Above World - By Jenn Reese Page 0,22

teeth,” he hissed. “Aviars!”

According to his grandfather, an Aviar warrior could kill a Kampii in one thrust of her spear, but needed a full day to cook and eat her prey afterward. “Sharks,” he whispered to Aluna’s shuddering body. “Sharks in the sky.”

Two Aviars drifted to the beach and landed near one of the dead Deepfell. They stood over the creature and pointed to something in the sand. Another pair dropped behind him, and another. Were they assessing the battle scene or planning for their next feast?

Hoku reached for their bags and pulled them close. He wrapped his body over Aluna’s, trying to hide her from their view.

What was she always saying — still as a starfish, calm as a . . . jellyfish? That didn’t sound right. And how was a silly phrase going to help, anyway? Here they were, out in plain sight, not a single hidey-hole within crawling distance, and he was acting like it mattered if he stayed calm or not. Did a shark care if your heart was racing when it bit your head off? No, the only reason they hadn’t been plucked from the beach already was that the dead Deepfell probably smelled more like food than they did.

The bird-women called to one another. He understood “too late” and “food.” Their language was more similar to the Kampiis’ than the Humans’ had been. Only the Aviars’ accents made it difficult to figure out their words.

“To pull so many Deepfell from the water would take a great beast. Or a machine,” an Aviar with orange-and-red-feathered wings said.

“Agreed,” the other said. Her white feathers were covered with strange symbols painted in blue and black. “Upgraders did this. The bodies have been desecrated. Fathom’s minions always take pieces for their master.”

“This far north? We must inform the president immediately,” Redfeather said. “Perhaps he is planning another attack.”

Whitefeather turned and spat on the sand. “Go. Scout east. You know the signs to look for. Be back by dawn.”

Redfeather pounded her fist to her chest, then leaped into the sky.

“Aluna, what should I do?” Hoku whispered. She was the tactician. She was the fighter.

And she was unconscious.

Hoku lowered his ear toward her mouth and listened for her breathing. Her heartbeat was there, weak and ragged, but growing steady. His own breath came a little easier. Maybe the worst was over. Her lungs were figuring out how to work on their own again.

Whitefeather let loose a high-pitched screech, and two Aviars flew over. “Bring the two Human children,” she said. “They may have witnessed the attack. The president will wish to question them.”

“Yes, Sister,” they said.

Heavy ropes fell across his shoulders and back. Hoku lunged for the knife, but it was out of reach. Three Aviars swooped to the sand. Rough hands grabbed him, tumbled him back. He smelled dead meat and sweat. Feathers brushed his legs and face.

In no time at all, he and Aluna were tangled tight together. Two Aviars vaulted into the air, and the net jerked into the sky.

The ground fell away. The sand became a yellow ribbon between the blue of the ocean and the green of the trees. They rose fast. The frantic flapping of giant bird wings resolved into a steady rhythm. His hair flattened against his face with each downswing.

The sea spread out to the horizon, seemingly endless. As vast as the ocean had always seemed, he’d never seen this much of it at once. If they flew high enough, could he see around the entire world? Trees, mountains, birds, clouds . . . his eyes couldn’t take it all in fast enough.

He should have been planning their escape. He should have been trying to wake Aluna or negotiate with their captors. At the very least, he should have been panicked or frozen with fear.

But as the Above World sprawled out below him, all he could do was stare.

ALUNA’S THROAT BURNED. Something was on top of her, crushing her cheek against a web of coarse ropes. And, as if that weren’t enough, she was adrift in a choppy current.

No, wait. It wasn’t water buffeting her skin, but air.

She opened her eyes.

The world swam below her, all blue ocean and trees and chiseled gray rocks. She wanted to scream, but her throat hurt too much. She was in a net — mashed under Hoku and his bag — dozens of meters above the ground. She twisted her head to see what was holding the net and caught sight of wing tips.

Hoku’s words came