Ch.28 Mind-Link

Chapter 28

Azad's arms around her legs left as if they were made of iron. Birdie couldn't breath as her chest tightened and her screams filled her lungs. She beat his back with her fists as he carried her up the stairs to Ira's chamber.

"Let go of me!" Birdie screamed, wiggling and thrusting to set herself free. "Put me down!"

When her pleas fell on deaf ears, Birdie began to sob. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about her nightmares and hearing Jeffry's voice in her ears.

Her skin crawled with shivers as her stomach churned. She wanted to crawl out of her body and hide in whatever darkness she could find.

"No! No! No!" Birdie began to dig her nails into Azad's back.

"Ahh! Fuckin' hell, woman!" Azad groaned as he put her down in the middle of the room and grabbed the back of his neck in pain. When he pulled back, Birdie saw his finger tips were blood stained.

"Stay back!" She warned as she grabbed the chair closest to herself and swung it in front of her.

"My poor neck," Azad whined.

"Get out of my way," Birdie pushed the chair forward, her eyes on the door.

"Yeah, and let Ira whop my ass?" Azad snorted.

"Just move, damn it!"

"I can't," Azad shrugged.

"Move," Birdie's eyes narrowed.

"No," Azad chuckled, making Birdie think of Jeffry once more.

She automatically raised her hand and blasted the jinn in the head. But instead of the familiar warmth of her power, she felt a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach that traveled up into her chest and then into her eyes.

"What the actual fuck!" Azad, who had been thrown back against the stone walls groaned, throwing the fall bricks off of himself. "Don't do that again."

With rapid breathing and a panicked mind, Birdie looked down at her hands and then back up at the jinn.

"It's the autura," Azad said, spitting out a mouth full of blood.

Of course, Birdie opened and closed her fists. Nora was able to do the same.

"Stay back," Birdie held up her hand once more. "Or this one will hurt more."

"You don't know the first thing about fey magic," Azad said. "Don't go around using it lik-"

As the jinn took a step towards Birdie, unintentionally, she let out another blast and pushed the jinn back.

"Birdie!" Ira's voice boomed from the doorway. "Enough!"

"Stay the hell away from me!" Birdie yelled, aiming for her grandmother. "Don't come near me! Don't touch me!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Ira demanded as she raised her own hand and summoned her maig.

"Don't come near me," Birdie warned once more. "Don't touch me!"

"Put your hands down," Ira enunciated each word carefully through her teeth.

"No," Birdie shook her head, her eyes watering from the way the fey magic burned in her system. Her vision blurred, yet she stood her ground.

"Stop pulling from his magic," Ira demanded. "You'll wake everyone in the compound from the heat signatures you are sending out."

"Step aside and let me leave," Birdie said, not moving her hand or dropping Wren's magic.

"Leave?" Ira arched her brow. "And go where, exactly?"

"To Wren," Birdie said without thinking.

Her heart still pounded in her ears. The memories of the nightmares and the feel of Azad's hands on her were still powerful in her mind. Birdie wanted to hunch over and gag from the way her skin crawled. All she wanted was to sit by the fey and have him tell her Jeffry was gone.

"You are out of your goddamn mind if you think I will let you go back down to see that monster!" Ira yelled.

"He's not a monster!" Birdie yelled back. "I need him! Please, just move! Get out of my way!"

"Listen to yourself!" Ira barked. "He had bewitched you! This is all his doing!"

"No, no," Birdie cried. "I just need to see him! I need to be near him."

"Absolutely not!" Ira said. "I don't want my people to know my own granddaughter is fraternizing with a monster. You will stay away from him!"

"Get out of my way," Birdie felt anger and desperation bubble up inside of her.

The pull in the center of her chest was back, only stronger this time. Birdie was left breathless as she felt Wren's magic tug at her bones. Thinking he was in trouble, Birdie looked up at her grandmother as she stumbled and caught herself.

"What did you do to him?" She asked, placing once hand over the side of her ribs as if that would protect the fey. "What did you do?"

"Nothing yet," Ira hissed. "But you keep this up, you stupid girl and I will skin him alive while you watch."

