I thank the man for his kind services and take the three sandwiches off of the counter. He smiles at me gently, and bids me goodbye, disappearing into the back rooms. I step out of the convenience store and stretch my arms, holding the white bag tightly.
I wasn't expecting to be able to afford sandwiches, but it was my lucky day, and I found a twenty-dollar bill on the side of the street. I had to do half an hour of scavenging in the richer part of town, and if anyone had caught me, I'd be in more trouble than a bird without wings, but it means that we have food.
The sun has disappeared completely, leaving a chill in the air. The only source of lighting is the flickering streetlights and the occasional brightly lit restaurant that casts a faint glow across the street. I hurry up on my way back, feeling like a large target. I turn a dark corner, only a few seconds away from safety, when I hear my name being called.
I jump. The pitch is higher than Josh's, but silkier than Charlotte's. There's no one whose voice sounds like that but...
"It's me again." Allison drops from the shadows, approaching me with some nerve. My fists tighten, and my heart races. Her face is cast in shadow, but even then, I can see the glint in her eyes.
"What do you want from me?" I demand. "Stop approaching me."
"What's going on?" Josh asks, running in with Charlotte hot on his heels. "Who are you? Meghan, are you okay?"
I loosen my grip on the bag and back away from Allison, placing the bag in Charlotte's hands.
"Three sandwiches?!" she hisses excitedly in my ear.
"I'll tell you later," I murmur, turning back to Allison, who is smiling, twirling her blonde hair with a slender finger.
My stomach clenches as a boy with dark hair steps out of the shadows, a smirk playing on his lips. "This scrawny girl is Lowe's?" His voice is clipped and arrogant.
"Hey!" Josh shouts in indignation. "She's not scrawny! And watch your tone!"
My mind turns over what's happening. Lowe's? Who is Lowe? And why is it in the possessive?
"Look, we're going to do this quickly. Meghan can come with us, or we can make her come with us. Those are your options. If the kids want to tag along, they can. If not, we have other things to do, so you should be on your way."
"Be nice!" another girl scolds gently, coming from behind the black-haired boy. Her nearly white hair glistens in the dark lighting. "If you scare her away, who knows what Joanna will do to you. Just play neutral for now."
"What. Is happening." Charlotte eyes the three of them with equal parts fear and apprehension.
"My name is Allison. This idiot over here Prince Kwan, and Vera is the nice one. We're here you to take you to the City of Stars, where the rest of the Birdsongs are located. Meghan. Not you, little girl, so don't go looking to excited."
I frown. "Because that doesn't sound sketchy at all... I'm not going with you."
Josh sends me a relieved smile, stepping in front of me. "You aren't doing anything," he agrees. "I don't care if I have to–"
"That's not your decision," Prince Kwan says, and in a blink, I'm in the air, dangling from the claws of a large raven.
I manage to suppress my scream, but as Charlotte and Josh become smudges in the dark streets below me, my heart is anything but calm. I don't move, scared he's going to drop me. I try to reign in my emotions and study the scene around me. The honks of Chicago fill the air, but they're distant, not my problem. Lights flicker and blink below me, a million lives playing out.
