Flight

by J. A. Huss

  My revelation wounds her, I can see it on her face, and I almost smile. This was the woman in the nargala who asked for the carrier of light, for Lucan, whose name literally means light, and was denied by her uncle. My summons finger begins to twitch and ache and I rub it with my thumb as Lucan's words come back to me. In that last moment, Junco, when you truly have no more options. Use the summons.

  This time something appears, but it's not any Lucan I've ever seen.

  The creature's eyes are glowing red from within. And not like Gideon's pansy-ass red eyes, either. They rage with the fires of Hell. The black wings unfold from its back as its arms reach out for Inanna. The demon wears ancient black armor made of small metal scales and it clinks as it stalks my kidnapper with taloned feet that click on the ground.

  It growls at Inanna, the mouth open to reveal fangs, and with one swipe of the sword-length razors it cuts her body in half.

  I bow down and hold my hands over my head as she falls to the ground in two pieces. I look up and wait for it to do the same to me but the monster morphs before my eyes into a man.

  A man I know all too well.

  He's not wearing a black suit and he's still got the black wings, his eyes red, but not glowing, and the fangs are shorter. His hair is not quite blond, his face more rugged, and his power more dark.

  But he's definitely Lucan.

  The next time I look over to Inanna she is whole again, no damage whatsoever. I stay crouched and wait it out. I'm absolutely a spectator as far as this fight goes.

  "You dare!" Her temper ignites as she approaches him.

  "I dare, that's correct." The anger drains out of Lucan in the same moment that Inanna's is building. He regains his composure and a portion of his refined look, but he is not back to being an Archer, not even close.

  "She is mine!"

  Lucan stands absolutely still, not even a flinch as Inanna storms up, circling him. Her turn to make the morph into a demon. Her teeth become fangs and her fingers claws that share zero characteristics with my sleek razors. His eyes follow her, but he does not turn. "She might have been yours, perhaps. When she was made. Before she came to us. But she's been gifted by the Fallen Archers of the Band, you already know this, Inanna. She is not yours. She is ours."

  "That is not possible, you lie! It is illegal to gift my own daughter! It is illegal, like the other one you gifted over and over again until you made Junco pay his price!"

  Lucan shakes his head. "You're wrong, Inanna. I made no such mistakes with Junco. It was all arranged. She was gifted and it was sanctioned. She is ours and we will keep her. Junco?"

  I look up at him, my eyes wide with fear.

  "The High Order is coming and when they get here you will have a choice. But it will take years for them to arrive, years you can spend with me in the Band if you so wish."

  "Junco!" My attention is one hundred percent on the words of this new Lucan but her command snaps me back. "I am your true mother and he is the incarnation of evil. He is guilty of crimes you cannot even imagine, banished from Earth thousands of years ago with no path to return. He caused the End Times, Junco. Him. He cheats at this very moment to be here. He will kill you if you let him – he has final powers that I do not, powers he stole. He will kill you! And then he will finish what he started. He will make his race of slaves, and make you choose him. He only wants you for one reason, Junco. To prevent you from stopping what's coming! You can choose Earth, Junco. Choose humanity and leave the Fallen to die off like they were commanded to, thousands of years ago."

  Her words reverberate in my head. It's always been about choices, hasn't it? All my life I've felt powerless against those who tried to control me. They never asked, simply shifted me by force. Holding me down, scaring me, inserting fear into everything I did and then erasing it all when they fucked me up. They demanded obedience and compliance like I was an animal. And maybe I can accept that it was necessary, to keep me alive and make my clutch the one that mattered, the one that changes everything.

  But Lucan let me decide to stay with him or leave with Slag. He let me choose to fight or yield, to obey or not, who I would follow into battle, which man I wanted to love, which team I wanted to join, to tell the truth or lie, to hear the truth or hide from it.

  And most of all, whether or not I wanted to help restore the avian race or let it die off. And each decision caused a ripple through my fragile pool of fate that only I could create.

