She let out an aggravated breath.

“Fine then, pick a subject. Just stay awake.” She said.

“Okay.” Mason shifted a bit, pulling away from Avery. If it was a traditional situation, he would have done it to see her face. The darkness in the cave didn’t allow that, so he touched her face instead. His fingers traced over her cheek, her lips, and downward off of her chin. The movement wasn’t inherently sensual, but Avery couldn’t help but react to it. Heart skipping a few beats, she shifted uncomfortably. Feelings were stirring in her chest that she definitely knew she shouldn’t be feeling. Especially not when they were trapped in a cave, pressed to close together and absolutely alone.

She heard him clearly this time but didn’t have an immediate answer. Her mind spun. He’d left his hand lingering by the nape of her neck but hadn’t moved. Desperately wishing she could see his face, she didn’t jump to conclusions but swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Don’t be so defensive. I’m just trying to figure you out. I watched you, you know, when I showed up at the school. Mostly to make sure that you were the right person. That you were human and that you didn’t know about harpies.”

She gave up on thinking he meant something more and changed her focus. “Why, you thought I was supernatural?”

“You picked up the amulet of Willow by absolute chance. Out of a hundred rocks on the beach, you picked up the amulet. I wouldn’t dismiss the chance that you didn’t pick it up by accident.”

Avery suddenly thought about the dream she’d had. In her dream, she didn’t pick the amulet up by accident but had been looking for it. She wondered at that moment if harpies believed in fate too. If magic was real, what else could be? But the truth of the matter was that she didn’t pick up that amulet knowingly. It was absolute luck.

“Look, Nathan is just one of those pretty boys that dumb girls fall for all the time. And yea, once I was that dumb girl. Now I’m just trying to put that behind me, except no one really lets me.”

“Is he mean to you?”

Mason kept pushing for reasons Avery couldn’t understand. And while spilling her secrets to a harpie didn’t seem like much of a problem, his intense curiosity was strange. She leaned back into him but did it primarily to hide her face in his chest. He didn’t comment on it but wrapped his arms around her.

She never answered him but he said something about it anyways.

“You know Avery, if we survive this, I’ll crack that Nathan kid in the face for you.”

 

 

Eight

Avery awoke with a start and took a moment to remember where she was. It was still dark and chilly, and she was abruptly aware of the rough cave walls digging into her back. She’d stayed tangled up with Mason throughout the night but awake now, scooted away from him. Outside, the storm had calmed and the temperature had warmed. Avery listened to the striking silence for a moment, idly wondering if they’d find the cave snowed in with three feet of ice. Mason finally twitched to life and Avery turned her attention back to him.

“Okay, you’re right. We fell asleep and didn’t die.” She admitted before she could hear him dropping the ‘I told you so’. She pushed her cold hands into her pockets and was distracted instantly when something firm met her fingertips. Recognizing it immediately, Avery yanked the small metal rectangle from her pocket.

“My phone.” She rolled it over in her hand.

It’d been water logged and squished under her weight a few times. The glass time screen had been cracked and the screws loosened so the phone didn’t quite click down right. The metal stayed chilly but not wet. Flipping it over, she took a breath and turned it on. She didn’t get any signal but the phone lit up the cave.

She turned it on Mason, stopping before she declared its working as a miracle. The light from the phone revealed Mason’s face. Even coated in the blue hue, his cheeks flared pink and his lips were a shocking white. His cheeks suddenly looked hollow and the angles on his face looked harsh.

“Mason! Are you okay?”

She reached for his forehead and her fingertips just grazed his skin before she felt the sweltering heat.

“You have a fever.” She realized officially. Turning her attention to his wing, she examined the wound. It had widened and scabbed over. Nose crinkling, she smelt the rotting scent of infection.

“This is not good. Mason, we need to call for help.”

They certainly weren’t flying out of here. In fact, she began to worry if Mason would even live long enough to leave this place. Though he looked bad, he still remained alert and he peered at her through glazed eyes.

“I’m not sure if we should leave yet.”

She shook her head, suddenly frustrated and panicking. Mason needed antiseptics and ace bandages at the least, antibiotics and stitches at the most.

“You’re not going to get better here! We can’t wait any longer.” She hissed. “And what if you just don’t wake up? Then we are in serious trouble.”

Mason let out a long breath and beckoned her closer.

“I do have something.” He said.

His fingers slipped into his pocket and he pulled out another amulet. This jewel was ruby red and bigger than typical. He offered it over.

“This is a homing device. If you break it open then someone I know will track the magic and come to help us.” He explained when she plucked the amulet from his fingers.

“Then why are we even waiting? We should cut to the magic stuff now, get some help, and get out.” She said while giving the amulet a thorough examination.

The amulet, made of glass, would be easily broken. She could climb out of the cave, pick any rock to break it open and send out the homing call. That fact, combined with Mason’s deteriorating condition, left her reluctant to wait.

“You have to understand. The second you call out for help, the Band will hear it too. I can’t let you go out there alone.” He rasped.

She let his words sink in. He was right, if the Band showed up she’d be history. But if they didn’t try, Mason could die and she’d still be alone.

“Do you have a better idea?”She asked.

He gave a half hearted answer.

“Give me a day and if I don’t get better, then we call for help. I’m not human Avery. I don’t have such weak genes.”

She shook her head, caught between emotions. Mason was at least well enough that he still managed to be condescending. She let his attitude go in spite of recent circumstances and turned her attention back to his wound. Using her phone’s light, she examined the injury again while holding herself back from gagging. It didn’t smell horrible for an infection-- probably a sign it hadn’t spread far-- but Avery could barely stomach looking at it. The gash was scabbed over and the surrounding feathers were brown with blood. She was convinced there was some swelling. Avery couldn’t give real medical advice, but she did know it should be cleaned and wrapped.

“Okay. At least let me do something.”

After switching the backlight setting on her phone so the light would remain on as long as possible, she looked around the cave for anything useful. Avery knew she’d seriously have to improvise with supplies. Slipping off her jacket and her hoodie, she tugged the hem of her shirt until the sheer white cotton went over her head. Avery tried to do it quickly, hoping she could manage before he even noticed.

“What are you doing?” He asked just as she got the shirt over her head.

Feeling his eyes on her, she struggled not to sputter.

“It’s the best material I have. I’m going to use it to wrap the wound.” She explained while her cheeks burned. Avery was down to a lacy black bra that she didn’t relish him seeing her in, especially when they were stuck so close together. Throat drying, she swallowed hard and placed the cotton shirt in a pile. She rushed to grab her hoodie and put it on. Mason wouldn’t quit staring.

“You know, you’re not bad looking for a human.” He said.

“Okay, quit that.” She spit out. “Look at the wall or something.”

Her hands were shaking enough that she struggled to put on the hoodie right. Avery fumbled with the zipper.

“It’s a compliment. Take the compliment.”

“Not from you.” She successfully zipped the hoodie all the way up to her neck, but she still refused to look at him.

“Why not from me? A harpie giving anyone a compliment is a plus. I don’t know why you’re so twitchy about it. Have you really never been with a guy before?”

“I’m not twitchy! I just think there are more important subjects than me.” She focused on her shirt now, tearing up the cotton into two separate strips. The first one she placed on the ground and then plopped a pile of clean white snow inside the cloth. Wrapping it up, she slipped it underneath her jacket and suffered through the chilliness. She needed water.

“Well that’s obviously the case. Why haven’t you been?”

Avery shook her head firmly.

“The fever is making you delirious, clearly, because you’d have to be insane to think I’d talk with you about this.”

She crawled over to him and stretched out his wing. The wing twitched with life of its own but quit resisting and spread until she could see the wound. Her phone stayed lit but would eventually die so she needed to work swiftly.

“We’re trapped together. I just figured you’d tell me about your life to pass some time.” He quirked a smile. He was actually enjoying this. She couldn’t believe it.

“That’s not my life. My life doesn’t revolve around boys. I’m a high school student who was sooo close to graduating and moving away.”

She pulled out the fabric from underneath her jacket. The snow had melted and the cloth was damp enough she could use it. Wringing out the fabric, she sprinkled the wound on Mason’s wing with water.

“Where were you moving to?” He asked.

“I don’t know. Probably California.” Avery said, but she honestly hadn’t given the subject much thought.

“Aw, you want to be closer to me?” He crooned and Avery’s face flushed.

“Shut up, Mason. “ She growled. “I didn’t even know you lived in California, and I’m definitely not moving there for you.”

She didn’t know that harpie homeland was in California but it would make sense seeing as she’d picked up the amulet off of the Pacific coast.

