Windswept (The Airborne Saga)

by Constance Sharper

  There were too many pages, too much information. Anxiety making her act, Avery threw the stack down.

  “I don’t understand,” she admitted exasperatedly.

  “They’re news articles. I got them from the web when I began. It blew up so quickly. I’m sure I don’t have them all.” Leela gestured towards them the second time around. Reluctantly, Avery looked and pressed her brain for answers.

  This time the headers on the pages stood out to her. They were all newspapers, news stations, and blogs. Below the title, dates of accidents were printed in bold. She caught on before she could voice it. These people, these faces, were of the dead. The pictures held the scenes where they had died. Suddenly cold, Avery dropped the bundle again and read with her arms curled around herself.

  Avery read through the first few lines.

  “These people were killed in supposed accidents. But they weren’t accidents, were they?” she asked.

  The report at the top talked about the brutal claw marks the man had died from. It had been in the woods in places that few humans would ever go. No trace of the attackers was found, Avery knew, as if they’d flown away without a trace. This wasn’t the work of bears or wolves. “They were harpies,” Avery answered herself.

  Her stomach already heavy as lead, she swallowed to keep any bile down. Avery had been the first to really know of the potential of harpie attacks, but nothing like a string of serial murders.

  “Who were these people? Were they important?” Avery asked next and flipped the page to stare at the black-and-white inked people. It didn’t seem right. The faces seemed so empty and yet so normal. Each one was just another scruffy Alaskan.

  “I don’t know. I wouldn’t have put it all together if they didn’t all share one thing in common. They were all hunters and mountain men out in the wilderness alone. That’s the way the stories managed to pop up together.

  “You see, these hunters could have crept up on anything—even harpies. And most people wouldn’t automatically shoot someone so human even if it did have wings. It made perfect sense. But the humans paid for the discovery with their lives.”

  Suddenly sick of looking at the photos, Avery flipped the stack back onto the desk and hid the faces away. She posted herself on the wooden table and folded her arms again. After a moment, she voiced what came next.

  “I understand it was probably just bad luck on their part. They ran into the harpies and were killed. But harpies just don’t hang around the middle of nowhere. What’s the third factor?” Avery asked.

  Leela was far from the person Avery thought knowledgeable on harpies. In fact, if her instinct hadn’t kept her asking, she’d have been bothered by the fact that Leela brought up anything at all. Leela was quick to answer anyways.

  “I wondered that. But then the simplest answer is usually the best one. I mean, what do harpies and this whole state have in common?”

  Avery perked up, catching sight of Leela’s brown eyes. There was no doubt in them.

  “Me of course,” Avery could only manage to whisper. Mason was right to worry. He was so very right. And nothing about that could stop the crippling guilt that seized her. Had these men died because she had to come home? If Leela saw her eyes glisten, she didn’t comment directly on it.

  “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I wasn’t sure it was happening here and I wasn’t sure it was even safe at the harpie island with Mason. But I watched for a while, mapped it out. They always get close to Mayweather but never came straight to it. I never thought...not this soon.”

  Leela gestured towards the map the second time around. The orange stickies made more sense. And she was right. The attacks all circled Mayweather. Avery cleared her throat and managed to speak. She’d been through shock and heartbreak before. She knew that meant one thing: she had to keep thinking and had to keep moving. She could cry about it later.

  “They can feel the magic. Adalyn was probably circling, maybe even waiting, and then she rushed over when she felt it. I don’t understand why she wouldn’t have just waited at Mayweather though,” Avery explained. Her mind went to Adalyn’s beaten and bloodied appearance. “It was so weird, Leela. Adalyn had been run through the ringer. She said she’d came to warn me about something, but maybe that something had chased her off before she’d gotten the chance. It would explain why she wasn’t just sitting in one place.”

  “Warn you about what? The woman’s already tried to kill you, Avery. Tell me you’re not taking that bait.” Leela headed for her desk and dug through the drawers after dismissing Avery’s thought. She pulled out another paper but held it to her chest. “I think it’s about Samuel. Her father died when he tried to protect us, right? Something tells me she’s probably a little angry about it. One more photo, Avery. Then this is all I’ve got and you’ll know everything I do.” Leela fished the last printed paper out of the pile and held it out. Avery’s throat closed. In splotchy black ink sat a building burned to ashes. A caption and location sat in the corner, but Avery didn’t need to see “Portland Oregon” printed in the font.

  “Samuel’s compound.” It had been burnt to the ground. Crooked timbers and clumps of dirt made up the massive building Avery had stayed in barely a few months ago. Avery could almost smell the bitter smoke.

  Samuel had died a few months ago, but apparently someone felt the need to destroy his home too. Avery glanced towards the date. Two weeks after Mikhail’s demise and too recent to be connected to any other incident. Her mind kept branching out into too many directions for Avery to focus on just one thought. She chided Leela instead.

