by Aimee Carter
Still, Simon was happy to pull his sweatshirt back on when they reached the storage room. With any luck, it wouldn’t smell like fish guts for too long. As he stuck his hands in his pockets, however, he remembered one very important thing he’d left behind.
“Felix?” he called as loudly as he dared. “Felix, are you in here?”
“Probably waiting for us outside,” said Jam, checking his watch. “We’re a little early.”
They hurried into the planetarium, which was now full of people eating their lunch as they gazed at the pool of sea stars. Simon and Jam checked under seats, behind rocks, and even the edge of the pool to make sure Felix hadn’t decided to go for a dip. He was nowhere to be found.
By now, their meeting time had come and gone, and Simon was beginning to worry. “What if someone caught him and thought he was a spy?” he said after they’d checked the storage room again.
“They would have reported him to the General,” said Jam. “Come on, I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”
Reluctantly Simon let Jam lead him out of the planetarium and back onto the streets of Atlantis. They passed the White Shark Café once more, and Simon checked inside to make sure Felix hadn’t tried to steal a croissant. No luck.
“He’s probably back at the compound, right?” said Simon, hurrying down the sidewalk.
“Probably went back for a nap,” agreed Jam, but there was a note of worry in his voice now, too. Simon walked faster, and even though Jam was taller, he had to trot to keep up.
They burst into the foyer, and after a terse conversation with one of the guards, Jam reviewed the list. “If he’s back, security didn’t check him in,” he said. “But he’s small. Maybe they didn’t see him.”
Considering the last time Felix had interacted with the guards, when they’d put him in a cage, Simon wouldn’t have blamed him for sneaking in. Forcing himself to relax, he submitted to a pat-down while a security guard inspected the pocket watch and the small rock he’d brought back for Winter. After the guard had decided neither were weapons, Simon was allowed to enter the compound, and he and Jam rushed back to the guest rooms.
“Felix?” said Simon, bursting into the room. “Felix, are you—”
“You’re late,” said Rhode, appearing behind them in the doorway. How they’d missed her in the hallway, Simon had no idea. “By three minutes.”
“We were here on time,” said Jam testily. “Security took forever. Have you seen Felix?”
“Who?”
“Felix. My mouse,” said Simon as panic began to consume his common sense. His suitcase was empty, and so was the rest of his side of the room. He ducked into the bathroom, but Felix wasn’t there, either. “You know, the one you arrested yesterday.”
“The General ordered his release,” said Rhode. “If he’s wandered off, that’s hardly my fault.”
Simon rounded on her. “You’re the one who thinks he’s a spy. You never wanted him here to begin with—”
“I don’t want you in the city, either, but here we are,” she said crisply. “I follow the General’s orders. No one else’s.”
“She wouldn’t have done anything to him unless the General ordered it,” said Jam, though he shot his sister a sharp look. “Come on, maybe someone else has seen him.”
“Before you go to the dining room, the General needs to speak to you, soldier,” said Rhode. “Immediately. I’ll escort Simon to lunch.”
“But—” Simon began to protest.
“This doesn’t concern you, Mr. Thorn,” said Rhode, cutting him off. And when he turned to Jam for help, all his friend could do was give him an apologetic look.
“I’ll help you look later,” promised Jam, and he hurried off, leaving Simon alone with Rhode.
Terrific. Simon had no idea what to say, and the pair of them stared at each other for a long moment, her blue eyes studying him as if he were something disgusting, but not revolting enough to give her an excuse to run.
“You have no idea what your influence is doing to him, do you?” she said quietly, and for the first time, Simon thought he was talking to Jam’s sister, not his superior officer. “He’s going to be the next General of our kingdom. He can’t afford to keep getting into trouble and defying orders.”
“I’m not—” started Simon, but she cut him off.
“I read all of the Alpha’s dispatches to the General. I know what you two have been up to, and I’ve done my best to shield my brother from the worst of the General’s wrath, but you’re not helping.” She crossed her arms. “If you’re really his friend, you’ll stop getting him into trouble, and you’ll start supporting his successes.”
