Grounded

by Constance Sharper

  The bulb clicked on and she was able to see well again, Avery looked over Leela’s form. The girl still wore jeans and a hoodie but swung her bare feet. Hands closed and in her pockets, she didn’t ever reach out for the typical hug.

  “What are you doing here?” Leela asked.

  “Huh?”

  The question made Avery flinch, and she immediately whirled to face the bed. Mason had told her to get out immediately if something went down, but Avery refused to leave so early. It was an innocent question she reminded herself.

  “I just, like just got back. Overnight flight.” She struggled for the words. “Why? Did I interrupt something?” She asked casually and headed for the bed, her movements too jerky and uneven. Forcing herself to breath, Avery walked slower and put thought into every tiny movement. At her bed, she slipped off her boots and let them hit the floor. Then she turned to face Leela.

  “Oh, nah, I was just talking to Nate.” Leela gave a sly smile and jumped off the desk. “Welcome back. How’s Chase doing?”

  Leela’s brown eyes never gave away any detection or suspicion. Taking it as reassurance, Avery put in the best act she could.

  “He’s okay now. I love ‘em but I can’t miss any more school or I’m never going to graduate.” She made a gun out of her thumb and index finger, mimicking blowing her brains out. “It’s just my week has been insane thus far, ya know?”

  “Shoot. I wasn’t planning to sleep for awhile.” Leela crawled onto her bed, and folded her arms. She tilted her arm to specifically avoid leaning on her jacket’s left pocket. The movement was tiny and virtually inconspicuous but Avery noticed it anyways. Leela’s jacket was small, like her body frame, but tight it outlined something round inside the fabric. Avery squinted to see the outline but it certainly didn’t look a phone. Her breath sped up when she finally recognized what it was. Leela had another harpie amulet in her pocket.

  “Uh, I don’t know where to start. Um...” Stumbling over her words too much, Avery mentally kicked herself until she focused on the conversation. “Mason and I broke up.”

  The words slipped from her lips and came without thought, but Avery found a way to act on them.

  “He got all jealous over the Patrick thing and took off.” She swallowed, willing Leela to believe it.

  The girl seemed to, her eyes widening and her body leaning closer now piqued with interest.

  “Whattt? That’s insane. I mean, I’m sorry but boys are worse drama makers than girls. Is Patrick even around anymore?”

  Her chest fluttering, Avery realized the plan was working better than she thought. If Leela thought Avery was absolutely unprotected, she’d certainly pass the information along to the Band. That would make the Band more likely to come and take Avery to their hideout. Acting, Avery grabbed a strand of her curly hair and twisted it around her finger while she cast her eyes toward the speckled tile floor.

  “I don’t know what happened. Like, we fight over very few things so why he’d snap over the Patrick thing I don’t know... Actually...” Avery looked off into space like she was trying to grasp a distant thought. “So this sounds crazy but he was also upset over my opinion about his father.”

  Leela suddenly leaned forward until the springs squeaked. Perched at the very edge of her bed, she peered at Avery with distinct interest.

  “Wait, you met his father?” She asked.

  Avery shrugged lightly and let go of her hair.

  Avery’s heart threatened to beat its way out of her chest. Hands sweating, she fiddled with her jacket. This was going into uncharted territory. She didn’t know if she could bring up the subject without it being blatantly obvious. Unable to stop now, Avery kept the conversation light and her attention on the floor.

  “Well, for all intents and purposes I did. I couldn’t explain it if I wanted to. But I just know...well I know everything about the guy.”

  She could hear Leela lean back on the bed but still Avery refused to look up. She should have listened to Mason, she told herself, her acting skills sucked.

  “Isn’t that great. I love how stuff works out like this.”

  Avery’s head snapped up and her heart nearly stopped. The masculine voice didn’t belong to Leela but Rafael, a huge male harpie who cracked open the bathroom door and leaned through the doorway. Rafael, a Band member, wore his identifying bronze insignias with his wings out and half open. He hadn’t changed much since Avery saw him last, his scrappy brown hair framing his sharp eyes. Avery couldn’t find the correct words to muster her confusion. How long had Rafael been standing in the bathroom? For the entire conversation?

