Windswept (The Airborne Saga) Read Online Free
Author: Constance Sharper
voice had sounded. She recognized the person before she even spotted her, but this didn’t make the sight of the harpie any easier.
Perched on the highest tree stood the female harpie. Beige wings hung from either side, encompassing her tall and lean figure. Avery didn’t even need to look towards the blue eyes.
Adalyn, a six foot blonde harpie, was Mason’s ex-fiancé. Avery knew her voice, her beyond beautiful face, figure, and intricate makeup and hair. Avery knew her attitude, her dangerousness, and her deadliness too. She hadn’t seen the woman since she’d taken a violent swing at Avery before their final battle with Mikhail began. But she recognized her immediately.
“Adalyn,” s he whispered.
Adalyn didn’t reply at first, glowering downward before maneuvering to the edge of the branch. The harpie’s movements were stiff and blocky. The once beautiful blonde’s hair had hung flat and dirty in front of her face. Her red cheeks were pale and decorated with bruising. Feathers torn, her wings hung crookedly. The delivery harpie had apparently put up a fight.
“I need to talk to you ,” Adalyn suddenly gasped out. The voice wasn’t angry but broken, and something about it made the ill feeling double.
“No way, back off!” Avery snapped.
“I need you to listen,” Adalyn insisted.
“What?” Avery prompted while sparing a quick spastic glance to the woods. Her escapes were limited. She could run, the dense forestation making it difficult for a human but even worse for a harpie. She just had nowhere to run to. Campus? The open space would make her a target and endanger other humans. The forest? She couldn’t stay in it forever. Avery had to fight.
Raising her hands, she struggled to feel for the Willow magic. It burned in the center of her chest—painful, not familiar and warm. Avery’s hands quivered at the lack of response. Adalyn suddenly moved, dropping from the tree. Avery flinched violently when the harpie feet cracked into the ground.
“I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to warn you. You have no idea what’s coming.” The woman staggered forward—the movement not strong but still uncomfortable. Adalyn may have looked injured , but she was still very much deadly. And Avery couldn’t trust Adalyn so she stayed stiff and one step back.
“It’s not safe anywhere anymore so I came here for you. It took so long to find you. It’s almost too late. But I couldn’t reach Mason—Mason, I couldn’t reach him!” The woman was heaving for air making her words nearly indiscernible. Her hair covered even more of her face and her bowed head. She kept lurching closer. Avery was cold and frozen. This wasn’t right. Avery just couldn’t put her finger on exactly what made her skin crawl.
Forcing herself to keep her brain moving, she urged Adalyn.
“Explain it to me. Why do you need to warn me? About what?” she mustered the words.
The harpie woman’s blue eyes shot up suddenly, darting through the area behind Avery’s back in a frenzy. Avery stole a desperate glance backwards but saw nothing.
“No—shut up! Run now! Run now, you can’t be seen. Time! I have no time!”
“What is it? Time for what?” Avery barked , but Adalyn didn’t respond. In the second Avery had been distracted, the harpie woman expanded her wings. In the next moment, the harpie took off into the sky and disappeared without a trace.
Avery didn’t wait to see what had startled the woman. Putting as much distance between Adalyn and herself as possible, Avery darted for the school.
Three
Avery barreled out of the woods. She reached the concrete path and slammed into something with a deafening crack. That something bounced away and let out a gargled
Perched on the highest tree stood the female harpie. Beige wings hung from either side, encompassing her tall and lean figure. Avery didn’t even need to look towards the blue eyes.
Adalyn, a six foot blonde harpie, was Mason’s ex-fiancé. Avery knew her voice, her beyond beautiful face, figure, and intricate makeup and hair. Avery knew her attitude, her dangerousness, and her deadliness too. She hadn’t seen the woman since she’d taken a violent swing at Avery before their final battle with Mikhail began. But she recognized her immediately.
“Adalyn,” s he whispered.
Adalyn didn’t reply at first, glowering downward before maneuvering to the edge of the branch. The harpie’s movements were stiff and blocky. The once beautiful blonde’s hair had hung flat and dirty in front of her face. Her red cheeks were pale and decorated with bruising. Feathers torn, her wings hung crookedly. The delivery harpie had apparently put up a fight.
“I need to talk to you ,” Adalyn suddenly gasped out. The voice wasn’t angry but broken, and something about it made the ill feeling double.
“No way, back off!” Avery snapped.
“I need you to listen,” Adalyn insisted.
“What?” Avery prompted while sparing a quick spastic glance to the woods. Her escapes were limited. She could run, the dense forestation making it difficult for a human but even worse for a harpie. She just had nowhere to run to. Campus? The open space would make her a target and endanger other humans. The forest? She couldn’t stay in it forever. Avery had to fight.
Raising her hands, she struggled to feel for the Willow magic. It burned in the center of her chest—painful, not familiar and warm. Avery’s hands quivered at the lack of response. Adalyn suddenly moved, dropping from the tree. Avery flinched violently when the harpie feet cracked into the ground.
“I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to warn you. You have no idea what’s coming.” The woman staggered forward—the movement not strong but still uncomfortable. Adalyn may have looked injured , but she was still very much deadly. And Avery couldn’t trust Adalyn so she stayed stiff and one step back.
“It’s not safe anywhere anymore so I came here for you. It took so long to find you. It’s almost too late. But I couldn’t reach Mason—Mason, I couldn’t reach him!” The woman was heaving for air making her words nearly indiscernible. Her hair covered even more of her face and her bowed head. She kept lurching closer. Avery was cold and frozen. This wasn’t right. Avery just couldn’t put her finger on exactly what made her skin crawl.
Forcing herself to keep her brain moving, she urged Adalyn.
“Explain it to me. Why do you need to warn me? About what?” she mustered the words.
The harpie woman’s blue eyes shot up suddenly, darting through the area behind Avery’s back in a frenzy. Avery stole a desperate glance backwards but saw nothing.
“No—shut up! Run now! Run now, you can’t be seen. Time! I have no time!”
“What is it? Time for what?” Avery barked , but Adalyn didn’t respond. In the second Avery had been distracted, the harpie woman expanded her wings. In the next moment, the harpie took off into the sky and disappeared without a trace.
Avery didn’t wait to see what had startled the woman. Putting as much distance between Adalyn and herself as possible, Avery darted for the school.
Three
Avery barreled out of the woods. She reached the concrete path and slammed into something with a deafening crack. That something bounced away and let out a gargled
Readers choose
Marie Browne
JL Merrow
R. E. Butler
Eileen Wilks
George Mikes
A.K. Morgen
Diana Gabaldon
Noelle Adams