Airwoman
Page 11
“What are you—?” Jade asked.
“I’m coming,” Neve interrupted. She forced a smile, but there was fear in her eyes.
“What… why?”
“I know.” Neve frowned and looked up towards the Portal. Neve had never shown any interest in going off-world. On the contrary, she’d always been afraid of it. “I have to,” Neve said. “To be admitted to the Healer Guild, I have to complete this assignment.”
“Assignment?”
“I’m to examine the bodies of the murdered Travellers and determine the cause of death. I have to arrange for repatriation of the bodies.” A shudder went through Neve’s wings, making the yellow scales flash as they caught the light. “Otherwise, I would never go.”
Jade glanced at her wing, then looked quickly away, pushing aside the memory of Neve’s accident.
“My parents are hoping I’ll love it, this trip.” Neve continued. “They want me to put this healing folly behind me and go into the Force like every other self-respecting Taraqan.” Neve’s shoulders sagged a little. “I didn’t repeat their views to the Chief Healer.”
Jade suppressed a giggle. “He wouldn’t take it well.”
Neve shook her head, her eyes dancing now. “He certainly wouldn’t agree to my surgery, if he knew.”
Jade frowned slightly. “Surgery?”
Neve blushed. “The reconstructive surgery I’d need on my wing to be able to serve in the Force.”
“That’s possible? That’s great!” Jade reached out for Neve’s hand, but she moved it away.
“I’m not doing it. I was just saying…if I did, I’d need the Chief Healer’s permission.”
Jade gaped at her friend. “What’s holding you back?”
Neve shrugged.
“But…” Jade shook her head. “Why?”
Neve pressed her lips together, staring across the courtyard. “It’s not the most important thing,” she said, finally.
Jade bit down a reply. Neve was her oldest friend, but they’d drifted apart since the accident. Her physical disability had cut her out of a normal Taraqan life.
Guilt stirred in her stomach now. If Jade hadn’t caused her accident, maybe they’d be standing together in black uniforms.
“If it’s money you need…” Jade started. “I could—”
“No,” Neve said, cutting her off.
Then Vance’s voice boomed over the courtyard, calling the Squadron to attention.
“You know where we’re going and why. Those of you who’ve flown with me before know I have high standards. I expect results. We have a duty to the memory of our fellow Travellers that I intend to honour. I expect each and every one of you to do the same.” Vance looked around the courtyard until his eyes fell on Jade, narrowing slightly. “And… in case any of you get lost…” A titter ran through the crowd. Jade couldn’t help thinking Vance was saying this for her benefit. “Remember to look out for Premye’s marker.” Vance held up a round disc with the symbol of a tree embossed on it. It was similar to the symbols printed on the auction lists to denote which world an artefact came from. She’d never seen the symbol for Premye before. “Fly swift and arrive alive. I’ll see you on the other side.”
With those words, Vance spread his wings and, with a swish of his tail, sprang into the air. There was a scramble of movement. The Travellers who were scattered around the courtyard quickly assembled into order and leapt into the air with a practiced fluidity. Jade watched Vance fly up until he was level with Our Lady Taraqa’s nose. He held out a hand to brush it as he flew past, a gesture Jade knew as a prayer for safe return.
Every Traveller behind him made the same prayer as they rose into the sky.
Someone bumped her shoulder. Jade tore her eyes away from the ascending formation to see Cajun smirking at her. He elbowed Glade, who didn’t smile back.
“Great,” Glade snapped. “Newbie and some girl with a busted wing. Anyone else we’re supposed to babysit? Good choice of colour, by the way.” He looked straight at Neve then rolled his eyes. Neve stood in stark contrast to the rest of the Travellers, staring down at her white robes.
“Like a beacon for Yrax,” Cajun said and Neve blanched.
They were some of the last left in the courtyard when Glade tossed them a glance. “You’d better keep up. We’re not missing the action for you two.”
Glade spread his wings and leapt into the air, followed by Cajun a fraction of a second later. Neither of them looked back to see whether Jade or Neve were following.