  Looking back, he let me make all the decisions. Every single one. And even though he said he would punish me, and even though I know he can hurt me in ways I can hardly imagine and force me to bend to his will, it never went beyond that single smack on the cheek out on the grass in front of Fledge. Even after I helped Sera create chaos, he took me into his home and tried to guide me towards closure. Look at your problem from both perspectives, he said. And then choose your heart if you don't have time to study it properly.

  My entire experience with the avian comes down to my own free will and the one person, monster if I believe what they say, who actually stepped back and gave me control.

  I look over at Inanna and feel sorry for her. And then I look up at Lucan in his semi-demonic form and I crave him and his world so bad I have no words to describe it.

  But I do have power. The power of me. I am my own true north and I can shift myself.

  I am the Seventh Sibling, the Seventh Evil Spirit, the Wind of Vengeance, and I know my one true purpose.

  I will gladly take sides now.

  "Fuck that, Inanna. I choose Lucan."

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  The white world disappears and I'm back on the battlefield, the alarms wailing in my head as the female voice counts down the seconds until full core meltdown.

  Lucan is gone and so is Inanna.

  Now it's just Gideon and me. And he's looking like total shit, lying face first, sprawled out on the ground as the warriors continue their fight around us.

  "Fifty seconds to complete core meltdown. Fifty seconds to complete core meltdown."

  I pull him up to a sitting position and slap his face. Hard.

  His eyes flutter and I shake him. "Gideon, get up! We have to go!"

  He is silent and then I see it, the gaping wound across his neck. A slow pulse of blood seeps out in a perfect heartbeat rhythm.

  I push my fear down and go into him and find the damaged carotid artery but all I can do is kneel down next to him and pray for help. He needs to be sealed up and I'm no surgeon.

  I let his head drop in my lap and prepare myself for yet another loss as his blood soaks my uniform and makes my hands sticky and hot.

  I will do anything, God.

  Anything.

  Just save my friend.

  The blue lights appear and warriors rain down on me from above while others are picked up across the compound.

  Tier is next to me, pulling me back towards the light, yelling in my face as the voice counts down from twenty-five seconds.

  "Junco – come with me now!"

  I look at him and shake my head. "I won't leave Gideon here."

  He pulls me away but I take out my SEAR and force him to step back.

  "What the fuck are ya doin', Junco! What the fuck–"

  He's cut off by a golden light and I have to turn my head to avoid the blindness. It subsides and I turn back to see what's happening.

  "I'll save him, Junco. But you will come with me." Her smile is smug and I know what she's done. Lucan might get me in the end, but she took Gideon, just like she said she would.

  My body overflows with rage. Pure hate for this woman and everyone else whose sole purpose for existing revolves around destroying every good thing that ever enters my life.

  "Junco, goddamn it!" Ashur is down in my face, pulling Gideon off me. I let him as Tier kicks the SEAR out of my hand and grabs me by the arms. I reach out and grab my weapon and stow it away as I stare up at Inanna's glowing form. Tier pulls me towards the blue light while Ashur tak
es Gid. "You will not make a deal!" Ash screams down at me. "Do you hear me, Junco? You will not make a deal. Layla will save him."

  I stare up at Ashur and nod just before he and Gideon are swept up to the ship. Tier's foot enters the light but he stumbles sideways and his grip on my armor is lost.

  "Ten seconds to complete core meltdown."

  Inanna walks calmly towards me as Tier scrambles to right himself.

  "Junco, you are mine."

  I stare at her and find my voice. "I was never yours. Ever. And I'm gonna teach you a fucking lesson in hate right now. I don't care if you take everyone I've ever loved and burn them alive, I will never go with you. Because I'd rather be rotting in Hell, responsible for all their pain and suffering, than spend one more fraction of a second looking at your face."

  "Five seconds to complete core meltdown."

  "That can be arranged, Junco. But I'd prefer to do it the easy way."