“Why are you so volatile? Like a fire cracker. You could almost put harpies to shame with that hatred I feel. But for a human, I don’t know why you hate me so much.”

She rolled her eyes hearing the playfulness in his voice. This definitely wasn’t the Mason she was used to, but being trapped in a cave probably did that to people. Plus, he clearly enjoyed getting underneath her skin. She refused to let him.

“Hold still.” She focused on her task and used the wet cloth to wipe the wound clean. She did it carefully, scared to hurt him and knowing it’d be easy to do so. The rag went from white to black fairly quickly as she scrubbed.

“Seriously, do you torture all of your friends like this?” He asked bluffly but failed to mask his clear pain.

“No, I have only one special place in my heart and that’s for torturing you.” She stopped scrubbing after she’d done a sufficient job.

With much of the blood cleaned off, it looked better but also rawer. She grabbed the second piece of cloth and prepped it as a bandage. It’d be a dreadful job by most standards, but it would sufficiently protect his wing from the elements.

“I know you don’t hate me, Avery. I think you’re quite getting used to me.”

Getting more used to taking his abuse, Avery thought. But it was true. If she’d been told a week ago that she’d be huddled in a cave with Mason and nursing him back to health, she wouldn’t have believed it. But here they were.

“Yea, well I’m growing on you also.”She pointed out while she carefully wrapped the bandage around his wing base. Her hands were shaking from stress, but she did her best to hold still and do it gently.

“Growing on me? Sounds like a weed. But you are something. And for the record, I don’t understand why a guy wouldn’t go for you. I might have-” Mason was cut off immediately.

Nervous and shocked by his change in topic, she accidently pulled the bandage too tight and he yelped.

“Sorry!” She gasped, seeing him arch his back and convulse. “Sorry, sorry, sorry.”

She loosened the bandage and let him rest before even touching it again. Mason calmed and went limp. Avery forced herself to breathe.

“You okay?” She finally asked, afraid to know.

Mason moaned and didn’t give a clear answer. She hesitantly finished wrapping the bandage correctly. The wound was covered and protected from the elements by a decent film of cotton. Finished now, she curled her hands up in his lap.

“Tell me about your life, Avery.” Mason said, changing the topic, and still refusing to address that he was in pain.

“I’m really not that interesting. I go to school. I live at school. The school is in a place where virtually nothing ever happens. I don’t have a car so I don’t go off campus much. I don’t have many friends.” Avery said, struggling to answer.

Reminiscing on school only served to make her nostalgic. She’d known she’d be leaving it for awhile but now Avery wasn’t entirely sure she would ever get the chance to go back. It seemed unreal. How Avery had gone from social outcast to the most wanted person on the west coast, she wasn’t exactly sure.

“Do you ever get into trouble?” He asked.

“No. That’s reserved for my brother Chase. He’s the trouble maker. Actually, I was there in California visiting him on Fourth of July-- when this all happened. He lives right off the beach by that boardwalk.”

Mason made a face, probably recognizing the area.

“So, why don’t you tell me anything about your world?” She asked.

“I don’t care to talk about my family.” He said coolly.

Sensing the immediate change in his tone, she changed the subject.

“What about harpies in general? Do you guys have to hide from humans? What happens if you talk to them?”

“You’re thinking we’re so far different from humans. We don’t have a code or law for anything but if I showed off my wings to every person I met, I’d have problems. It’s just easier this way period.” He shut his eyes firmly and let out a hissing breath.

Avery felt his forehead again and found that the fever hadn’t broken. In fact, it seemed like it was getting worse.

“Go to sleep.” She told him. “You don’t need to keep me entertained. I’ll make sure everything’s okay in the mean time.”

He did and Avery was left to her thoughts.

Nine

Avery found herself outside squeezing the crimson homing amulet in her fist until the angled edges cut into her hand. Mason’s condition hadn’t gotten better and she now held onto their only hope of surviving.

Dying scraps of sunlight shone in the far distance, overshadowed by the closer and looming reminder of night. When the blizzard had blown through, it took any hint of weather disturbance with it. The snippet of sun and heat had beaten the snow down into a flat sheet of white. In the new day, Avery could finally see her surroundings. They’d landed in a shallow valley eaten out from a mountain top. She stood nearly equal between the two twin peaks before digging her heels into the snow.

Glancing back down, she rolled the transparent ruby red rock through her fingers. Originally intrigued, Avery had studied it on the hike down. Mason had thrown something like this at the Band of Thieves when they’d escaped in the forest. Even the original amulet she’d plucked up on the beach resembled the amulet now. It didn’t take a genius to connect the pieces. Harpies contained magic within these glass stones. And this one, Avery reminded herself idly, would send out a distress call.

Picturing Mason hurt and waiting, she readied herself. He’d barely been conscious when she’d left. Negative thoughts urging her, Avery nudged the flurries of snow off of the protruding rock. Once the rock had been cleared, she raised the red glass in her hand. Holding her breath, Avery aimed and chucked the amulet.

The glass cracked on the rock and before the shards even fully split, a brilliant violet light burst upward. An explosion of pressure knocked Avery clear back until she landed and slid over the ice on her backside. The violet beam of light reached up and parted the clouds, expanding outwards through the sky.

Avery’s jaw fell open. Everyone and anyone with eyes could see that. Mason was nuts. UFO fanatics would be on this place in a heartbeat. Avery might as well have considered it her backup plan. The amulet crackled and popped, the blackened shards dropping into the slush. The light dimmed from its base before dissipating into the air. It left ripples in the clouds.

Avery stared up at the sky, unsure of what to expect next. Taller and more monstrous mountains ate up most of the skyline. The distance had already faded into complete darkness. She waited for a familiar flicker of movement fluttering through the sky. She waited for the harpies to arrive.

They left her waiting. Avery gathered her shaking knees into her arms where she’d grudgingly sat. Temperature dropping again, Avery sent an absent thought towards digging for her missing scarf. Even the vivacious blue fabric had become buried over night so even if she found it, it’d be sopping wet. As the last of the sun was slipping away, she saw something in the distance.

Unlike the flap of bird wings, the eventual flicker came like a spiraling comet. She barely saw a flash of grey when it barreled into the ground half a mile away. Within seconds of the landing, Avery spotted the harpie woman approaching directly parallel to her.

Wings extended, the harpie closed the distance between them in moments. Avery didn’t recognize the girl so at least it wasn’t Eva. This harpie had beige wings, blonde hair, and absolutely pastel skin. Face rounder, she almost looked young but the crinkles around her eyes spoke otherwise. Short for a harpie, she still stood inches above Avery and used her height to glower downward.

“Who are you? And where’d you get this?” The harpie woman snapped automatically. She marched up to the shattered remains of Mason’s homing amulet. Without even seeing them, she knowingly kicked at the slush until they surfaced.

“How was he injured?” Adalyn had backed off a least a dozen feet. Her wings had shut and eyes had widened. Brow pinched, she scrutinized Avery with an excruciating tension. It clicked in Avery’s head. Adalyn was probably justified to be suspicious. Allowing it, Avery turned to face her and explained with the wide berth between them.

“The Band of Thieves attacked us.”

“Really?” Adalyn cocked her head to the side, pink lips parting. “Why was the Band attacking you? Why was Mason ever with you?”

Posing the serious questions in a deadly quiet voice, Adalyn advanced a few steps. For the first time, a shiny silver glint became visible at her side. Avery’s eyes darted to it before she could stop herself. The glint shone off a dagger that Adalyn had strategically tucked into her belt. Its recent appearance meant she’d unsnapped it from her buckle with a slight movement of her arm. Stomach turning in knots, Avery forced herself to stare back at Adalyn’s narrowed blue eyes. Holding her open hands up, Avery explained.

Avery shrugged, unsure of exactly what to do. Holding her injured hand up, she showed Adalyn. Within the week, the magical mark had transformed from a few black splotches on her palm. It now twisted down her arm like external veins, reaching up past her elbow and just below her shoulder blade. It resembled frostbite except its wiry patterns almost formed a design, and Avery was the canvas.

“I am it.” She reasoned aloud, not letting the small cinch of hysteria reach into her voice.

Though she’d gotten the mark as far back as the Fourth of July, only now did it expand and swell with such ferocity. In the cave, Mason had wearily mentioned the reasoning. “The more you use its energy to survive,” He’d justified, “the more it becomes part of you.” With that ill thought, Avery had hurried to summon the harpie that stood before her now.

Adalyn’s expression didn’t change initially. Young face and old eyes shifting at last, she trudged forward at a deliberately slow pace. Finally she stood directly before Avery and gingerly touched Avery’s outstretched hand. The mark pulsed below Avery’s skin, hot and itching. Adalyn drew her fingers away unhurried. Blue eyes catching Avery again, Adalyn’s face showed everything in her mind clicking together.

