Airborne Saga: Grounded Part 5

"Wow, I'm glad to hear the change in heart." She said sourly.

She knew the sarcastic shot was immature, but she also couldn't help the surge of anger and jealously that twisted in her heart. She'd honestly been over Nate but even now, hearing him dismiss her like nothing still stirred bad feelings. She hadn't been different. She hadn't been worth it. But Leela was? The girl he'd just met and started dating? Something about that didn't sit right with Avery.

Nate let out a groan and beat his hands into the air like he needed something to vent his frustration.

"You don't have to tell me that I've been an a.s.shole to you. I know. And I know I should probably apologize." He said, his words forced and short. "But it's hard when you're still trying to get between me and Leela."

"Then apologize! And treat her nicely. Then you and I will be fine!" She shouted back, surprised when she heard herself. Of everything she'd thought about saying to Nate for years, this wasn't it. She didn't want to give up Leela to him or to give him to Leela. But saying it now, she suddenly felt okay with the idea.

"I'm sorry, okay. I'm sorry for being an a.s.shole, you didn't deserve it. But I've changed since then and I think I've found someone I really care about. Besides, you and I both know we would have made a terrible couple. Are we done with this moment now?"

Avery let the words sink in and her heart calm before answering.

"Yes." She agreed and nodded.

Her eyes trailed back toward the clock. It'd be good to get some rest before Mason arrived. She'd suspected they'd have a long journey on their hands once he did arrive. Thinking about that brought back all the pressing concerns about Jericho's book and the Band trying to snag it.

"Will you be able to stay here for an extra day and then drive home in your car? Everything should be fine but you'll still need to keep a low profile. Try and stay inside with other people. Just in case." She said, the change in subject coming automatically. "I'm also going to need you to keep your mouth shut. Particularly around Leela. She doesn't need to be any more involved than she is now."

In fact, as far as Avery was concerned, she'd find a way for Leela not to be involved at all. Before another wave of concern could take over her thoughts, Nate spoke up.

"Not a word to Leela." He echoed. "I'm fine with pretending this never happened. Especially that bonding c.r.a.p."

Avery smiled, knowing they weren't planning to repeat the occasion. Nate prompted something else then.

"What are you planning next?" He quizzed.

"Right now, I'm planning a nap."

Nate didn't press for more answers. Rather the expression on his face agreed with her line of thinking. Without asking, he chose the bed closest to the door.

The tension filled evening was simmering down but that didn't let rest come easy. Avery snuggled into the sheets of her own bed, struggling to find a painless position. The bed kept squeaking with every movement and the sound grew obnoxious. She tried to relax. Shutting her eyes, she let the world around her disappear, but another one replaced it.

She was standing in a warehouse, hurrying through dark hallways. Fire burned up the edges of the building. The entire building was shifting on its foundation and the shaking was deafening. She didn't know where she stood, nor where she went but Avery kept running. She finally spotted a door at the end of the hall and some part of her recognized it. She'd seen it before. It was always the same door.

Avery ran for the exit but just before her fingers could grasp the handle, someone appeared behind her. She whirled to face him, and that's when she woke up. She rolled in the bed, the loud squeaking of the springs drawing her from the rest of her dream. She blinked at the ceiling, uncomfortable. Her shoulder still stung and she rolled again. The noise she made finally had Nate growl in complaint.

"What's wrong?" Though dark, Avery could tell his eyes jumped between the window and the door suspiciously. Maybe he was expecting Avery to be psychic now or something. It would have seemed plausible, seeing as he'd just gotten a crash course in the supernatural, but Avery lacked that ability.

"Nothing. Just having bad dreams." She whispered, finding her voice coming out weaker than antic.i.p.ated. She pressed her hand to her forehead, trying to recall the images before it faded away from memory.

Avery could recall something about hot fire and suffocating smoke. Along with that came the undeniable feeling that she'd seen the images somewhere before-perhaps even in another dream. The images finally slipped away and disappeared into oblivion, leaving Avery's eyes heavy again and her body exhausted.

She wouldn't ignore the coincidence. She'd known magic too long now to ignore a repet.i.tive dream, but what little she remembered of it didn't help her. Avery lay down and tried to set her mind to rest. She'd need all her strength in the days to come.

Seven.

Avery woke up to a bang on the door. It took her a moment to recognize the starch sheets of the hotel room and the woodsy smell of Moose Pa.s.s and another moment to remember how she'd gotten there. Heart jumping into her throat, she quickly pushed the sheets away and cast her eyes onto the wooden door. The banging continued, growing louder. Though the room only had one dim light on, she saw Nate start from his bed and whirl to stare at her with wide eyes.

"Who is that?" He spit out in a hurry.

At least two AM in the morning, Avery would be willing to bet the visitor wasn't housekeeping.

"Did that guy find us here?" Nate asked secondly, mirroring Avery's thoughts. She pressed a finger to her lips before Nate made more noise.

"Stay here." She whispered and made a gesture for him to lay low.