  “I’m sorry, Avery.” Leela said suddenly, getting off the bed. She was frowning, lines marring her ivory skin, and reaching out for Avery.

  “What’s going on?” Avery sputtered. She wasn’t acting. She didn’t need to. The sight of Rafael driving panic deep, she immediately scrambled back up against the wall.

  “She doesn’t look happy to see me.” Rafael complained to Leela. “I’m so hurt.”

  “Avery, please calm down.” Leela approached the bed, warning hand held out into the air. “It’s not what you think.”

  Rafael swiftly approached the other side of the bed. Due to Avery’s location, she was boxed in against the wall. Rafael blocked the window and Leela blocked the door. She eyed her exits but didn’t fight to escape. Suddenly reminding herself she needed this to happen, Avery stayed in one spot.

  “What do you want?” Avery asked as they edged closer.

  No one answered but Rafael suddenly lashed out. Catching Avery’s arm, he tore her off the bed. She went tumbling into the wall but he yanked her upright.

  “Don’t hurt her.” Leela shouted but Rafael didn’t listen.

  Seeing his right arm swing back, Avery prepared herself for impact. She didn’t know when he finally hit her. Her world went black and Avery didn’t remember anything.

  Eleven

  Avery came to with her head throbbing and blood pounding in her ears. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but swirling shades of grey for a solid minute. The wound incurred on the back of her head from Rafael’s strike made itself known by sending electric jolts of pain down her neck. Hand moving before her brain thought, she fingered the injury. Her curly hair had knotted into tangled thickets but she couldn’t feel any blood below it or anywhere on her skull.

  The room surrounding her finally straightened itself out in her vision and Avery blinked at it. First, she noticed the king sized bed she’d been placed on. Satin ivory sheets had been casually tossed over her and she hurried to kick off the fabric. Beyond the canopy bed, white carpets and gold wallpaper decorated the room. A glass desk and a white wooden bookcase sat against the wall. Her eyes skipped over the minor details and landed on the door directly across from the bed.

  Avery didn’t hesitate. Ready to bolt the room, she jumped off the bed and went for the door. A man’s voice stopped her.

  “Going somewhere?”

  Going cold, Avery froze. She followed the voice to the window. Perched against the sill stood Mikhail and his black eyes glinted when she met them. His thin lips twisted into a smile and his sharp white teeth showed predominantly.

  “Didn’t think so. Go ahead and sit right there. Yes, there.” He said carefully.

  Her breath escaped her and she couldn’t think rationally. The sight of the older harpie brought up every memory of fear and distress from a few months ago just as palpable and real as the day she’d first experienced them. He’d nearly cut out her heart to get the amulet’s power and swore revenge just as she’d gotten away.

  Avery shot a fleeting glance toward the door. Five steps away were five steps too far and Avery knew she couldn’t run for it.

  She’d planned on finding the location, getting Mason here, and stealing the book. She hadn’t planned on getting knocked out or finding herself standing right in front of the most dangerous harpie on Earth. Realizing how irrational her plot had been, her heart dropped. Now Avery wo
uld be happy if she got out of this alive. She reluctantly dropped back onto the edge of the bed.

  “You know it’s funny, I remember you being more of a talker than this.” Mikhail said with an almost humorous expression creeping up on his face. He looked more regenerated than usual. The grey in his hair and feathers was almost unnoticeable. Avery knew that he was in his own element now. She’d be willing to bet the place they’d brought her was his home.

  “What do you want me to say? Let me go? Better yet, let Leela go.” Avery said finding her defiance, even though her hands trembled.

  “I’m not holding your friend here against her will.” He said matter-a-factly. He glanced toward the door, a very subtle hint that Leela was somewhere in the building. More horrified than before knowing her friend had been taken here too, Avery overreacted.

  “Look, I don’t know what you did to her or what you told her but she’s not part of this! You got me, fine, leave her alone!” Her voice had shot up and echoed off the small room’s walls.

  Mikhail’s face lit up.