“I am supporting his successes,” said Simon, although he wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that. “I’m not trying to get anyone into trouble—”
“You just can’t help it if you always get caught,” Rhode sneered. “I don’t like you, Simon Thorn.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell,” he muttered. She ignored him.
“I’ll like you even less if you continue endangering my baby brother and placing him at odds with the General and our family. So I’ll only tell you this once, and you’d better listen.” She took a step closer, leaning down so she was looming over him. “Whatever it is you’re doing, leave him out of it. If you don’t, you’ll force me to get involved, and I can promise you won’t like that one bit.”
With that, she marched out of the room and headed toward the dining room. Simon gritted his teeth. Maybe she was right—maybe Jam was getting into all kinds of trouble because of him, and he already felt guilty enough for putting his friends at risk during their search for the pieces of the Predator. But Simon knew without question that the General and the rest of Jam’s family hadn’t thought much of him long before Simon ever showed up. That wasn’t his fault.
“If you don’t want to lose Jam, maybe you should think about not being such a jerk to him all the time,” he retorted as he followed her down the mirrored hallway. “That hurts him more than anything we ever do.”
Rhode glared at him over her shoulder, and for a split second, he thought he saw a flash of pain in her eyes. “Our family doesn’t concern you.”
“Yes, it does. Jam’s my best friend, and you’re making him miserable.”
“He’s making himself miserable. There’s nothing I can do to help him as long as he refuses to help himself.”
She increased her stride, but Simon didn’t bother keeping up with her. Instead, mostly out of concern for Felix, but also a little out of spite, he took his time searching every corridor they passed for the little brown mouse. At first he thought she might leave him behind to get lost in the compound, but she stuck with him, even if she made it a point to huff loudly. He didn’t care. She could be as frustrated as she wanted—she had no idea what she was talking about, not when it came to Jam. And he wouldn’t risk leaving Felix behind just because she wanted to get to lunch.
When they finally reached the dining room, it was packed with soldiers and civilians helping themselves to a buffet-style lunch. To Simon’s surprise, the General and Jam had already arrived, and they stood in the middle of the crowded room while the General lectured Jam on something that, judging from the few snippets Simon could hear, sounded suspiciously like the timetable for the tides. After slipping away from Rhode, Simon tried to weave through the crowd to reach the corner where Winter was sulking, but before he could go more than a few steps, a familiar old man with sparse white hair and tortoiseshell glasses stepped in front of him, blocking his way.
“Ah, Simon, my boy,” said Crocker, leaning heavily on his cane as a woman Simon recognized as another member of the reptile council pulled out a chair for him. “You look like you’ve seen better days.”
“My friend is missing,” said Simon, automatically glancing at the floor to check. “You remember Felix?”
“The mouse? Yes, yes,” murmured Crocker. “Pity. No doubt he’ll turn up. Malcolm, your nephew has finally arrived.”
Malcolm was on the other side of Crocker, talking to a redheaded woman wearing a baggy sweater and ripped black jeans. Her back was turned to Simon, but they both glanced over, and Simon felt a jolt run through him.
Zia Stone, the leader of a mammal community he and his friends had come across on their trip to Arizona. What was she doing here?
“There you are, Simon,” said Malcolm. He looked like he’d aged ten years in a day. “Your brother said you ran off.”
“We went exploring,” he said. It wasn’t exactly a lie. “Felix is missing. I’ve looked everywhere for him—”
“Are you sure he didn’t get bored and wander off?” said Malcolm.
“I—no,” admitted Simon. “But what if he didn’t? What if someone sees him and thinks he’s a spy?”
“Why did you let him get lost in the first place?” said his uncle. “You’re supposed to be keeping an eye on him.”
“You know he doesn’t listen to me,” said Simon, anguished. “I’m sorry, I—please, Malcolm. He could be hurt. Or—or worse.”
Malcolm grimaced. “That mouse is going to be the death of me and all five kingdoms.” He gave Zia an apologetic look. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to the General.”