“If they don’t have the amulet, then the Band is still after you.”

Avery nodded and with that thought, cast a quick weary glance at the sky. Adalyn yanked the dagger out of her belt, and swung her stance into a crouch.

“You called them here! They’ll follow you here! Where’s Mason?” She bellowed.

Avery turned and dashed toward the cave. She slid to a stop just where the entrance to the tunnel peeked from the rock base. Adalyn knocked past her and dove into the channel’s entrance with her wings snapping behind her back. Knowing the tight squeeze inside, Avery didn’t chase. Lingering by the entrance, she heard Adalyn crash to her knees.

“Mason, are you alright? Wake up, speak to me.” Her voice altered noticeably. Her shouting had turned to soothing whispers and in a minute, Mason’s husky voice whispered in return.

Cheeks reddening, Avery backpedaled towards the center of the shallow valley. The voice tones had rapidly turned into something Avery wasn’t too okay with over hearing. She stared down toward the glistening snow and focused on settling her spinning mind. She reasoned things out. Mason hadn’t told her anything about the harpie world. She shouldn’t have found it so surprising that he had a girlfriend. Or an almost-wife. After all, Avery reminded herself, Mason had no intention of sticking around when they got the amulet out. He’d go back to his own life and Avery would go back to hers like nothing ever happened.

Her thoughts stopped suddenly when a shadow fell upon the ground. Avery didn’t have a chance to turn around. A heavy crack to her head and she saw stars. Another whack and Avery saw nothing.

Her world eventually returned to her in blurry blotches. Bit by bit, pieces of her vision restored until she found herself staring at a brightly lit floor. Her skull pounded and ears felt like they were stuffed with sand. Head weighing ten tons, she rolled her shoulders and struggled to look up.

“Sleeping beauty awakes.” For the briefest of seconds, she thought she heard Nate.

Confused, she tilted her head up and desperately blinked until the room became clear. But instead of off white walls, time worn wood stared back at her. Instead of plush carpet, dust and dirt covered the concrete floors. And instead of stout Nate sulking against the wall, there stood a towering harpie. Grey wings curled behind his back, he watched her while wearing a taunting smile.

“Rafael?” She croaked with recognition. The illusion of being home disappeared and was replaced by the bitter reality of an empty cold room.

“Hi girlie.” Rafael acknowledged her with a nod.

“Where am I?” She asked in a hoarse voice. She examined her surroundings with a quick, overhaul gaze.

Only one light brightened the room and shadows collected in the corners. The air smelt musty and thick. An old run down cabin in Alaska. Now that was just classic.

“Somewhere safe now.” He said.

“Psh, I certainly feel safe.” She said against her better judgment, but her frustration demanded to be properly voiced.

However they’d knocked her out and moved her here hadn’t been gentle. Though adrenaline kept her from feeling every ache, she still felt the searing sting of rope trapping her in a stiff chair. Leaning forward, she pulled on her restraints. They’d tied her tight enough to cut off her blood pressure. The ropes didn’t even so much as shift.

Rafael watched her small motions with a sharp predator’s gaze. She gave up and shrugged at him innocently. He’d never moved from his position on the wall but she didn’t want to give him reason to either. Avery never mastered in playing con games for survival, but something told her to keep talking.

Realization sunk in and with it, a harrowing prickling panic. The Band had followed the homing signal not only to her but to Mason also. When she’d left, Mason couldn’t even stand. He couldn’t face off with them twice.

Her heart skipped a beat. Twitching, she pushed against her ropes and rolled her hands that were tied up. She couldn’t even budge.

“What do you mean?” Avery asked.

“The exiled part or the rotting part?” He swaggered forward and closed the distance between them. She didn’t have to specify before he took the opportunity to speak.

“Your precious boyfriend was exiled from the harpie community months ago. Why do you think he took this suicide mission to find the amulet? To find you?”

Avery’s thoughts raced.

“Mason came after the amulet because you killed his father. You killed Jericho. He probably just wants it back.” Her words sounded halfway hollow.

Rafael’s smile curled up even more.

“Is that all Mason told you?”

A creak from the door interrupted him. The door swung open and another harpie hunched over to fit through the doorway. No lights lit up the world outside the cabin so when the door shut, Avery was just as lost as ever before. The new harpie was Eva and Eva’s mere presence sent Rafael to the opposite side of the cabin.

Eva’s lips thinned and she strode up to stand before Avery. Avery squirmed when the tension thick atmosphere became suffocating, but she couldn’t move away.

“It may not be that easy anymore, Rafael. You should know that.” Eva hummed quietly. Moving again, she walked around Avery’s chair until she reached the one spot that Avery couldn’t see her.

“I don’t know what to do with you.” She said slowly, this time directed at Avery.

“What do you mean?” Avery’s voice had twisted with panic but she was kept forcefully still. The blood pounding through her veins only made her wrists and hands tingle with numbness.

“What’s wrong, Eva?” Rafael piped in as well.

“Somehow this human filth has managed to absorb the magic not only into her body but have it grow there. Never in my life have I seen humans used as vessels, nor am I entirely sure to reverse it.”

“And that means?” Rafael kept prompting on the exact same thoughts Avery shared.

“That means we must find a way to free the magic from her, find a way to use the magic within her, or cut our losses and kill her.” Eva’s silky voice made everyone in the room shudder down to the core.

Rafael then piped in something that Avery didn’t see coming.

“This is why you told us not to kill your brother. Mason might know how to free the magic.”

“Wait, Mason’s your brother?” Avery’s voice spiked with her abrupt shock. Struggling once again to move, she tried to get a glimpse of Eva’s face.

Eva moved again, heading for the cabin door. Hovering by the knob, she looked straight toward Rafael with the sharp green eyes that suddenly seemed so reminiscent of Mason’s.

“Yes, and if Mason knew enough to track her to Alaska then he’ll find us again. But this time, we’ll be ready for him.” Eva opened the door. She glanced toward Avery this time and said, “Oh and Rafael, bring our company. We’ll have to deal with a few things before my brother arrives.”

Ten

The world bounced from Avery’s skewed vantage point and though she could see her surroundings, they only resembled an obnoxious blur of blue skies and grey gravel. Spitting out the feathers that poked in her mouth, Avery wiggled and tried to see past Rafael’s wing mast. He’d pulled her out of the chair, threw her over her shoulder and carried her like a rag doll out of the cabin. And on a harpie, the ride wasn’t a pleasant one.

“Stop moving girl.” Rafael warned her and squeezed his arm around her waist until she squeaked.

Avery debated on complaining when she heard something over the crunch of gravel beneath their feet and then she stayed quiet to listen to it. At first the swooshing noise sounded too vague to identify until she heard the characteristic trickle of a stream. Avery wrenched her body to glance in the correct direction just as Rafael stepped onto paved ground. They weren’t in the middle of the woods, Avery realized rapidly.

Nearby, a collection of two-story wooden buildings sat. In the middle of the tiny town, some of the buildings had toppled and only remained as piles of jagged wood and scraps of metal. Except the destruction there didn’t exactly resemble remains from a blast site or a charring fire. Nearby it, the buildings remained untouched, shinning, and new with recent coats slick paint and varnish. Avery squinted at the odd picture. It struck her then. No lights were on inside nor were there any cars nearby.

Her thoughts landed on an answer fairly quickly, and she turned her body to correct location for confirmation. The stream ran nearby and above it was a concrete path up the mountain side. Visible from the top was a set of treacherous and rotting suspended train tracks that circled around down the mountain side. From here she could even see the rusted silver box cart affixed at the track’s onset. She recognized it now.

“We’re at Hatcher’s Pass.”

Hatcher Pass was an old gold mine turned tourist spot near Palmer Alaska. She used to come here as a child. The vivid memories of it came back to her. She’d splash through the cold water stream, panning for tiny specks of gold and ruining her overpriced fur boots. Even though it seemed so distance in the past, the memories returned with such striking clarity that her eyes stung.

Avery began to wonder if she’d ever get to make anymore stupid memories like those again. Mason had been her last hope to survive and he was on his death bed a few hours ago. Avery’s thoughts darkened. She didn’t know how to get out of this one.

“Up here, Rafael.” Eva’s voice led them back off the path and though the dirt. Rafael finally stopped short and rolled Avery off his shoulder before she’d gotten the chance to brace herself. Smashing into the floor sent a sharp jolt of pain throughout Avery’s skeleton but she ignored it. She wasn’t tied up anymore, wasn’t trapped, and was ready to escape. Rolling to her feet, she stood only to freeze because of what she saw.