  “Now that’s the attitude I remember.” He crooned. Wings shutting, he crossed the room and killed the distance between them. Avery recoiled but it didn’t matter. In half a second, he leaned before her. This close, she could smell the smoky sulfur scent that clung to him. She cringed, watching his talons curl at his sides.

  “You know, of all the foolish humans I’ve dealt with, you’ve been the most interesting.” His tone had dropped significantly. Able to feel his breath, Avery snapped her head to face away. He was trying to do this to intimidate her, Avery knew. He was trying to get into her head. She refused to let him. Steeling her resolve, she forced her face to be stoic.

  “I’m so glad.” She harped sarcastically but regretted it when his eyes narrowed a bit.

  The silent warning taken, his attention then turned away from her face and ended on her arm. Unhidden, the silver mark from the Willow magic showed clearly. Its loops and twirls designed her skin like an artistic tattoo and Mikhail’s eyes glued to it. The mark had lightened substantially and as far as anyone else knew, the magic had gone. If Mikhail found that some of the magic lingered, she knew he’d attempt to kill her in order to acquire it.

  Mikhail’s fingers snaked out and brushed her elbow. She twitched uncomfortably at the feel of his touch, but Avery resisted the urge to lash out. If she let it turn violent, that tiny veil of safety that stayed between them now would be gone. She held her breath. Mikhail kept talking.

  “You are brave for a human, surprisingly cunning, and actually dangerous. It’d be a mistake to underestimate you. Now those are the kind of entertaining enemies I like to have.” The words were simple and clear but Avery wasn’t sure what he meant by them. “Because of this, I’m sure you know why I brought you here. So let’s cut to the chase then, shall we?”He arched his eyebrows and waited for Avery to answer.

  “You stole Jericho’s book.” She said slowly, still hoping that he’d gesture towards the journal’s location somewhere on his glass desk or in his wooden bookshelf. He didn’t. Instead his black eyes fixated on her, leaving her to shiver. She kept talking, hoping to break his stare. “You’re trying to make another Willow amulet… possibly a stronger version. I’m not sure yet.”

  His smile indicated that he approved. Avery swallowed, ready to keep going. She could hold her own. She could control the conversation too.

  “You want me because I have Jericho’s memories. You want me to help decipher the book for you.”

  “Wrong.” He barked suddenly, the sharp noise ruining the false sense of calm. “I don’t need a human to tell me how to create magic.”

  His expression twisted and before the anger could ruin his poker face, Mikhail spun and faced the opposite wall. His shoulders heaved but he managed to stand otherwise still. Before Avery could look for another exit, Mikhail spoke again.

  “Jericho would like everyone to think that he was the only pioneer of the Willow magic, that no one could understand it without him. But I taught Jericho much of what he knows. We worked together on this magic.” Mikhail finally faced her again. “But then, when we got close to cracking the code he had me banished and sent away. I was unable to work on the amulet, so yes, Jericho was able to create it first. And yes, I could use his journal but I do not need help understanding it.”

  Avery swallowed with difficulty, repeating the words in her head to confirm she’d heard them right. This wasn’t what she expected. Avery had come to the idea that Mikhail would have her translate the book and for that reason, keep her alive. Now she wasn’t so sure. Body going cold, she sat perched on the edge of the bed and kept her muscles alert.

  “Why do you need me then?” Avery quizzed, feeling for some ground to stand on.

  “Why? Because you’re an anomaly. I’m sure you noticed that fact.” He gestured toward the mark that curled up Avery’s arm, and though it hadn’t changed, Avery felt compelled to look at it too. The same silver, curling spider’s design greeted her. Avery knew she had probably been the first to have the magic absorbed into her body but she hadn’t given much thought to how it got there. She had only cared about how to get it out.

  “So what?” Avery prompted next.

  “I was once told by Jericho that absorbing magic into one’s body was impossible. I stopped my efforts and I consoled myself with stealing his amulet instead. Then you showed up. The girl that wasn’t supposed to be possible. Now I think Jericho was just trying to dissuade me. It is possible to absorb the magic. And you’re the test run.”

