Airwoman

by Zara Quentin

  Neve sighed. “I’ll prepare it.”

  Jade sank down onto a cushion and waited for Neve to return.

  Neve came back with a vial that smelt terrible. Jade wrinkled her nose, then threw the whole lot down in a gulp.

  “Is something up?” Neve asked, when Jade handed back the empty vial.

  “No,” Jade said, then sighed. “Yes. My patrol didn’t go so well.”

  Neve gave her an exasperated look. “If it’s about your shoulder—”

  “It’s not.” Jade found herself wanting to explain. “I saw Axel. He led me into a trap, then got away.” She wasn’t making any sense. “I’ve been such an idiot.”

  “What’s Axel doing here? I didn’t see him with the Operation.” Neve asked.

  “He came here the night Papa died.”

  Neve looked puzzled. Jade fiddled with the pendants on her neck chain. “After what you told me about Papa being… killed, I couldn’t stop thinking. I… I told Zorman.” Jade dropped her gaze, remembering that Neve had told her not to tell anyone. “I didn’t mention you—anyway, Zorman already knew about it. He has evidence linking Axel to Papa’s death and to the murders on Premye too. That’s why I’m here—to find Axel and bring him to justice.”

  There was a pause as Neve seemed to struggle with what Jade had told her. “But Axel was Magnus’ assistant. Your friend. You really think he’s a killer?”

  Jade felt bright spots on her cheeks. “I think he only pretended to like me to get closer to Papa,” she stammered. “All the evidence points to him. He came here right after Papa was killed, when Travellers started dying. Axel hates the Traveller Force. It makes sense.”

  Neve looked down at her hands, the way she did when she was thinking something through. When she finally spoke, her voice was measured. “I don’t know what evidence your uncle has, but… and don’t repeat this, but I don’t think Magnus’ death had anything to do with the deaths of the Travellers here.”

  “What?”

  “Come and look at this.” Neve beckoned to Jade and led her to one of the low pallets that lined one side of the healer tent. Jade saw a row of cadavers, covered with sheets. “See here?” Neve drew back a sheet to reveal the body of a dead Traveller. Jade’s stomach twisted and she tasted bile in the back of her throat. She half-turned away, not wanting to see any more, but Neve didn’t notice her discomfort. Instead, Neve pointed to a small puncture wound on the upper arm, ringed with red. “I think this is some kind of poison, but I’m not sure. Look—” Neve pointed to a slash across the throat. “His throat is cut.”

  Jade covered her nose and mouth, to stop herself from emptying the contents of her stomach all over the bodies. Neve seemed completely unaffected by the ghastly view. And the smell—Jade didn’t understand how she could stand it.

  “All of the bodies are the same.” Neve continued, the dead body still uncovered. Jade caught a glimpse of its eyes—open and staring. It brought back the memory of Papa’s eyes. Jade flinched and wished Neve would pull the sheet over it, but Neve didn’t notice. “What I don’t understand is which wound is the cause of death.”

  “Their throats are slashed. Surely that’s it?” Jade’s voice was muffled by the hand still covering her mouth.

  Neve chewed on her lip, deep in thought. “It’s not as simple as that. The blood pattern isn’t entirely consistent with this type of injury. Maybe that’s because the Travellers were already dead when their throats were cut. This small puncture doesn’t seem like much, but if the implement was poisoned, it could be fatal. But, if they were poisoned, why slash their throats too?” Neve let out a breath. “And another thing puzzles me—how did the Premyans get close enough to slash his throat? Why didn’t the Traveller just fly away? There are no other signs of a struggle on the body. Or any of the others. It’s a puzzle.” Neve’s forehead creased into a frown as she considered this problem.

  A moment passed before Jade cleared her throat. Neve looked up, looking astonished to see her still there.

  “You said the killings weren’t linked to Papa’s death?” Jade prompted.

  Neve’s face lit up. “Yes—I don’t exactly understand the cause of death in these cases. But they don’t match Magnus’ death. Not at all.”

  “Not at all?”

