Free Windswept (The Airborne Saga) by Constance Sharper

technically just a pit stop , Avery. We have to keep moving. Is Leela…?” Mason added.
     
    “She’s with Nate now. I’ll send her a message. We already had enough goodbyes ,” Avery said. She itched to confess more. It’d been an agonizing time enough without Mason and seeing his face for the first time in a long time made it worse. Still, with six sets of prying eyes, she didn’t find the time to get particularly sentimental.
     
    If Mason read her mind on it, she would never know. He took her hand and led her out into the hall. It was beautifully empty this time since most students had already left for their new lives , and the group of eight walked forward with ease. He brought her to the last door—an emergency exit. This door wasn’t hooked up to an alarm but rather deterred students from its treacherous and dark path just outside the door. She knew it well. Upon first meeting Mason, he’d chased her out and she had the privilege of falling down those steps. Walking through it with him now made her chest stir.
     
    Outside , the six harpies of the Guard swarmed around them in a tighter circle than had existed in the dorm room.
     
    “We aren’t heading back to the island immediately. We’re going to Portland first.” Mason said.
     
    Avery drew away enough to glance at his face. His wings had expanded. They’d be airborne in minutes.
     
    “Portland?” she squeaked. “Why?”
     
    The vision of Samuel’s compound burnt to ash es came to mind. The sense of dread she’d been feeling all week returned to her and with it, she sent a passing glance through the woods. Patrick wasn’t here anymore. He couldn’t attack the entire Guard. But then why would they head towards the one other place he might be?
     
    “I wish I could tell you. But this time you better stop over thinking and enjoy the ride.”
     
    He took off before she could get another word out. The Guard took off too. The whole group of them could have caused a hurricane , but their flight pattern was tight and quick. Avery kept her mouth shut, head spinning as they whirled through the air. Mason held her tight until they reached their apparent destination. Then he dropped from the sky with practiced formation and touched the ground before the Guard backed away.
     
    “Where are we in Portland?” Avery asked when Mason released her. She shuffled backwards, struggling to catch a glimpse behind harpies’ wings. She could feel the atmosphere change, the more persistent winds, and the nippy air. But when the Guard actually moved enough so she could get real look, she didn’t anticipate what lay before her.
     
    “Wait. This can’t be serious. Are we on a volcano?” she choked.
     
    Her face went ashen and she reached out blindly for Mason. He only laughed and nudged her forward—another step and more of the world became visible. She’d noticed the mountain first and its very rigid top. Below her she noticed the man-made city in the distance. Sky-scrapers and shiny, white buildings must have marked Portland.
     
    “Mount Saint Helen ,” one of the Guards chirped. “The minor activity of the volcano is…irrelevant.”
     
    Avery shot him a dumbfounded look. Volcanoes may be irrelevant to someone who could fly away once they felt the first tremor. She shook the idea off.
     
    “Why a volcano?” Avery asked once she’d caught up.
     
    “It’s easier for us here. No humans up this high.” Mason addressed her this time. He offered a hand and helped her over some of the rough terrain. It turned quickly into pavement just as she noticed the rest of the world for the first time. Built into the side of the mountain were buildings. In line with harpie styles they utilized little roof cover and only natural shade. Harpies lingered in the area, but every eye glanced not-so-subtly their way. Avery wasn’t sure what they found so interesting to look at. Was it the human girl or the Prince and his Guard? Her eyes kept going. The harpie