  Mikhail’s words were no longer directed to her but into the distant, empty air, probably as he recalled lost memories about the other harpie. Avery didn’t care to follow his thoughts, more focused on his current explanation. Her mind, somewhat fuzzy since the concussion she suffered earlier, took a moment to think it over.

  “If it works with me, you plan on doing it to yourself.” Avery gasped when it all finally clicked in her head. She may not have been on top of things but she wasn’t stupid. Mikhail kept her alive and brought her here because she was an example for how he would absorb the magic himself.

  Coming here just brought Mikhail closer to his goal. The revelation left a cold feeling raking down her spine.

  “Great.” Avery whispered but her words were hollow. Screw the book, she had to get out.

  “So you understand why I have brought you here. And you may also understand why I choose not to kill you yet. But here’s something you should know. I’m allowing you to live like this-- nice, quaint, and in one piece,” He made a disturbing gesture to her neck, “if you cooperate. I don’t want trouble from you or I’ll revoke my offer. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal.” Avery parroted.

  “Then make yourself comfortable here.” Mikhail then did something she hadn’t expected. He gestured toward the door. Though surprised, Avery stood automatically and didn’t bother to respond. When given the opening, she ran for the exit, yanked open the wooden door, and took off into the hallway. Avery didn’t hesitate and never slowed. The hallway twisted around and she kept running, waiting for the inevitable exit. It broke into a large living room fit for a mansion. Harpies lingered in the room and Avery slid to a halt. All of the harpies wore the bronze chest plates with the identifiable swirling symbol of the Band of Thieves. She waited to be intercepted. But to her shock none of the harpies so much as shifted.

  Heart jumping to her throat, she proceeded forward slowly. Two glass window doors presented the exit. Through them she could see a tropical environment, grass sprouting high with open blue skies and palm trees. No other infrastructure clearly showed leaving the place mostly unidentified. Avery reached the door, and pivoted. Her hands sought out the metal doorknob blindly while she watched the harpies.

  A number of dark eyes crawled up to watch her. Catching the knob, the lock clicked and the door opened. Everyone in the room remained painfully still. Her chest burned, breath held in. The stillness seemed too dangerous to brea
k. Finally, with a last flicker of anxiety, Avery opened the door and dashed through. She escaped through some tall grass and her feet hit sand. She slid to a stop. Before her were the lapping blue tides of a salty ocean. The sun beat down on the area. Sparse shrubbery offered little shade.

  Avery spun, eyes rushing to take in the area. For the first time she could see that she was on an island. Her breath left her and her attention turned again. Rafael had posted himself against a few of the palm trees. He watched but never greeted her. Avery turned away and paced down the beach.

  The situation sunk in slowly. They’d let her go because she couldn’t escape. And though no one had her in cuffs, they were watching her all the time. She didn’t know where she was and couldn’t call Mason. Just looking at the skies told her he may not have followed them here.

  Before Avery could fully react to the revelation, another figure surfaced on the beach and approached. Avery squinted in the bright light until she made out the figure.

  “Leela.” She whispered.

  The girl approached quickly, her figure becoming rapidly clear.

  “Hi.” Leela gave a beaming smile that died less than half a second later. Avery’s face hadn’t changed, dull expression transfixed on Leela’s figure. The girl looked fine, well kept, and absolutely calm. The odd sight left Avery at a loss for words. Leela shut her mouth, for a minute clearly contemplating her words, and then she cast a quick glance around.

  “Guess we should talk.” Leela said slowly.

  Avery’s mouth felt like it was full of sand, but she did manage to nod.

  “Follow me.” Leela offered. “We should stay inside. Stay out of…” Leela’s words dwindled at the end, and though keeping her voice light, her brow pinched and face told the rest of the story. They should stay inside and stay out of trouble.

  Avery fingered the back of her head, suddenly reminding herself of the hematoma that had formed there as a result of Rafael’s strike. It seemed like an odd thing to trust the girl who had brought the collision. But Avery’s body was growing weak and her knees shook with exhaustion. Leela seemed like the only safe one, and despite recent circumstances, Leela was still her best friend and Avery stayed determined to rescue her.