  Neve shook her head. “Magnus didn’t have a mark on him, remember?”

  Jade fiddled with the pendant tied around her wrist. Did that mean Axel might not be to blame for her father’s death? Or did it just mean that he wasn’t to blame for the other Traveller deaths?

  Jade murmured her thanks and was about to leave, when Neve pulled her closer. Looking around to make sure no one else could hear, Neve whispered in her ear.

  “There’s something else you should know. When I was given this assignment, it was made clear to me that I should find the link between these deaths and Magnus’ death.”

  “But you just said there wasn’t one.”

  “Not that I’ve found.” Neve held her gaze. Jade stared back, trying to figure out what Neve was telling her.

  Jade looked down, then quickly averted her eyes from the dead body. Something caught her eye and Jade reached out to pull some coloured threads from the buttonhole in the Traveller’s black shirt, folded neatly next to the pallet. The threads were red, yellow and blue, with several red knots tying the threads together. It reminded Jade of the one that tied Papa’s pendant around her wrist.

  Neve sighed, a frustrated look passing over her fine features. It was an unusual expression for her normally patient friend.

  “That’s probably just blown in from the camp,” Neve said as she took the string from Jade’s hand, and put it into the rubbish bin without a glance. Jade opened her mouth to object but Neve cut her off. “Look, I’m telling you—it was already decided that there was a link between Magnus’ death and the others. I was told to find it.”

  “Even if there isn’t one? Why?”

  Neve shrugged, her expression guarded. Without another word she moved away, busying herself. Jade left, putting the cadaver behind her, but her mind was a cloud of confusion. She needed space to think and put the pieces together. The camp was too crowded and Jade headed for the stretch of beach to the south that swept around towards the river mouth. A strong wind picked up and the sky dimmed. Black clouds rolled over the horizon.

  Right on time. Every afternoon at the same time, it rained so hard that it soaked through everything and put all patrols on hold. But even with the weather about to break, Jade didn’t want to return to the camp. Travellers on roster would soon return, and everyone would be cramped and uncomfortable. Instead, Jade headed towards the tree line, hoping the overhanging boughs would provide her with some shelter from the rain.

  When the sky opened, the rain heaved down, making it impossible to see the horizon or the place where the Portal came out.

  Jade wrapped her hands around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. As the rain drew a curtain between her and everything else, Jade gnawed on what she knew. Did Neve’s information change anything? Was it possible Axel wasn’t to blame, after all? She had to admit, she felt a twinge of hope. But she tried to reign in her feelings. After all, Axel had just tried to lure her into a trap—tried to kill her, too. Even if he wasn’t killing Travellers, Zorman’s evidence pegged Axel as Papa’s killer. Jade shook her head. Whether he was also killing Travellers was just an aside. She’d come here to get justice for Papa. But if there was no link between the murders here, perhaps Zorman was wrong about Papa’s death? He hadn’t given her any details of his evidence against Axel. But then why would Axel try to kill her? Jade chased her thoughts around in circles.

  She didn’t trust herself to make the right decision. She needed advice.

  As abruptly as it had begun, the rain stopped, the clouds dispersed and the waves calmed. Once again, Jade saw the Portal clouds over the water.

  Jade put her hands on her hips, frustration settling over her. Her thoughts spun around and around. If she stay
ed here to chase Axel, the real killer might be getting away. But if Axel was the real killer and she left Premye, she might lose him entirely.

  Then Jade had an idea. She groped at her belt for the object hooked there. Finding it, she plucked the dragonfly from its dock and drew it to her lips, pressed the button on top and started to tell it everything Neve had told her.

  “So,” she said, in finishing off her message. “I need your advice, Uncle Z. Should I stay here or should I come back and see if there is more evidence to be found on Taraqa?”

  Then, she held the metallic dragonfly up into the air, pressed the green button and watched it’s wings buzz into action. It hopped out of her hand and flew towards the water. Jade hoped Zorman’s invention would work, and kept her eyes fixed to it until it disappeared into the Portal clouds.

