House of Vultures

by Maggie Claire

  ***

  “What happens now, Mynah?” Antero asks uneasily, and when I look at him, I see myself. I recognize that wide eyed, frightened expression that no doubt I had the night that I killed our leader. I’d had enough death and sorrows that day to last me for the rest of my life.

  I shake my head to exorcize my ghosts. “Now, I decide what to do with you.”

  ***

  “I know you’re hiding something, Mynah,” whispers a voice as soft as silk when I step onto the rickety steps of the House. A figure dressed like the darkness, with a mask of glossy feathers, hides at the end of the porch. When he opens his unusually clear eyes, I know exactly who it is, for only one member of the House is this good at intrigue. The fact that he is questioning me makes my feet rattle in their holey boots.

  “Wren,” I breathe as he stretches lazily in the old porch swing. Despite his nonchalance, I know him well enough to realize that every move, every word I speak is under scrutiny. “What are you talking about?” Even to my ears, my voice sounds as skittish as a frightened dove’s coo.

  “Your patterns have changed. You volunteered for eight weeks of morning shifts, when you and I both know that you hate being up that early. You have gone into the city twice in two days, when I know how much you loathe it.” Wren stalks closer to inspect my expression for any signs of deception. “You are allying with Wolf.”

  There is a question in his tone, a chance for me to come clean before he takes his suspicions any further. Tell him about Antero and I keep my place in the House without question, or lie and run the risk of getting caught. Punishment for such behavior will no doubt be worse that what Lion endured. My tongue lays dormant in my mouth, unable to find a way out of this situation.

  “Why would Wolf choose you? You aren’t much to look at in your patchy clothes, and your mask does nothing to accentuate your visible features. Your personality is, at best, prickly. So, what does Wolf want with you?” Wren asks himself, circling me during his assessment. He coolly observes matted hair, my blood-stained shirt, my dry and dirty hands, my ratty shoes that are caked in cave dust. I am certain that in Wren’s eyes every one of these things is a sign of my treachery.

  “Thank you for such a glowing review,” I mumble, my smart mouth outweighing my better judgement. Wren pauses before me, his calculating eyes glittering as he cocks his head to the side. “Why do you think Wolf would want to meet with me?” I counter, hoping to manipulate the conversation so that I am the one in control.

  “Aren’t your House members allowed a personal life?” Wolf looms up from the shadows behind me, a protective arm snaking around my waist. I try not to gulp when his claws graze my hip. “Her time is her own. If she spends it with me, why do you care?”

  “You took over the House of Lions today,” Wren accuses, a sly smile flashing through his mask. “Attempting to build a Master House now, Wolf? Are you using our Mynah here just to get to us?”

  Wolf growls low in his throat, and I carefully put my hand on his in an effort to calm him. “It was a personal vendetta with Lion, and the only part of your House that draws my interest is Mynah.”

  “You know it would be foolish to think you are strong enough to overpower us,” Wren taunts as he turns his back on us. “No one who has tried to build a Master House has ever survived the effort.” Glancing over his shoulder, Wren adds, “Do you really expect me to believe that you and Mynah are not plotting something?”

  Rather than be baited, Wolf ignores Wren’s jibes. He leans over me, his mouth carefully reaching through the teeth of the wolf carcass to graze my throat. “Tomorrow morning, I will see you again. Same place where we last parted.”

  “Wolf, about this afternoon—”

  A carefully placed finger touches my lips and stops my words. “We’ll talk tomorrow when we are free of prying eyes. Goodnight, Mynah.” My arms circle around myself in comfort as Wolf disappears into the night.

  “Well, well,” Wren mutters, drawing close enough to me that his chin rests on my shoulder. “Wolf is so touchy, so familiar with you, that I almost believe him.”

  Steeling my resolve, I try to sound confident as I exclaim, “I do not care what you believe, Wren. It is only Wolf’s opinion and mine that matter in this instance.”

  When I attempt to enter the house, Wren catches my arm with a warning. “When I have evidence to prove that you’re lying, I will enjoy watching you suffer.”

