Avery slipped out of the cell. She wanted to give the only real friend she had a crippling hug and spill out every frustrated emotion she’d been holding in. She never got the chance. Looking up at the hallway, she’d stopped herself.

“Where’s your minder?” She asked.

The hallway sat void of anyone else besides them. There should have been someone. No one walked these halls alone. The situation didn’t fit right and Avery didn’t ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. Leela never turned and gave her any answer.

“Come with me.” She said again.

This time, a dark feeling in her gut made Avery hesitate. Mason’s claws suddenly jumped out and grabbed Avery’s shoulder. Pulling her back, Mason hissed.

This time Avery paid attention. Leela’s pupils had been dilated to the twice the normal size until the brown iris disappeared. The girl stood too stiff as well. She hadn’t naturally swayed or shifted once.

“What’ve they done to her?” Avery gasped.

“It’s strong magic. She’s being compelled.”

A flash of Mikhail and his orange amulet shot to Avery’s mind. Mikhail had an amulet for allure in which he could use to compel people into actions. He’d looked into Avery’s eyes once and had her spill her secrets. With more than a few minutes of that kind of magic, anything was possible.

Avery knew it too, knew they were using Leela against her, and knew that she was buying into their plan. Dangerous or not, she couldn’t let Leela die on her behalf.

Leela kept acting bizarre. Her movement jerky, she headed straight down the hallway. They followed with a wide gap. The hall was dim and the nearby cells were eloped in shadow. Mason kept glancing in the cells and behind them. The mere thought that someone would spring out of the darkness frightened Avery more than she’d like to admit. She squeezed Mason’s hand tighter.

“Leela, please stop. Those aren’t your thoughts or your ideas. You don’t have to obey them.” Avery pled.

She hadn’t even considered that when Mikhail had compelled her actions on Hatcher Pass. Maybe if Leela comprehended that someone else was inside her head, she could fight it. Leela kept walking. Avery tugged Mason’s hand, ready to storm in front of her friend and physically stop her in her tracks. Avery had some weight and height advantage but Mason prevented her from doing it.

“Wait.” He urged her.

They took a corner and for the first time, Avery could see the unmistakable bright orange of sunlight ahead. Considering the prison had no windows, Avery wanted to ask where it’d come from. Before she had to, they were close enough to see. The wall had been blown open in an array of dust and rubble. Sun beamed through the opening. This high up, fourteen stories and a pounding coast line were beneath them.

“They blew a wall in the prison?” Avery gasped.

“It’s a trap Avery. The walls of the prison have magic that protect us from uninvited harpies coming in, but if we go out there then we’re vulnerable!”

Leela turned in one stiff movement and before they could react, she burst into a run. Jumping straight through the hole in the wall, Leela dropped.

“Mason!” Avery screamed.

Mason lunged out after her, wings snapping open. Avery rushed to the opening and peered down. Mason had caught Leela but something else drew her eye. Avery jerked backwards, but in a flash the harpie was on her. Talons ripped her free out of the side of the building. Avery fought back instantly. Grabbing at him, she caught a free limb and forced the magic in her chest outward. The attacking harpie shrieked, releasing her, and Avery fell.

Avery’s whole world spiraled until only a clear wash of blue remained. She hit the salt water with a painful crack. Muscles ceasing up, the waves thrashed her up against the rocks. Only the magic in her body kept her breathing. Unable to see straight, she glanced up. The entire sky lit up with chaos. Harpies collided. Harpoons howled. Sharp blue suits spun through the air.

She couldn’t spot Mason among them. The waves drew her back and threw her again. Salt water washed up her nose and burned in the back of her throat. The magic hummed but Avery couldn’t feel anything below her abdomen.

A shadow suddenly swopped over her and then a quick hand plucked her from the water. Avery looked up into Eva’s grinning face.

“I told you we’d have a nice chat.” Eva laughed.

Avery didn’t fight. Too weak, she couldn’t. All she could do was wait and see what Eva had in store for her now.

Twenty-two

Magic ripped through the air in vibrant flashes of blue, green, and gold. The night sky lit up like a thunder storm. Every second, the clouds above would glow and show the vicious fighting shadows above. Eva maneuvered through the raging battle with practiced ease. Fifteen stories up, she dropped Avery on the building top. The resulting awkward crash into brick left Avery writhing on the damp floor. Eva set down next to her and yanked Avery upright by the back of her collar.

“Stop fighting me.” Eva growled in advance.

Avery hadn’t yet thought of using her magic. The wind up here was fierce, and the cold salt water clung to her skin to leave her harrowingly numb. Bones aching, she stilled obediently. She just had to wait, Avery told herself. She just had to wait for Mason. With that mantra in her mind, Avery turned her attention to the situation.

Eva had thrown her down in the middle of the makeshift courtroom. Above, atop the raised wooden bench perched Mikhail. He balanced lightly with his wings barely opened and peered down at her.

“How are you dear?” Everything about the leisure ridden tone seemed bizarre as though the harpie didn’t realize a battle raged on around them. Eva also kept her eyes set inward as if they were in a bubble and everything else went down miles away.

“What do want? You said you couldn’t use me.” Avery shouted almost futilely. Her teeth chattered so hard, she could barely form the words.

Wings snapping open, he swept down until his presence towered over her. Avery jerked back but Eva held her still with a brutal hold on her shoulder.

“Oh foolish girl, we didn’t kill the Prince to let our prize go.”

Avery sputtered for an answer when Mikhail produced a gleaming knife. He brandished it but never struck. So focused on the situation in front of her, Avery barely noticed Mason land with Leela nearby. He came to an awkward landing and before their feet even touched the ground, Leela broke free from his hold. The girl then took off, rushing to stand besides Mikhail. Leela was still bespelled, clearly, and her mind must have been on a one track road. Mikhail’s allure amulet still had Leela bowing at his feet.

Mason stood by, doing nothing but waiting intently. He didn’t want to step in with Mikhail’s knife still posed to strike. Avery held back on protesting herself. They were at a standoff.

“Let her go.” Mason said slowly. “She’s no use to you.”

Eva sneered.

“Then why are you still here, Mason? If she served no other purpose, you would have traded her in to the government a long time ago.” Eva asked pointedly.

Avery’s heart skipped a beat. The Band apparently didn’t miss much. If he had decided he couldn’t remove the amulet’s magic from her body-- turning her in or not-- he wouldn’t have spent almost three days delaying. Mason seemed to know this too. Apparently careful to change their thought train, he said something else.

“I wouldn’t trade her into the government. They’d kill her and you know it. I won’t let another innocent person die. I’m nothing like you.” His temper had flared and with it, he growled so darkly at his sister that even Avery was intimidated.

“You’re everything like me. When will you admit it?” Eva shot back, her voice curling into an ugly and bitter tone.

The hatred in her green eyes simmering, she looked ready to attack. Avery watched it, her stomach knotting with the tension. If Mason kept this up, a sibling show down would be inevitable but he was also successfully distracting Eva.

“I would never have killed our father. You crossed a line.”

Avery watched as Eva kept going for the distraction hook, line, and sinker. Too concerned with the spat, she hadn’t been any closer to discovering the secret about the amulet’s magic. Avery’s attention flickered to the clouds. The police had descended upon the island with a fully fledged force. Most of the Band was in the area fighting back but they were clearly outnumbered. She stood a chance, Avery realized. If she just kept the secret for a few minutes longer, the police would swoop in and she’d escape.

“You have no right to judge me, Mason. And you have no right to protect that man. Jericho was a thief, a traitor, and a liar.”

“Eva. Shut up.” Mikhail said softly but the second he spoke, all attention fell to him. His knife still lingered in the air but his patience had apparently worn thin. “You’ve forgotten why we came.”

Avery squirmed backwards on the muddy pavement but Eva quickly readjusted her painful grip until Avery moved no more. Mikhail turned his eyes on Avery and she felt her skin crawl and her stomach flutter. Lungs constricting and mind blanking, she struggled to talk. Mikhail was using his amulet again. He would compel her to comply with his commands just as easily a second time.

“Tell me dear. Why are you still around? What has Mason found out about the Willow magic?”

Her mouth clicked open but she struggled for words. Her head pounded. Mikhail looked dreamy again. His black eyes appeared soft and beautiful. His hair fell over his face perfectly and skin looked shiny and smooth. His half smile made her heart swoon. Feeling light headed, she forgot all of her concerns.

“You have pretty wings.” She giggled lucidly. “Can I touch them?”

He pouted and Avery panicked, knowing she’d upset him.

“Not until you tell me. Tell me what Mason has found out about the Willow magic.”

“Oh.” Avery frowned. Her mind wasn’t functioning properly and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She knew Mason had found out something but that something kept slipping away. She grasped at the memories, straining to think properly. Mikhail wanted to know and she wanted to tell him.

“Come on.” Mikhail reached out and brushed her cheek-- the contact threatening to make Avery’s knees buckle from under her. Blood pounding in her ears, she opened her mouth.

“Avery, stop!”

Mason’s voice suddenly tore through her daze. Snapping from the stupor, Avery found herself on the building top again, wet and in pain. Her eyes connected with Mikhail’s but this time they didn’t look inviting, just horrifying. Mikhail’s expression changed rapidly. Going from amused to infuriated, he tightened his grip on the blade.

“Leela.” He ordered and Avery’s friend became alert again. “Did you overhear them? What were they saying?”

“Leela, don’t say anything!”Avery couldn’t finish. Mikhail wacked her hard enough that she saw stars.

Leela blinked as if she was having trouble comprehending, and she was probably going through the same struggle Avery had. As so, Avery was convinced she could snap her friend out of it.

“Mason!” Avery screamed, frantic to stop this. She cast a hurried glance sideways but Mason and Eva were nowhere to be seen. She was on her own. Avery tried to wrestle her way to her feet but Mikhail held her firm. Leela kept talking.