He left to join the General, who was now talking to Rhode—and, Simon noticed, glancing his way. He tried to slip out of view, but Zia stepped in front of him and caught his arm in a friendly squeeze.
“Fancy seeing you here, Simon,” she said in an amused voice that made him itch. There was something about her he didn’t trust. “With Orion camped out on the island, I thought the General would rather eat his own fins than let birds into the city.”
“Malcolm made him,” said Simon, trying to move around her, but Coralia was blocking his way now. “Aren’t you supposed to be watching over Stonehaven?”
“Your uncle asked me to come,” she said with a shrug. The shoulder of her oversize sweater slipped, and he saw the scars she’d gotten protecting him from Celeste while in Arizona. Even if Simon wasn’t sure he could trust her, she had gone to a lot of trouble to stop others from getting in his way. “Enjoying your time in Atlantis?”
“Not really,” he said. “Felix—”
“Is missing. Right.” Zia tilted her head, considering him. “Have you asked if there are any televisions anywhere?”
“Doubt they get any channels down here.” But he hadn’t thought of that. It was another place to look, at least. “Did Bonnie, Billy, and Butch ever turn up?” He and his friends had met the orphaned raccoon family in Chicago, and as a favor to him, Zia had promised to take them in if they’d decided to join her at Stonehaven.
“They did,” she said cheerfully. “They’re getting an education, hot meals, beds to sleep in, friends, family, the works. And they’re causing more trouble than a pack of wild coyotes, so naturally I adore them.”
“Simon!” barked Malcolm from the other side of the room. He gestured for Simon to join him, and Simon muttered an apology before hurrying through the crowd, grateful to get away from Zia’s piercing stare.
“I’ll issue a city-wide alert,” grumbled the General after Simon explained the situation, leaving out the part where he and Jam had left him alone while they’d gone swimming. “Make sure the citizens know he’s a guest, not an enemy combatant.”
“Thanks,” said Simon, not sure whether to feel relieved or more concerned. “They would report to you if they found him, right? I mean, no one would—”
“No one will hurt him,” promised Malcolm before the General could answer. “He’ll be back before you know it. Now do me a favor and make sure Ariana is all right. She seemed a little off during the meeting.”
Simon was too worried about Felix to focus much on anything else, but he also wanted to know what was going on with the security summit. So, without arguing, he searched the crowd for Ariana’s telltale blue hair, quickly spotting her in the corner with Jam and Winter. Her face was drawn, and she looked vaguely sick, though whether that was due to the nearby tray of sushi or something else, Simon couldn’t say.
“Are you okay?” he said once he’d made his way over to them. She shook her head.
“We have a problem,” said Jam. “A big one.”
Fear trickled through him as images of Felix underneath a heavy soldier’s boot flashed through his mind. “What’s going on?” he said, bracing himself for the worst. The three of them glanced at one another.
“The General decided to move the piece,” said Ariana.
“And he wants me to come with him,” added Jam. “We’re going tonight.”
9
BLOOD IN THE WATER
“But—why?” repeated Simon for what felt like the hundredth time as he paced across the worn patterned carpet. They’d sneaked out of the dining room and into a nearby parlor that looked like it hadn’t been touched in a decade, but at least no one would overhear their conversation. “Why move it now, when that’s almost definitely what Orion’s waiting for?”
“Because he’s convinced the location is compromised,” said Ariana, slumped in a stiff maroon armchair. “I guess the bird army is too close for comfort.”
“Maybe it is at Chum Bay after all,” said Jam, who was seated on a matching velvet sofa. “That would explain why Orion’s camped out so close. But there’s no way he would be able to get past the sharks.”
“Are they always there?” said Simon. “Or do they move around?”
“They hunt at night,” said Jam. “But that probably just means there will be more of them at the shipwreck.”
“Shipwreck?” said Winter from her spot beside Jam. “What shipwreck?”