  I lift my chin and stare her down as Tier grabs my foot, yanking me backward into the transporter with him.

  Something tugs on my arms just as the white light from the explosion blinds me. But it's the darkness that surprises me.

  And Inanna's laugh in my head as it all fades away.

  "I've got you, Junco. And there's no demon to save you now. Sleep well, my daughter."

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  I swim in the darkness for eternity. Floating back and forth as my hair sways in front of my face. I can see it because my eyes are open. Sort of. My facial skin is being reformed and eyelids simply don't exist at the moment. The viscous gel solution clings to my body even as my back buckles up into the air, writhing in the pain they inflict on me.

  My bones crack and mend so many times I lose count. My muscles shrink and grow as my skin peels back and then regenerates in a sea of agony, every nerve ending exposed for the weeks and months it takes to make it smooth and strong again.

  I have no idea how long I've been in the tank or what they are doing to me.

  But I am afraid for every second of it.

  Finally, after what seems like years, they stand over me talking in distorted voices that haven't got a chance of fully penetrating the barrier of gel that surrounds my ears. They inject me with something. I cry inside with relief as my world blackens again.

  I don't burst out of the tank this time. A single set of strong hands pulls me up as I choke and vomit up the gel. It seeps out of my ears and allows the wailing of security alarms to invade my muffled existence.

  I am lifted up and cradled, then the soothing words make it inside to my hearing receptors. "You're with me now, Junco."

  I recognize the absence of air that comes with Lucan's transporter trick and then the light no longer seeps through my new eyelids. We are in a dark place. I can hear the soft sound of water dripping echo through a large chamber and feel the wetness of the humidity that permeates the air, reminding me of my HOUSE back in Council 3.

  My chin quivers and I let the tears seep out as I remember everything that's happened.

  It's all gone. Everything has been ripped away from me. My Isten. My Aren, Braun, Charlie, Mish, Kush, Isec, HOUSE.

  I cry as he lowers me into the hot spring and walks over to the other side of the pool. He settles down on the ledge where Tier and I sat and I first heard of that bitch Inanna. If I had known then the evil she was capable of, I would've avoided everything about her right from the very beginning.

  Lucan washes the gel off me as best he can without letting me slip into the water. I can't control my limbs and my breath quickens with my pounding heart as I wonder if they paralyzed me.

  "Shhh. You'll be OK, Junco. In time. I pulled you out a little early, but it will complete soon. You'll be OK."

  I turn my head into his chest and feel the small metal scales that make up his ancient armor pinch against my cheek. But I don't care because I can hear it loud and clear.

  His heartbeat.

  And I count until the pain leaks out of me and the memories slip in to fill the space.

  When I wake up I am in a soft bed. I open my eyes and see Gideon and Lucan staring down at me. I want to say thank you to Lucan even though I struggle to come to terms with his new look. Or express my relief that Gideon is alive and appears fine except for an aging white scar that runs across his neck.

  But I can't.

  I can only cry.

  Gideon loses it and turns away to hide his reaction.

  My limbs are working now and I lift my fists up to drag the water away from my eyes. It is only then that I notice the difference in how my muscles respond. My hand darts to the back of my shoulder and Lucan's face is a sea of sadness.

  "She took my wings. She took my wings away!"

  Lucan sits down next to me as I cry again. This time my whole body shakes and I cannot hold it in. I told Ashur I was gonna give them back, and now look. Everything I say always comes back to haunt me. Careful what you wish, careful what you say? Isn't that how it goes?

  Lucan pushes back the hair on my face and Gideon turns back around, his emotions back under control.

  "She didn't take them away, Junco. She morphed you to the next level." He waits for me to look him in the eyes. They are blue now, not red. He takes my hand and slips it under the collar of his armored shirt until it comes to rest on his shoulder blade. His wings are gone as well. My fingertips trace along a row of bumps underneath his skin. He shivers from my touch and I withdraw my hand.

  Gideon whips his t-shirt over his head and turns around so I can see his back too.

