"Adalyn, it"s over." Mason started. "We can"t do this anymore. So let"s cut our losses and move on."
"You"re serious about this? All this over a stupid human girl?" Adalyn kept her composure but not by much.
"It"s not over Avery. It"s because we haven"t been working for a long time now and you know it. It just took me too long to say it." Mason"s voice actually grew with strength. But then so did Adalyn"s.
"Mason, you"re not thinking about the consequences. You and I were supposed to be married for a reason! You"ll lose everything." The harpie woman nearly screamed.
"That"s fine." Mason agreed blankly. Suddenly animating again, he squeezed for Avery"s hand. Though momentarily stunned, Avery allowed the harpie to lead her outside. A stiff silence lingered in their wake. His wings opened and he pulled her against his chest. The rush meant little though. Adalyn never followed and they took off into empty blue skies. Only after they"d cleared the compound and Portland did Avery have the nerve to stir Mason from his thoughts.
"Are you okay?" She asked, regretting how bland that sounded. Shifting her cheek against his shoulder, she didn"t look at his face afraid of what she might see.
"Yea, I"m better than I"ve been for a long time." Mason said quietly.
"Good." She blurted.
"Of course, except now the government is involved in the Mikhail conspiracy, your friend and you are in danger all over again, now we have no place to start fixing things. That I"m not so okay with."
"Actually," She maneuvered her head and gave him a half smile. "I have an idea on where to start. Thing is...you might not like it."
Ten.
"No way in h.e.l.l."
"Come on Mason, you can"t stop me." She pointed out and reached for his shoulder. Mason danced away before she could and pressed himself up against the opposite side of the grey brick wall. Despite the cold and snow coming down overhead, he stubbornly stayed put and glared downward at her. Avery regretted giving him so much time to think about it but here and now there wasn"t much he could do to stop her.
Avery glanced backwards, looking over Mayweather Academy towards her dorm in the distance. They"d flown straight from Portland and arrived overnight. The temperature had plunged and the wind weaved through the trees and beat on the campus. Avery wrapped her arms around her body and turned back to Mason.
"You thought it was a good idea a few hours ago." She said.
He shot her another harrowing look, the shadows underneath his eyes growing and his hands curling into fists. He hadn"t even bothered to wear the heavy trench coat and hide his ma.s.sive wings. There wasn"t really anyone out during this time at night but he was still playing with fire.
"I never said the word *good". I said stupid." He corrected.
"Yea but you also said possible." She stepped closer.
Mason kicked the ground but didn"t budge when she slid next to him. Truth be told, her nerves were screaming in protest and her muscles burned with anxiety. She hopped boot to boot, trying unsuccessfully to keep the jitters at edge.
"Look, no one else knows where the Band is besides Leela. And she doesn"t know I"m on to her. If I could just meet up with her and act it out, she might have me taken to the Band"s headquarters to help them decipher Jericho"s journal." She reiterated the plan she decided earlier, step by step. "Then we can not only find the journal but get it back."
"I don"t think you understand. You"ll be walking straight into Mikhail"s hands and this time, he isn"t too interested in keeping you alive."
She pouted but he did raise a point. She"d run into Mikhail once before on Hatcher Pa.s.s last year. He"d kept her alive specifically because he didn"t know how to harness the magic that was in her body. If he believed, like everyone else, that all the magic was gone then she meant nothing to him now. Rubbing her frozen hands together, she shrugged off the possibility.
"I"d rather do it before he creates another amulet than after. Besides, you"ll be there to back me up."
"Thanks for the confidence but I"m not a miracle worker, Avery. We can"t take on the entire Band at once. There is a good chance that we could both die." His voice dropped and she didn"t disagree.
Acting without much thinking, she reached out and caught his warm hands until he grudgingly opened up his fists. Unfazed by the att.i.tude, she clasped his hand and used it to draw him closer. His green eyes dropped to meet hers. The expression on his face hurt to see. Lips tilted downward with a helpless frown, the light had gone from his face and had been replaced by darkness.
Despite the situation at hand, the close proximity to him made her mind wander. Adalyn was officially out of the picture. That meant there was finally a "them" as a couple. And though Avery had been thinking about it for months, seeing it happen still left her mind spinning.
His mind must have followed the same track.
"You look like you want to kiss me." He said lazily.
"Stop being so full of yourself." She rolled her eyes for drama"s sake but didn"t move away when he leaned down.
"It"s hard to when you follow me around with those puppy dog eyes."
She opened her mouth to protest but he leaned down and caught her lips before she even got a word out. His lips were soft but he pressed into her mouth hard. The kiss was wet but pa.s.sionate and she could taste spiciness on his tongue. She let herself slip back into the wall and he pinned her against it. She tilted her head up and arched her back forward giving him easier access and Mason took full advantage of it. Arms looping around her back, he pressed his body against hers until she could feel every inch of his rippled chest. Nerves hypersensitive, she shuddered when his hand slipped beneath her shirt and she felt the gentle touch of his calloused fingertips.