Slipping free of the polyester sheets, she walked silently across the carpet in bare feet. The door didn't have a peep hole, making the situation difficult. Her mind slid between the options. If she opened the door and Patrick stood on the other side, she'd be defenseless. On the other hand, it could be Mason and she couldn't let him leave.

Fingers wrapping around the cold k.n.o.b, she leaned forward and pushed her ear against the thick wood. The banging stopped and she couldn't hear anything. Taking a breath, she readied herself before she heard his voice.

"Avery, it's me. I know you're in there."

Elated, Avery yanked the door open and found the familiar face of Mason waiting on the other side. Without thought, she launched herself forward and gave him a tight hug around his thin torso. Before he reacted, she pulled away and caught his green eyes. Though flushed from physical exertion, he'd held up well for making such good time. His wings had been tucked behind a winter parka that b.u.mped up awkwardly around the shoulders. His brown hair had been thoroughly messed up but the frenzied look actually complimented his strong jaw line.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you." She said, letting the door swing shut behind her and seal Nate in.

"What happened?" He asked without hesitation, giving her the look over.

She'd put her shirt back on to cover the shoulder bandage but the distinctive red splotches still marred the white cotton. Avery waved him off before he gave it further examination.

"I'm fine now. But that Patrick guy? He just flipped out and tried to kill me. I managed to get to a car but he jumped on the hood and bashed it up to get inside so I just kinda hit him with the car. He rolled off the hood but I don't think he's dead."

In fact, Avery was sure that he was alive. That thought wasn't comforting though.

"That was at Mayweather?" Mason asked, his eyes sliding around the empty hallway.

"Yea."

"I searched that place first but he wasn't there. He's definitely up and moving again but if his wings are injured, his options for getting around are limited and that'll help us predict where another attack would come from." Mason said, his lips thinning and face darkening with shadows.

Avery tried to control her reaction. If Patrick had moved, she reasoned, he'd have caught up to them by now walking or not. She'd like to a.s.sume that he would have left after he was injured but harpies had the tendency to be blindly vengeful. Worse, she reasoned that without using the magic in her body she'd be defenseless for another attack. The kind of luck she'd experienced a day ago typically didn't hold up twice.

"That's just...comforting."

"That's if he'll have the nerve to come back while I'm here. d.a.m.nit, I knew something like this would happen!" Mason hissed and suddenly spun to march down the hallway. His muscles tightened and fists curled until his own talons drew blood.

Feeling the thick anger radiating off of him, Avery let him pace and stayed quiet. Only when he paced back her way did she have the nerve to ask.

"You mean you knew Adalyn might try something?"

"Yes...because every time I give her another chance, she does something stupid. She always thinks she knows better." He growled and suddenly turned and swung at the wall. His fist made impact with a resonating crack and Avery jumped. He shook out his fingers. The wooden wall had held up well against Mason for the most part but still showed off a new dent.

After the punch, Mason finally managed to calm. Looking up, his eyes connected with hers. Mason still had every bit of harpie anger but his face still softened when he looked at her. Almost acting embarra.s.sed, he curled his hands into his chest.

"I'm sorry." Avery admitted carefully. "But why does she have to kill me to make your relationship work?"

She regretted the words after she said them as the simple question made the atmosphere instantly change. Avery knew she'd accidently treaded over to a very sensitive subject: their relationship. Mason and she had never made any effort to address the pink elephant in the room, and Avery wasn't ready to do it now either.

Avery swallowed the lump in her throat, diverted her eyes, and changed the topic a bit.

"It's your trial that's the problem." She said, reminding him of something that had happened during last year's escapades.

Mason couldn't re-enter harpie society without going to trial for the murder that Adalyn had committed and pinned on him. Not that Avery pointed out that last detail.

The anger had completely washed out of Mason's face leaving his expression stoic and immobile.

"Well, to be fair Adalyn and I could be together without me being in society, I mean a.s.suming we could ever manage to get along. We couldn't get married under the law but there isn't anything to stand between us meeting up."

Avery didn't know how to answer so she didn't. She'd gotten used to no Adalyn in the picture. The original a.s.sumption about the trial standing between the two harpies gone, Avery could very well picture them together again. Feeling sick, she wrapped her arms around herself.

"And she's right. You are a factor standing in the way." Mason said in carefully measured words. His voice had dropped until she could barely hear it and his expression had altered into something indiscernible.

"Why me?" Avery made herself ask.

Mason abruptly crossed the room and stood before her. In a fluid motion, he caught her chin between his fingers and lifted her head up until their eyes connected. The sudden closeness startling, Avery's nerves crawled and her throat went dry. She licked her lips and forced herself to stand her ground. Something in his green eyes had changed and he watched her with more intensity.

"Why do you think?" He asked quietly.

Avery's heart pounded. She knew at that moment that she hadn't been mistaken when judging his feelings but the quickness of the revelation left her mind whirling. Hands shaking, she reached out and curled her fingers into his shirt. He made no motion to recoil.

"Maybe I'm spending far too much time with the human girl. Maybe I'm a bit too attached to her." He said slowly.

