Brood Mother, said Iblis in his static voice. Fmes billowed from his eyes, and he fpped gently. Jenny moved her hatchet to her hand, hiding it behind her back, not taking her eyes off the rger harpy.

  The Brood Mother’s eyes were tinged red, the wrinkles on her face deeply set, but she was still eerily beautiful. White, nearly translucent hair framed her face, and her sharp features were distinguished and almost kind. But there was a heaviness to the way she carried herself, a set in her jaw made worse by a scowl. The other two behind her - Jenny couldn't looked much younger, about the same age as the harpy Iblis had possessed.

  "You know we are not permitted entrance beyond this stage," said the Brood Mother. There was a low note in the melody of her voice, a hint of repercussion. Then it squinted at Jenny. "What is that on your back? A soul? Have you brought a soul to the garden?"

  Iblis' wings beating rhythmically as he stayed afloat. She could tell that he didn't know what to say, and Jenny whispered. "Tell them you're taking me prisoner for Azra’il."

  “I found this living human,” he said using the harpy’s throat. The voice wasn’t as sickly sweet as it had been. There was a rough edge to it. “I wish to bring her to the Master.”

  "A human?" shrieked the Brood Mother, fpping repeatedly as she flew closer, as her voice got louder. Wind tickled Jenny's forehead. "Is it alive?"

  "It is alive," said Iblis, his voice dripping with disgust. Was that the harpy’s voice leaking through? "I defeated it in battle, and I believe Master will have questions on what it wants."

  The other harpies flew closer as well. One of them suggested feeding Jenny to the desecrated ones below - she would give a boost to the metamorphosis. Another wondered if they'd get in trouble. But the Brood Mother shushed them with a strong beat of her wings. "I will take it. Give the creature to me."

  Jenny blinked as Iblis’ talons tightened around her, digging slightly into her armor. "But then I will not be credited for finding it," he said, his voice dropping slightly with uncertainty. “I wish to see the Master.”

  "Credit?" echoed the Brood Mother. "I will report everything-"

  "Forgive me, brood mother, but I am the one who found her. Master will want to see me directly."

  "Child, do not disobey me," said the Brood Mother in a dangerous tone that reminded Jenny all too much of her own mother. She squeezed her hatchet tightly. "Wing the creature over to me right now."

  There were more wing beats. Jenny turned her head slightly toward the forest below to see a dozen or so harpies flying up to see what the commotion is. The Brood Mother fpped closer, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Iblis’ eyes.

  "I don't-" but then Iblis flew suddenly to the left. Jenny's head bumped against a talon, but someone else was shouting.

  "A HUMAN HAS TAKEN CONTROL OF OUR SISTER!" shrieked a shrill, high-pitched voice. More voices joined in, and Jenny knew their gambit was over. But it was almost funny. They thought she was the one who’d possessed the harpy. There was no time to correct them. Harpies darted in their direction, all of them looking enraged as Iblis flew higher and higher.

  Heart pounding, she scanned the forest below to the river. Remembering how she'd created a cloud of steam to hide from Azra’il, she told Iblis to dive for the water.

  He fluttered for another second, turning to see even more harpies eyeing Jenny, fear, anger, and disgust twisting their pretty faces, like they couldn't stand to see her, like they couldn't stand the thought of a living human being near them. Another dove at Iblis, its talons outward and Iblis tucked his wings and dropped straight down.

  Jenny clung tightly to his legs, her own legs wrapped around his talons as the forest and river rushed up to meet them. She felt like an airpne falling out of the sky, diving so quickly it must've been faster than instant acceleration, and with every passing moment, they only seemed to fall faster. At this rate, they'd hit the river and break every bone in their bodies. She wanted to look behind them to see if the other harpies were following, but wind violently battered her. She could barely keep her eyes open, could hardly breathe. At the speed they were going, she couldn’t even turn her head.

  But Iblis spread his wings all of a sudden, catching them like a parachute. The force knocked through Jenny and she was almost flung from the harpy, dangling from his talons. He’d stopped just a few feet over the water.

  Trees surrounded them, and Jenny looked up, blinking away tears to see the other harpies diving as well.

  "Fly along the river!" shouted Jenny. Hanging from a talon, she held out her hand and blue fmes fred to life from her fingers. Iblis understood what she was trying to do. As they flew, Iblis tipped to the right so that Jenny's burning hand struck the water. And the river erupted with a hiss of steam and vapor, trailing behind them like a rolling cloud of fog.

  "They'll see me as soon we fly up," said Iblis, he sounded out of breath. He sounded frantic. He was still using the harpy’s voice. I am sorry. This might be as far as we go.

  “No,” said Jenny, thinking hard as steam and water and wind battered her. “Okay. Fly me as close to the opposite wall as you can. I'll climb. Then you can fly in the other direction and lead them away. Abandon the body and get back to me.”