Mason moved his mouth away and shifted his attention to her cheek. He trailed kisses down the side of her face, underneath her chin, and to the hollow of her neck while leaving a burning sensation in the wake of each kiss. He stopped just before her collar bone and suddenly looked up to catch her eyes.
"What?" She asked, breathless. Her cheeks burned red hot and she licked her swollen lips.
He quirked an eyebrow.
"Puppy dog eyes." He said with a devilish smile.
Pushing him off, she groaned.
"Shut up, Mason."
His smile only grew wider and refusing to look at him any longer, Avery turned away and composed herself.
"I should be going." She said when the sight of the Mayweather campus reminded her of the real situation at hand. "It"s better if I get to it while no one else is awake."
Combined with the fact that she"d lose her nerve waiting any longer, Avery was ready to jump right into her plan. Mason cut off her path though. Green eyes finally serious, he gave her a last lecture.
"You can"t be stupid about this, Avery. You have to be very careful and if anything at all seems wrong, just leave. We can find some other way to deal with it."
Avery tried not to let the comment get her down.
"Come on, you don"t trust my acting skills?y an She asked rhetorically. The joking tone didn"t quite lighten the moment as much as she" intended.
"You"re more of a magnet for trouble than anyone I"ve met in my life. At least tell me you"ll be smart about it or I won"t let you do this at all." When she nodded he added in a hushed tone, "Avery, do not die. If we"re going to be together, then I don"t want a dead girlfriend one day into the relationship."
Avery offered him the most rea.s.suring smile she could muster. The confidence in his face never bolstered but he did step aside and allow her access to the sidewalk. Before she could back out, Avery hurried down the open pathway towards the entrance of Crepuscule Hall. She heard the sweeping sound as Mason took off in a gust of wind and flew somewhere into the woods. He"d probably create a perimeter and scan the dark skies. Feeling much more alone, Avery rushed down the stairs and through the entranceway.
Inside the hallways were dim and only the flickering emergency lights illuminated the building. The usually boisterous hall stayed quiet this late at night and Avery could hear every single one of her footsteps loudly. Her hazel eyes trailed around fanatically at every nook and cranny, though she recognized her own behavior as overkill.
She reached the last door on the end, 1128, and hesitated outside. She paced her breathing and shook her limbs loose. Leela would most likely be asleep and not even stir when Avery went inside. But grabbing the cold k.n.o.b, Avery knew she couldn"t be sure of that either.
Finally unlocking the room, she pushed the door open. The lights from the hallway spilled into the room and bathed it in a yellow glow. Leela"s bed, closest to the door, sat empty. Avery took a cautious step in and that"s when she heard the voice pierce through the darkness.
"Avery?"
Avery stopped, searching blindly until her pupils became accustomed to the darkness. Sitting on her desk was the pet.i.te form of Leela. The girl looked up, her face white and startled.
"Hey, I didn"t know you were awake. I just- I just got back." Avery tried to sound realistic and took another slow step in to let the door slide shut behind her. The light outside disappeared and with it, Avery"s courage dwindled. Leela shifted a bit and reached out for a desk lamp.
The bulb clicked on and she was able to see well again, Avery looked over Leela"s form. The girl still wore jeans and a hoodie but swung her bare feet. Hands closed and in her pockets, she didn"t ever reach out for the typical hug.
"What are you doing here?" Leela asked.
"Huh?"
The question made Avery flinch, and she immediately whirled to face the bed. Mason had told her to get out immediately if something went down, but Avery refused to leave so early. It was an innocent question she reminded herself.
"I just, like just got back. Overnight flight." She struggled for the words. "Why? Did I interrupt something?" She asked casually and headed for the bed, her movements too jerky and uneven. Forcing herself to breath, Avery walked slower and put thought into every tiny movement. At her bed, she slipped off her boots and let them hit the floor. Then she turned to face Leela.
"Oh, nah, I was just talking to Nate." Leela gave a sly smile and jumped off the desk. "Welcome back. How"s Chase doing?"
Leela"s brown eyes never gave away any detection or suspicion. Taking it as rea.s.surance, Avery put in the best act she could.
"He"s okay now. I love *em but I can"t miss any more school or I"m never going to graduate." She made a gun out of her thumb and index finger, mimicking blowing her brains out. "It"s just my week has been insane thus far, ya know?"
"Shoot. I wasn"t planning to sleep for awhile." Leela crawled onto her bed, and folded her arms. She tilted her arm to specifically avoid leaning on her jacket"s left pocket. The movement was tiny and virtually inconspicuous but Avery noticed it anyways. Leela"s jacket was small, like her body frame, but tight it outlined something round inside the fabric. Avery squinted to see the outline but it certainly didn"t look a phone. Her breath sped up when she finally recognized what it was. Leela had another harpie amulet in her pocket.
"Uh, I don"t know where to start. Um..." Stumbling over her words too much, Avery mentally kicked herself until she focused on the conversation. "Mason and I broke up."
The words slipped from her lips and came without thought, but Avery found a way to act on them.
"He got all jealous over the Patrick thing and took off." She swallowed, willing Leela to believe it.
The girl seemed to, her eyes widening and her body leaning closer now piqued with interest.
