Airborne (28 page)

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.