Simon hastily explained where they’d gone. “If that’s where the General hid the piece, then the bird army doesn’t stand a chance of getting it as long as it’s there, but if the General moves it …” He scowled at the unoffending carpet. “He’s taking security with him, right?”
“No,” admitted Jam. “He doesn’t want anyone else to find out where he’s hiding the piece. It’s just him and me.”
Simon muttered something deeply unflattering about the General. “Do the other summit members at least know what’s happening?”
“He wasn’t specific,” said Ariana. “He only said he’d make sure Orion wouldn’t be able to find it.”
“So what do we do now?” said Jam, wringing his hands.
“Do you think you can convince him not to move it?” said Simon.
“I can try. The General doesn’t really listen to me, though. He sort of just … lectures and barks orders.”
“But he has to when it’s this important,” insisted Winter. “What if we go back and find it first?”
“With that many sharks around, it’d be impossible,” said Jam glumly, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I’m sorry, Simon. I don’t know what to do.”
Simon shook his head and continued to pace across the parlor. “It’s not your fault. We’ll figure something out. Go with him, all right? And I’ll try to follow. Maybe I can grab the piece before anything happens to it.”
Winter rolled her eyes. “Did the salt water turn your brain into stew? If the General catches you—”
“And what if Orion gets it instead? What happens then?”
“Winter’s right,” said Ariana tiredly, slumping forward in her chair. “It’s too much of a risk. You’d be tried for treason at best, and at worst, you’ll be tried for treason and everyone will know you have the Beast King’s powers.”
“So I won’t let him catch me,” said Simon firmly, focusing on Jam. “He’ll never know I’m following you. I’ll stay a safe distance behind, I’ll shift into different creatures—I’ll be careful.”
Jam pressed his lips together. “What if Orion attacks?”
“He only has the flock. He can’t get underwater.”
“But what if—”
“I swear you guys are no better than the people at the summit,” said Ariana, rubbing her temples. “We’ll know
where the piece is in the morning, Simon. You and Jam can go after it then.”
“But—” began Simon.
“And,” she continued, drowning him out, “if you absolutely insist on going after them to make sure no one else intercepts it, then fine. But only as long as you don’t take any unnecessary risks. If you get caught, we’ll lose more than just the underwater kingdom’s piece.”
Simon opened and shut his mouth. “And if Orion attacks?”
“Then you shift into the biggest, baddest shark you can think of and eat him,” said Ariana, as if the answer were obvious. “I hear eagle tastes like chicken.”
Simon made a face. “Great.”
“Jam, you carry Simon in your pocket,” she said. “Once you reach the water, stay out of sight. It shouldn’t be too hard at night.”
Jam buried his face in his hands and groaned. “This is crazy. The General is smart. He’ll be looking for tricks like this, and if he sees Simon crawl out of my pocket, or if he somehow spots him in the ocean—”
“This whole mission is crazy,” agreed Simon. “But if we don’t do it, who will? We can’t save the world without taking some risks. Otherwise someone else would have done it by now.”
“Inspiring,” said Winter flatly, hopping off the sofa. “I’ll make sure to put it on your tombstone. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get back to the dining room before Nixie discovers I’m missing. Unless there’s something I can do to help.”
Simon, Ariana, and Jam exchanged looks, and Winter sighed.
“Didn’t think so. See you all later. Try not to die.”
She left, closing the door behind her and leaving the three of them to stare at one another. Maybe this was stupid, maybe it was reckless, but the only other choice Simon had was to do nothing. And right now, nothing could mean losing the underwater piece—and the war.
A little risk, he decided, was worth it.
The rest of the day went by at a snail’s pace. Jam had afternoon drills, leaving Simon in the less-than-attentive hands of Coralia, who was so upset about the General disapproving of her boyfriend that she didn’t seem to care what Simon did. She followed him around the compound as he looked for Felix, and while she did make him listen to a speech meant to convince her father that marrying a human was better than her leaving and him never seeing her again—though mostly it wound up being a lot of ranting about how miserable she was in Atlantis—Simon didn’t mind. Even though he’d only been underwater a day, he could empathize.