  “Thank you for the research but never pull this stunt again,” Avery said. Her fingers blindly sought her cell phone and she dialed the digits as she raised it to her ear. Mason’s number rang but didn’t answer. Voicemail reaching her, she let out a breath. Perfect timing for this one, Mason, Avery snipped mentally.

  Their door snapped open so quickly, Avery flinched. Everything she held dropped and skidded over the floor. It took another second for her to recognize Nate. He went straight for Leela. Avery dodged out of the way before the two could embrace, and she pressed against the bed.

  “I called the state troopers.” Nate said, breaking away from Leela and making eye contact with Avery. “School’s security was also alerted but they aren’t armed. The numbers will probably give them an advantage anyways. They’re searching the woods.”

  Avery’s jaw slackened.

  “Are you insane?” she accused.

  “Insane would be doing nothing! The stupid birds only got us the last time because we waited. Besides, they won’t come if they’re outnumbered.”

  Avery eventually nodded, still bothered by it. The delivery harpie might have still been somewhere in the woods. Even if police weren’t attacked, one of the world’s biggest secrets might be let out. Avery hit redial on her phone as if some extra seconds between calls would have made the difference. The voicemail answered again by the time Leela had drawn away from Nate.

  Avery reluctantly settled on her bed and Leela joined her. The tight weight of anxiety still managed to loosen as the minutes ticked by. Avery mused. Adalyn hadn’t even lifted a finger to touch her. Nothing about it seemed right. It didn’t seem scary or typical. Trying to let her mind stay on it and cause her own exhaustion to rise, she rested her head against the wall and let her eyes close. The room was warm and her eyelids heavy. She fell asleep to the sound of nearby students creeping through the vents and laughter and clatter sounded through the hallways. And yet it took another hour for anyone to really speak and Avery to stir.

  “Avery, the attacks have been sparse. I don’t think Adalyn will be coming back for a while anyways. Not according to the statistics.” Leela went to the map she’d already shown Avery. She had learned to use her numbering skills for something other than class.

  Avery nodded in agreement. Nate was the only one who paced now. The boy refused to ever even call the creatures by their real names—birds, pigeons, fre
aks, were his terms of choice. He probably refused to acknowledge them because he refused to believe in them. Only the torn-up hood of his car and map that was laden with highlights on the wall wouldn’t necessarily let him forget. He was just afraid now and acting on fear.

  She took the moment to glance between him and Leela. They’d never been quite so lovey dovey before. The clear desperation and sentiment made the entire room feel all warm and fuzzy. Oddest of all, Avery had already approved the relationship. The two would protect each other. Just like she and Mason did—just without the head bashing.

  Nate’s phone rang and the guy chatted with somebody while Leela shifted to perch herself on the bed next to Avery.

  “Are you okay? I forgot to ask if the harpie had hurt you,” she asked with genuine concern in her brown eyes.

  “More than fine. Just gave me a start.”

  “They didn’t find anyone in the woods? Not anywhere?” Nate said on the phone, grabbing their attention for a moment. Avery guessed the delivery harpie had gotten away. Or Adalyn had taken him. Neither option made her feel overly optimistic, but at least the world wouldn’t be overturned by the supernatural tonight.

  “Good. So the woman thought better of it and jetted off for another month. At least that’ll give us more time to study for finals,” Leela said.

  “Everything that has happened recently and you’re thinking about tests?” The laugh burst from Avery without restraint. Some of the anxiety eased. Leela rolled her shoulder innocently.

  “You of all people should be thinking about it. I can help you in all the classes, but that English essay is going to be nothing but work.”

  “Thanks. So you’re not worried about everything? Like me having to run off shortly again?”

  “I am. I am horribly worried. Once again, Avery is back at school and in terrible danger.” Leela’s words were echoed with the wobble in her voice. But she continued, growing only stronger. “But in the meantime, I’m really glad you’re back. I’m glad we’ll have senior year together.” Leela smiled, and for once, Avery remembered what it was like to be home.

  Four

  Strange for spring, the temperature had to be well over a hundred degrees in the classroom. Or at least it certainly felt like that. She rubbed the palm of her hands on her jeans vigorously until her pencil rolled off the desk and hit the floor. Avery cringed at the resounding clack in made in the otherwise silent classroom. She allowed her eyes to drift over the hunched bodies of her classmates, to the clock posted at the front of the room. After fighting for her life with vicious harpies for months now, Avery had forgotten how hard it was to pass a frikkin’ high school test.

  She couldn’t stay focused. Only an hour again—or more appropriately only ten pages—and her mind kept drifting back to Mason. Her cell had been turned off and tucked into the pocket of her tote as it waited more patiently for the end of the test than she did. But what if Mason had been trying to call her? Would he interpret the lack of response to come busting in or would he have learned to take his time by now? She’d done nothing but blow up his phone since his lack of response still kept her on edge.

