Airwoman

by Zara Quentin

  They had sparred for hours, with Michael stopping often to point out her mistakes or show her new moves. It had begun playfully enough, but as the shadows shortened, then lengthened again in the other direction, and the pain in her shoulder had worsened, she’d grown sullen then snapped. The last time Jade had snapped at him, Michael had told her to go and cool down. It had taken a long soak in the sea to wash off the sand, ease her muscles and cool her temper.

  Now as Jade looked up at his sheepish face and raised eyebrow, she felt foolish. She scooted aside to make room for him and started to apologise, but he stopped her.

  “Let’s leave it in the ring, eh? Time to eat.” He grinned.

  He sat next to her, in front of a small fire that crackled and hissed, and absorbed Jade’s exhausted attention. Their shoulders touched as they sat, though there was plenty of room to his other side. Jade found she didn’t mind his closeness and when Michael looked sideways at her, Jade smiled and leaned her tired head against his shoulder.

  They both ate without speaking. The food was bland and lukewarm, but she gulped it down, as if she’d never eaten before.

  A twig snapped next to her and she looked up from her plate to see Glade and Cajun approach their small fire, dropping down to sit across from them. She swallowed down a lump of stale food, feeling it stick as it went down.

  “Thought we’d check up on you, Newbie,” Cajun said, shoving a chunk of flatbread into his mouth.

  “You’ve been rostered on tomorrow,” Glade said. Jade tensed. “You think you’re ready?”

  “She’ll be fine,” Michael said. His easy-going grin had disappeared, his mouth set into a thin line. “No thanks to you two.”

  Glade shrugged. “We can’t all spend our time lazing on the beach chatting up women.”

  Jade flushed. “We weren’t—”

  A muscle in Michael’s jaw twitched. “You’re supposed to be looking out for her.”

  Glade glared at Michael and for a moment they faced off with expressions of mutual dislike. Jade was surprised to see him like this—defensive, territorial. She reached out to squeeze Michael’s hand and noticed Cajun watching the exchange with interest.

  “She has spent the last two days sunbathing, as far as I can tell,” Glade said.

  “What are you—?” Jade protested, withdrawing her hand and clenching her fist.

  “Both of you,” Glade cut her off this time. “While the rest of us are pulling double shifts to find these cursed Premyans. Filthy murderers.”

  Jade almost flinched at the hatred in his voice. Michael was tense next to her.

  “No sign of them today?” she asked, hoping to diffuse the conflict between them.

  There was a pause.

  “Nope,” Cajun answered for Glade. “This jungle’s so thick, it’s impossible to see anything. No sign of a settlement. Nothing. Vance thinks it’s closer to the mountains. But we can’t catch one to demand they take us there. They’re cursed quick.”

  “So, we keep looking,” Jade murmured. At least it gave her longer to find Axel. Though, if the jungle was so thick, she wasn’t sure how she was going to do that either.

  “That’d be your advice to the Squadron Leader, would it, Newbie?” Glade spat.

  Jade gasped.

  “Don’t talk to her like that,” Michael said.

  Jade put a hand on Michael’s arm. “What else can we do?”

  “Capture one of the cursed murderers and make them talk. By any means necessary. That’s my vote,” Cajun said. Jade’s mouth dropped open. Surely he was joking? But even Cajun didn’t wear his trademark smirk. His expression was serious. Jade looked at Michael, who shook his head. His eyes were hard, their usual twinkle absent.

  “And you call yourself a Traveller,” Michael stood up. “I’m not listening to this anymore. I’m going to bed.”

  Jade watched him leave, letting the silence draw out. All she could hear was the crackle of the fire. None of them spoke. Jade remembered the stories Papa had told her about his time in the Traveller Force. It had never seemed like this.

  “You’re just joking, right?” Jade finally asked. “Vance wouldn’t actually order us to…” She trailed off at the glare Glade turned on her.

  “These cursed barbarians murdered our people. People who sacrifice their lives to protect them from monsters they can’t even imagine. Another one of our own died today.” Glade raised himself to standing, pointing at the tree line. “My friend. Murdered.” His eyes glittered with anger and his wings shifted as tension radiated from his body.

