I’m standing in a crowd of thousands like me. Magic is literally in the air and the dancers are on the dais. They are kowtowing towards the crowd in the ready position. Someone is too close behind me, his breath tickling the sensitive skin between my wings. He snakes his arm around my neck in a chokehold. “Don’t move little birdie.” He whispers. I try reaching for my magic, but he’s cutting off my oxygen and it escapes me. His breath reeks of sake as he reaches inside his coat and pulls out something you never find anymore- a gun. He fires three shots into the air and two other people in the underground chamber reply with gunfire.

“I have two accomplices in this room.” He shouts. “Both have a hostage and a firearm. We will give you freaks ten minutes to get the hell out. If anyone is left, I will command my men to break rank and open fire.”

I can feel the cold darkness of Ecl consuming me, rendering me barely conscious. But even through the dark haze, I can feel my people’s magic rise like a cloud of smoke and seek out the humans and suffocate them. I think I can hear someone calling my name, as I fall to the ground, gasping and rubbing my neck, but it’s no use. Ecl has claimed me. Emptiness…

I wake up to the feeling of someone cleaning my body, coaxing me out of Ecl. I’m in a sparsely decorated room, in a washbasin and a human is cleaning me with a soft towel. She has a kind face and many wrinkles. She once had red hair, but it has faded over the years. She has laugh lines etched in her face and perfect teeth. I moan and flutter my damp wings, letting my savior know I’m awake.

“Ah, you’re finally awake. Good evening. You’ve been in Ecl for quite a while. My name is Elena.”

I look down and say nothing. Elena gently cleans between my wings and when she finishes she kneels down to my eye level and looks at me. “Can you understand me?” she asks slowly.

I nod. “You…you’re a human. Why’re you helping me? And where am I?”

“You’re at my house, mija.”She says. “I’m helping you because…I’m part of a falcon rights group. It’s so unfair that you have to meet in underground caverns and hide your wings just because you’re not human! Gods forbid someone is different in today’s society!” She rambles like this for a few more minutes. “I was one of the few humans that knew about Ahnmik and the falcon society! My parents had been there and as a small child all I wanted to do was go to the white city…But then, when I was twelve, humans found out about the island and planted mines under it. They bombed Ahnmik, killing everyone there, including the Empress, gods bless her. But some of you got out.” Her eyes were brimming with tears. Elena stood up and got a towel. “Get out, mija, you’ll get all wrinkly.”

I stepped out of the washbasin and into the towel, wrapping it around myself. “Where are my pants?” I asked.

“They’re out on the clothesline. I washed and dried them for you.”

“Thank you, Elena. Did, ah…did everyone else get out all right?”

“Yes. After you fainted, everyone went to his or her respective homes. Thank the gods no one was killed.”

I let out a sigh of relief, wondering about my fiancée, Brian, who was at the show. As I finger my ring, my magic swells inside me, drying my hair and body. “Thank you so much for helping me, Elena. How long was I out?”

“Quite a while, about four days.”

I run a hand through my now dry hair, sighing.

“You’re troubled. May I ask why? I’m here to help, mija.”

I sigh again. “My fiancée and my family were in the crowd, they were there when I lost consciousness. He tried to save me, I could feel his magic, but he was too late. Damn those humans, always trying to make us conform to their laws. Falcons are forced to lurk in the alleyways and travel at night, only because of our customs! Some feel it is better to abolish them and live peacefully with the humans, but it’s wrong! Why should we give up thousands of years of tradition just for a few petty humans who won’t even live for a century?” I look up at Elena, tears in my eyes. “I’m tired of it! What will happen when I have a child? How can I let her out alone knowing that she could be killed at any time, just because of who she is? If someone sees a bird, they won’t go out of their way to kill it. If someone sees a black man, or a homeless man, no one would kill them so mercilessly! So many of us have had our wings ripped out so we can’t fly, and our legs broken so we can’t walk! Why do we deserve this? My fiancée is in the falcon army, and I support him every step of the way. Dear skies, I’ll sooner join him then help the dogs that have forced my own sister to hide her wings every day, and work in the room where they torture us and inspect every inch of our bodies, until we feel so violated, so raped, that we might as well be dead. Why should I have any respect for the people who do that?” I scream.
Elena pulls me into her arms and rubs my back, whispering words of comfort. My body is racked with sobs and my tears stain her shirt.

“You’ve had a hard life, mija. May Ahnmik watch over you and bless the rest of your life.”

She lets me go. “Don’t you have a fiancée to get home to, mija?” She smiles. “I’m sure he misses you. Get dressed and I’ll drive you home.”

I wipe my eyes and sniff. “Thank you so much, Elena.” I walk out to the clothesline and get my pants. “Elena, do you have a brush?” I ask.

“Sure, mija, the bathroom is right down the hall. Feel free to use the makeup as well.” She says.

“Oh, gods, thank you! I really need some.” I say, walking down the hall. I shed my towel and put on my pants. Gazing at my reflection in the mirror, I pick up the brush and brush my hair. I find some gold eye shadow and use it. I use some lipstick and blush and tie my hair up and step into the hall. Elena gasps.

“Oh, mija…” She walks over and takes my hands. Your fiancée is really very lucky.” She says, gazing into my eyes. “Where do you live, mija?”

“I’ll dictate when we get in the car. I want to go to my fiancée’s house; I’ll bet he’s worried.”

“I’m sure he is. Let’s go, then.”

I walk up the steps and knock on Brian’s door. He opens the door and gasps. “Amanda!” He pulls me into his arms. “I missed you so much. Dear skies, where were you?” His gaze flickers to Elena, in the car. He grabs my arm and pulls me behind him. “Get in the house. There’s someone watching us.”

I stand firm. “That’s Elena. She’s the one who helped me. She’s part of a falcon rights group.”

My fiancée whirls around. “You trust her? Amanda, she’s human! She could be lying to you and she could track our addresses for the government!”

“Brian, you’re being paranoid! Elena is kind, and sweet! She coaxed me out of Ecl and she saved my life! She’s not working for anyone!” I compose myself and take a deep breath. I walk down the steps and go to Elena’s car and tap on the window. When she rolls it down, I say, “Would you like to come in? I’d like to thank you for helping me, and listening to my story.”

Elena sighs. “I don’t know, mija, your fiancée doesn’t seem to trust me that well.” She starts the engine and gets a scrap of paper and a pencil out of the glove box and she writes something on it and gives it to me. “Here’s my phone number and address. Feel free to call me at any time if you ever need to talk.” She drives off and I walk back up the steps into Brian’s house.

“Amanda, why don’t you stay with me tonight? You look tired, and you haven’t eaten, have you?”

I smile. Same Brian. “No, I haven’t. I’d kill for some tea and scones, though.”

My fiancée smiles back and pulls me close. “Tea it is, then.” He says, kissing me passionately. “I missed you.” He whispers, when we break apart.

I snuggle into him and say, “I missed you too, Brian.”