"Whattt? That"s insane. I mean, I"m sorry but boys are worse drama makers than girls. Is Patrick even around anymore?"
Her chest fluttering, Avery realized the plan was working better than she thought. If Leela thought Avery was absolutely unprotected, she"d certainly pa.s.s the information along to the Band. That would make the Band more likely to come and take Avery to their hideout. Acting, Avery grabbed a strand of her curly hair and twisted it around her finger while she cast her eyes toward the speckled tile floor.
"I don"t know what happened. Like, we fight over very few things so why he"d snap over the Patrick thing I don"t know... Actually..." Avery looked off into s.p.a.ce like she was trying to grasp a distant thought. "So this sounds crazy but he was also upset over my opinion about his father."
Leela suddenly leaned forward until the springs squeaked. Perched at the very edge of her bed, she peered at Avery with distinct interest.
"Wait, you met his father?" She asked.
Avery shrugged lightly and let go of her hair.
Avery"s heart threatened to beat its way out of her chest. Hands sweating, she fiddled with her jacket. This was going into uncharted territory. She didn"t know if she could bring up the subject without it being blatantly obvious. Unable to stop now, Avery kept the conversation light and her attention on the floor.
"Well, for all intents and purposes I did. I couldn"t explain it if I wanted to. But I just know...well I know everything about the guy."
She could hear Leela lean back on the bed but still Avery refused to look up. She should have listened to Mason, she told herself, her acting skills sucked.
"Isn"t that great. I love how stuff works out like this."
Avery"s head snapped up and her heart nearly stopped. The masculine voice didn"t belong to Leela but Rafael, a huge male harpie who cracked open the bathroom door and leaned through the doorway. Rafael, a Band member, wore his identifying bronze insignias with his wings out and half open. He hadn"t changed much since Avery saw him last, his sc.r.a.ppy brown hair framing his sharp eyes. Avery couldn"t find the correct words to muster her confusion. How long had Rafael been standing in the bathroom? For the entire conversation?
"I"m sorry, Avery." Leela said suddenly, getting off the bed. She was frowning, lines marring her ivory skin, and reaching out for Avery.
"What"s going on?" Avery sputtered. She wasn"t acting. She didn"t need to. The sight of Rafael driving panic deep, she immediately scrambled back up against the wall.
"She doesn"t look happy to see me." Rafael complained to Leela. "I"m so hurt."
"Avery, please calm down." Leela approached the bed, warning hand held out into the air. "It"s not what you think."
Rafael swiftly approached the other side of the bed. Due to Avery"s location, she was boxed in against the wall. Rafael blocked the window and Leela blocked the door. She eyed her exits but didn"t fight to escape. Suddenly reminding herself she needed this to happen, Avery stayed in one spot.
"What do you want?" Avery asked as they edged closer.
No one answered but Rafael suddenly lashed out. Catching Avery"s arm, he tore her off the bed. She went tumbling into the wall but he yanked her upright.
"Don"t hurt her." Leela shouted but Rafael didn"t listen.
Seeing his right arm swing back, Avery prepared herself for impact. She didn"t know when he finally hit her. Her world went black and Avery didn"t remember anything.
Eleven.
Avery came to with her head throbbing and blood pounding in her ears. She opened her eyes and saw nothing but swirling shades of grey for a solid minute. The wound incurred on the back of her head from Rafael"s strike made itself known by sending electric jolts of pain down her neck. Hand moving before her brain thought, she fingered the injury. Her curly hair had knotted into tangled thickets but she couldn"t feel any blood below it or anywhere on her skull.
The room surrounding her finally straightened itself out in her vision and Avery blinked at it. First, she noticed the king sized bed she"d been placed on. Satin ivory sheets had been casually tossed over her and she hurried to kick off the fabric. Beyond the canopy bed, white carpets and gold wallpaper decorated the room. A gla.s.s desk and a white wooden bookcase sat against the wall. Her eyes skipped over the minor details and landed on the door directly across from the bed.
Avery didn"t hesitate. Ready to bolt the room, she jumped off the bed and went for the door. A man"s voice stopped her.
"Going somewhere?"
Going cold, Avery froze. She followed the voice to the window. Perched against the sill stood Mikhail and his black eyes glinted when she met them. His thin lips twisted into a smile and his sharp white teeth showed predominantly.
"Didn"t think so. Go ahead and sit right there. Yes, there." He said carefully.
Her breath escaped her and she couldn"t think rationally. The sight of the older harpie brought up every memory of fear and distress from a few months ago just as palpable and real as the day she"d first experienced them. He"d nearly cut out her heart to get the amulet"s power and swore revenge just as she"d gotten away.
Avery shot a fleeting glance toward the door. Five steps away were five steps too far and Avery knew she couldn"t run for it.
She"d planned on finding the location, getting Mason here, and stealing the book. She hadn"t planned on getting knocked out or finding herself standing right in front of the most dangerous harpie on Earth. Realizing how irrational her plot had been, her heart dropped. Now Avery would be happy if she got out of this alive. She reluctantly dropped back onto the edge of the bed.