  * * *

  At first light, Jade sat on the beach watching the Portal, despite the drizzle. She’d gone back to her tent, and spent the night tossing and turning, mulling over her options. Had the dragonfly reached Zorman with her message or was she waiting for an answer that would never come? She didn’t even know if the technology would work. Zorman had been confident, but Jade knew the chances were better than good that the device wouldn’t make it through the Betwixt.

  How long could she wait? The longer she waited, the colder the killer’s trail would be. But if the killer was Axel and she left now, she’d lose her opportunity. Her thoughts went around in circles and by the end of the night, Jade wasn’t sure how much her opinion on the matter was swayed by her ongoing feelings for Axel. Every time she thought of him, it was either with an intense longing, or with anger and shame. She couldn’t think about him clearly. Once again, she wished for someone to talk to. She hoped the dragonfly got through, because only her uncle could give her the advice she needed. Even if she didn’t want to hear it.

  Jade kneaded the sand with her fingers, gritty and damp on her skin. She didn’t take her eyes from the Portal, unwilling to blink. Her eyes were dry and sore when the sun became a disk over the horizon. The dragonfly had not reappeared and Jade made a decision. She couldn’t wait any longer. She had to do something.

  The most logical thing was to speak to Vance and tell him Axel was on Premye and was a murder suspect. After what Jade had seen on patrol yesterday, he was working with the Premyans. Then she would ask Vance for permission to return to Taraqa to review the evidence to discover the real killer. Papa had died on Taraqa and any evidence regarding his death would be found there, not here.

  If Axel was the killer, then the Squadron would most likely have taken him into their custody by then. If he was innocent, he’d get his chance to defend himself and would go free. Without knowing for sure, it felt like a betrayal of Axel, but Jade wasn’t sure what else she could do. If he was innocent, she could go to Scosse and his Council of Advisors to explain her mistake.

  The only way to action her plan was to talk to Vance. Vance could order the Travellers to look for Axel on their patrols. He was also the only one who could grant her permission to return to Taraqa.

  Jade rose from the sand and walked towards Vance’s tent.

  She had been sitting on the beach at the northern edge of the camp, now bustling with activity as Travellers rose from sleep and started to eat and ready for the day ahead. Instead of fighting her way through the narrow paths between the tents, Jade worked her way around the camp, heading towards a barrier of trees that lined the beach, to take the long, but clearer path to Vance’s tent on the other side.

  As Jade neared the wall of rainforest that lined the beach, a movement caught her eye. Jade froze.

  She saw a leg, clad in the black trousers of the Travellers, poking out from beneath the vines that hung from a huge, gnarled tree. Jade gasped. The foliage rustled again. Jade took two steps closer. There was the body of a Traveller, lying on the ground.

  Jade couldn’t see beyond the Traveller’s torso because a small figure squatted next to it. Intricately braided hair hung down her back and her arms were long and out of proportion with its body.

  A Premyan.

  Jade took another step closer to see she was holding a knife, pointed at the throat of the Traveller lying on the ground.

  “No!” Jade yelled.

  The crouching figure jumped, turning until she locked eyes with Jade. She had a broad, flat face with wide, round eyes. Then, at the sound of shouts from behind, the Premyan’s eyes shifted to look around her. Travellers were coming toward them.

  The Premyan froze for a moment, stunned. Then she dashed into the dense foliage. Jade rushed forward to stand by the fallen Traveller, but the Premyan had already disappeared. She couldn’t have gone far, but the jungle provided the perfect hiding place. Her eyes flicked around for signs of the Premyan. Then, seeing nothing, she turned to the Traveller lying at her feet.

  Her knees gave out and she sank to the ground next to him.

  The Traveller had a red-ringed puncture mark in his chest and another on his upper-arm. His eyes were open, staring. He was still. Jade’s hand shook as she reached out to feel for a pulse. As her fingertips brushed his skin, it felt cold.

  But that wasn’t the worst of it.

  The worst was that she knew him.

  It was Michael.