  My spine straightens at his words, fury building in my heart. I wrench my arm clear of Wren’s grasp. “You have heard no lie. I do meet with Wolf in the woods.” That is technically truth, so I can say it without flinching. Wren narrows his gaze at me but says no more, shifting his body back to the porch swing as I hurry inside. I do not stop running until my door is bolted shut. Engulfed in darkness, I cover my face with a pillow and release a scream.

  Chapter 5

  Grogginess makes me stumble out into the misty morning light. Wren was right about one thing last night, I do hate being up this early in the morning. The forest is eerily quiet as I trudge down the worn path, my feet scuffing the dirt as I barely lift them for each step. I let my mind wonder about Antero as I amble toward his hiding place. How am I going to keep him safe? He cannot stay in that cave eating what little I can salvage from the woods. He’ll starve by the end of the week. But where can he stay? He’ll have to be masked, but how can I get him into one of the houses?

  A plan begins to form in my thoughts, one that fills me with dread. I’d have to get Wolf’s help, I admit, my fingers brushing the place on my neck that he had kissed last night. My idea would probably be putting all of his pack in danger too. How can I ask him to put his entire House at risk for the sake of this boy? A boy I know very little about. A boy that I suspect is from the Déchets. I should consider Antero my enemy rather than try to save his life!

  I feel the watching eyes on my back a split second before the attack comes. From above me the creature prowls, scaring the birds away. In my preoccupation, I have neglected my own safety. An earth-shattering howl splits the sky as the creature leaps, its razor-sharp claws poised to strike my heart. I roll out of the way, drawing my blade in one smooth motion, facing the threat wild-eyed. Its clear eyes shine with intelligence in the sleek, black fur of its face. Long, yellowed teeth bare in a snarl as it paces, tail flicking with impatience.

  Slowly I lower into a stance to attack, my blade raised before me. Yet the creature does not strike again. It observes me slowly, teeth parted to bite me, waiting for me to move. When I do not initiate the fight, the feline pauses, almost as if it is judging me. Then, apparently finding that I am not worth the trouble, it stalks deeper into the forest.

  I should have given chase; I should have caught and killed the beast. Its coat would have made a nice pelt for trading. Those eyes though, the sentient stare that the creature gave me, is what stayed my hand.

  Fingers brush against my shoulder, and I swing my whittling blade at the person sneaking up on me, slicing deep into the arm of the unseen entity.

  “Why’d you do that?” Antero hollers as he covers the bloody gash I’ve just inflicted into his arm.

  “What are you doing out of the cave?” I scowl, already pulling on the threads of control I hold on him. Heal yourself, Antero, I command through my thoughts. I envision skin and muscle knitting together, only a faint whisper of a scar remaining. Everything that I project into his mind occurs on his body, and when I inspect Antero’s arm, it is like he has never been struck. Only the blood covering Antero’s hand holds the secret of his injury.

  Judging by the fury in Antero’s glare, he knows exactly how I aided him. “I was hungry, so I came out here to find something to eat.” He turns his hand over to show me the blood. “You can control my body’s healing just by knowing my name? What else have you done to me?”

  His anger frustrates me, so when I speak, my words are full of bitterness. “I cannot help it if you were dumb enough to tell me your real name. Besides, I’ve onl
y healed you, so stop acting so put upon. I could have done a lot worse.” And I probably will before all is done.

  “Does your friend know my name too? Does he have that kind of control over me?”

  “Nope,” Wolf appears beside me, staring at my shoulder, unable to meet my eyes. “She did not trust me with that knowledge.” He boxes Antero hard on the ear, claws scraping his skin until it gushes with blood. “Don’t you dare heal him from this, Mynah. He will need fresh injuries to make your story stick.”

  “What story?” Antero squeals, holding his head, fingers trembling as he assesses the damages done.

  “The one we’re going to tell to get you into the Houses,” I mumble, feeling the disappointed stare from Wolf as it bores into my back. “We have to mask you if you are going to survive.”