Jade swallowed and looked at Neve, who looked pale as she pulled at her white clothing.
“Don’t worry,” Jade whispered to her friend. “Just follow me. You’ll be fine.” Then, in a rush to make sure she wasn’t left behind, Jade spread her wings and sprang into the air too, keeping her eyes on Cajun as she ascended.
When she passed Our Lady Taraqa, Jade pressed her hand against Her golden snout, the smooth metal cold under her fingertips. A puff of smoke escaped Her nostrils—emitted from the sacred fires the priests kept burning in Her belly—and Jade snatched her hand away in surprise. She reeled backwards, and spread her wings to steady herself. Then, tearing her eyes away from Our Lady, she beat her wings forcefully and rose into the forbidding sky.
* * *
The air swirled, tossing her back and forth, as though the clouds were playing with her. Jade flicked her tail, her rudder in the winds, and beat her wings into the headwind. She fixed her eyes on Cajun, directly ahead of her.
Cajun disappeared into the grey clouds. Jade pushed forward, feeling a stab of panic that she’d lost her visual on the person she’d been counting on to lead her through the Portal. Without him, she had no idea where to go. Adrenalin pulsed as she beat her wings harder, thrusting herself forward.
Her panic overcame revulsion as she approached the Portal clouds. The Betwixt protected itself by emitting a strong sense of unease, an inexplicable desire to turn back or avoid the area. Generally, it stopped anyone from accidentally crossing into the Betwixt.
She knew she’d need to steel herself against the repulsion of the Betwixt to pass through it. Leuven had said it was a test of character. Jade supposed she was about to find out whether she had what it took to be a Traveller.
With another beat of her wings, Jade was surrounded by fog. She gulped down air and looked below. She could only just see Neve, straining to keep up and desperately afraid. Jade waved to her, trying to be encouraging, but even as she lifted her hand, Neve was obscured by the fog. She hoped Neve would follow. Jade flicked her tail to turn towards where Cajun had disappeared.
Then the air thickened and changed.
Panic surged through her as her senses shut down. She couldn’t see, she couldn’t hear—nothing but the thudding of her own pulse in her ears. The wind stilled and she lost the scent of the salty air.
The atmosphere closed around her, smothering her. It clung to her, as though she was suddenly swimming—suspended in a strange, grainy gel, like nothing she’d ever felt before. Jade was stuck, scrambling frantically but not moving forward. The blinding darkness did nothing to assuage her panic. She felt completely alone and utterly helpless. Paralysed.
Jade screamed out for help, but no sound came from her mouth. She was reminded of nightmares she’d sometimes had: of running but going nowhere, of screaming but not making a sound, of knowing her eyes were open but seeing nothing.
She paddled her arms and kicked her legs, faster and faster. Her wings beat back and forth, though it was a labour to move them in the thick atmosphere. She opened her mouth, trying to call for help.
Someone caught her hand and a face appeared directly in front. Michael stared back at her. His hands touched her face, patting her cheeks. He motioned with one hand, mimicking taking a breath in, then out. The rhythm of his wings followed the same steady pattern. She forced herself to copy him, breathing in and purposefully exhaling. She made an effort to calm down, to stop kicking and scrabbling frantically. She took anot
her breath, steadying.
Though forced, it calmed her and allowed her to think more clearly. Jade’s hand brushed the dragonfly and she remembered her promise to Zorman. She dropped one of the docks, hoping it was close enough to the Portal for the signal to work. As she moved on, the dock remained suspended where she’d let go of it, floating.
Michael pointed ahead. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she saw shapes moving ahead, but her vision was severely limited.
He tugged her hand, urging her forward. Jade copied his wing motion to push through the atmosphere, but it was such a huge effort just to move a fraction.
Then she realised she’d forgotten Neve.
She pulled against Michael’s firm grip, turned and peered into the darkness. A white shape moved and relief washed over her. Neve’s white robes were much easier to see than the Travellers black uniforms.