The surge of energy that rippled through Birdie had nothing to do with Wren. It was her own terror that caused her eyes to snapp on like headlights and glow their brilliant and deadly silver. She watched Ira's eyes narrow as the woman's eyes did the same.

"You think you can take me on?" Ira mocked. "Sweet baby, I am older then your baba. You are nothing."

"Get the hell out of my way," Birdie said, pushing the hair aside.

Azad's eyes bounced back and forth between the two as they both shed their physical form and summoned their smokeless flames.

Birdie's flames were silvery white. Her hair strands flew behind her like the wings of a silver phoenix. She could hear the fire her body had summoned blow past her ears like a rapid current or wildfire.

"Well, aren't you so cute?" Ira laughed as she rose up.

Stunned, Birdie took a small step back and stared up at the jinn.

Ira was massive in size, three times Birdie's height. Her flames were red and orange and deadly. Birdie could feel the heat the woman radiated as if she had flown too close to the sun. The flames leaped up and collided with the high ceilings, the room was unable to contain her. Ira's knees were bent to keep her from colliding with the ceiling.

"I told you," the jinn leaned down, towering over birdie. "I'm older, better, and stronger."

Birdie could not speak. She gazed up at Ira in shock.

"You don't want to piss me off, little girl," Ira's voice was like hot burning coal.

"I am not a little girl," Birdie narrowed her eyes. "You can not push me around and tell me what to do."

Ira gave a soft chuckle, surprising Birdie.

"Just like your father," she said, reaching out and running a finger over Birdie's head as if she was a small doll. "So stubborn."

"Don't touch me," Birdie pushed Ira's hand away.

"You're also just as disrespectful as he was," Ira sighed. "I know how to fix you."

"I don't need fixing," Birdie said through her teeth. "I need Wren!"

"Keep saying his name and I swear I will cut his throat," Ira threatened. "We will get the key with or without him. This world will be much better if he doesn't exist."

If he doesn't exist....if he doesn't exist...

If Wren didn't exist, who would stop the monsters, Birdie thought.

Her fear rose up, amplifying her flames as if someone had poured fuel. Ira snared as she grabbed the back of Birdie's neck and forced her down onto her knees.

"You will not disobey me!" She yelled, pushing Birdie's neck down until her face was touching her knees. "I forbid you from seeing that fey!"

"Get off of me!" Birdie screamed.

"Obviously, it's about time I started to teach you some manners since Heyder has failed to do so so miserably," Ira's nails dug into Birdie's neck.

"No! No!" Birdie pushed, remembering the way Jeffry's fingers had done the same.

Without hesitation, Birdie pulled at Wren's magic with all her might. She felt the hot burning sensation return to her body as her silver flames began to dance with shades of gray and black.

Seeing what her granddaughter was doing, Ira growled in anger and picked Birdie's up, gripping her by the back of the beck like a furious kitten.

"Stop it!" She shook Birdie like a rag doll. "You have no idea what you are doing!"

"I said let go of me!" Birdie placed her hands over Ira's chest and pushed, making sure to hit the jinn with as much fey magic as possible.

Ira screamed in agony as she let go of Birdie, causing the girl to drop from five feet off the ground.

"Azad!" Ira called to the other jinn. "Restrain her! She's bewitched!"

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Birdie jumped to her feet and pulled at Wren's magic like electricity.

The air around her began to crackle and spark as the scent of something burning filled the room. The tips of Birdie's fingers danced with electric currents as she released them upon Azad.

"You stupid fuckin girl!" Birdie screamed from where she lay coughing up blood. "You're playing right into his plans."

Birdie did not let the jinn finish as she found her opening and ran out of the room.

The compound trembled as Birdie shot through the halls like a comet. Dust began to rain down from the ceiling as the foundation groaned. Jinns were beginning to awaken to the terrible sensation of fey magic in the air.

Birdie arrived at Wren's door and blasted the two guards. She pushed past them and stumbled into the room.

Wren, who sat against the cinder walls with his cuffed hands rested on his knees, looked up as the compound shook once more.

"I'm assuming this was all you," he said, looking up as a brick fell.

"We have to leave," Birdie said. "Now."