“Mason was upset. He said that Avery had to die. If she died then the magic would jump to the nearest organic life form. It’s the same way she got the magic inside her body when the amulet broke.”

Mikhail eyes shot open and his face flashed with some incomprehensive emotion.

“Eva.” He ordered into the sky. “Come here.”

Avery crawled to her feet just as the female harpie swooped back toward the building top. Mason was still nowhere to be seen and Avery’s panic grew. Eva crossed the roof and grabbed hold of Avery again. Immobilized, Avery couldn’t escape when Mikhail idly drew his talon across her cheek.

“So this magic can be absorbed into another person? This means once you die, whoever is closest will get the magic. And they can use that magic as an invaluable weapon.” Mikhail surmised.

“It’s not that easy.” Avery protested.

“Because you don’t know how to use it. But if you die, and I inherit the magic-- I will use it well. I will be unstoppable. So that all leads us back to you dying for me.”

“You’re insane!” She gasped but he grabbed her chin and forced her head still. Bringing his eyes up to meet his, he stopped smiling. He spoke to Eva.

His hand moved quickly, launching back and then forward to give Avery a sharp slap. The strike jarred her but also made her fight harder. Mikhail struck her again but this time he slammed his knee into her jaw. Avery’s bones rattled and her vision splotched with blackness. Mikhail struck her and Avery’s entire world threatened to go dark. The back of her head smacked the brick and she found herself staring at the chaotic blue strips of sky above.

Her thoughts didn’t work right. Where was Mason? Her mind kept repeating the single idea. He should have been here to help her by now. Feeling more than mildly delirious now, she looked back toward Mikhail. His figure, blurry around the edges, had two fellow duplicates at the sides of her vision.

Advancing on her, Mikhail ordered Eva to back up with a sharp bark. Holding something shiny and thin in his hands, he leaned down before her. Avery’s mind urged her to move before Mikhail could use the knife, but every inch of her body only quivered from the attempt. In the visual distortion, something shining and orange caught her eye. Drawn to it, a last wave of adrenaline ripped through her veins. Avery used it. Darting up, she caught the orange amulet between her fingers and tore it free. The chain snapped before Mikhail could even let out a screech of rage. Holding it tight, she caught his eyes.

“Stop.” She ordered in a firm but breathy voice.

He didn’t advance again.

“Stop it now. Drop the knife.” She said again, feeling empowered. The allure amulet heated in her palm and she clenched it until the glass bit into her skin. Mikhail obeyed on cue and the knife skidded on the floor.

“Back up.” She struggled to hold his eyes now and forced her aching muscles to stand. She staggered but stayed up right. Mikhail backed up in slow, stiff movements.

“Now don’t move until I tell you.” Blood turning to ice water, she desperately watched it work.

She concentrated on the harpie so much, she barely heard Eva’s growl of outrage behind her. The female harpie sprung and before Avery could whirl around, they both crashed into the ground. The orange allure amulet went sliding away.

On her belly, Avery couldn’t struggle. She tried to summon the humming in her blood but Eva shoved her face against the brick. Eva’s weight suddenly lifted from her back. In a flash of moving feathers, Mason had yanked her free. Avery staggered to her feet. The two siblings danced around each other with quick swipes and lashes. Avery backpedaled to avoid the fray when she spotted Leela in the corner. The small girl, wrapped in her own arms, shook. Slipping through the multiple frays, Avery darted to her side.

The police had brought in reinforcements by now. Reminiscent of the thunderous flapping on Hatcher Pass, they began the assault to retake the island. The police pounced on the immobilized Mikhail. Only when the mass of bodies collided with the floor did Mikhail snap out of his trance and let out an ear splitting screech.

Eva turned her attention to distracting them and Mason took the opportunity. Quickly returning to Avery, Mason lifted her backwards with one arm around her waist. The roof swarmed with harpies. Reaching out, Avery snatched her Leela’s hand when Mason forcefully lifted them off the ground.

Then it happened.

One of the Band members sideswiped Mason to join the frenzy and another came swooping in for them. Mason dodged backwards sending them both over the side of the building. Avery held onto Leela’s hand, but with the sudden jerk she lost her grip. Then Avery held nothing but air.

Mason flew upward just as the roof began swarming with police. Leela still stood on the edge of the building, growing smaller in the increasing distance.

“Mason! Turn around! Turn around!” Avery hollered over the deafening wind.

Mason didn’t turn though and his wings pounded to propel them forward. Just when they touched the first layer of clouds, Leela’s form finally disappeared in the swimming mass of bodies.

“Mason, turn around now!” Avery kept screaming.

The sight of the island was fading into a blur of black and blue. The night had finally come and darkness covered the area in shrouds. Avery fought to see clearly.

“We have to go back, we can’t leave her there!”

Knowing he wasn’t listening, this time she turned to thrash at him. Desperation coiled a knot in her chest and she kicked at him. His grip seemed unbreakable. He kept flying until the island disappeared in the distance. If he said something, it got lost underneath Avery’s cries.

Twenty-three

His choppy flight finally descended in a downward shift. The shore approached rapidly and he barely slowed enough to land. Avery slipped away from him upon landing and tumbled into the dirt. Gasping and spitting, she rolled and sprung upward. Mason had fallen in a spiral of feathers nearby. He stood and straightened his feathers before he unraveled a coat that had been tucked behind his neck. He had clearly prepared for human life and hadn’t forgotten his disguise. Mason then stood to meet her as Avery charged across the beach. Seeing her coming, he intercepted her before she could smack him.

“What did you do?” She screamed and attempted to swing at him again. With practice, Mason caught her wrists and pinned them together with his long fingers. She wrestled and thrashed. She threw a kick at his knee cap but Mason just lifted her off her feet. Dangling, she flopped in the air.

“Put me down! I can’t believe you!” She was ready to hit him again if she could just get a shot.

“Avery, stop it. We had to get away.”

Frustrated with how calm his voice came out, she swore loudly.

“Let me go!” She shouted.

This time he seemed to consider it. Mason finally set her down on her feet, but Avery didn’t go down quietly. She tore backwards but the sand threw her off balance. Landing on her backside on the rigid dirt, she crossed her arms. Hot tears streamed down her face and she blinked to clear her vision.

“They’re going to kill her now.” She said. “How can you not care? She’s my best friend.”

Her heart kept pounding uncomfortably in her chest and every inch of her skin burned from the salt water and sharp wind. The sickening watery feeling of fading adrenaline went ignored in favor of her glaring.

Mason bravely crossed the sand to sit across from her in a tangle of long legs and awkwardly folded wings. She folded her arms tightly before he got the idea to touch or console her. It may not have been Mason’s fault but feeling helpless, she wasn’t done blaming him for his part in it.

“If the police have won the fray, I have no doubt she’ll be fine.” He said, but must have lied through his teeth. There was a doubt. A very serious one. The police hadn’t exactly demonstrated much restraint when dealing with humans. Deeming them crazy thus far, Avery wouldn’t put them above committing another murder. He shook his head as if reading her thoughts.

“Leela had nothing to do with this. Those who are compelled often have no memory. And having humans go missing right and left isn’t beneficial to anyone. It’s not Leela you have to worry about. It’s you. You’re the one with the million dollar head on your shoulders.”

Sniffling, she wiped madly at the dampness on her cheeks. She didn’t answer at first, taking a long look down the shoreline while she regained composure. The beach they’d landed had to be on the California coast but this section of it wasn’t fit for tourists. The sand felt more like mud and the waves ravaged the rocky coastline. The wind made the area freezing and no road made for difficult access.

They had some time to spare but they hadn’t flown far. Even if they’d reached the California coast, Avery knew that wasn’t far enough. They’d have to keep moving but she wasn’t sure she was okay with the idea of moving farther away from Leela. During her musing, Mason reached out and brushed her knuckles. She reluctantly relaxed her fist and he took her hand and drew it into his own. The gentle touch did little to reassure her. Avery just felt guilty now.

“I took Mikhail’s amulet from him and then dropped it somewhere. Will that break Leela’s spell? And if it does, will she remember everything then?”

Avery naturally began to think about the details. Mason had a point. Leela had nothing to do with this situation. Still, if she snapped back to normalcy and began to freak out about harpies, would she be deemed as a problem? Mason had once said that harpies didn’t particularly hide their identities. So if Leela knew about their existence, that shouldn’t be an automatic death sentence. Right? Avery wasn’t sure. The harpie government didn’t seem evil but they did seem to deal with problems harshly.

Mason finally answered her question, squeezing her hand.

“Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine.” He said and then explained why. “Mikhail’s allure amulet doesn’t have to be in contact to work. It can leave a lasting impression. That’s how he made Leela walk into the prison. But some people aren’t really susceptible to the magic. They can fight it or make the magic wear off quicker. I don’t think Leela is one of those people.”

“I am though, aren’t I?” Avery pictured Mikhail on the rooftop. He’d used the amulet on her too. It worked at first and she remembered being so intent on pleasing him. Then Mason called her name and she broke free from the allure amulet’s power entirely.

“You scare me sometimes, Avery.” Mason said, catching her off guard. “I know that people can break free from being compelled if they are not being directly commanded. But unlike Leela, Mikhail was right in your face. He was even touching you-- ordering you with all his strength. No one breaks free from that kind of magic. No one.”

Disconcerted, Avery didn’t know how to take that statement.

“I’m not special. He’s gotten to me before. And I wouldn’t have broken free if not...” She stopped herself before amending her sentence. “I wouldn’t have broken free if not for help.”

That didn’t make sense either. They’d followed Leela straight out of the prison and screamed at her to snap out of it every step of the way. Mason’s face revealed that he thought the same thing. Avery moved onto a new tactic.

“It’s the Willow magic then. That’s the only thing that makes me different.”

“Most likely. But if the magic is that strong and that dangerous, Mikhail won’t stop until he gets it and that is not good news for us.”

