Fablehaven: The Complete Series (234 page)

A shrieking cry of tremendous volume shattered the sense of airborne solitude. Kendra twisted toward the source of the sound and saw the roc rising toward them, at least the size of an airliner.

“The roc spotted us,” Warren warned.

“They have amazing eyesight,” Raxtus said, wings working to lift them higher. They curved toward the roc, giving everyone a better view of the gargantuan wingspan.

“Isn’t it time to run?” Kendra cried nervously.

“We need altitude,” Raxtus said. “With all of this weight, my best maneuvers will involve diving.”

The roc wheeled away from them, rising to a higher elevation with alarming ease. When the great raptor turned back toward them, it approached from above, gaining terrific speed.

Raxtus slipped into a straight, level glide, moving perpendicular to the path of the oncoming predator. As the roc closed, talons large enough to crush a school bus opened wide.

At the last possible moment, Raxtus turned toward the roc, tucked his wings, and dove. The rush of wind brought tears to Kendra’s eyes. She could feel the enormous roc swoop past above them, outstretched talons grasping at empty air. The great bird let out an earsplitting shriek.

Raxtus pulled out of his dive, using the momentum to regain some altitude. Above, the roc circled around for another attack.

“Make yourself visible!” Bracken yelled. “Simurghs prefer light to darkness. As she approaches, roll so she can see me.”

Raxtus became visible, scales resplendent in the sunlight. “Touch me, Kendra,” Raxtus said. “I could use the extra energy.”

Kendra laid a hand against the claw around her torso, and Raxtus began to shine with his own light. They seemed to gain altitude faster.

The roc closed again, wings shortened for greater speed. As the vast bird drew near, Raxtus banked, tilting his underside up to better display his passengers.

“Mighty simurgh,” Bracken called in a magically magnified shout. “Like you, I am numbered among the Children of the Dawn. Lend us your skies, windkeeper, for our need is dire.”

The roc swerved away, apparently giving up the pursuit. Raxtus righted himself and resumed climbing. The roc let out a screech that seemed less of a challenge than the previous cries.

“Good thing,” Raxtus gasped. “I didn’t want to frighten anyone, but that would have been only a matter of time.”

“The simurgh here is well fed,” Bracken said. “So are her young. She would willfully devour a unicorn only in a time of famine.”

“Don’t celebrate yet,” Warren warned, pointing toward the largest ziggurat. “We have company.”

“I see them,” Raxtus said. “Just clearing the trees.”

“Three harpies,” Bracken reported. “The roc drew the attention of our enemies. How far to the edge of the preserve?”

“Too far,” Raxtus puffed. “We need more altitude. They’ll catch up and I’ll have to evade.”

At first, Kendra didn’t see what the others meant. Then she spotted the three winged specks rising toward them. “How big are harpies?”

“Not huge,” Warren said. “Our size. Horribly fierce, though. Picture winged hags.”

“Can’t you take them, Raxtus?” Kendra asked.

The dragon spoke in panting bursts. “Unburdened? Fresh? In an emergency? Yeah, I could probably handle them. Right now? I’ll do my best.”

As Raxtus circled higher, the harpies closed, becoming more distinct. The wiry women had wings instead of arms, and talons instead of legs. Their long hair fluttered wildly in the wind.

“Here we go,” Raxtus said, veering away from the fertile valley toward the arid monotony of the desert. Though his wings flapped vigorously, they no longer rose as rapidly. “I hate to leave that updraft. If we’d had another couple of minutes to focus on climbing, I could have outrun them.”

“Should all else fail,” Bracken said, “swoop low and set us down.”

“Or drop me now,” Warren said.

Kendra looked down. They were thousands of feet above the desert. “Are you crazy?”

“If it means the rest of you make it out, it would be worth it.”

“I won’t drop anyone,” Raxtus said.

“These harpies are only engaged in reconnaissance,” Bracken said. “I see no other pursuers. If our enemies knew who we were, they would be throwing everything they have at us. It could be much worse.”

“Can the harpies leave the preserve?” Kendra asked.

“Not over the wall,” Bracken said.

“Unless,” Raxtus gasped, “they don’t belong . . . to Living Mirage.”

“They belong here,” Bracken assured them. “The Sphinx keeps Living Mirage locked down tightly. He wouldn’t want any creatures coming and going.”

“Won’t the wall stop Raxtus from leaving?” Kendra asked.

“Nothing can enter over the wall,” Raxtus wheezed. “But most of the defenses . . . are focused outward. I don’t belong here. Finding a way in . . . is the trick. After that, I’m free to leave. Same with you three.”

“They’re gaining,” Warren said.

Kendra was facing forward, so she really had to contort herself to look back at their pursuers. Two of the harpies had climbed higher than them. One was flying lower. Their gaunt, greenish faces glared with determination.

“Don’t let them scratch you,” Warren cautioned. “I’d rather get bitten by plague rats.”

Kendra held her palm against Raxtus, hoping her energy would give him a boost. He had not reverted to his invisible state.

“The one below is trying to cut off a dive,” Bracken warned.

“I see her,” Raxtus said, sounding flustered. The two above them were quickly gaining. One bared her pointy teeth.

Warren spoke up. “If you drop me from here, could you catch me?”

“Probably,” Raxtus said.

“Good enough,” Warren said. “Wait for it. Wait for it.”

“I’m not going to—”

“Don’t argue!” Warren snapped. “Now!”

Raxtus let go of him, then curved into a steep dive. Kendra craned her neck to watch Warren. The harpy below was on a course to intercept him. Plummeting through the air, Warren drew his sword. The harpy tried to swerve away, but with a brutal downward stroke, Warren hacked off a wing as he plunged past her. The momentum from the blow made him spin awkwardly as he fell. The caterwauling harpy went into a spiraling plunge of her own. Shedding feathers, the severed wing descended more slowly.