Lingering around the old wooden wreckage stood more harpies than she had seen before. Every one of them wore the familiar brass plate with the same swirling insignia on it. The mere sight made her back into Rafael’s hard chest and he used it to bounce her back into the center of the circle.

Mason had once referred to the members of the Band she’d encountered as children. At the time it seemed foolish but now it rang as absolutely true. The new harpies she hadn’t seen before had at least ten years on the others. Even Eva slunk behind them and disappeared into the background. The new center of focus revolved around one man who rested on the wood ceiling of a dilapidated building. The harpie’s black eyes crawled over her a few times over before he spread his massive wings and leapt down to the floor with a sweeping gust.

Like all other harpies, the man stood head and shoulders above her and had never ending limbs. His claws caught the light and his wing mast spread out far. Unlike other harpies though, he didn’t wear the brass chest plates or any familiar insignia. His cloth clothes had been tattered showing off the long scars over his neck and chest. With graying hair and drooping eyes, age and experience showed in his face.

“This would be the girl that I’m foretold about?” He asked the crowd but no one answered him. Avery was willing to bet they were afraid too.

The harpie then walked up to Avery. She recoiled, but he didn’t let her get away. Reaching out, he touched her cheek with the back of his hands. The movement hadn’t been harsh but quick, and Avery jumped. Reflex kicking in, she raised her hands to knock him back but he was undeterred.

“My name is Mikhail. Now don’t fight me.” He said calmly.

His touch then trailed from her cheek to her jaw and he grabbed her chin to force her head upward. Eyes rising, she looked at him. His eyes were cold and empty, but looking at them made some strange feeling seize her body. Her heart began to pound and her stomach fluttered. Her skin began to tingle and her head began to float. Avery wanted to fight the unnatural feeling that flooded her body but her eyes stayed focused on his. Her rational mind began to leave her. She suddenly noticed how pretty he was. His skin was porcelain and perfect, and his eyes were large and beautiful.

“Don’t fight me.” He parroted and she went limp, obeying him. “Trust me. It’s just easier this way.”

Avery nodded. Of course, she thought, it was easier this way. He gave her a crooked smile and his hand drifted from her chin. Landing on her shoulder, he let his hands wander down the side of her arm and his fingertips left a hot sensation in their trail. His hand finally took hers and pulled it out between them.

He broke his gaze to look down at her hand where the magical mark had tattooed her skin. Carefully, he ran his thumb over the marking with clear concentration. Avery didn’t fight him. She trusted him at that moment with absolute sincerity.

“Have you been using the magic lately? Have you been able to harvest its energy?” He asked quietly.

“Yes. I have.” The words spilt from her lips before she even realized she said them. Unable to stop herself, she kept talking. “It’s been keeping me warm and keeping me moving. Mason said that my body is absorbing the energy.”

“You see these marks?” He asked while traced his fingers over the wiry markings. His skin was so warm that the sensation made Avery’s knees weak.

“Yea.” She answered him breathlessly and eagerly.

“This means that your body isn’t just holding the magic anymore. This means your body has bonded to the magic. This means you might be able to use it.”

She obeyed, focusing on the warmth of her chest. Mentally willing it, she pushed the feeling through her veins. The warmth suddenly felt like an electric current that tingled through her blood and she pushed it down her arms, down to her fingertips.

Then she actually saw something that took her breath away. She had felt the electricity that ran through her veins but seeing it was a whole different matter. A tiny visible electrical current darted between her fingers like they were conductors. The current was blue and didn’t hurt, but Avery didn’t want to see it anymore. She tried instantly to shake the feeling off, let the warmth go back into her chest. Mikhail took this moment to intervene. Grabbing her chin again, he forced her eyes to meet his.

“Keep going, I want to see how much you can actually manage to manifest.” He demanded.

Avery shook her head. She didn’t want to, but she felt forced when Mikhail’s black eyes were on her. Muscles aching, she obeyed until the magic actually hurt. The electricity grew stronger, bigger, but never made it beyond her wrist.

“Does it hurt you?” Mikhail asked but it sounded more like curiosity than concern.

“It does! It hurts!”

Suddenly he let her go and Avery fell back, smacking the ground hard. The electrical current vanished but her arm still stung. Some part of her heard every harpie in the immediate area ah and oh at the spectacle. But at the moment, she found herself desperate and panicking when the pain grew worse. Her eyes watered and she held the infected arm away from the better half of her body.

Eyes snapping upward, she quickly scanned the crowd just as her world began to blur in and out in masses of blinding color. Her body reacted before she did. Dragging herself, she reached the dirty slush that had collected just off the pathway and plunged her hand into it. The slush actually sizzled and popped, steam puffing up from the impact zone. The burning began to fade, slowly and agonizingly.

Avery let out a hissing breath as the last of the pain slipped away leaving her a welcome numbness. She turned back towards Mikhail but he suddenly looked different. She swore a moment ago he’d looked beautiful and had been inviting. Now he just looked ugly and vicious. Confusion sunk in quickly but her eyes dropped down to the necklace he wore. It was a glass amulet with a bright orange hue. That’s when it sunk in. He had used magic on her. He had made her listen to him. Feeling sick, she kept back but he didn’t seem to want to grab her again.

“Sir, the magic is all still there. We can make it manifest.” Eva tried again, this time desperate to keep her words clear. Her shoulders had slumped, wings folded, and she suddenly looked smaller than ever before.

The boss harpie paced.

“It’s moved into an unusable source. Don’t you understand, Eva? Don’t you understand that killing Prince Jericho will once more bring the wrath of the entire monarchy on our heads? They can’t so easily look away anymore. We took the risk because you promised results. And this is not results.” Through the swagger of sophistication in his words, his voice dipped low with a clear dripping tension. Even Avery heard it from where she stood. The spare harpies became engrossed in staring at the floor, and Eva stood dead still and unmoving.

“Give me time. Give me time and I can make it work again.” She finally whispered, licking her dry lips and wringing her clammy hands.

His threat was clear but he gave a reassuring smile anyways.

“Punishing you would do no good now. Their soldiers will be after us soon and it will not make them go away. Now do something with your new pet Eva, I grow tired of looking at her.”

After being dismissed with that short statement, Eva hurried into action. The other harpies began to part and scatter. Eva slid to her knees just to yank Avery back into her feet. Avery could barely stand and staggered when Eva hauled her away.

Eva dragged her back, only stopping when they’d reached the two story wooden welcome lodge. The Pass was closed at winter and at night. It was the off season and the building was locked down. Even if Avery did escape, she wouldn’t be finding a phone or help inside.

“This is his fault. This is all Mason’s fault! I’ll tear him to pieces when I see him.” Eva raged, dropping Avery straight back onto the concrete. Eva turned away and glanced to the distant snowcapped mountains. It didn’t take a genius to imagine that was the path to the shallow valley in which Avery and Mason had crashed.

“Don’t hurt your brother too,” Avery pushed herself up to sit. Her body ached down to her bones and yet the thought of Mason brought her straight back to reality. “You slaughtered your own father for an amulet and now you’d kill Mason because he wanted to save his father’s legacy.”

Avery didn’t bring up exactly how she knew that. The dream from a few days ago still lingered in her mind, and it had been so real, Avery would have attested to being there. She was there. Almost there. Avery was off the side of the California coast the night a good harpie was murdered.

Eva’s suddenly whirled to face her. Dirt exploded upward from the gusty motion. When the cloud had thinned, Eva face had twisted into something ugly. Her entire stature had changed into something tense-- into something dangerous.

“How dare he blame this all on me?” Eva growled and advanced to tower above Avery. Fists clenched until her own claws drew blood, Eva shook with a new seething rage. “Mason had more part in this than anyone. Mason is the only reason it could happen. Mason is the reason my father is dead.”

Though on the ground, Avery instinctively leaned back to put an inch more of distance between them. Mind spinning, she shook her head out of habit.

“What? What are you talking about?” Avery then prompted.

Eva paced away, putting clear distance between them as if her twitching hand was at risk of lashing out at any moment. She strode to the end of the clearing and turned on Avery with slanted eyes.

“Mason called Jericho out that night knowing it’d be an ambush, and he set his own father up. The Band offered him a trade-- he’d help us get the amulet from Jericho for our help in return. You’ve met that little girlfriend of his? Well she was engaged to be married to somebody else and Mason wanted the guy gone. Mason wanted us to kill him.” She explained slowly. “But when Adalyn’s fiancé showed up dead, the police followed the blood trail straight to Mason. They exiled him, and the only reason Mason isn’t imprisoned is because they can’t prove it. Then Mason got nervous and decided to hide the amulet from us. His foolishness is going to get me into trouble. So Mason deserves everything Mason gets.” She bit out the last part through clenched teeth.