A strong wind whipped down the beach and growing cold, Avery took her hand back from Mason and wrapped her arms around herself. She cast another hesitant glance up in the air. Cloud coverage blocked most of the sky from view but the sky otherwise remained desolate and calm. No harpies in sight.

“Do you think he was caught and arrested? There were so many police.” Avery would have assumed that no one could escape the dog pile that Mikhail had been under but he’d shocked her a few times already. She wouldn’t put anything past him.

Mason neglected to answer for a prolonged moment and instead took a long look down the empty shoreline.

“Maybe. And even if they didn’t, he’ll be temporarily out of commission. That will give us some time.” He finally said.

The idea didn’t comfort her. Mason must have thought that no prison could hold Mikhail. Time though, Avery repeated to herself, it gave them time.

For the first time, Avery realized she’d been bleeding steadily. She’d been smacked around enough by Mikhail to certainly warrant it but adrenaline had kept it off her mind. Tentatively touching her head, she found the soft spot and sticky blood met her fingertips.

“Okay.” She agreed wearily.

Mason busied himself with ripping the sleeves from his shirt and spreading out the white fabric for a make shift bandage. He leaned over to the ocean water and soaked some fabric in the salt water. Avery watched him idly. Some sense of calm finally setting in, she let her mind wind down. Mason had saved her life. And he hadn’t once chided her for being childish or stupid in the light of things.

He came over and splotched her wound with the damp rag with his green eyes in deep focus. The salt water stung and she grimaced until he stopped.

She opted to wrap the rag around herself, tying it once around her forehead. It looked more like a gang sign than first aid. Her windswept black hair hung over the white until the bandage’s striking appearance faded into the background.

“How far do we have to run? How far until they can’t track the magic?” She didn’t forget how Mason had tracked her all the way to Alaska. Most people couldn’t even find Mayweather Academy with a map. Finding it accidently was just unprecedented. He frowned, face darkening with shadows.

“I’m not sure. It wasn’t this bad when you first absorbed the magic. After my father died, it took me months of searching for the magical trace. And even then I only came across a clue after talking to humans who were there on the beach that night.” As he thought aloud, he drew figures in the sand. The first thing was a tiny stick figure wearing a see through triangle dress. “You were, for all intents, practically invisible... but since you’ve begun to use its power...”

He drew lines around the stick figure like a child would draw a radiant sun. The stick figure shone with the lights around it. And even through the crude illustration, Avery understood. She was the misshapen stick figure and the radiance of magic kept drawing the harpies right to her.

In the moment, she absentmindedly drew more stick figures in the surrounding sand. Except on her figures, she smeared the sand for wings and used her nail to detail the feathers. The picture now depicted harpies descending on her from both sides.

“They’ll just find me again then, won’t they?” She asked.

He neglected to reply for a long, agonizing minute. His eyes cast down toward the illustrations in the dirt and he finally shrugged gently.

“Sooner rather than later I’m sure. Our time is running out.”

His words hung in the quiet air and the steady thumping of waves did nothing to sound them out. Having no words to reply, Avery engrossed herself in the picture and stayed silent. Mason seemed content with that too.

The beach calm, Avery let the bitter implication sink in. The time she’d actually plucked the amulet up seemed so long ago. It took all the way until the end of the October for the magic to even work and for Mason to show up. The memory of school brought Leela to mind, and Avery bit her quivering lip hard. Even Leela seemed impossibly far away now. So did Chase. So did her school and her normal life. Every step she made to be closer to her old life only took her one step farther away from it.

She reluctantly let herself wonder if she’d ever see her ivy covered stone walls of Crepuscule hall again or even graduate in the flowing black gown like she’d planned. If they were on the run, she wouldn’t be able to go back there. But then, as Mason said, they wouldn’t be able to run for long.

“Why do you keep helping me?” She asked as it occurred to her. “I knew you did it before to save the magic and the amulet. Now you’re just putting yourself in danger. If you didn’t have me, the others could never find you.”

His face didn’t change expressions and he only shrugged. His brown bangs hung rowdy in front of his eyes and his thin pink lips curled up into half a smile.

“Honestly, I have no idea. I guess the little human girl is all I have left now. And we’re probably going down together.”

Avery snapped her mouth shut before she could stutter. Flushing quickly, her heart threatened to jump up through her throat. A million thoughts raced through her head but she couldn’t settle for a single one.

“Anyways, get some rest. When we take off, the trip will be a hard one.” He said and Avery forced a smile.

The lapping waves of high tide finally reached them. Avery didn’t move when the warm water sloshed between them and beneath them. It finally pulled away, back into the ocean, and smoothed the sand in its wake.

The tiny stick figure of Avery had smudged and washed away.

 

Twenty-four

She came too slowly with the blissful ignorance of first waking. Cool, she snuggled into the covers that smelt of baking bread. The air conditioning hissed in her ears and the sun peeked in through the windows lighting the entire room. Keeping her eyelids tight shut, she stretched and yawned.

A male voice caught her off guard. Sitting up in a flash, she blinked at her surroundings. Lying on the moist sand, she’d had Mason’s heavy trench coat drawn over her shoulders. The hissing she’d heard came from the breeze snaking through nearby palms. The light had come from sun reaching down through the tree shade instead of her dorm room window. She’d almost been convinced she’d been sleeping in her bed.

Coming too completely, she searched out Mason. They hadn’t left the beach where they’d landed. Mason said something about resting for a few hours. She knew why now. While she’d napped, he crouched over a familiar blue mist and broken glass. Putting two and two together, Avery stayed silent. Mason spoke into the mist, using a harpie communication amulet to commune with someone who wasn’t on the beach with them.

“We’re off of the north coast of California right now. I can’t give you a city name.”

“Mason, don’t do this to me.” Adalyn’s clear voice returned to them through the harpie telephonic device.

Her tone gave away that she was desperately upset. The air grew thick with palpable tension. Avery couldn’t see Mason’s face but his muscles had tightened considerably.

“You’re actually thinking about running off for the human’s sake? You can defend yourself at trial but you can’t if you run away.” Adalyn whined again.

Feeling like too much of a voyeur now, Avery glanced for a new place to go. She would happily die before getting involved in a harpies lovers’ quarrel. This side of the beach was calm, too close to rock lines for swimmers to enjoy and too small a beach for sun bathers. She could probably walk through the thicket of trees behind them and stumble upon civilization. Unsure, she stayed still before gaining any undesirable attention.

“You know I can’t go back there either way!” Mason shouted into the fog.

“I don’t care. The murder trial doesn’t mean you’re guilty! It’s a trial. But if you run off now, then there will be no hope.” Adalyn’s voice hissed with heavy agitation. “You’re just feeling guilty about your father. I get it. But she isn’t him and this won’t bring him back.”

His attention finally shifted and he noticed Avery for the first time. Eyes catching with hers, he gave her a long, blank look. Then, after a moment, he rattled off a few coordinates into the fading mist.

“Inland. Somewhere with a bunch of people. It’s harder to track down a single person, especially if they have to get into the city on foot. Come on.”

She’d swung the coat over her shoulders. If Mason was really considering going to the heart of some human city in mainland America, they’d need to hold on to his only disguise. Mason opened his wings to full mass.

“Aren’t we waiting for Adalyn?”

“Yea. Apparently we’re all gonna run away together.” He laughed though the statement was far from funny. Twitching his wings, he performed the familiar procedure of readying himself for a long flight.

She lingered off to the side with a rush of mixed thoughts. Though she didn’t savor the idea of having Adalyn anywhere around, it would help prevent the other harpies from getting a drop on them again. The plan was already formulating in her mind. They’d take to a city where harpies couldn’t outright fly and they’d be harder to pick out of the crowd. She had half a college fund in her name but she didn’t have the account numbers. That was only the beginning of the complications. She was still a minor and if she never showed up, a missing person’s report would be filed. Humans would be looking for her too. They definitely couldn’t stay in California. Getting a headache, she pushed the details to the back of her mind. One thing at a time.

“Are we flying or are we walking?” She asked Mason. “We could get a car but I’m technically not old enough. Stealing one would be too dangerous.”

He reached out and touched her forehead without warning. Fingers molding over the bandage on her head, he felt the white cloth. His hands dropped down through her curls and down to her shoulders.

“Are you feeling well enough to fly?” He asked, clearly concerned.

“Great.” She whispered.

For the first time, she realized how utterly close he stood. She could smell the peppermint on his breath and feel the distinct heat of his skin. His hands lingered on her shoulders and his eyes studied her face. A startling tender feeling stirred from inside Avery’s chest and her heartbeat sped up. Her throat went dry but she licked her lips wet.

The rational part of Avery’s mind disapproved instantly. She should have backed up and put a hearty berth between them. Mason had a fiancé, her mind told her. But then she began to think. The guard in the prison had said he’d read Mason well. He’d said that Mason liked her and Mason continued to risk his life to help her.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. She wanted to kiss him but the height difference was noticeable. Instead, she turned her cheek and leaned into his chest. Her arms went around his neck like they were going to fly but lingered in his hair. Though she couldn’t see his face, she knew that he had no intention of pushing her away. His arms looped behind her back and drew her closer. One of his hands slipped onto the small of her back and the other into her hair.

They’d held each other once in the prison when Mason had his break down. But this was different. This was absolutely different. Close together, their combined body heat grew hot and their individual scents mingled. Avery’s mind threatened to go blank in the moment. She finally drew her head back and tilted her chin up to look at him. On her tippie toes, the height difference wasn’t so severe. His lips were mere inches from hers. She let out deep breath, ready to take the chance.

Mason’s head suddenly snapped to the side. So jarred from the moment, Avery didn’t understand. Only after a minute did she notice that the sun light flickered with shadows, and she looked towards the horizon. Then she heard the flapping of wings before she saw the specks on the horizon, but knew that no single harpie could make that roaring sound. Gut already sinking, she didn’t need to see the mass descend on the horizon. A hoard of harpies headed directly for the beach line without a moment of hesitation.