  Jade had to look up to Glade as he stepped around the fire and stood over her. His words settled on her like a shroud. Travellers were being murdered and, though she hadn’t known them personally, they had been somebody’s friends and loved ones. Of course, they needed justice too. But torture?

  “I’m—” She started, wanting to offer her condolences at least.

  “You don’t know anything, Newbie.” Glade jabbed a finger at her, before storming off into the night. Jade watched his retreating figure as he disappeared into the camp.

  Then she looked at her unfinished meal. “I guess he’s having a bad day,” she murmured to herself.

  “Scosse and Denger ordered a quick operation. In and out.” Cajun spoke up from the other side of the fire. The flames made his face shimmer and move in the darkness. “Vance won’t disappoint them. Special Protective Ops Division is the best of the best. We don’t disappoint. That’s how it works.”

  “But you’re talking about—”

  “This isn’t some happily-ever-after fairytale, Newbie. Get used to it.”

  Jade shook her head, standing. Travellers were being killed, sure, but to torture native people just so their mission didn’t take too long?

  Or maybe so no more Travellers would die, she reminded herself. She curled her hand around her neck chain, trying to make sense of it.

  “If you don’t like it, maybe you should find the settlement yourself. With all your experience, I’m sure you’ll succeed where we’ve failed.” Cajun sneered.

  Jade clenched her teeth. The jab hurt, but he was right. Everyone here was more experienced, more knowledgeable and better skilled. She suddenly felt too hot and wanted to get away from this fire, from this conversation.

  Jade started to walk away when Cajun spoke again. “Make sure you stay with that partner of yours tomorrow. I’d hate to tell Zorman that you were the next victim.”

  His words rang in her ears as she walked away.

  * * *

  The sun was high in the sky when Jade flew out on her first patrol. The wind whipped at her hair and streamed over her wings as she glided over the jungle. Her heart jittered at the thought of what could be hiding beneath the dense canopy. The huge trees obscured everything.

  Struggling to focus on her task, she wondered now whether Glade’s reaction last night was more than just grief. Perhaps he was also frustrated because the operation was proving so much more difficult than anyone had imagined. Still, she couldn’t condone Cajun’s solution. It made her sick to even think about.

  Travellers didn’t resort to torture. She clenched her fists. They didn’t.

  She looked at Michael, flying ahead on her left. They were patrolling the southern section of the cove, on the eastern bank of the river. Michael didn’t look at her; he scanned the ground below. Jade forced herself to concentrate. They were looking for signs of a settlement, but all she saw was an undulating carpet of green.

  She massaged her shoulder with one hand. The ache was getting worse. Before she’d flown out, she’d asked Neve for an early dose of painkillers but Neve had refused—reminding Jade of the addictive qualities of the bitter liquid—and had renewed her objections about Jade going on patrol. After dreaming again of Papa—the same dream, the same words—Jade woke with a sense of urgency. She needed to act. She needed relief so she could push through the pain and avenge her father’s death.

  She was unwilling to risk being sent bac
k to Taraqa for missing a patrol. She needed answers. Every day, every moment, it gnawed at her. Why? Why would Axel kill her father? Her chest ached every time she thought of him. She’d thought they were friends. More than friends. Had he really played her for a fool? She could barely believe it, but Zorman had been so sure. Her uncle had never let her down before.

  Papa’s killer was free and she couldn’t leave it that way, she couldn’t live with that. No, she had to do something. Going on patrol seemed as good a start as any.

  So, Jade had shrugged off Neve’s advice, deciding her shoulder was all right. Now, in the air, as the pain worsened, she wasn’t sure she’d made the right decision. But what else could she do?

  In the last three days, three members of their Squadron had been killed. Their throats had been cut and they’d been left on the edge of the beach for someone to find. Nobody had seen anything. No one had found a single clue.