"That is a brilliant plan," Wren rose to his feet. "Why didn't I think of that? Oh, that's right. Because we're in a jinn base and I have no access to my magi-"

Birdie clenched her fist and summoned Wren's fey magic. Her silver flames once again began to dance with black and gray.

"Ah," Wren's brows furrowed. "How...."

"The autura," Birdie said, rushing forward to grab Wren's hand.

"Don't touch me," Wren stepped back. "You'll burn me."

"I'm trying to take off the cuffs," Birdie said.

"That can wait," Wren said. "If your plan really is for us to get the hell out of here then blast a hole in the wall."

"What?"

"Just do it," Wren said. "I can hear the desert wind outside."

"Are you sure?"

Just as Birdie asked, they both heard heavy footsteps marching towards them.

"I'm very sure, sultana," Wren eyed the door. "Go. Go."

Birdie raised her hand and aimed for the wall Wren was restrained against. She summoned her own magic along with Wren's and shot out an energy blast that made the cinder blocks crumble like cookies.

"I really need to teach you magic," Wren muttered as he held up his hands and Birdie snapped off the chains. "Don't try to take off the cuffs. You will burn me."

"I know, I know," Birdie said. "Let's go."

"Lead the way, my hero," Wren stepped aside and let Birdie go through the hole in the wall first before he himself climbed out onto the sandy dunes of the glass desert.

"Now what?" Birdie asked, looking back at the compound and then at the vast dark land in front of them.

"Now, we pray we don't get eaten alive by wild beasts," Wren said.

______________________________

Maya tossed and turned in bed until she gave up hopes of getting any sleep. Throwing the blankets off of herself, she slowly sat up and rubbed her tired eyes in the darkness. The house was silent. She could hear herself breathe as she sat staring out the window at the gray clouds in the midnight sky.

Like a wave over a beach, the sadness returned, choking Maya until she pulled herself up to her feet and walked to the window. She wrapped her arms around herself and pressed her forehead against the cool glass. Her reflection kept her company as she stared down at the yard where she had watched her little girl grown up.

Thinking of Birdie, Maya's eyes lifted to the edge of the woods. She held her breath hoping she would spot the silver hair between the trees any second. She waited, her eyes filling with tears. Her chest quivered and her lip trembled as she pressed the back of her hand against her mouth and pushed down the sob.

Turning, Maya walked out of her room and made her way over to Birdie's room on the second floor. She didn't think anyone would be inside and walked in, flipping on the lights.

"What's wrong?" Heyder asked, looking up from the book in his hand as he sat on the edge of Birdie's bed.

"Oh," Maya paused in the doorway. "Sorry...I didn't know you were in here."

"It's fine," Heyder slowly rose to his feet. He scratched the back of his neck and looked down at the notebook in his hand.

"I couldn't sleep," Maya said, staring at the jinn who refused to look at her.

"Same," Heyder nodded.

Maya shifted her weight and waited for her husband to say something else. But when he didn't, she slowly walked over to Birdie's closet and stood in the doorway, inhaling the familiar scent of her baby girl. With tears in her eyes, Maya ran her hand through the neatly hung clothes.

"I'll give you some space," Heyder said quietly as he headed for the door.

"You don't have to go," Maya looked over her shoulder. "Stay."

Hayden's eyes fluttered up. He looked at Maya with those haunted brown eyes and nodded. Walking back to the bed, he took a seat and let his shoulders drop.

"What's that?" Maya asked, coming over and sitting down beside the jinn.

"Her sketch pad," Heyder held up the notebook.

A small smile spread across Maya's face, "You know, I used to always think Hayden would be the artist."

"That boy can't draw shit," Heyder laughed.

"He takes after me," Maya said. "And Birdie takes after you..."

Heyder nodded, his eyes still lowered. He flipped through the sketches Birdie had compiled and showed Maya one of Zuri.

"She's so good," Maya said, running her delicate fingers over the watercolor.

"She's brilliant," Heyder smiled. "She did this when she was bored. Imagine what she can do if she actually puts effort into it."

Maya smiled. Her heart swelled listening to the jinn talking about their daughter. She watched his fingers turn the pages as they sat quietly looking at their daughter's work.

"Adeline called," Maya said after a while.