The harpies descended, dropping onto the beach line like comets. Avery didn’t watch them come, instead caught staring at Mason’s face.

“She lied to me. We might die because of her.” Suddenly, his lips twisted into a bizarre, sad smile. Heartbreaking at his crippling expression, she wanted to reach out and touch him. The harpies beat her to it.

A police harpie choose the moment to wrestle Avery backwards. With practiced skill, he spun her with barely a touch. Then from behind, he latched on heavy metal cuffs. She didn’t fight anymore. They sprung on Mason and he went down in a mass of shrieking bodies.

“Ease up!” She groaned when the police harpie jerked her off the floor, going airborne. The launch of sudden height left her heart in her stomach.

With limited mobility, she hung with reluctant obedience all the way back to the prison island. Avery eventually found herself in a dimly lit damp cell reminiscent of the one Mason and she had first stayed in. This time was different though, Avery was a prisoner. She was on the basement floor and placed far away from Mason. When she’d demanded to know where they’d taken Mason, the guard gave her a shove backwards into the concrete wall. Avery didn’t protest again.

The guards had since left her alone but she’d naturally assumed they hadn’t left the hall. Cautiously, she crawled on her knees over the wet ground and pushed her head up against the rusty iron bars. The lights were kept so low that she could only see vague silhouettes. Other prisoners paced in nearby cells, muttering and hissing nasty things, scaring Avery more by the second. The tiny dorms of Mayweather Academy were luxurious compared to her current circumstances. She couldn’t live in a cell like this the rest of her life-- especially when she hadn’t done anything wrong.

What would her mother or brother think of her missing? And Leela, what would become of her? Avery tried to control her thoughts. The threat of hysteria still loomed above her but she refused to cry.

Her fingers curled around the bars and lingered there. The magic still hummed in her chest and she could feel it giving her strength. Avery had to wonder if she could break her way out. The bars would give easily but even if she got out, she’d have to get past the guards posted on the corridors. Then she ran the risk of getting captured again, if not killed on sight. How would Avery explain attacking the guards twice? She needed to get out of here but forcing herself not to react prematurely, she released the bars and waited.

In a few minutes, sharp footsteps echoed down the hallway until they were just outside her cell. Avery looked up to find Adalyn, standing at six foot something, towering above Avery. Avery jumped to her feet and pressed against the bars again. She never would have thought she’d be happy to see Adalyn, but there she was.

“Hey, what’s going on?”Avery rushed to ask but Adalyn didn’t rush to answer. The harpie female gave her the stare down before looking back at her face.

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it as well. All of Mason’s problems gone after just one trial.” Adalyn said coolly, her attention turning down the hall momentarily.

Avery followed her gaze. Maybe Mikhail and Eva had been housed on the same floor as Avery all along. The thought made her shudder and she pressed herself back against the wall. She knew they’d be out to get her if they could. Avery was the primary reason they’d been caught, not to mention that she lost Mikhail’s allure amulet.

“I’m not here to save you. You deserve what you get. You’re the one that attacked the police officer. You’re the one that made your dangerous presence so utterly apparent to the government. Humans are foolish.” Adalyn spit out.

Avery rocked back on her heels. Light headed, confusion struck her first. Avery opened her mouth but couldn’t find an appropriate response. She’d expected Adalyn to be rude but this was different.

“If they charge me, they might sentence me to death! I can’t die here!” Her voice echoed off the closed in walls. Eyes burning, Avery didn’t care. “Mason wouldn’t let me die.”

“Of course. Mason is putting himself in danger to help you. Haven’t you ever thought about that? The last thing he needs to do is to run off with some human girl. Besides, I helped you get Jericho’s book under one condition-- you would leave my fiancé alone. And running away with him isn’t doing that.”

Avery closed her mouth for a moment while thinking of an appropriate retort. She wouldn’t let Adalyn make her feel guilty about putting Mason in danger. This entire thing was Adalyn’s fault and Avery brazenly pointed it out.

“You’re the one who put him in danger in the first place. With your ex fiancé.” Avery didn’t specify but the ugly look on Adalyn’s face confirmed that they both knew the truth.

“Well you know girlie.” Adalyn came closer to the cell and wrapped her fingers around the bars, digging her claws into the rustic metal. “I won. You’ll be sentenced to death and Mason will never see you again. I will get him off his murder trial and then we’ll be together while you’re buried six feet in the ground.”

Avery paled and shaking, she wrapped her arms around herself. Harpies were nasty. No sense of empathy or sympathy. She knew that but it always took her off guard when a harpie dropped a particularly cruel comment.

“You don’t deserve him.” Avery said quietly.

She knew that Adalyn would have lashed through the iron bars had she been able. The woman reluctantly settled for holding the bars and showing Avery a sharp row of white teeth.

“And you think you do? I wouldn’t have hated you quite so much if it wasn’t for your bloody crush on Mason.”

“I don’t-“

“Ha!” Adalyn laughed loudly. “I thought you were almost about to say you didn’t have a crush on Mason. How stupid do you think I am?”

Avery didn’t answer immediately. Maybe she did have a bit of a crush on Mason but what disturbed her was that everyone else seemed to know it. How long had Adalyn suspected it?

Adalyn stuck a manicured finger out and drew it in a line across her throat.

“I’m not going to allow anyone to get between Mason and me now. Understand?” She said. “Even if they find you not guilty, your ass is grass little human girl.”

Adalyn whirled and her heels clacked back down the hallway, leaving Avery alone in the cold. All Avery had left was to wait for her trial and her death sentence now.

Twenty-five

The guard came to pick her up the next morning and Avery recognized him. It was the same harpie that entertained her while she’d been in the prison with Mason only two days ago.

“Hey.” He produced a heavy ring of skeleton keys and slid one in the lock.

She stood and dusted her clothes clean. Human courts allowed people to dress in suits so the jury’s opinion wouldn’t be adversely affected. Here in harpie court, she’d be going in dirty and unprepared. Still wearing the cult worthy outfit that Mason once gave her, she just looked grungy and that was not the impression she wanted to give.

He’d taken a big risk on running away with her. The court might interpret his actions as him trying to steal the amulet. Any good lawyer could counter that idea with the truth but she wasn’t sure how much hope she held out for the justice system here.

“Kid,” He said, “Just worry about yourself now.”

He seized her arm and led her down the hallway. With the hallway lit up substantially more than it had been the previous night, Avery could finally see into the surrounding cells. Emaciated harpies leered out from behind the rusty bars and scraped their talons over the cement. A few of the prisoners pressed their dirty faces against the bars and gave her bone chilling smiles. Avery couldn’t help but lose what little composure she’d managed. Her head swiveled, searching for a way out. No other guards currently stood posted on the basement floor. The only guard was the one that held her and he led her towards a door. Avery knew that no one else was down here to stop her.

The guard opened the door. The bright rays of sunlight and the scent of open air were jarring. Her eyes adjusted quickly and allowed her to see what was now in front of her. A ten foot balcony reached out from the side of the building, into the granite rock base. A few dozen feet away, she could see the steel benches where Mason and she had once sat and read Jericho’s journal. Behind that was the empty ocean.

The guard let her go again and turned to lock the door behind them. They were the only two on the balcony but she could hear the very faint sounds of commotion on the roof top.

“The court is on the roof?” She asked.

“Yes it is.” He said.

She flexed the cuffs on her wrists, with only a moment to think. She could break out of the cuffs, take out the guard, and run. Where would she go though? She couldn’t fly and even if she got off the island, couldn’t they just track her down? Maybe she could get out and go to the human police. Indecisive, Avery let out a hissing breath. The guard finished locking the door and opened his wings.

“You ready, kid?” He asked her, reaching out to secure her arm. Gut twisting, Avery let him. Fighting had to be the second option, she finally decided. A trial, part of her wanted to believe, was still better than a firing squad and she’d take her chances with it.

They took off into the sky. Since she’d seen it earlier, the rooftop had been transformed into a prime example of court. The rooftop had been cleaned and swept until the usual mucky brick resembled a polished floor. They’d covered the better half of the floor with red carpet and adorned the sets of benches with purple draperies. The court was full, and every inch of the benches was swarming with harpies.

Guards in blue lined the edges of the building. Like a helicopter pad, the harpie that held her landed on the very edge of the roof. Her feet touched the ground and he kept her upright while landing himself. A loud explosion of hushed voices broke out from the crowd upon her appearance.

Forcing herself to ignore the ugly, tingling feeling of eyes boring into her, Avery took in the scene. Though Avery didn’t earn A’s in law class, it didn’t take much for her put together the set up. Directly behind her rested a set of rising stadium seats housing the most chattering crowd. They had to be the open audience. Angled left from them was another, smaller, group of seats. Among them sat a familiar face. Samuel’s brown eyes stared back while his face displayed an absolutely indiscernible expression. That group was the jury, Avery decided.

Finally, there was only one harpie left. He sat on the highest bench in the center of the court setup. Older than any harpie she’d seen before, he scratched at his balding head with skeleton thin talons. That had to be the judge.

So focused on his expression, she barely noticed the people behind the judge’s bench. Only when her eyes shifted that way did she realize just who stood there. Clad in massive, draping chains and manacles stood both Mikhail and Eva. Mikhail’s white wings had been ruined, spewed with dark crimson and packed with thick dirt. Though his body seemed mangled and the guards held him firm, Mikhail still managed the dangerous aura and a deathly stare. Afraid to look any longer, Avery turned back to the judge who summoned the audience with sharp hammers of his gavel.

“Order in the Court!” He boomed.

The last of the chatter died away leaving only the howling wind in the background. If the harpie guard hadn’t been guiding her, she wouldn’t have known where to go. He maneuvered them backwards, close to the edge and luckily a few good feet away from where Mikhail stood.