Light headed, Avery abruptly forgot about her immediate surroundings. Instead, her mind brought back the past week’s memories. She remembered Mason’s story, his words in his husky voice. She remembered the sorrow etched with lines into his face and the darkness in his jade green eyes. Avery shook her head again, finding herself suddenly unsure.

“Then he hasn’t told you one true thing yet.” Eva said and continued with, “I’ll tell you this little girl. You may fight us because you know our motives. But at least you know them. Mason lies and has already lied to you. Don’t believe him for a second. If you needed to die too, he’d let you. In fact, I’m sure he’d murder you himself. Now he should stop hiding behind the white horse façade because it’s pathetic to watch.”

Avery opened her mouth to retort but never got the chance. Eva held a silencing hand up in the air and hissed. “Shut up.”

The moonlight flickered on the concrete, disturbed. Eva’s eyes shot upward and her wings shot open. Internal alarm ringing, Avery sprung to her feet and followed Eva’s gaze up toward the parting clouds. Avery squinted upward just as an explosion in the air sounded out. Head twirling, she glanced back towards the heart of town. Shadows darted in the air-- too quick to be seen but just slow enough to distort the dim blue skyline.

“Mason?” Avery asked aloud.

“No,” Eva’s growled. “The police.”

Eleven

The stars in the sky disappeared when the flocks of harpies amassed in the sky overhead. The thunderous drumming of wings consumed the entire mountaintop but the concentration of it circled the center of the mine site. Already, Avery could hear the piercing cries and shrieks of battle as the harpie police clashed with the Band of Thieves. She even swore she heard the whistling of harpoons tear through the air and the inevitable pop of impact. Unsure how to react she turned back toward Eva only to find that Eva had left her standing on the street alone.

Seeing the opening, Avery quickly took in the remainder of her surroundings. She couldn’t see a single harpie nearby but only the abandoned parking lot and a road that twisted down the mountain. She ran for that parking lot and hit the road. Green information signs led her way from that point. Though the signs all declared something like “thank you for visiting” it translated as “EXIT” in the long run. She followed the signs until they ended and the road began. This time, her new direction became marked out by the yellow road reflectors that lit up from the moonlight. Taking the high road put her more in the open but if she cut through the forestry at this high of an altitude, she may not make it out at all.

Adrenaline kept her moving and Avery made good time. Then the inevitable happened. A harpie quickly descended from the sky and made a grab for her, successfully yanking her sideways. Instinctively, she twisted her body in the opposite direction. The move, mildly effective, knocked the harpie’s grip free but doing so on an icy ground, she lost her own balance. When the harpie pushed her, she went down and met the pavement with a painful crack. He landed on top of her and pinned her this time. She couldn’t see anything more than the road and weeds from her new point of view, but she could hear the unfamiliar masculine voice whisper in her ear.

“I am a dually appointed Marshal and you’re under arrest. If you fight me, I will kill you.” She heard a clatter before he fastened freezing metal cuffs around her wrists and tightened them until it hurt. His hands kept moving, freeing another set of cuffs with a tell tale clatter.

Grabbing the popped collar of her jacket, he tugged it back to reveal the blue shirt back underneath. The metal cuffs dangled as the harpie held them loosely and then abruptly he flinched like he’d sprung a mousetrap.

“You’re human.” He said aloud with every bit of disbelief still dripping in his voice.

While to his defense, she wore a heavy enough jacket to conceal wings, Avery didn’t resemble a harpie in any way. On cue, he looked for that next. Lighting up a flashlight, he shone it at her curled fingers. Avery’s fingers barely had a nail, much less talons. She was also short for a human and definitely short for a harpie.

“Definitely human. Can you let me up now?” She pled.

She knew it wouldn’t work. It didn’t take a genius to know that a human running away from the Band of Thieves hideout had something to explain. He held her down while he demanded that explanation.

She tried a different approach.

“I am a friend of Mason’s, Prince Jericho’s son. The Band of Thieves kidnapped me but I got free. Please, let me go. I don’t have anything to do with them.”

She didn’t know Mason’s last name but considering everyone knew Prince Jericho, she didn’t need to explain further. The police officer didn’t let up on the pressure but he did go quiet. Avery could hear the battle rage on up on the hill. The bloody squawks and the ear piercing crashes had only grown closer and louder. Avery didn’t need to look up in the sky to know more police were arriving and that her opportunity to plead her case out was running out.

“Mason was banished for his part in a conspiracy. Affiliation with him only makes you guiltier.”

Avery let out a frustrated gasp. So much for that approach. She’d thought that dropping Mason’s name might have gotten her a reprieve at least.

“I know you have magic. I know you aren’t innocent. Surrender the amulet to me. I’m taking you in.”

Avery grunted when he yanked her up to her feet. The harpie was ready to leave with her but Avery couldn’t let him. Mind racing, she struggled to remember what Mikhail had just taught her about manifesting the magic. She struggled to feel the pull of warmth inside her chest and then desperately pushed it out. It worked just like before, coming easier this time, and soon Avery felt the electrical charge of magic in her fingertips. She used it, grabbing the police officer with her hands. The electricity simmered, crackling, and shocked him. She only heard his roar of outrage and felt him fall back.

Free from his hold, Avery backpedaled. Her wrists naturally moved and unexpectedly the cuffs gave. She brought her hands in front of her face and barely understood what she saw. The silver cuffs had to have been at least an inch thick made of something stronger than steel. Now, the metal had melted into sticky globs of semi liquid. The magic had done a number to them.

Avery prepped herself for battle but another harpie swooped down behind her. Avery barely saw Eva before the harpie grabbed Avery and hefted her in midflight, taking Avery’s feet off the ground. The world spiraled. Unlike her brother, Eva didn’t have the same balance or build to hold Avery’s weight. The resulting choppy flight left them plunging down the hill side at a break neck speed. Avery screamed, clawing at the arms that held her and kicking at the air.

The police officer took to the sky as well, tailing them in a blur of white. Eva’s wings pounded, just enough to glide them. The cop grabbed at them. Eva maneuvered too hard to avoid the man and the resulting motion had let Avery slip free. Avery plummeted through outstretched tree branches, and hit the ground rolling. Though she hadn’t been dropped far, landing just about killed her. In that same second, she turned her head just in time to see unmistakable blinding glare of headlights gunning her way. Her limbs didn’t budge in time. The oncoming truck swerved, breaks squealing in a cloud of burning rubber. Avery’s knees weakened and she hit the pavement just as the truck skid to an agonizing stop.

A full minute went by before Avery finally peeled her white fingers off the asphalt and remembered how to breathe. The moment had past so quickly, it took a second for her brain to catch up. Leaning back, she sat in the damp snow and drew her knees back into herself.

The sputtering blue truck that had just missed making Avery road kill remained nearby. The car’s door opened and its engine finally clicked off with a guttural moan. The driver approached wearily, his eyes apparently ill adjusted to the darkness, probably looking for a wild animal. When he spotted Avery, his face changed considerably. Mouth dropping open, the driver raced to her side.

“What happened? Oh my God, you need help?”

Closer now, Avery could see the man in detail. His scruffy orange beard made the majority of his face disappear but soft green eyes were still visible. Dressed in flannel and heavy duty boots, he could have been a park ranger but Avery couldn’t be sure. As far as Avery was concerned, humanity was enough for her at the moment and she accepted the hand he offered. He walked her to the car, doing a lot to support Avery’s weight, and popped open the door to allow her to sit. Avery did gratefully. The car’s lights came on and the man’s eyes widen and his jaw went slack when he officially got a clear look at her. Avery didn’t have a mirror but it didn’t take a genius to know she was caked with everything from slush to blood. Half starved, frozen, and scared, she probably seemed a little twitchy to boot.

“I just, I wanted to see it but then I got lost. I thought something was chasing me so I ran...” She used every bit of energy she had left to make her story sound genuine.

She glanced up at the sky when she said it. Mason may have kept away from humans but she knew Eva wouldn’t. Once that harpie police officer got done chasing her, she knew Eva would be back.

“I’ll give you a ride back to town.” The man decided without hesitation and closed Avery’s door once her legs were clear.

The mix of uneven temperatures fogged the windows. Rubbing at the side window with her sleeve, she peered out into the night. The trees thrashed together and the flailing branches were distracting. The sky directly above her was clear, dark, and starless. She squinted desperately. Eva had probably kept flying but would inevitably double back. It was only a matter of time.