Heyder remained silent.

"She said you went to go see her yesterday," Maya looked up at the jinn.

Heyder nodded.

"Why?" Maya asked.

Heyder shrugged.

"She's coming over for dinner tomorrow night," Maya spoke slowly. "With Ben and Alex."

"Sounds good," Heyder said.

"Thank you," Maya reached out and placed her hand over the jinn.

"For what?" Heyder looked up.

"Adeline told me what you did," Maya took in a deep breath. "Thank you for apologizing."

"It's the last I can do after the mess I made."

"Thank you for cleaning it up," the corner of Maya's lip curved up.

"You don't have to thank me, Maya," Heyder shook his head. "Thank you's are for people who do good things. Not for people who just fix the mess they made."

Maya didn't reply. She let herself sigh at the jinn's touch. His warm hand held her and for the first time in months, Maya felt something else beside the cold and numbness inside of her.

"Come to bed," she said, leaning forward and placing a light kiss against Heyder's stubbles.

Heyder looked up to make sure she really meant her words. His heart hammered in his chest as Maya slowly rose up and took his hand, leading him up to their room.

"You seem tired," Maya said as they both laid back against the pillows and she rested her head over his heart. "Is everything okay at court?"

"Hmm....yeah," Heyder nodded.

"What happened?" Maya asked.

"It's nothing," Heyder sighed, not wanting to stress her out when he finally had her back in his arms.

"Tell me," Maya pushed in the darkness.

"Just the land issue," Heyder said. "The veil keeps shifting. We had more mountains disappear last week."

"But that's always happening," Maya said.

"Yeah, but it's annoying. People are losing their homes so they're moving into the cities and crime is rising."

"You should talk to the Tyveer Court and see if there's anything you can do to provide more aid for the newcomers."

"Ali suggested the same," Heyder said. "How are things going at your court?"

"It's fine," Maya sighed, shifting a bit closer to Heyder. "We are having our debutante ball soon. More witches will be joining the covenant."

"That's good," Heyder said.

"Yeah," Maya nodded.

Heyder didn't know if Maya was aware of the way her hand held his. He wasn't going to tell her. He needed her touch, no matter how selfless he wanted to be for her.

"Maya..."

"Hmm?" Maya's voice was soft, mingling with sleep.

"I love you," Heyder whispered.

"I love you, Heyder."

_____________________________

"Why aren't they coming after us?" Birdie asked, as she looked over her shoulder at the compound in the distance.

"Do you want them too?" Wren snorted as he took wide steps in the sand.

"No, but it's weird," Birdie felt uneasy. "I mean they can clearly see us. I'm like a fuckin' comet and we're in the middle of a dessert."

"They're being smart," Wren said, pausing at the top of a sand dune. "No sane person roams the glass dessert in the middle of the night."

"Why?" Birdie asked, climbing up to stand beside him. "What are you not telling me?'

Before the fey could reply, Birdie felt her mind-link open.

Her eyes snapped back to the compound, searching for Ira.

What will I tell your father? Ira asked.

Tell him you beat his daughter, Birdie said before forcing her link shut.

She turned to Wren and waited for the fey to answer her question.

"What did you mean about the wild beast?" she asked once more.

"I'll explain," Wren said, looking back at the compound. "We have to get to the other side of the dune first."

"Why?"

"Your grandmother can still see us," Wren rolled his eyes. "You want her to blast her from her fort?"

"I'll blast her back."

"And then we attract the giants as if you glowing isn't bad enough," Wren clicked his tongue. "Turn it off."

"I can't," Birdie took a step back.

"You can't?" Wren asked. "Oh, just my luck. I am going to die."

"I can," Birdie snapped. "But I can't when you're standing right in front of me. Turn around. I won't have clothes on when I shift back."

"In that case wait until we get to the other side of the dunes," Wren said. "I don't want to give your grandmother a heart attack."

Birdie didn't reply as Wren sat down and slid down the dark side of the sand dune. She threw the compound one last look before doing the same.

"Okay," Wren said from somewhere in the darkness. "Do your thing."

"Turn around," Birdie said. "Don't look."