“We hereby commence the Capital offense trials of,”

“What’s your name, girl?” A nearby uniformed harpie hissed in her ear.

Her mouth dropped open before she processed. They’d decide to kill her and they didn’t even know her name. Failing to find reason to lie at this point she told him. The judge announced it shortly along with Mikhail and Eva’s name. Papers were being shuffled and people in the audience quietly narrated into electronic recording devices.

Stomach knotting, she quickly glanced around. Mason still hadn’t shown. The police had to have captured him too, but maybe they wouldn’t bring him here. Increasingly distressed, she turned her attention back to the judge’s bench.

“For the record, the initial testaments.” The judge said matter- a-factly, and the harpie nearest to Avery motioned her forward. She didn’t recognize the proceeding at all but didn’t have to since the judge began it without her.

They brought her out to the center of the rugged area located directly below the judge’s seat. The judge curled over his bench and peered down to get a clear look. An ugly scowl marred his face and then he leaned back in his seat a moment later.

“The charges are brought by what follows.” He pulled a scroll free from his desk and unraveled the yellowing paper. “You are in fact in physical possession of magic from the Amulet of Willow created by the late Prince Jericho? Answer the question.”

A harpie next to the judge’s bench approached and steered Avery to audience. The harpie’s talons cut straight through the thin cotton of her shirt. Fabric drifting to the floor, the black webbed tattoo of her arm showed in the bright light. The crowd gasped from all sides and she felt naked. Hurrying to turn back and face the judge, she wrapped the arm around herself.

“This magic has already led to the endangerment of Marshal Randy Williams.” The judge’s comment wasn’t a question.

“Wait,” She jumped up.

The bailiff sharply nudged her with a pointy elbow, an unspoken order to shut up. Her statement already gaining attention, she maneuvered backwards and continued her verbal protests quickly.

“I’m not to blame. This magic got stuck in me and I can’t get it out. I’d give it back if I could! I’m not using the magic to do anything!”

Heart hammering her chest, her words blurred together but made just enough sense that the judge understood and frowned.

“Regardless of the guilt in acquirement or use, all the earlier facts stand true. As it is, you possess dangerous and deadly magic. That is the only detail that matters. And perhaps the bailiff will do well to keep you silent next time.”

The last part was directed at the harpie next to her, and the bailiff paled and frantically nodded. Grip tightening on her arm, he yanked them both backwards and off to the side. The judge kept talking.

“Meeting the requirements of endangerment to our society, Avery Zane is guilty of the Capital Offense.”

Hearing it, Avery’s jaw dropped. For the first time, she realized there was no witness box near the judge’s station. Did the jury even have a choice in harpie court? Why were they there?

The harpies in the juror boxes only murmured and nodded. No single one stood out as the foreman. No single one stood to pass his judgment.

“You must be insane!” She let slip with pure panic. “You can’t kill me for that, you can’t-“

The bailiff elbowed her stomach hard enough she doubled over. The harpies only looked on wearily now as her screaming sounded over them.

“You can’t kill me! I’m not using the magic to hurt anyone! People will know I’m missing!”

She still protested with a dangerous mix of stubbornness and desperation. Grappling with the bailiff, she fought her way an inch forward before he yanked her two inches back. Unable to silence her with violence, he slapped a huge hand over her mouth and held. She struggled initially but her jerky movements made him press harder and slow the oxygen flow. Dizzy now, she shut up obediently and the judge continued at last.

“Next we call forth Mikhail Yates.” The judge prompted.

Two harpie guards grabbed Mikhail by both arms and forcefully pulled him to the center of the court. Even against the heavy weight and awkward shackles, Mikhail managed to saunter with his head up high and his wings half open. His black eyes spied Avery as he went past her.

“Don’t worry doll,” He purred loud enough for her to hear. “It’s me you have to worry about. I don’t take well to slights.”

Feeling like ice water had been thrown in her face, she stiffly watched him pass by. He was chained up, she reassured herself. Guards had been posted at every available space on the crowded rooftop and they had the magic amulet detectors. They would know if Mikhail had any tricks up his sleeves. She was safe from him, she told herself, but ugly doubt lingered in the back of her mind.

Mikhail stopped in the middle of the court and his black eyes crawled over the audience’s bench with a chilling glare. Only after a moment did he turn that look on the judge.

“For the record of the initial testaments, Mikhail Yates is brought to court today on charges homicide, terrorism, third degree robbery, third degree burglary, arson, aggravated assault, aggravated battery...” The judge continued to rattle off the charges long after many people stopped listening.

Mikhail’s small grin turned into a bright smile as he heard every new charge. The disconcerting sight finally made the judge stop.

“Do you think something is humorous, boy? It is your life we discuss.” The judge, though not a big man, went for an intimidating glower. Leaning over the wood, his talons dug through the purple desk draperies and far into the wood.

“My life?” Mikhail echoed quietly. “You think it is my life that you have in your hands?”

The guards dove towards the middle of the floor to silence him using an ambush technique, but the judge stopped them with a single wave of his hand. Apparently refusing to back down, the judge rose from his seat and expanded his long wings to full length.

“I will not be mocked.” He boomed with discontent.

“Nor will I dear judge. One hundred years and you think you can capture me now?” Mikhail slowly drew out the words with a clear threat.

Unsettled, the judge threw his hands open to indicate the surroundings. The guards, stiff and alert, stood ready. The audience watched on both intrigued and wearily. Only the jurors seemed concerned in the least.

“We already have captured you.”The judge said, his thin chest puffing with confidence. Before he could go on though, a cry from the audience stopped him.

“Does anyone smell that? I smell gun powder!” A female harpie yelped.

The scent curled in the air and suddenly reached everyone. Avery smelt it too, but it wasn’t just gunpowder but also bitter smoke. In a wave of panic, everyone scrambled to find the source. The guard took to flight and the harpies in the audience stood. Mikhail spoke above the chaos before it grew too loud.

“I didn’t come unprepared.” Mikhail said. “Trust me, your majesty. In less than five minutes, you and everyone in this court will be dead!”

 

Twenty-six

At first, it came quietly.

The smoke billowed into the air from the foundation of the building. Mikhail hadn’t moved from his spot and the judge went still, sputtering, clearly unable to conjure appropriate words for his fear and outrage. The audience began to fidget and the crowd burst into confused and harried jabber.

The wind howled over the obstacles on the tall building’s rooftop and the water far below sloshed angrily. Against it all, they barely heard the faint whooshing of wings.

The guard next to Avery noticed, looked up in the air, and let out a howling war call. The other guards instantly mobilized into organization. They split into separate tight lines in front of the jurors, the judge, and the audience.

The flapping grew louder and a figure joined them in the air by the building’s edge. Forced to squint from the bad position of the sunlight, Avery struggled to recognize the shadowed figure. When she did, it registered with a wash of fear. It was the harpie from Seward forest and Hatcher Pass in his bronze chest plates, Rafael. He, no doubt, had come for his boss.

Then, it came loudly.

A loud pop suddenly emanated from the building below them and a tremor shuddered through the clay and bricks. Everyone watched each other, uncertain. Avery knew the harpies assumed they could take off into the sky, but then the complications arose.

Everyone’s attention turned downward but only Avery took in what Mikhail was doing. The harpie took a wide step and opened his wings as far as the constraints would let him. Then an abrupt explosion went off-- it was a deafening blast that left her ears ringing and a cloud of smoke billowing upward. The entire building shifted and the roof let out a horrible moan. The greater left side of the building had been blown out from inside taking out the judge’s bench and Mikhail’s guards. A blast of twisted metal and rocks exploded into the air. The debris rained down and showered the crowd of harpies.

The ear piercing cries ripped through the area as the debris struck multiple harpies. Their wings tore and they collapsed.

The building quaked and the slant on the roof grew worse. Then even the injured harpies took their chances with a damaged wing and a dangerous scrappy flight pattern. They took off into the sky in a flock but couldn’t escape. Rafael and other members of the Band were there to meet the fleeing harpies, weapons drawn. Then, at mass, the Band members began to attack.

Avery averted her eyes from the bloodshed. She still stood on the roof, exposed and alone. She desperately sought out Mikhail. He’d escaped his shackles at some point during the chaos and jumped onto the toppled judge’s bench.

“Nobody leaves!” He ordered. The screams of fear and hoards of panic intensified.

The guards were too busy to capture him. The authorities couldn’t keep track of anyone in the chaos. Avery took the opportunity, looking for an escape. She couldn’t fly and there weren’t exactly stairs waiting around for a human to get out. She made a dash for the edge of the roof, ready to look for an opening, when the building gave a roaring rumble again. Somewhere during her run, she lost her balance.

Normally she could have pin wheeled but with arms cuffed behind her back, she swayed. Slick concrete and another tremble from the building caused her to slip. Avery screamed, seeing it in slow motion. She fell and hit her back, and her legs slid over the side of the building. Unlike most rooftops with raised edges, the entire roof was smooth and currently pointed to the dark blue waves of the thrashing ocean.

Mercifully, the long chain of her cuffs caught a rigid crack in the cement. Her weight fell over the side and she hung from the cuffs on her arms. Horrified and helpless, Avery kept screaming. The cuffs wouldn’t support her weight much longer. The broken piece of brick they held onto was slipping. Avery shut her eyes, waiting for the drop.

A tight hand grasped her forearm. Before she realized it, she was lifted up with a single pull and found her feet standing on the rooftop again.

“Mason!” She gasped, heart fluttering to see the harpie that had saved her.

“Can you, just once, not die?” He posed the questions with two comically arched eyebrows but the moment was fleeting.

He still held her arm and urgently guided her over the roof. The initial dust and smoke storm had lessened just enough to increase visibility in the area. It’d become clear that the explosion had ripped through the foundation and half of the building’s supports. Avery knew then that the slanted rooftop was the least of their problems. The entire building would give out soon.