  Around camp, there was a distinct sense of anger. How could a bunch of primitive, backwards people sneak around under the wings of a whole camp of Travellers without anyone in the Squadron seeing anything? The constant oppressive heat only added to the frayed nerves among them.

  When Jade had rested in the healing tent, she’d seen the bodies brought in for examination. Neve had spent hours observing them, murmuring quietly to herself. Vance had stormed in regularly, demanding updates, but Neve refused to confirm a cause of death, telling him it was more complex than it appeared. She’d tried to explain her observations, but Vance had waved away her words, saying he needed answers, not more questions.

  Before they’d taken off on patrol, Vance had shouted new orders at them—the patrols were no longer seeking to contact the Premyan leaders. Now, they were ordered to capture Premyans on sight.

  As she beat her wings to keep pace with Michael, Jade felt torn. Of course, she didn’t want any more Travellers to die, but she couldn’t bear to think about how Vance might obtain the information he needed. Her conversation with Glade and Cajun last night had left a bitter taste in her mouth.

  Jade rubbed at her shoulder, rolling it around, as she raked her eyes back and forth over the landscape beneath her.

  Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, there was a movement in the treetops. She squinted, circling around, but kept her eyes fixed on that spot. She curled her fingers around the smooth metal of her bow and pulled it from her belt in readiness; she heard her heartbeat over the wind whistling in her ears.

  Michael continued in the same trajectory, oblivious to the distraction. She was momentarily torn—she was supposed to be following his lead, but couldn’t ignore what she’d seen either. No, she’d quickly investigate then catch up.

  Jade dropped lower, hovering above the treetops as she scanned the area. There was no movement now—had she lost it? Or imagined it? Perhaps the forest was playing tricks on her eyes. She’d been staring at this blanket of green for too long.

  She was about to follow Michael when the corner of her eye caught movement again. Jade held her breath as she peered at the spot. She dropped closer until she was only a few handspans away from the forest canopy. Peering into the leaves, she saw the outline of a figure in the branches.

  She hesitated, a frisson of fear running down her spine. Should she call for reinforcements? Should she attack? Jade looked ahead to where Michael flew, still oblivious to her absence. He was too far away—if she called out, she would draw attention to herself and either scare the figure away or cause it to attack. No, she needed to handle this herself.

  Her throat tightened and her knuckles were white where she held the bow at the ready. All over, her skin broke into a sheen of sweat.

  The leaves moved again and the figure was revealed.

  She drew in a sharp breath. At that moment, the figure looked directly upwards. Their eyes met.

  It was Axel.

  14

  Jade’s heart stammered, then skipped a beat. She and Axel stared at each other. Everything else disappeared as Jade looked into his eyes. A warm glow spread out from her chest and relief washed the tension from her body. A smile shaped her lips and her hand was halfway raised in a wave, when she remembered the reason she’d come.

  Here was the man who had killed her father and she was smiling at him? Waving at him?

  Smothering an expression of shock, Axel beckoned her. Jade clenched her bow again, hesitating a moment before dropping lower to approach him.

  All of her senses were focused on Axel and her skin prickled with anticipation. She was drawn to him, hope thrumming in her veins. Jade dropped closer again, loosening the grip on her bow. It wouldn’t hurt to give him an opportunity to explain himself, right?

  As she approached the treetops, Jade heard a bird call. One of the strange but beautiful sounds she’d heard since arriving in Premye.

  Then something whistled by, so close that it startled her. Her instincts kicked in and, beating her wings—twice, three times—she hurled herself backwards. Another whistle, so close that she felt it whisper against her skin. Adrenaline tingled as it coursed through her. She flicked her tail to dart left, then right, in quick spirals that took her higher. She leaned into a sudden roll and saw something sail past, right where she’d been a moment before. Jade gasped, blood pounding in her ears, deafening her. Her skin prickled with the sweat that broke out over her entire body, turning cold in the wind. Her shoulder cramped and she winced, clapping a hand over it. She was afraid she’d been hit, but it was only the old injury, exacerbated.

  The whistling noise stopped when she put some distance between herself and the canopy. She risked a look back to the place she’d seen Axel.

