Chapter 43
With the sun beaming down on the golden desert, Apollo looked to the rounds to find Ares and Clare standing side by side next to the iridescent sides the jinns were constructing.
"How much longer?" Birdie averted her eyes from the sky and looked over to where Heyder stood conversing with Ali.
"We just have a few more clans," Heyder said. "You should really be back at court. I don't want you out here."
"I'll be okay," Birdie shook her head and looked up to the sky once more, letting the warm sunlight hit her face.
"How will we house everyone at court?" Hayden wondered, his eyes on the shield the army of jinn were knitting together.
"We can't," Heyder said. "Some will have to leave the veil."
"They're not going to like that," Clare spoke up from where she stood.
"It's either that or they stay out here with the blood sucking sandy vampire," Heyder snorted.
"How the hell did this thing even get here?" Ali wondered, causing a ping of pain to blossom inside of Birdie's heart. "The portal on the 7th floor was sealed."
"There may be other portals we don't know of," Ares said. "The veil is always changing. New territories could be appearing that have portals in them."
As Birdie's heart began to beat faster in her chest, she felt Adan step up beside and brush the back of his hands against her. Her gaze flickered up towards him as he passed her a gentle smile.
"Oh great," Heyder groaned. "More maps to make. More explorers to send out. More magic to learn about. I'm old. I want to just die in peace."
"Baba," Birdie clicked her tongue and poked the jinn's shoulder.
"I'm serious," Heyder shook his head with his ring clad hands on his hips. "I just want to see you settle down and then I want to kick the can and be in a wooden box six feet under."
"You'll have to deal with Caspian and Posey in the underworld," Ali reminded his friend as he patted his shoulder.
"Hell is big enough," Heyder said. "I'll find a corner away from them."
"Why are you so sure you're going to hell?" Clare laughed.
"Cordelia, do you know this man?" Ares arched his brow. "Of course, he's going to hell. Tobias probably has a plaque with his name on it and everything."
"Wow, all this isn't morbid at all," Adan noted.
"We should head back to court," Hayden insisted. "With everyone going there, who knows what the tension might be like inside."
"Another thing I don't want to deal with!" Heyder complained. "It's bad enough I saved all these monkeys and now I have to babysit them and make sure they all play nice too?"
"No, you just have to make sure your mother plays nice," Clare scrunched up her nose.
"No, don't get me started," Ali sighed, shutting his eyes and pinching his nose. "I just want to do my job and Heyder's job in peace without her breathing down my neck 24/7."
"I'm surprised you haven't asked her to leave court yet," Ares looked at Heyder. "She's really been very vocal about her dislike regarding your policies."
"I can't ask her to leave," Heyder muttered, shaking his head. "That'll bring on a whole new plate of problems. But I am interested in what you have to say about your comment earlier."
Birdie looked up as her father's eyes landed on her, "Huh?"
"What did you mean when you said she locked you up?" Heyder asked.
Birdie could feel everyone's eyes and ears turning towards her. The group's undivided attention was on her as Heyder spun one of his rings and waited for Birdie to answer.
"When...when I was there, grandma was running a compound," Birdie began.
"Yeah, the Tyveer court, right?" Ali asked.
Birdie nodded, "She tried to force me to stay there."
"Why?" Hayden asked.
"She didn't want me to go near the feys," Birdie took in a lung full of dry desert air. "And she didn't want me to be seen by other jinns."
"She wanted to keep you locked up until she could figure out what you were," Heyder's eyes darkened. "Baby bird...why didn't you tell me all this before?"
Birdie did not know what to say. Her words were stuck inside of her throat as she thought of all that she was leaving out of the story. She could never tell her side of the story without revealing who had been beside her. The memories of navy blue eyes were too intimate for her to want to share with anyone else. But that didn't mean Ira was going to take advantage of Birdie's silence.
Baba, Hayden opened his mind-link to his father as he watched the way his sister's eyes lowered and she shifted from foot to foot. You know she's always been private. She's talking now...stop pushing her.
I want to know what happened to her, Heyder said impatiently. I want to know what happened to my daughter and who the people responsible are.
"Heyder," Clare was the first to speak. "We have other things that need your attention right now."
The Jinn's eyes lingered on his daughter for just a few more seconds before he nodded his head and shifted his attention. Birdie looked to where Clare stood and gave her a small smile to thank her for the distraction.