She cast a quick glance towards the sky. The Band members had created something of a corral, blocking and rushing the panicking harpie civilians. The resulting stampede allowed no one to escape. The flapping could have caused a windstorm.

Mason kept her moving before she could stare. He stopped her by a downed harpie and fetched out a set of skeleton keys. Upon recognizing the keys, her heart stopped. She looked down and saw the harrowing scene. The harpie guard that she’d actually been friends with had been struck down. A steel bar had come down from the explosion and struck him dead. His dilated, fixed eyes stared blankly upward.

The screeching and flapping was thunderous but the distinct sound of someone’s cry managed to cut through it. Avery spun around, trying to locate it.

“Help!” It was weaker this time but she recognized the voice as belonging to Samuel.

“Mason, where’s Samuel?” She asked. “Mason, he’s calling for us.”

Mason’s eyes sought out the roof behind her, to the juror box, where he’d once been. It was empty now and Samuel was nowhere to be seen.

Face shadowed, Mason acknowledged it but still said, “It doesn’t matter. We have to go now.”

The building continued to rumble and the vibrations grew worse by the second. Avery ignored it, suddenly frantic to find the other harpie, but Mason caught her elbow and prevented her from turning.

“It’s not time for your human nonsense, Avery.” He barked, heavy and impatient.

“It’s not nonsense, Mason!” She said, still trying to listen for Samuel’s weakening cries.

It sounded like Samuel had fallen down into the lower level and somewhere in between his wings had probably been injured. Mothering instinct or not, the sheer pain in his cry made her feel the need to help.

Mason kept his eyes towards the clouds. The Band didn’t have the advantage anymore and harpie civilians were fighting back. Among them was Adalyn, and the blonde girl had her sharp silver dagger posed to strike. Mason was so intent on the sky, Avery ripped free from his grasp.

Temporarily stunned, she blinked at him. Using the opportunity, he grabbed her again, eager to take off from the roof. Mason wasn’t so eager to leave her behind, clearly, but she knew the situation. He wanted to protect her and help Adalyn. Avery knew he couldn’t do both.

She knew instantly that this was the choice. Every fairy tale had one. But this wasn’t a fairy tale and if she chose wrong, Avery wouldn’t live long enough for the happily ever after. Decided and moving quickly, she broke free from his grasp. Mason whirled around, surprised, but she’d already taken off.

She’d pinpointed Samuel’s voice on the lower level. Samuel’s weakening calls guided her and she came to a spot where the ground opened up. Below, the crushed concrete and ruined supports acted as a makeshift ramp onto the lower level. Careful not to trip, she climbed down inside. The lower level was hot and even though it was unclear what was actually burning, the heavy black smoke reeked of wood and plastic.

Avery dropped to her knees, holding a sleeve to her nose, and crawled forward. She listened hard over the blood pounding in her ears. Twenty more agonizing steps following his voice and she found him.

Trapped beneath huge chunks of clay and concrete laid a figure so covered in soot, it didn’t even look like a person anymore. Moving in, she could finally pick out the face that protruded from the pile.

Lungs burning and body sweltering, she quickly scrambled to his aid but found herself unsure of exactly where to start. Samuel’s face had been blissfully spared by the crushing concrete but his body hadn’t been so lucky. His chest was crushed and he only managed slow and shallow breaths. The chunk of concrete over his abdomen was massive and heavy, but Avery knew this is where she had to start. Digging her fingers into the rock, she pushed. Her muscles turned to fire and the concrete refused to give.

“Sorry.” She wheezed out, hearing him cry uncomfortably.

The building’s trembling grew worse and Avery let out a strangled gasp. Changing her approach, she placed her open palms on the rock and tried to stir the magic in her chest.

It always started like a hum in her blood but rapidly turned into a pin needle sensation. Though she successfully wound it up, she wasn’t sure how to manifest it in the proper way. She’d melted things and electrified people. She never managed anything worthy of moving an overwhelming chunk of concrete before.

She shut her eyes.

“Come on Jericho, help me do this.” She whispered. “I know you could use the magic. Show me how.”

The electric sensation of the magic in her chest pushed outward. Hands firmly on the rock, she willed it to work. Then, with an explosion of feeling, the debris shuddered and suddenly gave. The concrete actually launched off of Samuel and skidded onto the floor at least ten feet away.

Samuel twitched to life and cleared the remaining rubble off of his own body. His widened eyes caught hers after he could stand.

Avery turned her attention to finding an exit. The crumpling structure of the building caused huge crevasses in the walls. Seeing them as an opening to the outside world, Avery pointed it out to Samuel. Samuel’s forearm grasped tight, she started towards it with the lumbering harpie behind her. The air was toxic this high up but they had to make better time. An entire building rocked to its foundation wasn’t a reliable place to stand.

Just a few steps from the exit, Samuel stopped in his tracks. At first she’d thought he’d fallen from his injuries but instinct quickly told her something was wrong. Samuel hadn’t stopped because of something but rather because of someone. That someone’s body was eclipsed in the dying sunlight outside but she didn’t need to see his face to recognize him.

Samuel used the moment to dive out of the opening, even on his injured wings. Then Avery was alone. An icy fear washed through her veins, and Avery forgot how to breathe. Mikhail’s black eyes glimmered with sick enjoyment.

“Now, I couldn’t let you get away without seeing you first. After all, now that the government’s out of the picture, we have a personal score to settle.” He made a wide gesture with his hand to encompass the entire array of chaos.

Weary, she checked her escape routes. Crawling through the wreckage would be too slow and she couldn’t fly. Avery was trapped with Mikhail. Her brain fought to connect with her mouth and she blurted out the only thing she could.

“You don’t want to kill me.”

“I don’t?” He raised an eyebrow, edging toward her slowly.

“No. This magic won’t help you. Everyone in the world will know where you are all the time. If you have it, you can’t hide from anyone.” She circled to mirror his movements, desperate to keep the berth between them.

“Whoever said I was going to hide? Wait,” He tapped his forehead. “Whoever said that I only wanted to kill you because of the magic? I can’t take a slight from a little human girl.”

In the next second, he freed a long thin blade from his belt. Without a moment of hesitation, he went for her chest. Even in slow motion, Avery didn’t react in time. The blade came at her and then she fell to the floor. She expected pain but none came. Then she caught on. She hadn’t been stabbed but knocked back. Someone had pulled her free before the blade made its target. Avery whirled to face her hero.

“You came back for me!” Avery shouted.

Mason shot her half a smile but kept his eyes trained on Mikhail. The Band’s leader had recovered from the movement quickly and was on his heels again. Mikhail’s weapon had the natural advantage and he used it. Mikhail dove for Mason this time, a tactical sliding movement that caught Mason’s shoulder. Blood splattered and a gurgled cry escaped Mason’s throat. Mikhail kept on him, ready to launch another attack.

“Hey pigeon, over here!” Avery shouted.

Her insult worked. Mikhail turned and Avery launched into motion. His wing was wide open and she jumped for it. She made contact with the bone segment of Mikhail’s wing and let loose the magic in her chest. If it hurt, she never got the chance to know. Mikhail spun on her quickly. She slammed back into a pillar and held both hands out. She could feel every inch of the magic now, clear as a bell. The pulse of energy raced through her fingertips with absolute control. She bundled the magic in her chest, the burning so familiar it didn’t sting anymore, and held it.

Mikhail then lunged for her. In that second, she let the magic go, pushing it out from her chest, out her hands, and into the open air. The blow, like an invisible backhand, knocked Mikhail clean off his feet. He slammed into the opposite wall with a crippling crash. The resulting vibration ripped through the entire building and the foundation churned. The damage growing worse in seconds, the walls creaked, and building shifted and slanted. Rubble rained down on their heads.

Mikhail let out a deafening bark of frustration. Twisting quickly, he rushed her. Avery threw her hands up but he only slid sideways, narrowly avoiding her. Mikhail then dove for the opening in the wall to disappear into the sky. Avery followed him to the edge and peered into the air.

She waited until he was gone, then whispered, “We did it.”

She couldn’t have done better with Jericho watching over her shoulder. Triumphant, a smile reached her in the moment of it all and she turned to Mason to find his pale face staring back.

“Avery.” He rasped and reached out for her.

Something made Avery glance down. Her breath escaped her. Mikhail had struck her on the way out. His silver knife had slashed her nearly hip to hip leaving an ugly brown streak of blood in its wake. Feeling the surge of pain at that moment, she let out a bumbled gasp. Muscles giving out, she fell backwards. Mason snatched her before she fell through the opening in the wall, and then she only dangled by his hand. Her body refused to work right. She couldn’t make her numb limbs pull herself back in.

The pain grew more intense by the second until her entire abdomen was consumed by the scorching sensation. Black splotches took up her vision. Then the tingling came back in her blood. But the familiar magic suddenly seemed so unfamiliar. It pushed out from her body with the consistency of crushed ice. Among the million things stuffing into her panicked brain one echoed loudly.

“If you die, then the magic will jump to the next organic creature.”

Images flashed through her mind the same moment. Jericho’s crumpled form falling into the raging black ocean. The shiny rock that had attracted her attention and the sting as it dissolved in her hand.

“Mason.” She whispered. “Mason, let go.”

The building was collapsing. He’d die with her. And the magic. Even if he got out, the magic would be his death warrant. She stopped holding but his grip never loosened. Holding on so tight that his talons dug into her skin, he refused to let go.

She knew when the magic reached him, curling around his body with the stinging that made him gasp. She knew when it left her too, and a sudden fatigue soaked into her body. Barely aware anymore, she just saw him flinch. Then he pulled with such strength she ended up face flat on his chest. Unspoken, she just barely understood what had happened. The magic sinking into Mason gave him that burst of strength that had left her. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her back.

The last thing she remembered before her world spiraled black was the wing on her face and the subtle brushing of soft feathers. The last thing she remembered was going airborne.