  He was gone.

  Jade clenched her jaw, her body loaded with tension. A moment ago, Axel had been within reach. Then she’d been attacked and he was gone. Jade blinked. Had Axel lured her into a trap?

  Any other explanation was too much of a coincidence. He’d recognised her, beckoned her closer, so she’d be in range for whoever had shot at her.

  Her stomach twisted and Jade felt disgusted at herself. Zorman was right—he’d only showed her what he wanted her to see. He’d wormed his way into her life, made her trust him and then killed her father. Now he was trying to kill her, too.

  Jade clenched her teeth so tight that her jaw ached. What a fool she’d been.

  Again.

  When Jade’s feet sank into the soft sand to the south of the Traveller camp, she was shaking. She bent over, her hands on her knees as she panted for breath. She was hot, clammy and uncomfortable but even more, shame flushed over her. She’d failed on both counts; she’d failed to make contact with either the Premyans or with Axel. Jade blinked as she realised that maybe Axel was leading the Premyan attacks on Travellers. Hadn’t Zorman hinted at that?

  But why? Zorman said Axel was seeking revenge for being dishonourably discharged from the Traveller Force. Did that explain why he’d killed Papa, too? Certainly, Papa had been a Traveller in his youth and passionately supported them even after his retirement from the Force. Jade chewed over the thought for a moment as she straightened up.

  Should she tell Vance about it? Then she’d have to reveal her true purpose here, and what had happened on her first patrol. Jade wasn’t sure that was a good idea—her continued presence in Operation Grave Insult might not stand another mark against her.

  Her shoulder throbbed painfully and Jade clutched it. She was taking deep, controlled breaths when she heard others landing beside her.

  “Hey, Newbie.” It was Cajun.

  “Was that you getting shot at?” And Glade. Jade looked up and found herself flanked by them. “You have a knack for getting into trouble, don’t you?”

  Jade almost laughed out loud. “You have no idea.”

  “We’re not big on babysitting,” Cajun said, ignoring her comment. He looked sideways to smirk at Glade. “But at least you’re providing intel for the mission.”

  “What?”

  “The Premyan’s weapon of choice i
s a blow-dart,” Glade said, holding up a red-tipped dart.

  “Dipped in some kind of weird red goo,” Cajun added, winking at her. Jade gave him an uncertain smile. Was this a sign of acceptance? Cajun slapped her on the shoulder, sending pain shooting down her arm and across her chest. Jade groaned.

  Cajun laughed. “Try not to get yourself killed on the way back to your tent, eh? We’ve got to take this to Vance.”

  “Where’s your partner, anyway?” Glade looked around for Michael. “I thought you two were joined at the hip?”

  Cajun sniggered. Jade blushed deeply and mumbled something about Michael going on ahead. She’d forgotten about him. After separating from him on patrol, she’d returned without searching him out.

  “Trouble in paradise?” Cajun smirked, and her face burned hotter. She avoided their eyes, but Cajun and Glade walked away without waiting for a response.

  Jade looked around for Michael but couldn’t see him anywhere. In the sky, she’d been so shaken by seeing Axel, and the attack, that she’d returned directly to camp. She’d felt so vulnerable, out in the open air. It was so easy for the Premyans to attack while they hid underneath the canopy. She hoped Michael would soon realise they’d been separated and return to camp.

  She should look for him, but Michael was an experienced Traveller; he didn’t need her help. Besides, she couldn’t bear the pain in her shoulder any longer. She went to see Neve. Hopefully, after that, Michael would have returned.

  When Jade stepped into the healing tent, Neve pursed her lips in disapproval.

  “I told you it was too early.”

  “You were right.” Jade tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Her shoulder throbbed so badly now that it eroded her good humour. “Is it time yet?”

  Neve sighed. “This medication is bad for you. It could kill you if you misuse it. Do you understand? You can’t just top it up every time you do something crazy.”

  “Is it time?” Jade asked again, through gritted teeth. She didn’t want a lecture. She just wanted something to take the edge off the pain.