and Sydona wondered how he got it.
The crowd instantly hushed and turned their attention to him. He stood on a platform above everyone else. Standing next to him was a small but stunning Latina woman at least a full foot shorter. The jewelry on her arms and neck could have blinded someone with the amount she wore. Among the crowd of forest greens, blacks, browns and grays, her gold stuck out like a sore thumb. Sydona wondered what her role was since someone dressed like her could not blend in well at all.
“Thank you all for making it out on such short notice. You all should be aware of why we are here. There’s been a change of plans thanks to Sydona Wilder.”
He stared directly at her, parting the crowd to look at her.
“She single handedly took down the leader of the Vultures. But our work is not yet over. We still have much to do to wipe out the existence of their followers, the scum who killed our families, our friends, our own children!” Knox’s voice echoed loudly through the rafters of the warehouse, building up excitement in the crowd. “Four new locations have been identified in Boston, Tallahassee, Austin and Chicago. The North and East District will go to Boston; West District, Tallahassee; South District, you’re in Austin; Midwest, Chicago. Report to Avani tomorrow for your assignments and times. We need all wings on board. We lost a lot of Sparrows at Eagle Lake, so anyone who can, will help. Get all the rest you can tonight. And Sydona. May I please speak with you?”
Knox left the platform before hearing her answer. She assumed he was not the kind of guy who heard the word “no”. She bit her lower lip and rubbed her neck. What could he possibly want to talk about? About the story she told? It had holes; even Raoul saw through it. But the only way to know was to just talk to him.
“Want me to go with you?” Raoul asked.
“Please.”
“What do you think he wants?” Giovonna whispered.
“Who knows?”
Sydona sauntered to the left of the platform and through a set of doors Knox left ajar. Avani[134] stood next to the door with a bright smile. Seeing her up close was like seeing a princess. Her hair and makeup seemed like they took hours to do, and the amount of jewelry took just as long to put on. Her elegantly braided black hair twisted to the middle of her back and was filled with jewels and decorations. The appearance of this woman put her at ease and made her feel almost like she was about to walk into a fantasy world.
“Sydona! Sweetheart!” Avani exclaimed and embraced her in a tight hug. She smelled like a field of roses on top of everything else. Avani pulled away but held Sydona’s hands. “I can’t believe I finally get to meet chu!” Her Hispanic accent was as adorable as herself.
“Uh--thank you,” Sydona said.
“You’re just as beautiful as everyone said!” She squeezed her hands.
“Oh?” Sydona blushed. “Who’s saying that?”
“Everyone, my dear.” She beamed brightly at Sydona, taking in her face and appearance. Clearly uncomfortable but flattered, Sydona released a nervous laugh.
“Go on ahead. Elias is very excited to meet you.”
“Elias?”
“Oh, sorry. I mean Knox. He’s so sensitive, he hates his first name. Makes him feel like a empollón. I said, ‘Babe, with your stature and height, you could be named Ernie, and people would still fear you.’ But he no like that. So he go by his last name. Whateva. He’ll always be Elias to me…”
“Okay…” Sydona said, barely moving her lips.
“Come on, go ahead. He’s waitin’ for you.”
Sydona pushed the door open to reveal Knox sitting behind a desk, making himself look like a giant. Sheets of paper scattered the top layer of the desk, and he scribbled on forms with purpose. Large windows lined most of the room but were too high up to see out. Knox’s desk sat on the left side of the room with boxes and papers everywhere. On the opposite side stood another tidier desk with several flower vases decorating it. Pens, pencils and every sheet sat perpendicular to the edge as if they were glued down. Avani’s desk, she supposed. In front of Avani’s desk, a long daybed held pillows and a teddy bear. She smirked at the bear. Sydona wondered how much more polar opposite the two could be
“Come. Sit,” Knox commanded. His voice was so brash that it startled her.
She walked over to his desk and sat in a hard metal chair across from him. The chair across from Avani’s desk had a luxuriously soft red cushion with armrests, engendering her jealously. Her hands shook, and her heart pounded. She wasn’t sure wh
y; she hadn’t done anything. As she sat there for what seemed like several long minutes, Knox never once looked up at her.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he finally said in a softer tone.
Sydona relaxed. “Oh, thank you.”
“Were you close?”
Her eyes shifted with confusion. She heard chatter that the rumor got around about her inability to fly. Could that be what he was referring to?
“Uh, yeah… I was close. Didn’t last very long though.”
Knox furrowed his caterpillar eyebrows. “Your relationship?”
Her foot tapped anxiously. “My… relationship?”
Knox put his pen down and looked up at her with intensity. She never felt so small.
“With your mother.”
Sydona released a nervous laugh. “Oh! Yes. Close.” She cleared her throat. “We were very close.”
Knox shook his head at her buffoonery and looked back down at his work with a growl in his throat. Her pulse raced.
She sat in the chair, waiting for him to continue talking. Maybe he was waiting for her to say something? But he called her in; what would she need to say? She could talk about Avani. How different they were made her wonder about their relationship status.
“Are you and--”
“I brought you in today--” he interrupted, then stopped.
The awkwardness jabbed at every inch of her. She hoped Raoul would step in soon and say something, but she assumed he was just as nervous. He stayed hidden under her long hair.
“Sorry…” Sydona shuttered and looked down shamefully.
He took a deep breath and started again. “I brought you in to see if there is any information you can give me about Malik.”
She panicked. “What?”
Knox looked back up at her with sympathetic eyes. “I know it’s hard to talk about him after everything. But can you at least try?”
“Oh.” She gulped. “What do you want to know… exactly?”
He pushed his chair out and stood up so fast he gave her a head rush. “Anything! He talked to you right? Did he give you anything about where other camps are, why he’s doing this, if he already got what he was looking for?”