Twenty-seven

She came to with a start, launching herself forward and immediately regretting the movement. Abdomen in stitches, she drew herself forward cautiously the second time around.

Her surroundings were surprisingly calm and quiet, and the knot of anxiety in her chest took a moment to loosen. Rather than a salty beach side or green forest clearing, she sat in a stark white room. The room was empty and lacked furniture in the corners, photos or paintings on the walls, or any real hint of life. The ceiling clearance was abnormally high leading her to the conclusion she wasn’t anywhere in a human structure. Maybe she was in a VIP harpie cell or some type of harpie hospital room.

She turned her attention down to her stomach, the gruesome memory of the bloody wound inflicted by Mikhail weighing heavily on her mind. The injury had been tightly bandaged so she couldn’t see any stitches or scar. The pain was minimal so she shifted her thoughts to the more pressing situation at hand.

The nearby door’s knob jingled and turned, and then a figure slipped in quietly. Mason walked in and his eyes widened when he caught sight of her.

“You’re awake already.” He crossed the room to end up by her bed.

His arm too had been bandaged with the same consistency as hers and his white face became a canvas for dark purple bruising. He held his wings awkwardly, but otherwise he was looking well.

“You okay?” He asked when he sat down at the bottom edge of her bed.

“Depends. We’re still in harpie headquarters aren’t we?” It came out more hateful than she’d intended. The dismal situation was sinking in fast and Avery didn’t have enough energy to fight off the negative emotions. As far as she could foresee, they’d battled for their lives and done everything to fix the magic situation only to be back at step one. This time however, the magic had jumped from her to Mason and he was the one in trouble. Already miserable, Mason’s morose comment only made her feel worse.

“I couldn’t take you very far away.” He said and she could hear the rawness in his voice.

“What do we do now, Mason?” She lowered her voice, losing her energy quickly.

Without the magic in her blood, every sore joint and cramped muscle rekindled. She hadn’t tried standing up yet, but she already knew how that would end. Toes frozen and feet numb, she’d end up face flat in a hurry. He sat at the foot of her bed.

“Well, they don’t seem to be in any hurry to kill us.” He said.

The door opened and two more harpies entered the room. The first was the frail, skinny judge, with his skeleton hands clasped tight and shedding wings wrapped around his own shoulders. The second was a more recognizable face.

“Samuel.” Mason greeted the second harpie but Avery’s parched throat kept her quiet. Neither of them looked happy. Faces grim they filed toward the corner where the judge opened his black hooded gown and produced a yellowing scroll. By the crinkles and tears, it was probably the same used in the original sentencing.

The judge came forth.

“The high juror does inform me that many of the sentences carried by Ms. Avery Zane have officially been changed.” His monotone voice managed to keep their distinct attention.

Digging in his pocket, he removed a clear amulet and held it in the air. Avery’s heart could have stopped when she recognized what kind. The amulet was another magic detector, designed to glow a fiery red when magic came too close to it.

Mason tensed besides her, waiting for the detector amulet to go off. To everyone’s surprise, the amulet didn’t light up at all. The judge’s foggy eyes scanned the amulet and then he retired the amulet back into a pocket.

“As the magic no longer resides within the body, the information we used at the sentencing was incorrect and the sentence shall be over turned. I hereby relinquish the charges and the sentence.” He clapped his hands loudly like a gavel, and then he turned and left just as quickly.

Disbelieving, Avery caught Mason’s eyes with a confounded expression. Samuel lingered, demanding their attention before Avery could fully grasp what had just transpired.

“We’re not all evil and I do remember what you’ve done for me.” Samuel said pointedly to Avery. “I’ve marked in the official books that you are dead. So it would be highly unwise to show your face in our society again. You may not get the same mercy the second time around.”

Mason nudged Avery to draw her out of her stupor.

“Of course, I’m gone.” She did the strike out motion with her hands for good measure.

Samuel nodded and his eyes flittered to Mason and stayed, darkened with an indiscernible emotion. Avery could guess what he was feeling. The only son of his dead friend sat in front of him, the son his friend had asked him to protect. For that reason, she had no doubt that the judge’s decision had been influenced.

Finally, Samuel spoke to Mason.

“And you. Your fate remains in your own hands. Adalyn’s fiancé was a noted citizen. Conviction in such a murder case could lead to hanging.”

“Wait, you’re still going on trial. We saved his--” Avery started but Mason shut her up, slapping his hand over her mouth. She growled but it went ignored.

“I know.” Mason said, seeming less distressed than he should have been.

Samuel shot him one more despondent look before leaving the room. Mason waited another minute before he let go of her mouth. She spit at him, annoyed, but couldn’t muster a physical fight. She raised her voice to make the same point.

“What was that? Mason, you’re still going on trial for murder?”

He shrugged.

“It’s complicated, Avery. If I do petition to remove my banishment then I once more fall under their laws. And if I go on trial and am found guilty...well, you heard what he said.”

She gave a hiss of frustration both at his careless tone and at the situation.

“Are you going to turn Adalyn in?” She asked.

She couldn’t exactly compare to ‘eternal harpie love’ but it seemed stupid to her. Adalyn had done him no favors. Killing her own fiancé, she put Mason on trial. Then she turned him in to the authorities. At best, Avery could see Adalyn’s actions as good intentions paving the road to hell. But, at worse, Adalyn was just a bitch.

Mason made the same twisted pout as he’d done the first time she’d mentioned it.

“I don’t think you understand. You’ve never...” He started slowly, clearly preparing an explanation of carefully calculated words but Avery cut him off at the first one.

“Never been in love. Got it.” She blurted out, feeling dirty again.

“You’ve never been stabbed in the back by someone you love either.” He slumped forward and let out a breath. The dejected look he’d put on shut up any more bitter comments she’d had in mind.

“I’ve got time anyways. And I need time to think far away from my kind.” Mason said.

“So how much did we actually achieve. You’re still banished and waiting for the axe to fall.” She worded it carefully but honestly.

“It’s not all bad. I saved my father’s amulet and had it returned rightfully after all. I still feel like...like I have the last piece of him with me now.” He clenched and unclenched a fist marred with the magical mark for reference. “We didn’t die either. And I’ll have you home safely. So yes, I’d say we did a lot.”

“Well, what are we gonna do about you know, that?” She whispered cautiously. “You must have it. That magic detector wasn’t working.”

Mason wore long sleeves but she would bet her life that the mark already showed on his arm, just like it had with her. It would start slow, on his hand or his wrist. In a month’s time, depending on how much he used the magic, it would snake outward and upward into a bizarre spiral.

“It’s because I just got it. It won’t give out an aura. Not yet.” Mason mused. “We know more about it. I think I know how to prevent it from becoming a problem. After all, it worked for you months on end. And maybe I’ll find a way to put it back into an amulet where it belongs if given more time.”

Not that they’d hold out much hope on the last option. Still, the plan was good enough for now.

“So what are you going to do now, mister banished harpie?”

She leaned forward to get a better angle but the movement surprised her with a burst of pain. The wound in her abdomen lighting up with agony, she doubled over. When she went down, the sheets on the bed slipped and she almost fell off of the mattress. Mason’s hands caught her, probably with practiced ease at this point, and drew her back upwards.

A cool embarrassment washing over her at the situation, Avery waited for a mocking comment from Mason. Mason didn’t say anything and she looked up. Finding herself surprisingly close to the boy, her heart skipped a beat. His face, within centimeters, was so close she could feel the heat radiate off his skin. Mason didn’t move away immediately either. His hands, which had caught her hip and shoulder, still rested firmly in the same spots. The position was too close and far too intimate. Soaking in the situation, her attention flickered down to his pink lips.

Mouth halfway parted, he let out a warm breath that tickled her cheeks. He smelt like cranberries and spice. Avery couldn’t help but wonder what he tasted like too. The thought in her head, her heart suddenly pounded, and her mind blanked.

She acted blindly on the impulse. Leaning in, she touched his lips with her own. Shockingly softer than expected, his lips molded to her own. The kiss lasted almost a minute before Mason abruptly pulled back, ripping her from the moment.

“Avery.” He said her name in husky whisper.

The spell broken, she rushed to untangle herself from him completely. Face burning, she scooted backwards and wrapped her arms around herself. It was worth the eruption of pain from her abdomen.

“Avery,” He tried again, this time clearing his voice to sound more normal.

“Sorry.” She felt dumb now. Mason was engaged. Absorbed in the moment, she forgot to mull on that little detail. Mood going south fast, she glowered.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s not- Avery, just…” He stuttered for words and then went quiet for a moment to revise. His hand reached out and wrapped around hers in an unspoken gesture.

Avery desperately tried to regain her composure. He had kissed her back. Of that, she’d had no doubt. The kiss had lasted too long to be accidental. But whether or not he’d reciprocated, the situation remained complicated. Accepting that, Avery didn’t overreact. He’d kissed her back, Avery kept reminding herself and that meant Mason liked her also.

Mason’s face flickered with emotion but Avery couldn’t pin point exactly which ones. After a short lull of silence, Mason went back to talking about their original conversation, uninterrupted.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do. Mikhail’s still out there somewhere.” He said.

Avery gratefully took it as an opportunity to clear the suffocating awkwardness from the air momentarily and put the kiss behind them.

“So what, is he gonna come back all mad?” She said more casually than the issue deserved. Mikhail, at best, was psychotic. At worse, he was deadly. The fact that he’d almost killed her should have been proof enough. Plus, Willow magic or not, he’d come after her out of sheer revenge.

“Of that I have no doubt. If he does come after you, you’ll be in trouble. You don’t have the Willow magic anymore.”

She knew what Mason was getting at. She’d be in danger. She shouldn’t go back to the human world unprotected. Her thoughts strayed back to her school.

“I gotta go home Mason.” She objected quickly. It’d been almost a month with the entire incident after all. “And Leela. What about her? She’s gotta come home with me.”