  “We cannot let you go back to Déchets, that much was already certain. But Mynah’s powers of persuasion over you add another wrinkle to your situation,” Wolf whispers as he turns Antero’s hands over to scratch his palms. “Defensive wounds,” he explains as bloody lines crisscross the flesh around his thumb.

  “You knew that I wasn’t from Cassé? How?” Antero grows very still, hardly breathing as Wolf clicks his claws together.

  Wolf barks a derisive laugh. “Of course I did! I knew the moment I saw you. No nameless unchosen has such nice clothes! I’m guessing that Mynah has known all along as well, she just did not trust me enough to mention it.” He points to me over his shoulder, and I am grateful I cannot see his eyes. I know he is hostile by the way he stands, his shoulders painfully stiff. He has every right to be upset with me. I just wish that I’d had the chance to tell him everything myself. “Now, because Mynah knows your true name, you cannot leave. The bond between the named and the knower is a strange one. Neither of you will survive long if kept apart. You will have to join a house if you are going to survive in this land.”

  “Okay,” Antero shrugs, not yet grasping the gravity of the situation.

  “You explain it. I cannot quite stomach the words right now,” Wolf demands, still unable to face me.

  “The houses are full, remember? I told you how the children of masked parents are given the right to stay in the houses at birth. There is no other way to join.” I reach a tentative hand over to Wolf, trying to apologize for what this plan will cost him. He edges just out of my reach. Taking a steadying breath, I forge ahead. “But right now, the House of Lions is being absorbed into the House of Wolves, which gives us an opportunity.”

  “Okay, so I get a mask and live with his people. What’s the problem?” Antero mutters as he paces in front of us.

  “The problem is Mynah’s control over you. Once a name is known, that person becomes responsible for you. Mynah wouldn’t last a day with you in my pack. She is compelled to check on you. If she did not see you every day, the hold she has over you would drive her insane.” Wolf grits his teeth as he finishes, his hands balling into fists, the claws extending across his knuckles uncannily like a cat. “Mynah would spend so much time worrying over you that she’d probably get herself killed. It’s not just one-sided either; you’d be so overwrought that you were not near her that you would die too.”

  “Then I have to join up with Mynah’s House.” Antero stops pacing when he notices neither Wolf nor I answer. “Is that a problem too?”

  I bob my head with a throat so dry that I could swear it is coated in ashes. “Wolf already declared the House of Lions as his. For you to seek refuge outside of his pack should have you punished by becoming one of the nameless unchosen. You’d be exactly where you are now, unmasked and a target for execution. The only way to keep a mask on you would be for another house to claim you. However, if they do, then that house is declaring war with Wolf’s pack.”

  “I’ll be forced to hunt you. I will have to declare myself an enemy of the house that claims you. I will never be able to stop fighting until one of our houses is destroyed,” Wolf explains when my words fall flat. “I will have to risk my people in a battle, all because you ‘chose’ a different alliance than mine.”

  All I can think of is Lynx, knowing she carries my blood kin. Will she die because of this? Because I showed mercy to an injured boy from our enemy’s lands? How many lives will be lost because I saved my enemy? This is a powder keg waiting for a flint.

  “I will forsake the House of Vultures,” I rasp, feeling my palms grow slick with my nerves. “I will accept your offer to be your beta. Condor thinks very little of me, anyway. Maybe you could trade for me.” I inch closer to Wolf, trying not to let my terror at the idea show. Wolf stays extremely still, his breathing even ceasing the movements of his chest. “I’m sorry, Wolf. That I did not tell you yesterday, and for all of the horrible things that I said after Lion’s death. You’ve been a good friend to me, and you deserved better.”

  Suddenly he lunges, pulling me close. One hand tangles into my hair, the other securing me against his chest. “Forgive me,” he whispers, his words labored. “I have thought about you saying yes to me for so very long.” As quickly as he grabs me, he releases, stepping only far enough away to see me clearly. “However, I cannot accept your request to join my pack, Mynah.”

  “But…why?” I exclaim, feeling embarrassed for even considering Wolf’s offer now. I try to jerk away from Wolf’s embrace, but his hands grip my shoulders so tightly that I cannot move.