  If Iblis was onboard with her idea, she couldn’t tell. But he fpped fiercely as more harpies shrieked above and behind them in the trailing cloud of vapor. Branches hanging over the water swayed in the wind as they flew past. Jenny saw fshes of chrysalises hanging like enormous fruit, but they were flying too quickly for notifications. After a moment, Iblis shouted for her to get off.

  The harpy body lit up completely in blue fmes, churning up even more steam so that Jenny could hardly see him. He tilted toward the bank, the grassy slope, and flicked Jenny off.

  Without missing a beat, he twisted in the air and shot upward as Jenny rolled along the grass, hidden by the dense steam. Guilt filled her chest as he flew toward the sky – he was just a glowing blue beacon, blurred and out of focus, but she knew he’d done that so all the other harpies zero in on him.

  Before the steam faded away, Jenny used Instant Acceleration and fshed away from the river to hide behind an enormous tree. She watched Iblis and the other harpies turn into distant specks; he was making a beeline for the tunnels they’d entered through, as though he was retreating. And Jenny didn’t want to waste any of the time he’d gotten for her.

  With a fsh of light, her hatchet reappeared in her hand. She must’ve dropped it in the water somewhere during the chase; it was dripping wet. A chrysalis hung above her, a bck one, wriggled grossly, and Jenny didn't want to stay here for a fight. She dashed away from the tree, heading for the wall of cobblestones towering in front of her, and then used savage throw.

  The hatchet cut through small branches and leaves, spinning and rushing away from her, hurling higher and higher before hitting the cobblestone. Then she used her new skill, instant swap, and a sense of weightlessness took over as everything shifted. One moment she was running on the wet grass, the next, she was higher than the treetops and sliding down the wall.

  Her stomach did a swoop. Her fingernails searched desperately for anything to grasp onto, scraping against the stone until she found one of the little ledges to catch her. Her head spun with dizziness from the height as she pushed her feet against the wall. In the distance she could just about make out the other harpies chasing Iblis.

  Grabbing onto the stone edges with her fingers, she summoned her hatchet back to her hand.

  Taking a deep breath, she threw it again, tossing it over head with savage throw. It smmed into another stone far above her, and Jenny activated Instant Swap.

  This time, she felt a tear, as though she were made of Velcro – like something inside of her was being torn and then snapped back together, and popped into existence even higher up along the wall, scrambling for footing. Two of her nails broke. She bit back tears, blood making her fingers slick – but she pressed on.

  She summoned her hatchet back. She wouldn’t try that trick again; the ability clearly had a limit. Weariness filled her chest. She was out of breath. Her only choice was to climb.

  Clenching her teeth and holding onto a tiny ledge, she swung her hatchet upward and struck stone, burying the edge deep into the wall. She pulled herself up, crawling against the wall. If only there were more holes in this thing, she thought. Then, not wanting to waste time, she covered her knuckles with her armor and punched through the stone, making her own hand and foot holds.

  “Alright,” she said with a triumphant ugh. She could keep doing that. And save on her Instant Swap for when she’d really need it. Yanking the hatchet out of the wall and swinging upward, Jenny climbed. She punched new holes into the stone, and they became foot holds as she kept going. She reminded herself repeatedly not to look down. She’d always been afraid of heights. Or not really afraid, but it would give her a strange feeling in her ankles and legs, a plunging feeling in her stomach. She didn’t want to deal with that. Besides, if she fell now, she could just use Instant Swap to catch herself.

  That's why she'd saved it, she told herself as her muscles strained. She focused on Susan. She pictured Miriam in Azra’il's hands. She thought about Iblis and the other demons. The deaths. Yeshua. The burning in her muscles was nothing; she could keep climbing, and then she could heal herself. She just had to be quick.

  Iblis! She called out silently. Are you there?

  If he abandoned the harpy body and rushed back to her, she could just use the wings and secure the rest of the distance. It would save them so much time. But if he wasn’t back yet... maybe he was in trouble. Maybe something had gone wrong.

  Stop thinking and climb!

  Just climb!

  Valescent Light fshed. Her fingernails and muscles healed. She urged herself to keep going. And she fell into the pattern. Sm the hatchet into the wall. Punch the wall, pull herself up. Fsh the hatchet out. Repeat. Over and over, until she could see the dark openings overhead. Relief pounding in her head – or was that a headache? When there was nothing left for her hatchet to sink into, she let out a triumphant cry.

  Her fingers found the edge, and she pulled herself up the rest of the way, colpsing on the floor of the archway. She rolled onto her back, ying her hatchet on her chest as a breeze blew into the tunnel, cooling her face. Her feet were still dangling over the side. Now all she had to do was wait.

  She stared at the blue sky, hoping that Iblis was alright. As she stared, wings came into view, bright and wide, almost as wide as the tunnel. For a second, she felt relief. He was alright. Then she saw the fsh of steely, white eyes and her insides went cold.

  Harpy (Level 60)

  Jenny rolled away, just in time as sharp talons scraped the floor where she'd been lying, sending up a flurry of sparks. It was the Brood Mother, and her face and feathery body were covered in blood.