The truck bounced from an impact. Flinching, Avery tore around to glance behind her. In a hurry, she rubbed the back glass clean of the foggy condensation. The sight of familiar red flannel greeted her and she let out a pent up breath. The man had jumped onto his own truck’s bed. Too close for her to see detail, she heard metal clink and clatter until the man finished and resurfaced at the car door. But this time, Avery realized, he carried a long pump action shot gun. He held it up for her inspection before pushing it into the cabin with them.

“Not gonna hurt you but if there is really an animal out there, we don’t wanna run into it twice.” He climbed in making the truck creak on its pumped up suspension.

Inside, he hit the locks with a single click and threw the car into drive. It started with a bumpy shot and began to cruise. Realizing she’d dug her own fingernails into the grey plastic dashboard, she moved to fold her arms into herself. Avery grudgingly waited, uncertain of what for, but ready for any flash of white or grey. She was ready for the horrible grinding of a steel truck being dragged to a stop or a screeching pop of tires. She was ready for the harpies to attack. After a full ten minutes when none of these came about, the excruciating anxiety finally began to dissipate bit by bit.

Finally drawing her eyes back to inside the cabin, she noticed the plastic identification tag that had been draped around the rear view mirror. An old photo showed the man’s face with the similar but much darker red beard. The faint blue back drop was the familiar stars of Alaska’s flag. Heavy black text on the plastic card identified him as a park ranger. The park ranger waited until they’d bumped a mile down the road before staring at her from the corner of his eye.

Avery noticed herself that she’d been clenching her arm. She didn’t answer him before he added, “You should look under your seat.”

She did and found a hunter green tackle box. Lifting the box up onto her lap, she opened it. The scent of alcohol wafted out. Stuffed to its brim, the box held starch white medical supplies. Bandages and gauze sat on top. The man motioned to her and she picked through the plastic wrapped supplies until she found wrap at the bottom.

“Thanks. I owe you one.” She tore open the bag and unraveled the bandage.

“No problem, it’s my job.”

Avery concentrated on wrapping the bandage tight around her right arm until the better half of the black mark was covered. Below the skin, she felt just a hint of magic tingling. She knew she could manifest it now so at least she wasn’t helpless. The fact that she was okay with that idea was a big concern for a different day. Avery just wanted to get out of here alive.

Twelve

Downtown Anchorage, which lacked any dingy forests or dark creepy roadways, had come as a welcomed sight. The park ranger had been on his way to the city so not only did Avery take the ride there, she also took him up on an offer to be dropped off at the airport. She’d snagged up a ticket and was ready to go. The harpies would have to chase her down across the lower 48 if they wanted to get her now.

Sighing, she took a breath and tried to clear her emotions away. She’d made it all the way out of Hatcher Pass to Anchorage almost incident free. The trip took a few hours and though the car peacefully chugged along the interstate, the ill and foreboding feeling never stopped hovering.

The memory of the trip, crisp in her mind, kept the bad feeling around even now. Only an hour out, the park ranger’s demeanor had changed dramatically. Going from a generally jolly old man, he went stiff and quiet. The car still rumbled along at a steady speed but he gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white. His pupils had expanded to take up much of his beady eyes and stayed steady on the empty road with absolute concentration.

“It’s just been a weird night.” He’d said once she’d inquired. His tone attempted to brush it off but she could hear the worry in it. “Thank god I managed to find you. I’ve just got a bad feeling.”

Avery didn’t know how to answer so she simply stayed quiet. It prompted to man to say more and he spoke softly enough that the words barely reached past his own scruffy beard. One of his hands absently cradled the wooden base of his shot gun.

“I’ve always had this theory about when things aren’t okay out here. Consider it natural instinct if you will, but the animals always know if something isn’t right. And tonight, the birds...the birds have really been acting up.”

Pushing it back in her mind and focusing on the present, Avery twirled the metal coiled cable in her hand and wedged the plastic phone head between her shoulder and chin. It still rang high and loud on the other side waiting for the recipient to agree to pay the collect call. She’d been trying contact her brother Chase for awhile-- especially considering she got a plane ticket to see him, but knowing his lazy habits, she’d consider herself lucky if he answered at all. Finally the incessant ringing halted and a gruff voice answered the phone.

“My phone is history.” She said truthfully. Maybe it was the constant falling but the once baby blue flip now resembled scrap metal.

“Avery!” He shouted, this time annoyed. Rustling on the other line told her he was now up and moving, probably one step from diving in his old Ford to come on a rescue mission. The best quality about Chase was also his worse. Chase was absolutely over protective

“I’m fine.” She amended. “Look, I’ve been thinking about what you said and decided to skip town for awhile and check out what else California has to offer.”

The silence on the other line didn’t come unexpectedly. In fact, it sounded both reminiscent of the park ranger and her mother when she barely put up a viable excuse. She wouldn’t try either. Even basking in the heat of the building with fries and a burger settling in her stomach, she didn’t feel up to it. Chase’s voice finally came over at a steady and deep pitch.

She had spoken to her mother earlier only to find out that Mayweather Academy had been calling her mother incessantly since she’d disappeared. They probably did it to decide whether they needed a truant agent or a corpse search team. After apologizing profusely, she’d just told her mother that she’d gone on trip to the Anchorage and spent the last few days horsing around in the city. Avery had spun a convincing tale about how there was too much drama in school and her mother had no problem with her taking a weekend break in California. Her mother swallowed this easily-- she had, after all, raised Chase who was an absolute hell raiser. In comparison to anything Chase did, Avery cutting a few days a school would be laughed off.

Her mother was easy to talk to, but dealing with Chase would be a different matter. The mere fact that Avery needed a so-called break from school meant that Chase needed to kill somebody on her behalf.

The overhead speakers boomed and Avery’s attention shot to the gate entrance on her left. Outside sat the tiny silver plane waiting at the tarmac. For some time, there’d been a line of twitchy people but they’d finally started boarding. She squeezed the heavy plastic phone receiver.

“I gotta go. Just pick me up please.”

“Avery.” He stopped her before she placed the phone back in its cradle. “Be careful.” He sighed.

She nodded even though he couldn’t see her and then hung up. It would turn out she hurried onto the plane for no reason. The only other ten people had already found their seats and the flight attendant hadn’t even completed the safety lecture. Avery dropped into her seat, abruptly exhausted, and gave a passing glance to the other people. She didn’t recognize anyone and no one had the characteristics of a harpie.

Most times Avery hated planes. The cabin was stuffy and the small fan blowing ventilated air smelt too much like gasoline. Today though, it didn’t bother her. This had to be the way to fly. A nice, granted mildly unpleasant, closed environment with no one trying to kill her and no chance of being dropped.

The plane took off and her dream had begun before she even realized she’d fallen asleep. Instead of being in the plane seat, she stood on soft grass and breathed in cool, fresh air.

The sharpness of the detail of a hearty garden full of overwhelming flowers could have tricked her but Avery realized it wasn’t reality. To her left trickled a tall marble fountain in a circle of polished tiles. Multicolored purple and blue accent lights focused at the center of the fountain giving the whole area a healthy glow. The lights lit up the red and white rose bushes that bloomed around the pathway. She admired its beauty for only moments when a voice demanded her attention.

“My highness.”

A gray haired harpie appeared at the edge of the garden and fell into a sweeping bow. The harpie looked older than any she’d seen before. The skin on his face drooped over hazel eyes, and he walked bent over.

“How are you?” She asked, the words slipping from her like they were already scripted.

She paced toward the fountain and perched on the edge. From there she caught a glimpse of herself in the rippled water’s reflection. Sharp green eyes stared back. Even through the distortion, she recognized her own reflection as the prominent face of Jericho. It seemed she was Jericho.

“I come on behalf of the Counsel, Jericho. We are concerned about the amulet of Willow.” The gray haired harpie said, standing close but also refusing to stand on the same tile pathway as she did.

“Aw, so quick to business. How’ve you been Samuel?” She said politely, and with her tiny nod, harpie Samuel took a few steps closer. Now standing just a foot before the fountain, Samuel seemed more relaxed.

“Always well these days, my lord. You know my daughter is soon to be married.” Samuel‘s voice rose with the pride, and his chest puffed with elation.

“Mason’s a strong boy. Mason will get over it.” With that, she abruptly dug into her pocket and retrieved a book that barely filled her huge hand.

“Speaking of this though, I would like to break the news to him myself. So we should make haste.” She then held the book out to Samuel as an unspoken offer and said, “This is all I can tell you.”

Samuel eyed it wearily before snatching it in one motion and flipping through it in the next. The pages inside were worn and abused by too much pressure and far too much fountain ink. From where she stood, it resembled more jibberish than anything else. But when the Samuel closed the book, she remembered the insignia clearly. In silver embossment, a crescent moon decorated the cover.

