Born of Shadow - Book 1 (complete)

Chapter 8

Kami panicked and grabbed Liam's shoulder to show him the smoking wing, keeping the oxygen mask pressed tightly against her face with her other hand. He was reaching over across the aisle to help an elderly woman with her mask. The woman's eyes were closed and she was rocking back and forth muttering something, a prayer apparently.

Her shaking hands had dropped her mask; it hung by a coiled plastic tube directly in front of her. Liam snatched it and held it out to her. He removed his own mask for a moment and spoke to the woman in Arabic, breaking her reverie.

The pilot's voice came over the intercom calmly admonishing them to buckle up and remain in their seats.

The woman's eyes opened and she stared at Liam with watery eyes for a moment, then looked at the mask in Liam's hand but did not touch it. Liam spoke again, this time with a sharper voice. The woman's hand reached slowly toward the mask.

Kami turned impatiently toward the window and tugged on Liam's shoulder again. She drew in a sharp breath at what she saw.

The smoke was gone.

How could that be? It had been right there. She had seen it, wreathing around the silvery wing tip.

She blinked her eyes rapidly and pressed her nose to the glass. Was she mad? She had seen it. She knew she had seen it. The wing couldn't just stop being on fire, could it? Unless it hadn't been on fire in the first place. But then, what had caused the smoke?

She saw something dark flit by the window and out her peripheral vision, and she craned her head back to see what it was. But it was gone before she could make out the form.

She heard shouting from the cockpit and looked toward the tumult with dread curling inside. The passengers stared at each other, some panicked, others resigned, many in the act of prayer. One stewardess unsnapped her seat buckle and stood up, a concerned expression on her pretty face.

Another stewardess shook her head and grabbed her arm, apparently trying to convince her to stay. But the stewardess shook off the restraint and moved up the aisle toward the disturbance in the cockpit.

Kami turned toward Liam. He was still helping the woman, who finally held the mask over her nose and mouth on her own. He settled back in his chair just as the stewardess passed by and put his own mask back on.

Liam looked over at Kami with questioning eyes. She shrugged her shoulders, helpless to explain what had happened with the smoke.

The plane dropped again. The stewardess screamed as she flew up, then fell silent as she hit the floor of the plane with a sickening thud.

Kami's body flew up too, though not far because of her straps. She slammed back down against her seat. The belt strap dug into her stomach. The plane rattled and dipped to the left. Her stomach lurched, and she felt sick.

The plane groaned and shuddered and shook. Kami closed her eyes tightly, rocking and reminding herself to breath, in and out, in and out. She tried to block out the image of the screaming stewardess.

Suddenly the overhead lights blinked out and the cabin was plunged into pitch black. Every window was smothered in darkness. Kami couldn't see a thing. Broad daylight, and she couldn't see a thing.

Kami clutched Liam's hand, somehow even more terrified of this darkness than the turbulence. Her heart beat a crazy rat-tat. For a brief, bizarre moment she felt like she had been swallowed by a giant whale.  

Then the plane groaned and the darkness seemed to squeeze in on them.

Kami felt a strange pulse at her chest, just like the one she'd felt that morning while dressing. She looked down. A feeble glow lit up the green and red abdomen of her scarab. The darkness seemed to recede a bit. Then the glow died and the darkness returned.

The plane began rattling. Kami could feel it in her bones. Her teeth chattered. She clutched the scarab with her right hand and felt the pulse again, and this time a warmth accompanied it. It began to glow, feeble at first, then brighter and brighter until it glowed brilliantly.

The rattling slowed then, and almost as suddenly as it started, the rattling stopped. The black fell away from the windows, almost as if it was sucked away. Light poured into the plane.

The plane's flight smoothed out. The lights flickered back on, one by one.

Kami blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light. 

She looked down at the scarab. The light was diminishing.

"Is that, is that it? Is it over?" she asked in a shaky voice. "What was that?"

Liam shook his head, speechless for once.

"My heart's still hammering like crazy," she said, limp with relief as the realization flooded in that they would probably live through the flight. "I thought we were goners."

"That makes two of us," Liam said, apparently finding his voice. "Um, Kami? 

"Yes?"

"Not to be rude, but my hand is numb," he said.

"What? Oh, sorry," Kami said, flushing and releasing his hand. She hadn't realized she still had her hand in his, still holding on for dear life. 

"You have a firm grip," Liam said, shaking his hand and flexing his fingers. "So why was your necklace glowing? Does it have a battery?"

"I don't think so. I'm not sure what it was doing. I just held it and then it lit up."

"Bloody strange, that. Oh, and not just the scarab, although that's weird enough. I mean that whole plane rattling and imminent death thing. Like hurling around in a roller coaster, only 30,000 feet in the air. That was intense!"

As the stewardesses unbuckled and rushed to their companion's side, Kami's mind pondered over the events that had just transpired. So crazy. The smoke that wasn't smoke. The glowing scarab. She glanced over at Liam, then down at her tightly clenched hands. It seemed strange, his obsession with the scarab. He seemed to know so much about it. He seemed to have so many questions. And he hadn't seen the smoke. He acted like he didn't know what was happening, but she wondered. On the other hand, he had been too distracted helping the woman to see the smoke. It was all too confusing. She didn't know what to think. She turned her thought toward meeting her grandparents, but that subject wasn't any safer.

She was relieved to see the stewardess seemed to be okay, though probably seriously injured. For the rest of the flight they sat in mostly sober silence, both lost in their own thoughts. At last the pilot announced their descent into Cairo. As the wheels touched to the ground, she let out a deep sigh of relief. The other passengers apparently agreed as they let up a boisterous cheer.

"Ready for this?" Liam asked as she secured her carry-on and shrunk back to avoid the passengers rushing to get off the plane. She knew how they felt. She wanted to kiss the ground. Almost.

"I guess," she said.

"Where are you supposed to meet your grandparents?" he asked.

"Near the baggage claim."

"You can come with me if you want."

She felt a deep sense of relief at not having to navigate the airport alone. The flight had shaken her up pretty bad.        

"Thanks. I'd like that."

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Whew! Heart still pounding? I know mine is! Click on that little star if you loved this chapter!

Quick shout out to some authors who have been very helpful in their critiques and feedback - thanks so much and go check out their brilliant work!: @JessicaBFry, @Linna1029, @Monrosey, @_Ahna_, @FarahOomerbhoy, @creatorofmagic, @JayVictor, @zulfaxxx, @myepic

This dedication goes to @TEJJohnson for his help in making Liam sound like a proper Brit :) and because of his enthusiasm for my story. I am thoroughly enjoying his Cataindar. You should check it out!