I'll try to keep him distracted, Clare opened her mind-link to Birdie. But the longer he waits for you to speak, the more questions he will have.
I know, Birdie said. I'm just not ready yet.
And that's fine...But in the meanwhile just get your story straight.
Birdie's gaze connected with Clare's over Heyder's shoulders.
I'm not going to ask you what you're hiding, Clare said. But just know that your father will see right through you if your story doesn't add up.
I know, Birdie took in a slow deep breath that made her chest quiver.
She didn't need a reminder of who her father was. Heyder would be able to tell she was lying from halfway across the world in the dark. But he had raised her. If there was anything Birdie learned from years of spending her days around jinns it was how to bend the truth.
Lies can be a heavy burden, Dr. Reed's voice echoed inside of Birdie's head, making her tummy tighten and her heart feel sticky with guilt. What's the worst that can happen?
I don't know...Birdie thought to herself. I don't want to know...
As the last of the tribes made their way into the portal, Birdie stuck by Hayden and Clare. She watched her father command the jinns and test the strength of the shield with Ares as they scanned the sand sea and signaled for Apollo to start moving the sun.
"This will work, right?" Hayden looked towards Ares skeptically.
"Anything that touches this boundary will fry up like a moth," Heyder answered.
"And if they somehow manage to get past this," Adan turned from where he too had been examining the boundary. "They will be greeted by us."
"Hmm," Hayden said, not too impressed.
"Get that snotty look off your face," Ares laughed, seeing Hayden's expression. "You got any better ideas to fight off a....Heyder, what did you call it?"
"Sandy," Heyder reminded the god. "Sandy, the vampire."
"I do, actually," Hayden said, stepping forward.
"Oh now he comes forward," Heyder muttered, watching his son raise his hands towards the boundary.
With a deep breath, Hayden summoned his fey magic and raised it to his palm. Birdie felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as her skin began to warm and her muscles relaxed as if she was ready to shoot forward and glide into a pool of cool water. Adan, who had been standing beside Birdie, noticed the change in her and looked over.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his brow arched.
"Mmhm," Birdie nodded, keeping her lips pressed together.
"Your eyes," Adan pointed.
"What?" Birdie raised her hand and touched her face. "What's going on?"
"They looked different for a second," Adan shook his head. "Not anymore...But just a second ago they..."
"Must be the light," Birdie looked up towards the sky. "The sun is setting."
"Maybe..." Adan said slowly.
Not wanting him to stare at her even more, Birdie turned to watch Hayden add an extra layer of protection onto the boundary with his fey magic. The heat inside of her intensified as the iridescent wall before them pulsed white before settling down into a veil of water like substance.
"I hope you're teaching your son all that," Ares said to Hayden.
"He's learning," Hayden said, stepping back to Clare.
"Now the cherry on top," Heyder grinned. "Light 'em up, Clare Bear."
Birdie took in a deep breath and held it inside of her lungs as Clare summoned her red mist and coated the boundary wall. Apollo pulled the sun away, leaving the desert in pitch darkness with just the glowing red light of the boundary wall. A few of the people from the tribe paused to look over their shoulders at the gigantic shield between them and their home.
"It's okay, folks," Ali comforted them. "You will have everything you need at court."
"Hayden," Heyder called to his son. "Go home. Take Birdie with you."
"Where are you going?" Hayden asked.
"To make sure there isn't a war happening at court," Heyder said as he stepped away from the boundary wall. "Tensions will be high with so many different tribes there all at once."
"I can stay if you need me to," Hayden offered.
"No," Heyder shook his head. "Go home and look after the family until I return."
"But baba, we ca-" Birdie began but Heyder wouldn't let her finish.
"It is not a good time to be at court," he said. "Go home. I will see you there."
Birdie did not like having to stay away from her father, especially when Ira would most likely be in his ears, poking at him and pressuring him. She loathed the way Ira spoke down to everyone at court. Like she knew better than everyone and everything.
"Hey," Adan nudged Birdie's hand, pulling her away from Hayden and Heyder. "Everything will be okay."
"I know..." Birdie said slowly.
"I hope this hasn't been too hard for you?"
"What do you mean?" Birdie asked in confusion.
"I mean this..." Adan pointed towards the desert. "The vetala or whatever....I hope this isn't bringing back bad memories."
Bad memories, Birdie wanted to laugh. Memories of hiding out in caves and hot springs and glowing water and hard bodies and soft kisses and low laughs....