“What is this, Jericho?” Samuel asked.

“Research. Observations. Theories. Everything I know about the amulet’s creation and its abilities.” It had to be a fair amount of information considering the book’s size.

“Well, for time’s sake, help me understand.” The other harpie put two fingers to his wrinkled scalp resembling a worn out parent about to lecture a child. “This amulet is different than the others?”

She nodded.

“And for that reason, you aren’t even sure what this amulet is capable of or even how strong it might be?” Samuel asked.

He phrased his questions like a police interrogator, forcing her to answer and confirm one step at a time. Before he could finish his questioning though, she interrupted.

“Au contraire, it’s more powerful than any magic I’ve ever captured before.”

“Jericho, I know we may only be cousins but I’ve always been like a brother to you. I’ve always believed in your dreams. But creating the most powerful weapon in the world isn’t a dream but a nightmare. If this reaches the wrong hands...“

The mere mention of Eva’s name made her mood darkened beyond compare. A new kind of rage simmered in the pit of her stomach making her fists ache with tension. She drew her claws into her hands until it summoned blood and expanded her itching wings until they, at full width now, looked massive.

“Don’t you think I know about Eva?” Her words were short, sweet, and most of all, coldly threatening. The warning made the air grow heavy and the beauty of the garden fade away into an ignored black backdrop. She waited for the harpie to give her reason enough to quit repressing the growing fury.

“I’m sorry, my highness.” He stammered and swept into another bow.

She twitched, emotions unsatisfied, and ended up pacing to put more distance between them. Some of the garden’s view returned to her again and she found herself staring at the sleeping flowers. She cruelly plucked their petals off to relish the tiny snaps as the flower wilted and broke.

“I can give the counsel my word, but there is no certainty they may not destroy the amulet. They will be afraid of its power.”

Samuel’s tone beckoned forgiveness, and his head had bowed forward again. She ignored it.

“If it were only so easy to destroy, Samuel. This amulet is different from others of its kind because it’s organic. It’s truly a life of its own. It’s part of me. ”

“Wait, Jericho. You didn’t.” Losing his posture, Samuel darted to be by her side in mere seconds. The wind stirred and the flower she’d been torturing flopped away.

“Not quite. I only bound the magic with my blood, Samuel. That’s enough for me to believe that even if the amulet is destroyed it’ll be taking a part of me with it.” She explained.

“Jericho.” Samuel said slowly. “What have you done?”

Avery snapped awake to the plane landing and the screeching thumps of the wheels dragging along the runway. The normal sense of unsteadiness swept her forward and the moving scenery in the windows slowed. Avery gripped the starch fabric of her arm rests until the last of the dream induced vertigo dissipated. She sat next to the window staring at the back of an airplane seat.

Cold again, Avery rubbed her bandaged arm furiously. Her mind kept reeling but for the first time with a new sense of clarity. The magic in her arm pulsed, almost knowingly, when she examined it. Some part of her understood now.

With the magic had come some part of Jericho. Now that, Avery knew, just made for more complications.

Thirteen

“Avery, over here!”

They’d barely rattled up to the worn out concrete beach house in Chase’s car when she heard the welcoming party. Standing on paint chipped steps waited Michelle, a girl that could have been the more weathered version of Leela. She was petite with an overabundance of energy and though she didn’t even know Avery well, she excitedly greeted her.

Avery thanked her, usually loving to be there. Chase and Michelle had managed to nab a house only a block and a half from the beach. While the one bedroom apartment was hardly considered premiere living, the location made up for it all. From this house, it as a short walk to the beach and the boardwalk where every brand name that existed had a store front. The reason for this visit, however, put a damper on the fun.

She had to give him credit. He didn’t give her the usual barrage of twenty questions. Too cheap to park, he’d picked her up at the entrance way in the airport. The following drive back to his tiny beach apartment had been filled with more sight-seeing than intense conversation. While Avery hadn’t given much thought to it in the scheme of things, it suddenly struck her as remarkable now.

Chase slung the car keys into a green pot by the front door with disturbing accuracy and moseyed inside with his half slouching walk. Inside now, he made for the brown couch and plopped in front of the television. Nothing displayed on the black flat screen but he watched it like there was something. Michelle joined him, perching on the slanted arm rest.

“Oh. Of course.” Michelle went to lead her down the hallway. No matter how many weeks Avery had stayed here before, she’d get the same introduction and lecture about how what when and where.

Avery accepted them in a hurry and shut the bathroom door with a firm clank. Inside, she flipped the water on as hot as it would allow. The tiny bathroom would fog up in no time but Chase would just have to deal with the condensation later. Avery had a few days worth of sweat, blood, and tears to wash out. With it all, she’d probably take off a few layers of skin.

The shower also gave her some much needed time to think. Scraps of the dream returned to her when she thought about it. Standing in a garden, she saw herself watching Jericho’s distorted reflection stare back at her in the fountain’s water. The dream had seemed too real this time. The mention of Eva’s name sent her into a dark rage that she couldn’t even manage in her gothic years of middle school. Something about it all led her back to Jericho’s own words.

“That’s enough for me to believe that even if the amulet is destroyed it’ll be taking a part of me with it.”

Now it felt like Jericho was with her. Or in her. In the form of the magical amulet. It certainly wouldn’t be the strangest thing she’d ever heard. Now to pitch the idea to Mason that his dead father lived in a magic that lived in her... she couldn’t see that one coming out well.

The thought should have scared her more but surprisingly didn’t. Jericho had probably been the only good harpie she’d remotely met so far. Avery kept on the muse as she carefully climbed out of the shower. Hot water did wonders for her aches but couldn’t dissipate the pain completely. Limping towards the counter, she reached the sink and happened to look up. Avery screamed.

She was too preoccupied with staring at the mirror to think out a better one. In the mirror, her pale face stared back. Her attention had been drawn to the magical mark that once had crawled from her mid palm to sprawl to the very tip of her shoulder blade. She’d expected that. But over a day and night it had changed again. The thin lines had thickened and multiplied to resemble a spider’s web. It now reached over her shoulder and down past her ribs. It looked more like a full body tattoo than a simple burn mark anymore. Feeling ill, she leaned over the sink to dry heave until her throat grew sore. If it had changed and grown so rapidly, what would it look like in another week? In a year? Would it ever stop?

She didn’t wait for Michelle to repeat it though. Avery grabbed up the clothes in a hurry. While Michelle may have only been one size off, the tank top rode up her midriff and the spaghetti strap revealed every extra inch of the amulet’s burn pattern.

“He’s a tall pretty boy and Chase is totally giving him the third degree. Maybe you should be quick.”

“Michelle, please tell me you have more concealing clothes than this.” Avery already had slipped into the white denim shorts but left the tank sitting on the nearby counter next to her used bandage. She didn’t have time to rewrap her arm.

“I’m sorry babe, I don’t exactly have much else.”

Letting out a breath, Avery stilled her nerves so she could think. Then remembering her winter jacket in the hallway, she opted for it but in doing so would inevitably have to pass Michelle before she got it. The girl couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.

Avery couldn’t stall longer. Stuffing the small blue tank over her head, she braced herself and slipped into the hallway. The other girl had been momentarily distracted by the commotion in the living room, only turning just as Avery had the stuffy jacket in her hands. Her brown eyes predictably widened.

“Shush.” Avery said, swinging the jacket over her shoulders.

“You’re not even eighteen, Avery!” Michelle gasped, only by luck, quietly.

Obviously she thought it was a tattoo. The new heavy appearance certainly helped. Fitting her arm through the last bunched sleeve, Avery maneuvered past the girl to the living room with a finger pressed flat to her lips.

She headed straight inside where she found Mason and Chase standing in opposite sides of the room and glaring. Chase’s over-protectiveness was kicking into over drive and a harpie wasn’t one to lose a staring contest. But when she walked into the room, Mason’s attention broke and turned toward her instantly.

“What happened? Are you okay?” He asked.

The genuine concern in his green eyes took her off guard and made her forget how to formulate a good answer. She didn’t have to when Chase jumped in.

“Who is he? Is he a problem? Because I swear I’ll throw him out.” Chase wasn’t kidding either.

“Don’t worry,” She maneuvered in front of her brother. “I’ll take care of it.”

Chase looked one second away from protesting but Avery took only half a second to get out the door. Mason was on her heels automatically. She barely trekked to the end of the block, just where the beach sand began to gather and the ear shot of any residents ended. Then she turned to Mason.