Avery's heart fluttered and she let out a shaking breath. His lips had inched closer and yet she hadn't moved away. Tilting her head up, she finally leaned forward and kissed him. The heat between them exploded. Mason pushed forward, pinning Avery back against the wall, and consuming her lips fully. His hands dropped to her waist and he curled his fingers just beneath her shirt. The feel of his calloused hands made her shudder. Her mind blanked in favor of enjoying the way his body felt pressed up against hers and she drew him closer with her fists knotted in his shirt.

Mason separated so suddenly, Avery gasped and fell back. It took a moment for her to recollect her head and only then did she realize they had company. Mason had already directed his eyes toward the boy leaning into the hall.

"Nate." Avery said, recognizing him.

"Should I even ask why he's here? I've been gone a week and you're shacking up with old friends now?" Mason commented and turned. Without an explanation, he marched toward the lobby clearly fl.u.s.tered.

Avery waved Nate off.

"Get inside, I need to take care of this." She demanded before taking off after Mason. With long strides, he'd already made it over to the fireplace and dropped into a red chair.

Avery understood the chaotic feeling. They'd gone from zero to sixty in less than a second-hopped an invisible barrier that couldn't be undone. More than fl.u.s.tered herself, she only managed a few thoughts at a time. After checking the lobby and finding it empty, she lumbered into the other seat.

"It's not what you think." She started. Her hands were sweaty and she kept rubbing her knees. She didn't have anything to hide with Nate but she knew this wasn't quite about Nate.

"I didn't tell you what I thought." He said but there wasn't force behind his words.

"We took his car when Patrick tried to kill us. Actually, I have more bad news for you than that." The grim reminder allowed her to clear the raging emotions from her head. Mason's attention back on her, she went on to explain.

"So a few days ago I found a harpie communication amulet in Leela's desk."

His eyebrows shot up but he remained calm.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"More than sure." Avery took a breath to reorganize her thoughts before she could spew them all out. Even thinking about Leela left a knot in her stomach and she was almost afraid to tell Mason. "I followed her out one night and found her talking to Mikhail. She was talking about the book-Jericho's book. I think they want to recreate the magic of the Willow amulet. I should have seen it coming. Leela had been asking me about everything."

Thinking about it, Avery put together the pieces. Leela hadn't just asked about the book. She'd asked about Avery's magical tattoo and its coloring. She'd asked about Mason and his location. She'd quizzed her on Patrick. Horrified, Avery realized that every single one of the seemingly nonchalant questions was a careful and systematic investigation.

Mason had leaned forward and began quizzing her with more intensity.

"Does she know that you're onto her? Did she see you follow her?"

Avery shook her head both times but Mason still scowled.

"Then Leela's the enemy now. She'll have you kidnapped or killed next."

Hearing the coldness in his voice made Avery over react. Springing up from her chair, she protested vehemently.

"Hey, you can't treat her like a criminal! Mikhail's making her do it! You know he has that allure amulet and can compel people to do things."

Mason's expression didn't change. Keeping the same voice, he reasoned with her.

"We both have seen her in the past few weeks. Did she look like she was being compelled to do anything?"

The logic was developed well but Avery refused to listen to it. Eyes burning with wetness, she folded her arms and let out a frustrated growl. The weight of cold fear landed on her shoulders and Avery was ready to buckle under it. She protested, more weakly.

"Stop it! I won't let you hurt her. She's a good person okay, but Mikhail still managed to get his frikkin' hooks into her somehow. Who knows what he told her? Besides... she asked him not to hurt me."

"Don't be foolish Avery, Mikhail will skin you alive once you outlive any purpose to him." Then he added in a drastically different tone. "I can't let you die."

Mood changing again, she dropped down into the chair next to him. Her shoulders shook but she didn't cry. Everything had been happening so quickly and she didn't have time to keep up. Mason's arm carefully snaked around her shoulder and she leaned into him. They'd held each other before but now the gesture was different. In fact, the relationship was so different now that Avery would need some time to get used to it. Mason probably would too.

Wringing her hands, she stared at the burnt logs in the fireplace and focused on the present.

"I know. But how do we help Leela? What do we do?"

Mason took a few minutes to think about it. By the time he answered, most of Avery's hysteria had faded away.

"One thing at a time. We need to get the book back from Samuel's storage before Mikhail can break in and steal it."

Samuel was an older harpie, Adalyn's father, and had once been the servant and friend to Jericho. It wouldn't be surprising that he alone kept Jericho's journal.

"Is that off the coast of California again? We're both banned from there. It'll be almost impossible to sneak in." She pointed out. Samuel resided in the harpie court, an official island off of the coast of California. Avery had been there last winter and before they left, the officials of the island had politely told Mason and Avery to never show their faces there again. Well, politely may not have been the word for it.

"No, he has a home in Portland Oregon now since his service to the Prince is over."

Avery's mood lit up just a bit. She'd never been in Portland but she knew the place as being urban and green, different and welcoming. Over two million humans lived in the city so the harpie population must have been discreet.