Letting go of Michael’s hand was like leaving a lifeline but Jade waded towards the white shape. As she approached, she saw Neve more clearly. Her eyes were wide with fear and her mouth rounded in a silent scream. She moved a frantic and uncoordinated manner which had little effect in the thick atmosphere of the Betwixt. With one hand, Jade reached out to grab Neve. With the other, she dropped a dock into the Betwixt.
She looked at Neve, trying to reassure her, but her own heart pounded and her nerves were on edge. Then Michael was next to her, taking her hand again. Jade clung to Neve, unwilling to let go of her friend as they made slow progress toward the rest of the Squadron.
Ahead of her, Michael drew apart, but Jade could see the others now. She remembered to drop another two docks as she moved.
The Betwixt quashed Jade’s sense of time and space. She had no idea which direction she was moving or how far she’d come. She was suspended in impenetrable darkness in every direction. It was impossible to know how far apart she’d spaced the docks, but Zorman had given her plenty so she figured she’d just keep dropping them until she ran out.
As they moved towards the Squadron, Jade pulled Neve behind, unwilling to lose her again. Fear clawed at her throat and she used precious energy battling it. The going was tough enough, but hauling Neve was worse—she weighed on Jade like an anchor.
By the time they caught up with the Squadron, Jade was exhausted. She didn’t know how long she’d be able to keep this up.
She grabbed the fabric of a shirt in front of her. Cajun turned around and, seeing Jade, grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. Then he turned away and held up his hand in a fist.
The Squadron started moving immediately. Cajun let go of her arm and moved away. Jade looked over at Neve, who seemed no less afraid.
Jade’s muscles screamed out for relief. Her arm holding Neve felt like it had been wrenched out of its socket, but they could not fall behind. If the other Travellers got more than about a body’s length away, they would disappear. Then Jade and Neve would be lost again.
She dropped a dock, and wondered how far they’d come.
She dropped a dock, and wondered how much farther they needed to go.
She dropped a dock, and wondered if they’d ever make it.
She dropped a dock, and wondered how they’d ever find their way back.
Jade made herself focus on the faint image of Cajun’s wings in front of her. She was afraid to blink, in case she lost him. She dropped another dock and hoped they would be there soon; she only had one dock left.
Every time she let her mind wander, fear gripped her, squeezing the breath out of her, threatening to paralyse her again.
She visualised Michael’s movements, breathing in and out, slowly and with purpose.
Out of nowhere, a moaning sound grated on her. With a start, she realised she had heard no other sound since she’d entered the Betwixt. The moaning grew louder, though Jade wasn’t sure if it was a sound at all. It seemed to make the thick atmosphere around her vibrate, louder and louder all the time.
Jade’s throat all but closed over. She blinked, taking her eyes off Cajun’s mottled wings just for a moment, to glance around. When she looked back, Cajun had disappeared into the dark. She forgot about her breathing and fear pulsated through her with every rapid heartbeat. Her wings beat faster, frantically, and she started scrambling with her hands and feet trying to propel herself faster through the murky suspension. Her head turned side to side, up and down. She could feel someone, something watching her, but she was blind to it.
The horrifying, vibrating sound trebled and Jade put her hands over her ears to block it out; she felt a panicked urge to keep moving, to flee.
She looked at Neve, a beacon of white beside her, whose eyes mirrored her own terror. Neve was scrambling as well, clutching at Jade’s arm like a lifeline. Neve’s fear radiating from her, adding to the disturbance in the grainy atmosphere.
The vibrating sounds raked over her, sending spasms down her back. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but no sound came out. Jade had the sense the terrible thing behind them was gaining on them, stalking its prey, playing with its food before the feast.
Nobody was going to help them now.
Jade was struck by the terrible truth of it.
They would never make it out of this place. She and Neve would die here.
Jade thought of Mama and the twins. She thought of Papa, unable to rest. She thought of Axel’s betrayal. Now, she wouldn’t be able to make any of it right. She had failed.
