I can only stare in shocked horror as two of the birds grab the deer on each end of its body, lifting it into the air. I want to close my eyes. I know what’s going to happen. I want to run to Evie and block her from seeing this, but I can’t move. I’m petrified, stuck exactly as I am, forced to watch the deer’s grizzly end as the rest of the flock latches on to it.
Horrible ripping and shredding sounds mix with the flapping racket. The deer’s screams get louder and tear into my heart for only a second before it’s abruptly cut off. And in just another second I see why. The flock breaks into three, flying into the trees with three different parts of the deer.
My stomach lurches as I glance at Evie and Asher. If it were just me, I probably wouldn’t even be worried. I can protect myself, but I can’t protect all of them and Evie has to be my top priority. I have to get out of here. I have to get Evie out of here.
“What are those things?” Evie asks. She doesn’t look as nervous as I know she should be.
“Vulture-hawks,” I say, trying to keep the fear from my voice. “They usually don’t bother humans, but they’re mean.”
“I can see that,” Asher says, staring up into the trees.
“We should get out of here. Now.” I glance around for my gun so we can get going and my heart sinks when I see it. Oh God. It’s still lying where I left it when I went to help load up Starshine. Just a few feet from where the birds disappeared into the trees.
I’m not willing to leave it behind. We’ll need it. I’m sure of it.
I race toward it, hoping the birds will ignore me for their kill.
Something heavy falls to the ground just inches from my outstretched fingers. I’m certain it’s the deer, but it’s hard to tell after the work of the birds.
I don’t want to, but it’s like I have to. I look up into the branches and see them staring down at the deer—at me—with their red beady eyes. One of the birds makes its telltale caw, which sounds more like the screech of a hawk than a vulture, but has a way of making your skin crawl. Suddenly they’re all making the same screeching sound. I slam my hands against my ears in an attempt to block out the sound. They start dropping from the tree to resume their attack on the dropped carcass. Their movements would be fascinating if they weren’t so violent. I can hear the crunch of bones between their beaks.
We have to get out of here.
Then, without warning, one of the birds swoops down off its branch and flies straight toward me.
I duck and it misses, but there’s an unmistakable look in its red eyes. It’s out for blood.
“What the hell?” Asher yells at me. “I thought you said they don’t bother humans!”
“I said they usually don’t bother humans.” Without sparing Asher a glance, I grab the shotgun.
Before he can react to that, the rest of the birds descend. Evie screams out when one claws at her wounded shoulder. Her eyes turn dark blue, the haze fading from them as if someone flipped a switch. I recognize that look. That’s the one she got in Elysium whenever her “Conditioning” kicked in.
In a lightning-fast move, she snatches one of the birds from the air in front of her, but it pecks at her face, going for her eyes, and only misses because she tosses it aside. It squawks when it lands on the ground and struggles to get back up.
She immediately grabs another, but this time grabs its head and the muscles in her skinny arms bulge. A second later, the bird’s head is no longer attached to its body.
Blood sprays into her face, but she only bares her teeth in a snarl and lunges for another.
Holy hell.
I grab Asher, who’s trying his best to beat away the birds attacking her, but only getting his clothes and skin shredded in the process. There’s already a long gash across his left eyebrow.
“Get on the horse!” I yell, hissing when a claw pierces the skin on my shoulder.
“What?” he yells back. The air around us is a frenzy of beating wings and piercing screeches.
I swing the gun like a bat at another bird. “I said, get on the horse. Get Evie out of here! I’ll catch up.” It gets around my swing, but I swing again and manage to knock it away.
If he doesn’t hurry, I don’t know how much longer I can keep them back. Starshine whinnies and starts to rear, but startles back to her feet when Evie plants a foot on her neck.
She’s trying to stand, I realize, despite the horse’s restless movements.
“What about you?” Asher swings his arms around again, causing the birds to scatter for a minute.
I force a smile. “I’ve got this. No big deal.” He doesn’t look convinced and I raise my voice. “Get her the hell out of here. If you want to make up for what you did to me years ago, you’ll get on the fucking horse and get her out of here.”
He glances over at Evie, who is batting away more birds. One is tugging on her hair and she’s screaming as it threatens to pull her off the horse. Another keeps swooping at her, but missing. She can’t seem to get ahold of them anymore, and as I watch, her foot slips off Starshine’s neck, dropping her hard onto the saddle. Asher takes a step closer to her.
“Don’t you dare let anything happen to her,” I yell to Asher, dodging another bird, and rearranging my grip on the shotgun. It’s time to put this thing to use as more than a club. “Get her to the city. No matter what.”
At first he doesn’t say anything, but then he nods.
“Thank you,” I say.
“I’m not doing this for you.” He vaults onto the horse, taking the reins. A bird screeches as he knocks it away with a closed fist. The rest scatter when Starshine shakes her head violently.
Good enough. I nod and he nods back.
“She’ll be safe. I promise,” he yells back.
That gets Evie’s attention and she looks over, her eyes clearing as they meet mine. The Enforcer is gone. For now.
She shakes her head, and struggles to get down, but I only smile at her.
“I love you, Evie.” I press my fingers to my lips, then hold them out for a second, before I slap the horse on her back flank. She rears, then takes off away from the camp with a thunder of hooves.
Although I’m worried as hell to leave her in Asher’s hands, I’m also relieved that I know she’s getting away and safe. For now, at least.
That leaves me standing in the thick of all the birds, as they dive bomb and swirl around me, trying to grab pieces of flesh.
I pump my shotgun. “Bring it on!” I yell, and shoot.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Danger! Nuclear Materials. High Levels of Radiation Present.
—RUSTED SIGN ATTACHED TO ONE LONE SECTION OF CHAIN-LINK FENCE IN THE OUTLANDS
Evie
“No!” I yell. “Gavin!” I struggle to get away from Asher, but it’s no use. My muscles are weak and I don’t even so much as budge him. “Gavin!” But he’s gone now. I can’t see him. The birds have completely covered him.
My heart is in my throat, my stomach on the ground. I want to scream. I want to cry. I want to kick something until my toes are bloody. But none of those are going to do Gavin any good.
And as much as I want to get away from Asher and run back to Gavin, there are two birds who did not stay with Gavin. One tears at me, while the other tries to rip chunks from Asher. I bat at them with my arms, but my coordination is off and I miss every time.
My arms are more like limp noodles than muscle and bone. I don’t understand where all the strength I had just seconds ago went.
One of the birds reaches out with its claws and grabs a hunk of hair, trying to lift me from the seat. Screaming, I flail around trying to dislodge it. If it weren’t for Asher still holding me tightly around the waist, I would already be up in the air.