  15

  Jade stumbled towards Vance’s tent, her head spinning. The sun inched higher, casting long shadows across the sand, obscuring tent lines that tripped her more than once. She was too stunned to think, but she knew she had to speak to her squadron leader. She needed to tell him, not just about Axel, but also that another Traveller had been lost.

  Jade had been hopeful when she’d seen Michael’s throat had not been cut. But his body was cold and stiff, and he had not even blinked as she and three other Travellers carried his body to Neve’s healing tent. By the time she deposited his body with Neve, the terrible truth had settled over her like a shroud.

  Michael was dead. It was her fault.

  If she had obeyed instructions and stayed with Michael on patrol, he might still be alive. If he’d been paired with someone more experienced, instead of having to babysit her, he might have had a real partner watching his back. If she hadn’t been so distracted when she’d returned, she might have raised the alarm that they had separated. If she’d gone looking for him instead of selfishly seeking out Neve, she might have saved his life. If, if, if…

  A heavy truth settled over Jade. She should never have come here. She was ill-qualified for the mission, as Leuven had said. Her inexperience had endangered Michael. The one person who helped her, taught her and made her feel welcome, had now paid the price for her stupidity.

  A vision of Michael’s face floated through her mind. Jade remembered how he’d looked at her with a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye. He’d made her smile, which she’d barely done since Papa had died.

  Jade wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling hollow. She stood in front of Vance’s tent but couldn’t go in. Pressure built in her throat and chest, and she pressed a hand to the base of her neck, gulping down breaths as she strove to keep her sobs from escaping. She blinked hard, trying to dispel the tears in her eyes.

  She couldn’t see Vance like this.

  She stepped around to the side of the tent, taking a moment to calm herself. Jade forced herself to breath in and out, remembering Michael’s advice when she’d passed through the Betwixt. She would never have survived without him, and her grief swelled and pressed against her ribs, almost overwhelming her again.

  Jade had just managed to pull herself together when she heard someone else being admitted to Vance’s presence. She pursed her lips. Now she’d have to wait her turn. Wiping her cheeks, Jade went to stand in front of the tent. She wouldn’t miss her chance again. She just had to hold it together until after she gave Vance the news.

  The flap of canvas that served as a door was drawn closed, so Jade couldn’t see inside. Concentrating on what she would say to Vance, Jade tried to ignore the muffled
conversation. She marshalled her arguments for being sent back to Taraqa, deciding she would also suggest Kyssa as her replacement. Maybe it would help win back Kyssa’s friendship. She was still deciding whether she would start with the news of Michael or her request to return to Taraqa when she recognised the voices of the men who had been admitted to Vance’s company.

  Cajun and Glade.

  “…almost got Newbie yesterday,” Cajun said.

  “She’s had some close shaves,” Vance spoke next, “but not close enough. Our orders are to make sure she doesn’t return. She’s been too lucky so far. Make it look like an accident, and make it soon.”

  “On it, boss,” Glade said.

  “And I do mean soon,” Vance said. “He thinks we’re taking too long. He wants it done. Yesterday. So, get on it, Airmen.”

  16

  Jade froze. Newbie. They were talking about killing her and making it look like an accident.

  The clouds parted and the already sharp heat from the early morning sun made the humid air press on her, suffocating her. Jade’s shadow lengthened away from her, crawling into Vance’s tent. Jade saw it and stumbled backwards, afraid of being caught eavesdropping. There was movement inside, someone coming out. Jade’s heart stammered and skipped. When they saw her, they would know she’d heard everything.

  Jade stumbled back several more paces and tripped over a tent line. She fell again, the sand scratching her skin. Her wings were pinned underneath her and, for a moment, she was a bug on its back, wiggling her legs in the air as she tried to right herself.

  Her eyes widened as the canvas was drawn aside, revealing Cajun and Glade. Glade raised his hand to shelter his eyes from the sun. Then he saw her and their eyes locked. Glade jabbed Cajun in the ribs and pointed at her. Jade gulped down the lump in her throat, flipped herself sideways to free her wings, and leapt into the air. Her wings beat desperately as she rose above the camp.