  “Do not misunderstand me,” Wolf remarks, one hand loosening, sliding up my shoulder to rest on my chin, and tilting it up so that my eyes are forced to meet his. “I do want you as my beta. I want you to choose it willingly. You are offering now only because you think it will prevent the battle. It will not—the House of Vultures would still come after me for stealing you away.”

  “But if war is inevitable, why not take me into the pack now?”

  “Because I want you to understand that I would go to war for you alone, Mynah. I will do whatever it takes to have you.” Wolf’s eyes are bright with a fiery gleam that unsettles me. It is not the look of an impassioned lover; it is more like the half-crazed stare of his namesake right before it sinks its teeth into a meal. I feel more like a prize than a person. Wolf does not notice my concern, adding, “You are wrong in thinking that Condor does not value you. He would never let me just trade to gain you; he’d not rest until my head was staked outside your fence.” Wolf’s fingers graze my cheek and neck, slowly drifting to my collarbone and back. “Although, that is a battle I would fight zealously. For now, the fact that you would even consider making this switch to my pack gives me hope.” He leans over to kiss my forehead, his words as soft as his lips. “I will have you as my beta, mark my words. Nor have I forgotten that you owe me an unmasked kiss, my Lupe.”

  “Lupe? That’s new,” I notice, a warmth growing in my heart as I realize that my harshness yesterday has not damaged our friendship beyond repair.

  “It will be your name when you gain your mask in my pack. Lupe, another name for a wolf. I want you as my equal.”

  It is a tender gesture, an unexpected kindness that I had not realized Wolf possessed before this moment. He has been very good to me, I admit as I lean into his chest willingly. He has protected me far more than those in my own House. Maybe I can find a way to get over his claws and horrible mask.

  Antero clears his throat awkwardly. I have no idea how many times he has already tried to break into our conversation. I have been so consumed by Wolf’s presence that I had forgotten everything else but him. “My mask? What will I be? Are there any rules as to what you choose?”

  “I’ve already chosen for you. In the forest before I cut your arm, an animal spared my life. That creature will be what you become,” I answer, my hand reaching to Wolf’s neck, just below his mask. While I still shudder at the sight of the carcass, I manage to tickle the edges of the fur without shuddering. He catches my hand in his own, a grin lifting the corners of his mouth.

  “The cougar?”

  “In Cassé, we call them panthers,” I correct
him quickly. “That word, cougar, is of Déchets. Use names like that here, and they will see right through you.” Clenching Wolf’s hand, I worry aloud. “Will we be able to get him past Wren? Simple vocabulary slips like that will be enough to put him wise to our trail of lies.”

  “Is it really such a big deal?” Antero whines at me. “Cougar, panther, it’s the same animal.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t know Wren,” Wolf replies for me, my irritation at the boy causing my eyes to see red. “We’ll come up with a story that would explain his unusual word choices. Something about living near the Devil’s Spine, interacting with the Déchets guards at the borders.”

  “Fine, Panther,” Antero snaps, agitated by my words. “But won’t the rest of the House of Lions realize that they did not have me in their alliance?”

  “It’s a pretty large group, at least one hundred or more, I would wager. I have a couple friends already in the House that are trustworthy, discreet. They will vouch for you if I ask them to.” Wolf’s eyes have not left me; I can feel his gaze leaving heated trails along my skin. He raises my hand to his lips once more, kissing the knuckle of my left ring finger. In the days before our lands were destroyed, that finger had been where a wedding band was worn. This action seems more possessive than a piece of metal jewelry ever could to me. “I ask you to give me a head start before you take him into your House,” Wolf asks, his fingers tightening around mine. “Let me prepare my people for the battle so that they are not ambushed.”

  “How long do you want me to wait?”

  “Give me until the evening at least.” Wolf drops my hand, all at once becoming the leader protecting his people. “We maintain our camps with the knowledge that a battle might arise, so the preparations will be few. Besides, you need a little time to get him ready. The evening should be enough for us.”

  I reach up to touch a small bare patch of skin over Wolf’s heart. “Be careful,” I answer with a lump in my throat.