“Leela’s already there actually.” He piped in. “No memory, like I’d figured. Allure amulets can do that. They took her home this morning.”

Avery let out her own relieved breath knowing that Leela was safe. She didn’t know how to explain Leela’s time missing from school yet, but she’d worry about it later.

“What about me? When do I get to go home?” She asked.

“Soon.” He said and squeezed her hand, forcing her to look at him. As mortified as she’d been earlier, Avery was grateful for it now. Then he brought up something she hadn’t expected. “…but you don’t have to go home alone, right?”

Twenty-eight

Mayweather Academy looked better the second time she returned to it. The harsh chain of weather had broken into something beautiful. The air, fresh and crisp, remained just warm enough that no more snow fell but collected in soft piles on the roof tops and patches of yellowed grass. Bits of sun pierced through the long darkness and made the campus shimmer.

She walked up the smooth, salted pathways with more appreciation than ever before. Her days of rough climbing, crawling, and straining would be out of the picture for awhile. Her lower abdomen still ached from time to time, but elation kept her moving.

She trailed after Ms. Morrison, the staff member, who was assigned to catch her up on the school time she’d missed. The school recognized her absence as stemming from a medical emergency-- the official story-- an exploded kidney. She had a scar to prove it even though she didn’t relish thinking about it. When Mikhail had nearly killed her, he left quite a mark that stretched almost from hip to hip. The scar would probably never heal right either, leaving Avery with the permanent reminder that Mikhail still wanted her dead. Avery refused to get caught up in morbid thoughts and was happily distracted. Ms. Morrison blazed ahead, even in clunky high heels, leaving Avery straining to keep up.

“I’m afraid some of your classes can’t be caught up this semester. The state dictates that we have a certain amount of seat time for the core classes. Otherwise, you can get the homework for your electives and finish those credits.” Morrison lectured. “You may have to stay for the summer semester.”

“She might as well stay. I’ll be here.” Leela commented from Avery’s other side. The only person in the universe smaller than Avery herself managed to blend into the background.

“What I want you to do and what I’m supposed to recommend are two different things.” Morrison laughed. “But you can decide that when you revisit the workload.”

“Alright, will do.” Avery nodded the staff member off. She’d already gotten her assignment and decided that summer school would probably be necessary. Avery wasn’t that far behind but her fall semester had been completely shot. She’d have to make up the hours.

“Did you get your assignment yet?” She asked Leela, wondering if they’d have to struggle through the same classes together.

Leela paused and looked into space. Her brown eyes glazed over and her lips mouthed words without speaking. Before Avery could voice any concern, Leela became alert again.

Morrison led the way and Avery didn’t feel obligated to follow Leela. Instead, she headed to the courtyard, ready to wait by the water fountain. A few other students mulled around, basking in the unusual beauty of the day. Her eyes past over them until she caught a familiar face at the other end of the courtyard. Just seeing Nathanial made her stomach turn. Avery couldn’t slip away quick enough. Nate made a bee line her way and in seconds, he was on her.

“Can’t say I was hoping to see you resurface.” He said smoothly, quirking an ugly smile.

Avery became distracted with her thoughts before she retorted. Nate was always the cute boy, and even today he looked striking. His leather jacket perched on his shoulder with the collar popped and his perfectly messy hair disturbed by the wind. She’d already accepted the fact that he wouldn’t change from being full of himself or particularly annoying, but a few weeks ago she had worried that Mason was the same. They did share a number of disturbing similarities. Both were the prideful, cute guy that used his confidence and looks to make any girl swoon.

She’d been one of the girls that swooned for Nate and gotten kicked in the teeth over it. Avery had feared that Mason would be the same way. In light of recent events though, it seemed silly that she’d even drag Mason down to Nathanial’s level. Underneath all of his bravado, Mason had proved he could care about others more than just himself and that put him worlds above Nate.

Remembering her frantic phone call from California, she shook her head.

“She’s your girlfriend. I shouldn’t owe you just for getting you to check on her. Besides, I was right.”

She knew Nate wouldn’t give up that easy. He never did, but when he took a single step forward, something fell from the sky. A wood chunk shattered on the sidewalk with a heart stopping pop. Avery nearly jumped out of her own skin and put five feet between them in the process. Her first reaction was to follow it upwards. The sky was dark but she swore she saw a shadow flicker over the starlight. Nate had also panicked. With ruined composure, he sputtered and fidgeted. Clearly realizing his infamous attitude was failing, he hurried away before he could embarrass himself. Left alone for the moment, she bitched upwards.

“You can’t do that.” She said, possibly to an empty sky, but more likely a nearby harpie. The tree line a few feet over was thick and probably a perching stop.

“Psh. Why do you care, you already have a boyfriend.” She said loudly enough Avery flinched. Avery wasn’t exactly sure how much Mason picked up from wherever he hovered but that was not something to sing out to the rooftops. She felt her face grow pink.

“I was talking about for you. You know, just in case things between Nate and you don’t work out,” And Avery would make sure they didn’t. “Plus, it’s not like that. I don’t have a boyfriend.” She added.

“Come on, Mason visits you every weekend he’s allowed to and probably even the weekends when he’s not. You guys hang out all the time but I never get to see him. Why so mysterious? You’re hiding the fact you guys are dating hardcore!”

“You’re killing me.” Avery gasped, about ready to suffocate herself.

She didn’t even want to talk about the Mason thing. Since that kiss, everything had been loaded with mixed signals and Mason wasn’t helping. He’d talk to her-- normal. He’d hold her hand or find excuses to touch her-- confusing. They hadn’t even broached the subject of any potential relationship since the harpie hospital, and the longer the subject went ignored the harder it was to bring up.

Avery couldn’t decide if the attention came from growing affection or growing loneliness from his isolated existence. And even if Mason might be opening up to the unspoken pink elephant in the room, he still technically had a fiancé and Avery was technically falling too hard for the taken harpie. Leela voicing the whole thing didn’t help either.

Avery used the moment to eye Leela without begetting suspicion. Mason had assured Avery that the girl’s memories were unclear and she wouldn’t be able to tell a harpie from a bird. But that begged the question of what Leela did remember. The official story had to be something like a weekend escape with friends. Though against school rules, it wasn’t wholly illegal since Leela was eighteen. And unlike Avery, she hadn’t been gone that long. In fact, the only concerning behavior Avery had seen was a few distance stares with glassy eyes and raging forgetfulness. She wanted time to study Leela, but she continually lost the opportunity.

Until she knew for sure, she wouldn’t introduce Leela to Mason just in case he looked familiar and triggered something in her mind. She wasn’t sure how her friend would take it-- especially after what some harpies had put her through.

Leela stopped, the abrupt movement concerning, and pinched her brow. Her eyes became glassy again and she stared at the dirt. Avery suddenly regretted asking but it was too late. Leela took a moment before reanimating.

“Mikhail? The kid from grade school?” She said cautiously.

Avery let out a deep breath that she didn’t know she’d been holding.

“Yea, him.”

“Very vaguely.” Leela said and went on to chat about some human boy that Avery wasn’t concerned with. Avery’s fear fading, she allowed herself to relax. Her school schedule would be chaotic and she still had a confusing superhuman love interest to think about, but the worst was over.

They started toward the entranceway doors to Crepuscule Hall when Avery spotted a flash of movement drop from the trees. Recognizing the unmistakable figure of white weaving through the forest, she looked for a way out of the conversation. When Leela took a breath between her chatter, Avery used the chance to interject.

“Do you want to meet me inside? I think I need to make a phone call.”

Leela nodded and without missing a beat, jogged inside. Avery waited until the area was clear before trekking towards the forest’s edge.

“Hey.” Mason appeared from the trees.

Since the incident at the prison, Mason had cleaned up well. His mop of brown hair still had a sense of disarray but was full and shiny in the light. His face had smoothed over, stress lines all but gone, allowing his skin to glow. He’d adorned another gawky coat, again endearing, that was a mix of multiple colored stitching. His lips upturned when his eyes landed on her.

“You can’t keep throwing stuff at my class mates!” She chided him after making sure the coast was clear.

Mason smirked so deviously that Avery had trouble not letting her heart flutter.

“He’s lucky I missed. I don’t like that kid. In fact, neither should you.”

“I don’t like him but that doesn’t give me the right to seriously injure him.”

“Humans are strange.” He pointed out with a superior nod.

She rolled her eyes and let out an over-exaggerated sigh.

“Well, you’re living with one now so try and fit in.”

They hadn’t exactly figured out how this would work yet. Mason couldn’t stay in her room with her at night, but he didn’t mind staying in the trees. He’d already taken to finding a few perches nearby. She could smuggle food out to him and spend time with him anytime she snuck out. The details were sketchy but it could work until Avery graduated. Now after Avery graduated, that was in grey territory. Would he move in with her? While she wouldn’t mind the roommate, how much pressure would that put on their relationship—whatever their relationship actually was? Avery refused to mull about it at the present time.

“Living with one? I’m living near one. I’m not living with one until she lets me share her room or her bed so I have...”

“Mason, shut up!” She burned a bright shade of pink.

He immediately erupted into laughter, apparently finding her humiliation funny. Fighting off embarrassment, Avery began to walk. Those kind of jokes weren’t really funny anymore but quaintly awkward. Mason trailed after her.

Avery turned the next corner a bit too quick, unaware of the door swinging open on the other side. Her hand shot out naturally to protect herself from the swinging wood. Suddenly the entire door stopped and cracked straight down the center. She felt the unmistakable humming from her fingertips and looked down at her hands marred with the faint tattoo of magic.

The Willow magic had moved. She knew it. She’d felt it. But she hadn’t exactly died entirely either. The possibility that some magic still lingered seemed more plausible than she wanted to believe. Glancing down toward her hand, she could only manage one strangled thought.

“No way.”

She cast Mason a sideways glance and their eyes connected. Apparently her problems were not over yet.