Jade’s head drooped. The screeching, vibrating sound increased, and Jade grated her teeth.
She couldn’t think with this assault on her senses.
Then, suddenly, there it was.
Jade’s head jerked upwards, her eyes darted around. She felt it again, crisp and fresh.
Air.
She caught the scent of it and felt it at the same time. It seemed to part the thick muck of the Betwixt, diluting it.
The Portal.
They were close. So close.
Jade quickly dropped her last dock as she reached out to grab Neve’s hand. She had a direction now. Hope.
Neve’s hand was like solid rock. She didn’t move as Jade tugged at her.
Jade drew her eyes away from the direction of hope to look at her friend. Then every fibre of her body shook with the effort of trying to scream.
* * *
Out of the darkness, two eyes fixed on Jade, the third eye in its enormous bulbous head watched Neve. It slid effortlessly through the grainy atmosphere, its eight long tentacles bringing the monstrous creature toward its prey.
Towards them.
Its mouth opened wide, revealing three rows of razor-sharp teeth. A tentacle reached out and Jade saw the tip pointed into a claw.
A Yrax.
As children, Basalt had crawled into her bed one night and scared her silly with stories of Yrax—beasts that patrolled the Betwixt to devour and destroy any who came into their realm. Always hungry, they devoured worlds, destroying all life. Basalt had told her that without the Travellers who patrolled the Portals and the Betwixt constantly, the Yrax would escape their prison, come to get her and eat her; they would devour her very soul.
After her screaming in the night, Mama and Papa had sternly told Basalt never to tell her stories like that again. But they never denied the truth of them. As she’d grown up, her fear of the Yrax had lessened. Though rationally, she knew the Yrax were the reason the Traveller Force existed, the terror was not real to her.
Until now.
The monster looming up ahead was worse than anything she’d imagined, even in the worst of her childhood nightmares.
The inside of her head rattled as she tried, unsuccessfully, to scream again. Neve was scrambling backwards, away from the Yrax, but her movements were no more effective than Jade’s, and neither could escape the approaching beast.
The Yrax snapped its mouth shut and the force of the vibrations echoed inside her mind. Jade reeled. She got another whiff of fresh air.
They had to flee. That was their only hope.
Unlike Jade.
She had yearned for this day for as long as she could remember. She was a Traveller: this was what she’d always wanted.
Jade heaved on Neve’s hand, pulling her toward the source of fresh air. Then she manoeuvred her body between the Yrax and her friend. It blinked, turning all three eyes onto her.
Jade hovered in place and reached for her belt. She pulled out her bow and arrow. She aimed at the monster’s middle eye, her heart pounding in her ears. Jade drew back the string.
A screech deafened her. The Yrax leapt, striking out at her with a long-clawed tentacle. The sudden movement and screeching vibrations sent Jade reeling backwards. The arrow flew wide of its target and disappeared into the dark.
Jade fumbled with the quiver that held her arrows. Her head throbbed like it would explode. The thick atmosphere pressed down on her and all Jade could see was the Yrax, its wide-open mouth and long, clawed tentacles. Her hand closed around an arrow and she tried to draw the bow again, but the Yrax was too close.
It moved faster than she ever could. Jade lashed out with the arrow in her hand, scraping the underside of a tentacle. The Yrax reared back, emitting a dreadful shriek, but it gave her only a moment’s respite. It curled its injured tentacle, pulling it into itself, then another swung out at her, slashing at her with its claw.
Jade lurched backwards again. But her movements were sluggish, and the claw lodged in her shoulder. She opened her mouth to scream but the sound didn’t escape her. Instead it ricocheted around her body, intensifying the pain.
The pain.
White hot. Searing.
It overwhelmed her mind, diverting her thoughts inward to the source of it. Nothing could survive this. No one. It was death. She was finished.
Acceptance enfolded her and her body stilled, sinking slowly. The pain overcame all resistance. Jade waited for the killer bite to come, for the devouring to commence. She doubted she could possibly be in any more pain than she was right now.