  A forced cough made her head rise but she paused when she saw Leela’s wild gesture. The test still sat on her desk and her pencil still sat on the floor. Avery’s eyes landed back on the blackened inkjets words. Constitutional laws. Fun topic. She let her Willow-tattooed hand drop, and fumble around in her bag for a spare pencil.

  She took the extra minute to scan how many small essays she had left. Five. Too many. Five more questions to do in the short amount of time left in class. Avery wished she could have blamed the lack of knowledge of this one on missing a good chunk of the semester. But with Leela’s outlines and every resource available to her, missing time wasn’t what was holding Avery up. Rather than studying a text book, she’d been studying maps. The image of the Alaskan coast had burned into the back of her eyelids with the red pins creating an awkward circle. She’d considered what to tell Mason on more than one occasion to truly explain the circumstances to him.

  She barely heard the timer buzz, but saw the teacher’s aide march up and snatch the test free from her desk. The twitchy aide circled the classroom and only when the last bundle of packets was in her arms did she announce their freedom.

  Leela appeared at the side of the desk before Avery even stood.

  “Brutal.” Avery got the first word in at least.

  “Expected,” Leela commented.

  Avery stretched to let the tension out of her shoulders.

  “Where does this put us?”

  “We need to review our English papers a final time but since we’ve earned it and have the weekend coming up, we can take a break tonight and clear our minds as needed.” Leave it to Leela to schedule relaxing. The girl already planned her panic attacks. Avery tried to hide her smile in her sleeve as she hoisted her tote back over her shoulder.

  “Define relaxation for me,” Avery said as they shuffled out of the room. For what it was worth, the two girls were the only ones who managed to keep their heads up. They walked outside and with the temperature abruptly dropping, the air became so much more comfortable. They headed towards the mess hall with practiced quickness.

  “Well there’s a party tonight—don’t give me that face. When’s the next time you’re going to go to a high school party?”

  Avery kept up the cringe. They reached the cafeteria and Leela slipped in first. The assembly line was free to students, but no one ever got greedy with the bland food here. Well, except for after a final. They didn’t even have to think before grabbing an extra box of fries or that second Mountain Dew.

  “Hopefully never. High schoolers don’t even like high school parties. That’s why they save it till college where they can actually get some alcohol that didn’t cost ten cents per gallon,” Avery over-exaggerated a little bit. Mayweather had some wealthy students that were willing to drive to the end of the Earth to pick up name brands in fancy bottles. Nate being one of them, their ‘in’ was ensured. Although it still wouldn’t make her opinion about the parties change.

  They dropped into a pair of empty seats where Leela finally had the free hands to waggle a finger.

  “Stop that. You’re being all high and mighty all of the sudden. The parties aren’t for drinking. The parties are for socializing. And we know it’d take a ton of drinks for a guy to even talk to you with that attitude.”

  Leela called it out cold. Avery groaned overdramatically.

  “I’ll come for you. But I don’t need to be chatted up by any guy who will take a swing at hooking up for no other reason than school is ending.” Even with Avery’s infallible logic, Leela’s lips twitched downwards.

  “No hooking up. There are some nice guys out there. Not that you’ve ever paid attention. It wouldn’t kill you to talk to someone else.” Leela turned her attention down to the food and let her voice drop off.

  A retort hovered at the edge of Avery’s tongue because it was another of Leela’s poorly hidden swings at Mason. Avery didn’t let any words escape. She sensed it now, that foreboding feeling that tickled her spine. She was inviting a fight with her best friend the last weeks of school. She took a moment to gather herself and wash the expression from her face. Her bag abruptly felt like it weighed two tons so she dropped it onto the floor, her eyes pinned for a second on her phone that waited inside.

  “Where is this party anyways?” Avery hedged in an attempt to control the conversation.

  “The woods behind the dorm.”

  Of course it was in the woods, it was always in the woods.

  “Well, not to be a Debbie-downer but you of all people should be telling me to stay indoors.”

  “Look, I’ve been tracking the harpie movement and it’s so far away. This isn’t a reason to stop living your life, and besides, there are a lot of people around.” Leela was oddly adamant. While the girl was stubborn to the bone, the source of the stubbornness Avery couldn’t follow. She should have been
level-headed or overly worried—not audacious and pushy with the party.

  “What about Nate? Does he think its okay?”

  Leela answered a bit too quickly. “I don’t know. I don’t have to go everywhere and do everything with Nate.” She took a breath and continued the next part slowly. “Look, Mason hasn’t answered you yet, has he?”

  Sufficiently distracted, Avery couldn’t help her face falling.

  “No.” Avery’s fingers snagged her phone up, turned it on, and hit redial with lighting speed. She tossed the phone towards Leela, but before it even reached the girl, Mason’s voicemail had already picked up.

  “Hmm…” Leela feigned some interest while turning it off. She placed the Nokia off to the side to leave it ignored and forgotten.