"I'm okay," Birdie felt her cheeks warm.
"Okay," Adan smiled. "Just checking."
"Adan."
"Yeah?"
"Do me a favor," Birdie looked up at the boy. "If Ira tries to push baba around, can you just call me."
"Birdie, Heyder can handle himself," Adan laughed.
"I know," Birdie rolled her eyes. " I just want to make sure he doesn't fly off the handle."
"Okay," Adan grinned. "I'll let you know."
"Thank you," Birdie smiled, tilting her head to the side.
"Are we still on for that basketball game tomorrow night?" Adan couldn't resist raising his hand to touch the edge of Birdie's face. He knew she didn't welcome any physical touches anymore. But his heart yearned to feel her soft sink.
"May I?" He asked, his hand beside Birdie's face.
Birdie's eyes flickered to Adan's hand. She took in a deep breath and bit down on the inside of her cheeks before nodding. Adan smiled and placed his hand against her face. His thumb fell over her warm cheeks as he swiped off the few grains of sand.
"So?" He smiled. "We're still on for the game?"
"Yes," Birdie nodded. "Wouldn't miss it fo-"
As if she had stuck her wet hands inside of an open electrical socket, Birdie felt a wave of pressure build in the center of her chest. It made her skin crawl violently as the heat beneath lashed out through every cell in her body, sending several shock waves rippling out in all sorts of directions. A blazing gust of wind ripped through the desert, making the dunes in the distance rumble with thunder.
Everyone who had remained behind looked up and stared at one another. Goosebumps rose on their skin.
"What was that?" Adan lowered his hand and looked around.
Birdie, too stunned and terrified to speak, stepped back with tears in her ears. She closed her hands into fists to keep them from trembling as everyone began to question what they just felt.
"You okay, sweet baby?" Heyder quickly checked in on Birdie as he looked around the desert for any impending danger.
Birdie nodded.
No one seemed to have noticed she was the epicenter of the shock wave. Everyone looked around, their senses on high alert.
"It's time for us to go," Ares said with caution. "Let's just all go home."
"But what the hell was that?" Ali wondered.
"I don't want to find out tonight," Ares complained. "I have a nice juicy piece of steak waiting for me at home. Right, Cameron?"
Birdie followed the god's eyes to his wife. She found Clare staring back at her along with Hayden.
"Clare," Ares held out his hand. "Let's go."
Slowly, to Birdie's relief, Clare nodded.
"Okay, everyone," Heyder suddenly called out to all the jinns left in the desert. "Back to court."
One by one, portals opened and Jinns began to abandon the desert. Birdie was surrounded by Adan, Ali and her father as they did a last minute sweep to make sure they hadn't forgotten anyone. When it was her turn to step through the portal, Birdie looked over her shoulder to the boundary wall. Her eyes scanned the darkness on the other side as she felt the back of her neck heat up. Heyder, who was standing beside her, placed his hand on her back and ushered her into the portal just as Birdie thought she heard the sound of wings fluttering somewhere over the sandy dunes.
_____________________________
"Your food is getting cold," Maya nudged her husband.
Heyder, snapping out of his daze, touched the edge of his dinner plate and instantly steam began to rise.
"I want to do that!" Zuri's eyes lit up. "Teach me!"
"Sorry, kid," Heyder leaned back in his head. "You got your mom's genes."
"That's not fair," Zuri sighed before muttering, "I wanna do magic."
"Darling, you are magical," Maya reminded her granddaughter.
"The magical power of making friends suck, mimi," Zuri picked up her fork and poked her beans. "It's not even real. I want to be a witch! Or a Jinn! Or a fey! I don't want to be a vestal!"
"Do you know how powerful your blood is?" Noor asked his sister. "Far more powerful than magic."
"I don't want it," Zuri shook her head.
"Makes our life easier," Heyder teased. "Let's throw you to Sandy the vampire."
"No, no," Zuri sat up straight and shook her head.
"Baba," Hayden stopped the glass of milk from falling off the table as his daughter jumped in fright. "Stop scaring her. Nora won't be happy if she starts getting nightmares again."
"What's going to happen to Sandy?" Noor wondered.
"Nothing," Heyder shrugged. "It'll go back to where it came from."
"If it doesn't?" Noor asked.
"You are not going to be granted special permission to enter court to capture a vetala and examine it," Hayden said to his son.