Despite being on his deathbed last time she’d seen him, he looked great today. He stood at his full height with his wide shoulders and perfect posture. His skin had taken full color, cheeks had rosy hues, and eyes stayed wide and alert. Avery was almost happy to see him so healthy but since Eva’s pep talk that all suddenly seemed fake. Mixed sentiment lingering, Avery remained unsure of what to think. Either way, she beat him to the punch.

“How’d you track me back here? I just got here!” She didn’t hide the irritation in her voice. She’d barely escaped long enough to make it to one place and they were on her again. Feeling displaced again, Avery couldn’t think of where to flee next.

“No! It’s not like that. I mean, I didn’t track you.” He spoke in a soft enough voice that her fury simmered down a bit. It didn’t sound like his typical cocky, lecturing tone. The emotion plaguing his voice wasn’t clear but it certainly resembled something hurt-- something scared. Whatever internal mothering instincts plagued Avery made her lay off quicker than she’d initially preferred.

“It was the only place I knew I had a chance of finding even a trace of you. I didn’t expect you’d show up on the door step though.”

The honesty that protruded in his voice sounded legitimate but she didn’t understand what he was talking about.

“What did you mean by finding a trace of me?” She prodded.

Mason beckoned her closer with a small flick of his hand and only then did Avery realize she’d instinctively put at least five feet between them. Gut reflex made her stand still. Being so close to him was uncomfortable. She opted to keep her distance and Mason didn’t try to get closer again.

“You alright?” He approached her tentatively but thankfully never tried to touch her. In a few moments, her stomach settled itself again. She glanced up and stared wearily at the gleaming sand and the shifting waves in the distance. The heavy scent of salt water didn’t help her situation but she breathed it in willingly. Finally allowing her body to recover, she twisted around and set her back against the nearest wall. Avery rubbed her temple hard.

“So they’re in danger now? Chase, Leela, my mother? They’re all in danger.” It wasn’t a question at the end. Eva could easily use them against her. In fact, if Eva had Leela or Chase tied up, Avery never would have attempted to escape. They’d know that too. Sound logic all around but harpies played dirty.

“Wait, what happened to your hand?” Mason asked suddenly.

The barest tint of webbed black peeked out from her sluggish jacket sleeve. He saw the difference too. She tugged the cuff of her jacket to cover it again. Short arms were a luxury when fitting ones hands into a large jacket.

“It’s okay, I’ve got it.” Her mind rolled over the plans she had for raiding a few libraries. She’d have to roam through hundreds of pages of potentially useless texts but lore and myth would give her a good direction. After all, they were somewhat right about harpies. A flicker of Mason’s old personality returned when he gave a superior sniff.

“We’ve been over this, you need my help.” His eyes slanted and his tone dropped like he was speaking with a child.

The whole bit actually succeeded in infuriating her all over again with the manic anger suspiciously reminiscent of Jericho’s.

“Yea, really? I’m not even sure you’re trying to help me. I found out that you’ve been lying to me all along. Trying to save the amulet for your father? I don’t believe it. You made a deal with the Band.”

“Mason!” She shouted at him reaching the end of her rope. “I’ve heard it all. The whole spiel and I know. Don’t avoid the subject anymore because this is the one chance you have to give me your side. Otherwise I have no reason to believe you.”

Avery’s voice broke. Avery knew she shouldn’t trust him, but she wanted to trust him, and she’d give him a chance.

“We need to talk. Alone.” She finally said. Unable to sit still anymore, she began to walk toward the beach leaving Mason to slowly follow.

 

Fourteen

“You do know what ice cream is, right?” Avery finally felt the need to ask after Mason continued his stare down with the double chocolate mint scoop of ice cream in her hand.

She’d been watching him since they’d arrived at the Edy’s shop just off the beach. She’d walked them far away from Chase’s place, knowing her brother had a habit of eavesdropping, and stopped at a stall that seemed like a good place to talk. People were all over the beach, but none really lingered in ear shot while paying more attention to the wanna-be singer belting out off-pitch songs or the model worthy girls prance in their skimpy red bikinis.

It was scolding hot and thickly humid outside, and there was little shade over the patio furniture where they sat. She would have even sprung to pay for his ice cream too, just to get any relief from the weather, but he’d adamantly refused.

“We’re not the only ones with coats.” Mason said.

He apparently didn’t like being called a weirdo even if his choice of an ankle length trench coat was ridiculous. He’d picked out a jacket with awkward crosshatching patches that didn’t quite pull together right. The gawkiness of it actually gave him some strange charm and fit him as a harpie. It didn’t help blending in though, and Avery knew it would attract odd looks.

“Fine, don’t have one.” She said with a childish hotness and began to eat before the treat completely liquefied in her hand. She might have been stalling from the serious, looming conversation, but Mason wouldn’t let her forget it.

“I’ve talked to your sister!” She spoke above him. A few passing heads whirled at the increased volume and Avery reluctantly shut up and leaned back in her seat. Only when the tension drained long enough did a white faced Mason speak.

“What’d she say?” He asked in a tentative voice. His demeanor shifted again, slipping away from the hot headed Mason she knew to something of a more vulnerable one.

His eyes had even glazed and his shoulders slumped, drawn into his chest. His wings twitched under his coat and he kept shaking his knee until the nervous activity made the table tremble. Avery mulled on her answer for a moment.

“I fell in love with Adalyn. But she was betrothed from a young age and as long as she was, we couldn’t marry. And then Eva came along... she told me if I called our father out into the open, she’d steal that stupid amulet. Then she would break up Adalyn’s engagement with her connections.”

The allegation sounding so familiar, the déjà vu threatened to make Avery nauseous. Eva said Mason lied. Mason said Eva lied. It felt like she was dealing with children but lacked the parenting skills to get the real scoop.

“Breaking up someone’s engagement doesn’t mean killing them. It’s easy in the harpie world. They’re all about banishment. All she’d needed to do was give any reason for the authorities to believe Adalyn’s fiancé was less than... honorable. Like if he’d associated with the Band of Thieves. That rumor alone could have done it and that did. The fact that he showed up dead almost a week later had nothing to do with me.” Mason protested vehemently.

“And what about Jericho?”

Mason leaned back in his chair and cast his eyes towards the cracked concrete patio.

“I didn’t call Jericho out to get murdered, Avery. I would never have thought, no matter how insane my sister would turn out to be, she would have let that happen. They were only supposed to take the amulet. He fought them over it and then they killed him. It happened so quickly. I didn’t think he was ever in any mortal danger. He should have just given it up.”

Mason’s voice sounded particularly raw and his eyes had glazed over with thought. She almost didn’t want to interrupt whatever was going through his mind but she still needed to figure things out.

“And that’s when you decided to get it back. Was it to save your father’s legacy after all or did you just want to salvage your relationship with Adalyn?”

He glanced at her wearily.

“Does it matter now?”

“Yes. Because if it was Adalyn then I’m not entirely sure I can trust you anymore. I am the amulet. Are you going to give me to the harpie court if that means you could get Adalyn back and your banishment removed?”

His eyes shot up and he glared at her, clearly offended.

“I said I’d protect you!”

“Yea but you also went out of your way to tell me a whole romanticized story about what happened with Jericho. You’re leaving things out all the time.”

Mason stood up so suddenly, he knocked his seat back and made Avery flinch. Pressing his palms flat on the table, he leaned forward.

“We have to stop this secrets stuff. This amulet thing is dragging out a lot longer than we’d expected, so we need to trust each other.”

Mason nodded firmly. Before Avery could say more, the seat between them abruptly moved. A girl sat down to join the conversation and it took Avery a minute to recognize her. Adalyn had let down her curly blonde hair and adorned heavier makeup. Wings tucked away under a clenched black coat, she looked small and lean. She frowned at Avery with hot red lips and blinked at her through heavy eye mascara. Mason didn’t even so much as look up indicating he’d known the blonde had been nearby all along.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Adalyn said stiffly and her eyes flickered over Avery and Mason.

“We’re just figuring some things out.” He said.

“Well then I don’t want to rain on your parade but I don’t think you need to figure anything else out with this girl. We’ll have to find another way to remove your banishment.”

“What do you mean?” Avery snapped out, quickly upset by the comment. Adalyn didn’t even look at her but kept talking to Mason.

“So guess what I found out. Apparently this girl here attacked a marshal. He put two and two together. She has magic in her body and she knows you. The police now know that Prince Jericho’s Willow amulet runs in the form of a human girl. Do you know what that means?” She didn’t wait for them to ask. “That means they’re going to think the problem is out of your hands and take it into theirs. Do you know what they would do with a human girl that attacks police? Especially considering she might be working for the Band of Thieves? Whatever they decide, it won’t be good.”