Not So Human

Chapter 8

She must have looked terrified because even the security guard with the very pleasant voice asked her if it was her first time flying. If he was flirting with her, she had no idea, nor could she bring herself to care. She did manage to give him a nod and an attempt at a brave smile when he assured that she'd be fine.

Well before she wanted to admit it, they were stepping on board the plane to be greeted by an English man and woman who smiled with grating abandonment. Perhaps they were ready to meet their maker, or maybe they were insane. Either way, Sabrina regarded them with severe distrust while she said her dutiful "hello" and "thank you."

She took some small comfort in the little screens each seat was equipped with, telling herself that sitting there watching movies would just feel like a lazy Saturday afternoon instead of a trip miles high into the air. Yet she still clutched her armrests tightly, not happy at all that Deanda insisted on taking the middle seat for security purposes.

That left Sabrina at the window in their three-seat row.

"So the fae –" She started out, mostly just to distract herself. But she caught herself when her friend shot a warning look her way. "The people you were talking to at the pool. How did they get waylaid? Mr. Smiley didn't get them, did he?"

"No." Deanda assured.

Her eyes never left the aisle, assessing each person who filed past them. Few of them were wearing suits, and none had on any sunglasses. There was nothing immediately suspicious about any of them as they chattered to their companions, grumbled to themselves, and generally tried to get past each other with minimal contact.

"They wouldn't have been able to call me if they'd been caught," Deanda explained without any bite. "And I texted them before just to let them know we were safe and what was going on. They're going to have someone meet us at Glasgow."

"Why not Heathrow?"

Deanda cast a glance at the adolescent boy who took the aisle seat next to her, but he was too busy listening to his headphones to pay them any attention. "We typically have two wingless agents at Heathrow, but one is in the hospital with severe food poisoning and the other just happened to disappear last week."

Sabrina's eyebrows rose. "Coincidence?"

"Doubtful," she replied with a grim shake of her head. "I'd say it's a pretty sure bet he was compromised."

Not wanting to contemplate the exact meaning of that ominous word choice, Sabrina moved on. "How are they wingless agents?"

Judging by the look on Deanda's face and the careful way she annunciated her reply, that was apparently a stupid question. "They don't have wings."

"Oh." Sabrina paused to think, unwilling to end the conversation so fast, since that would mean leaving herself alone with her own neuroses. "So they just have two agents at that whole huge airport?"

"It isn't easy getting us to agree to lose our wings." Deanda shrugged.

The co-pilot's accented voice interrupted them then to welcome everyone aboard, review the flight itinerary and inform them that they would be taking off shortly. While he spoke, Sabrina gazed out the window, staring at the stretch of pavement below. And what beautiful pavement it was too: so solid and tangible.

The plane rumbled beneath them like an isolated earthquake.

Sabrina gulped, feeling every heartbeat thud inside her chest while the aircraft backed up onto the runway, then eased forward into the lineup. She scrunched her toes together, tensing every part of her body without consciously trying.