"It's pitch black. Even if I was staring right at you, I wouldn't be able to see a thing."

"Wren!"

"Alright, alright."

Birdie heard the shuffling of the fey's feet. She turned in her spot until she found him standing a few feet away with his back turned towards her. Her flames were the only thing providing any source of light other than the moon overhead.

Taking in a deep breath, Birdie willed her flames to dim as her human form slipped back in. At once the cold desert night air hit her naked skin as she wrapped her arms around herself and summoned a pair of pants and a loose shirt.

"Okay," Birdie cleared her throat. "You can look now."

Wren slowly turned as Birdie pulled her hair out of her shirt. They stood facing each other in the middle of the desert with a sky full of diamonds.

"Now what?" Birdie asked, the moonlight making her silver hair appear white.

"We keep moving," Wren said. "We'll have to go around the dunes and get to the glass sea by morning or Ira will be after us."

"You still haven't explained to me why she won't come out now."

"Because of the Vetalas," Wren said.

"The what?"

"They're creatures of the night made of sand," the fey explained. "They drink blood from the living and consume flesh to fill their desires for a body."

"And they are out here?" Birdie shrieked. "What the fuck, Wren?"

"It was either the vetalas or your crazy grandmother," Wren said in his defense.

"Oh yes because having your blood and flesh be consumed is sooooo much better."

"Shut up, will you?" Wren whispered. "You're only going to attract them by being so loud."

"How do we stop them?" Birdie whispered.

"We can't."

"So what if we run into one?"

"We run."

"That's it?" Birdie hissed. "That's your plan?"

"What else will we do?" Wren asked. "Your jinn magic can't stop them and I still have these on."

"I have your magic."

"No way am I teaching you how to handle my magic," Wren snorted. "You already pulled a number back there and I don't know what you did but until I find out, I forbid you from summoning my magic."

Birdie raised her hand and shot a small blast towards Wren's chest using his own magic.

"Birdie!" Wren hissed.

"Don't tell me to do shit," Birdie said. "Just get us out of here."

"I'm trying," Wren rolled his eyes. "Stay close and stay quiet."

Not wanting to encounter sand vampires, Birdie quickly followed Wren through the moonlit path like a field mouse. Their feet left a clear trail on the sand but the occasional wind covered them, masking their direction.

"Wren," Birdie whispered in a hushed voice.

"What?" Wren looked over his shoulder.

"What did you mean back there?" Birdie asked. "When you said you don't know what I did."

Wren paused and waited for Birdie to step up beside him. He looked down at her as her feet slipped on the sand and she grabbed his arm to steady herself. Her wild hair blew in the wind, almost blinding her as she peered up at him.

"How can you see?" Wren asked, reaching out and pushing her hair back.

"I'm used to it," Birdie said.

"We should keep moving," Wren fought with the small strands of hair, trying to contain them behind the girl's ear.

"What did you mean when you said you don't know what I did?" Birdie asked once more.

"When you pulled on my magic," Wren looked down into her eyes. "I felt it."

Birdie didn't understand what he meant. She waited for him to elaborate as he fussed with her hair.

"I don't know how to explain it..." Wren said. "But I could sense everything you were feeling...and not just in your dreams. I was there in that room with you and Ira. I could hear you."

"Hear me?" Birdie asked. "How?"

"I don't know," Wren shook his head. "I could. Just like I can hear you now."

Birdie felt her ears start to ring. The sound was defining. It drowned out the pressure of her blood running past her ears.

Wren, Birdie called through her mind-link.

"Like that!" The fey jumped. "Just like that. How did..."

Oh god, Birdie stared at the fey.

"How are you doing that?" Wren asked.

"It's called a mind-link," Birdie said. "You and I share a ....bond or some kind of connection now so we can speak to each other through our thoughts."

"How does that work?"

"I don't know but I can teach you ho-"

Suddenly, there was a gust of wind that blew past the pair.

Bits of sand and glass scraped against Birdie's arm, slicing her and drawing blood. Wren flinched as a shard flew past his forehead and created a deep cut above his brows.

"Fuckin' hell," the fey said, his eyes suddenly alert and his body tense.

"Is that..." Birdie felt a chill run down her spin.