The desert rushed up toward Kendra with alarming haste. Fully committed to a whistling dive, Raxtus neared Warren, who had righted himself and was now falling spread-eagle like a skydiver. The dragon grabbed Warren and then tried to pull out of the hurtling dive. G-forces tugged dizzyingly as Raxtus wrenched them back toward level flight. Blackness encroached around the edges of Kendra’s vision, and then they were skimming along the ground with her feet inches above parched dirt.

Raxtus slowed, dropping them gently. Beating his wings, the dragon gained altitude and veered off to one side, becoming invisible.

“I take it all back,” Bracken said. “I’m glad you have the sword.”

“Are you all right?” Kendra asked.

Warren grinned. “I’m surprised to be alive. That would have been a very big belly flop into a very dry pool. Here they come!”

The two remaining harpies were soaring toward them. One was looking over her shoulder, an extended finger tracing the flight path Raxtus had taken. Either she could see him or else she was estimating. The other harpy increased her speed, coming right at them.

“Care to lend me your sword?” Bracken asked.

“I’ve got her,” Warren said, holding the weapon ready. “Watch Kendra.”

Bracken took her hand and pulled Kendra back. The harpy who had been tracking Raxtus swerved to one side, wings flailing, talons raised, and was suddenly jostled roughly from the sky. Raxtus flickered into view after the impact. The headless harpy flopped to the arid ground.

The final harpy swooped at Warren, shrieking with rage. He sidestepped and slashed viciously, chopping off a claw, but the other claw raked him, and he spun to the dirt.

Howling furiously, the maimed harpy hopped twice on her remaining leg, then leapt back into the air, flapping her wings and coming toward Bracken and Kendra. Bracken tossed a rock at her, which exploded with a blinding flash. The harpy closed her eyes but kept coming, her remaining claw outstretched. Bracken drew his little knife.

Just before the harpy reached them, she dropped hard to the dirt, as if an unseen piano had landed on her. Raxtus became visible again, standing on top of her, stamping and raking with razor claws. Feathers fluffed into the air. Kendra averted her eyes.

Warren staggered over to them, hand clutching his shoulder, a sheen of sweat glistening on his haggard face. “Rather . . . be mauled . . . by a pack of rabid dogs.”

Raxtus stopped shredding his prey and flew off to inspect the one-winged harpy.

“Let me see,” Bracken said.

Warren removed his hand. Ugly stripes had been slashed into his shoulder, the edges yellow, the blood almost black. Warren bit his lower lip. “I can feel the poison spreading.”

Bracken placed his palm on the wounds. Flinching slightly, Warren gasped in pain. Bracken bowed his head and closed his eyes. His nose and lips twitched. His hand gave off a pearly glow. When he removed his hand, the edges of the wounds were no longer yellow, and the blood looked less dark.

“Wow, that felt hot,” Warren growled through clenched teeth.

“I burnt away most of the poison,” Bracken said, swaying. He shook his head as if to clear it. “Once upon a time that would have been simple.”

Raxtus came gliding back to them. “No more harpies,” the dragon announced proudly, landing nearby.

“Good work,” Warren said. “How do they taste?”

“Terrible!” Raxtus exclaimed, baring his teeth in disgust. “I bit the head off one of them. I couldn’t spit it out fast enough!”

“Warren got hurt,” Kendra said.

“I tried to hurry,” Raxtus apologized. “They were so intent on you three, it made them easy prey.”

“You did great,” Warren said. “Those harpies barely knew what hit them. I’m impressed.”

“Want to try to heal him?” Kendra asked the dragon.

Raxtus chuckled nervously. “Bracken might be more the expert.”

“I’ve done what I can,” Bracken said. “With my horns gone, I’m a ghost of my former self. Trace amounts of toxin remain. I can’t close the wounds any more than I have.”

“I can try,” Raxtus said uncertainly. “Kendra, it might help if you keep a hand on me.”

The dragon brought his chrome-bright head close to Warren, and Kendra rested her hand against the gleaming neck. Raxtus glowed brighter. Lowering his nostrils to the wound, the dragon exhaled a glittering, multihued spray. The wounds closed, leaving three angry welts.

“Well done,” Bracken said.

“It helped to have Kendra steadying me,” Raxtus replied.

Warren rubbed his shoulder. “Much better.”

Bracken stepped forward and felt his forehead. “You still have trace amounts of harpy venom in your system. We need to get you to a healer.”

“How long do I have?” Warren asked solemnly.

Bracken frowned. “Maybe twelve hours. Maybe fourteen.”

“What?” Kendra cried.

“He would have been dead within minutes without our intervention,” Bracken said. “If I had a horn, curing him would be simple. But any decent healer should have the required antivenin.”

Warren rubbed Kendra’s shoulder affectionately. “I told you, it’s better to get chewed up by plague rats. Harpies are foul.”

“Try biting off one of their heads!” Raxtus griped, shuddering. “Sorry, I know, at least I didn’t get poisoned.”

“Do you know any healers in the area?” Bracken asked.

“The closest I know of would be in Istanbul,” Warren apologized.

“Think you can carry us to Istanbul?” Bracken asked.

“I can make it,” Raxtus said stoutly. “Might help if the attacks would slow down.”

“Let’s get back in the sky,” Bracken urged.

Raxtus backed up, sprang into the air, snatched Kendra, Warren, and Bracken, and started climbing. Several minutes later, still gaining altitude, they passed over the border of Living Mirage with no signs of pursuit.

Chapter 19