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 knob, 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 bumped 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 assume 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. Damnit, 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.
“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 knob, 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 bumped 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 assume 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. Damnit, 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.
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