"Come closer," Wren held out his hand.

Birdie ran into his arms as he turned her around and raised her hands.

"What are you doing?" Birdie asked.

"I'm going to show you how to use my magic," Wren said, his eyes scanning the darkness.

"I thought you said we couldn't fight the vetalas?"

"Do you propose we just lay down and wait for death?" Wren asked. "We need to put up a fight."

Before Birdie could respond, the sand before them began to swirl. She gasped and leaned back closer to Wren as he gripped her hands and laced his fingers through her.

"Keep your hand steady," Wren whispered into her ears. "And don't let the magic fire like a loose cannon. Wait for me to tell you."

Birdie nodded.

The sand swirled and twirled until it was ten feet tall. From within, a figure appeared and paused in front of the pair.

It was a woman. Dressed in rags with her long black hair dirty and half falling off. Her eyes were gold and her skin made of sand. She stared at Birdie, looking her up and down.

"You are so beautiful," the woman said, her voice like chalk on a blackboard. "Come here and let me have a taste."

"I don't think so," Wren said, hooking an arm around Birdie's waist and holding her tightly against himself. "There's nothing here. Keep walking."

"What pretty hair you have," the woman took a step forward.

"Birdie, now," Wren said, gripping her hand and giving it a good squeeze.

Birdie summoned Wren magic and felt it flood through her system like a storm. She feared her veins would burst from how fast her blood rushed around.

"Steady, steady," Wren chanted against her ear as a surge of energy blasted the vetala. "Oh my fuckin' god!"

"I don't know what to do!" Birdie yelled. "I'm trying."

The night air filled with the vetala's scream. She lunged forward as Wren tucked Birdie into his arms and rolled down the sand dune. They tumbled down like a barrel, their legs tangling with each other. Birdie shut her eyes and gripped Wren's shirt tightly as the sand scratched her face, neck, and shoulders.

"Shit, shit, shit," Wren said as they came to a rolling stop at the bottom of the hill.

The Vetala stood at the top, looking down at them with a smirk.

"She's calling the rest," Wren said, pulling Birdie to her feet.

"This isn't working," Birdie said as the fey raised her hand once more.

"Keep trying, little bird," Wren raised Birdie's hand. "Another blast. Now."

Birdie closed her eyes and summoned the magic. Once again, it fired out of her uncontrollably.

"Wren," Birdie began to feel her head spin.

"We can't stop," Wren caught her as she swayed.

Suddenly, from the bottom of the hill, shadows began to move. Birdie caught the movements from the corner of her eyes and froze.

"What was that?" She asked.

The vetala paced back and forth at the top of the dune, pleased with herself for trapping the pair at the bottom of the valley.

"What was what?" Wren asked.

"That," Birdie raised her hand as a shadow moved forward. Birdie screamed as Wren pushed her behind himself.

"Oh shut up!" Came a grumpy voice. "Shut up. Shut up!"

Birdie stilled as a group of men and women appeared out of the shadows.

"No wonder you are suck with that bitch on your ass," the man said as he looked up at the vetala.

"Who are you people?" Wren asked, looking around as the rest of the group aimed their bows and arrows at the vetala.

"The name's Tau," the man said. "And if you wanna live to see dawn, I suggest you tell your wife to stop screaming so we can get you the hell out of here."

"Birdie, stop screaming," Wren said, pulling her closer.

"Tau," one of the women pointing her arrow at the vetala called to the man. "They're coming. I sense six of them."

"Let's move," Tau's eyes darted to the vetala.

"Why isn't she attacking?" Birdie asked.

"Because of this," Tau held up a dark arrow head. "Bloodstones from deep within Pangea. The only thing that can pierce her sandy skin and strike her heart."

"She's afraid to attack on her own," the woman explained. "She's waiting for the others to arrive."

"And that's our cue to leave, correct?" Wren looked at Tau.

"Yes, it is," Tau said. "Follow me."

With the group aiming their bloodstone arrows at the vetala, everyone rushed towards the edge of the dune. Tau kneeled and swiped off a mountain of sand to reveal a secret door. He pulled it back and ushered in his people, Wren and Birdie into the stairwell that vanished into an underground cave.

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