  The bumps come with scars that run the entire length of his upper back then fall to an apex, to the tip of a triangle that ends just above his waist.

  "You're an Archer now, Junco."

  Gid tugs his shirt back on and sits on the bed next to my feet.

  "Where am I, Lucan? Am I home?"

  He shakes his head at me. "No, we're at Gideon's house. You can't–" He stops and turns his head away. "You can't come home, Junco."

  "Why? Did they kick me out? I'm sorry, I'll do better, I promise! Please, don't let them–"

  He puts a hand over my mouth to stop my words. "You're not kicked out." He laughs a little, like this is a ridiculous notion. "Inanna took your SEAR knife. You can't leave Earth without it, Junco. It's bound to you, we tried to remove it when you first came to Amelia. There are significant consequences."

  My heart feels like she's got her fist wrapped around it, squeezing the life out of me. She's still winning, even after all this, she's still winning because I can't go home.

  "I'll find it for you." He slips his fingers under my chin and lifts it up so I have to look at him, then lets his hand fall along my cheek and come to a rest behind my head as his thumb traces my jawline. "I promise you, Junco. She will be punished for this. I have everyone behind me this time. I am sanctioned to do whatever it takes to make it right. I'll find your SEAR and you will come home."

  I nod and turn my head to the window. I can only see sky so we must be high up somewhere. "How long? How long did she have me?" I turn back just in time to see him swallow down the dread.

  "Two years."

  I let out a sob and a new wave of tears. "Was I pregnant?"

  Lucan plays with my hair. "I don't know, Junco. I have no idea."

  If so, then that's number two now. Two children stolen from me. My face hardens as I think of what I will do to that bitch when I see her next. "And Tier?"

  "He's running Aves back in the Band. I've been here," he points up, "on ship, since she took you."

  "And Isten?" My chest heaves just uttering his name. "What happened to Isten?"

  Lucan's face changes from neutral to painful and I turn and wail into the pillow.

  He leans down and kisses me on the forehead. "Sleep, OK? I'll stay until tomorrow."

  These words snap me out of it and I clutch his arm so he can't move. "Stay? You're leaving?"

  "We'll talk about it later, Junco. Just rest now."

  I want
to say no, but I'm exhausted and as soon as I close my eyes to blink, I drift off.

  My sleep is not peaceful, but every time I begin to stir I feel Lucan's words dance across my cheek. They talk me down and I allow him to do it. His arms circle my body the way wings would. His muscles feel powerful and this draws me into him just a little bit more as I fight the urge to toss and turn.

  When I wake for real his face is buried in my hair and his breathing tells me he is asleep. I've never seen Lucan sleep. I always figured Archers didn't need it, but I need it and I'm an Archer. I look down at myself and realize I'm wearing a human t-shirt and some man-sized boxer shorts. I hope they are Gideon's because I can't even begin to picture Lucan in boxers.

  I turn and Lucan's eyes open. "Thank you."

  His Earth features are so much more expressive than his Band ones and his mouth twists into a little grin. "What for, Junco?"

  "You know what for. The whole rescue thing." I stop and watch his eyes and I realize I've never been this close to him before.

  "I told you, I will not leave you here. I told you that and I meant it, Junco. I cannot leave without you."

  "Because you need me for the genetics to work?"

  He throws his head back a little and laughs. "Junco, we fixed our genetics years ago. That problem was solved. Every clutch is full with beautiful little avian children. You know that's not why I'm here. You must know."

  I don't know what to say to this, so I figure questions should buy me some time. "Why do you look different here?"

  "This was what I looked like when I lived on Earth like a man. Do you like it?"

  "You're…" I pull back and look him over a little. He's nothing like the Lucan back on Amelia, really. But he's nothing like that demon thing that I summoned either. He's definitely naked under the covers and I get a little lost in his chest for a few seconds. "Very nice." He leans in a little so I continue talking to slow him down. "How long ago did you live on Earth, Lucan?"