Noor groaned. "We never do anything fun!"
"Here's a fun idea," Maya cleared her throat. "Why don't you and Birdie help Ali organize the tribe banquet next week."
"The what?" Birdie, who had been lost in her own thoughts, looked up just as Noor scrunched up his nose.
"Is this something I have to attend?" He asked.
"Yes," Heyder said firmly. "I want you all to be there. We're hosting a dinner to try and calm all the tension at court between the tribes."
"Is that really a good idea?" Noor wondered.
"When was this decided?" Birdie asked.
"We thought it would be a good idea," Maya said. "We extended the invitations to the pixie court and to Maksim as well. Everyone will be there."
"I don't want to wear a tux," Noor complained.
"How is grandma taking this?" Birdie stared at her father.
"She'll get over it," Heyder waved his hands.
"Daddy, I want a red dress!" Zuri announced to Hayden.
"You'll look like a tomato," Noor turned to Hayden. "Dad, please don't say I have to wear a tux."
"It's up to mom," Hayden held up his hands.
"I'm ordering everyone's clothes for the night," Maya fought to be heard over all the voices at the table. "Nora and I already talked about it. It'll be our first time attending court since....Ira and the elders returned. We have to look presentable."
"This is a terrible idea," Birdie shook her head. "Grandma won't let this happen."
"She has no choice," Heyder said. "If she wants to save face, she will stay quiet until all is done."
"You really like poking the angry bear, don't you?" Hayden laughed.
"I live for it," Heyder laughed.
Birdie could feel her stomach twisting into knots. She could almost imagine the anger in Ira's eyes. There was no way Heyder's dinner celebration was going to go off without a hitch. Ira would never allow that to happen.
"It's okay," Maya reached out under the table and touched Birdie's hand. "It'll be fine."
"Oh, I hope so," Birdie let out the breath she had been holding.
Just then, the main door opened down the hall. Everyone looked up as Nora's footsteps could be heard making their way towards the dining room.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," Nora began to apologize as she rushed in. "The meeting ran later than expected and I was trying to get out but my god Maksim talks so much!"
"It's fine," Hayden placed his napkin on the table and rose to greet his wife.
"Hi, hi everyone," Nora dropped her purse on the side table. "Oh, Birdie. This is for you."
"Thanks," Birdie said as Nora handed her a small blue box. "What is it?"
"I don't know," Nora said. "I saw it by the door outside. It has your name on it."
"Ooo a secret admirer," Zuri giggled. "Open it! What's inside?"
"I bet it's chocolates," Noor said. "Or candles."
"Who is it from?" Heyder wondered.
"I don't know," Birdie pulled the ribbon. "Zuri, you want to open it?"
"No," the little girl sat down. "Mommy says I can only open my presents."
"Well, I'm letting you open mine," Birdie laughed, ready to pass the small box to the little girl.
But before Zuri could reach out and take the box, Noor stopped her.
"Wait!" He grabbed his sister's arm and pulled her back. "There's blood on it."
"What?" Birdie pulled the box away immediately. She sat it down on the edge of the table and examined her finger to find a faint trace of red blood dripping from the corner of the box.
Everyone at the table beside Birdie slowly rose to their feet. Maya and Hayden stepped forward along with Heyder as Nora moved Zuri and Noor back.
"Is it going to explode if we open it?" Noor asked.
"Here's to hoping it doesn't," Heyder said as he carefully lifted the lid and peeked inside. "What the hell..."
Maya and Hayden also peeked inside and looked at each other in confusion.
"What is it?" Birdie asked, wiping her hands with a napkin and leaning over to see what everyone was staring at.
"It's from Ira," Maya looked at Heyder. "She signed the fuckin' card, Heyder!"
Curious and shocked by her mother's outburst, Birdie looked inside the box to find a small brown bird. It laid dead with its feathers covered in blood as the tip of a silver knife was stuck into its tiny chest.
For my darling Birdie, love grandma
"Is she serious?" Maya picked up the card and held it up to Heyder. "Is this a death threat?"
As everyone's anger and shock filled the room, they did not see the tears that rose to Birdie's eyes or the way she stopped a heartbreaking sob from racing her lips. Maya and Heyder were furious with Ira. Hayden wanted to confront his grandmother. Nora tried to pacify Zuri and calm everyone down.
No one around the table noticed that the little dead bird inside the box was a wren.
Where is WREN??? HEHEHE