Simon Thorn and the Shark's Cave

by Aimee Carter

  They were on a boat.

  This time, despite the hand on his shoulder, Simon sat straight up. A tidal wave of pain and dizziness hit him, but as the world swam around him, he refused to lie back down. “Mom,” he gasped. “She—Rhode, she’s going to—”

  “She’s not going to do anything to your mother.” That rough voice was back, and Simon looked around. A lean man with graying hair and tanned skin sat against a wall, watching him. “We’ve got eyes on her, and if anyone tries anything, they won’t live to see morning.”

  Simon sighed with relief. If it was still night, that meant Orion might not have attacked yet. But that brief respite was quickly replaced with the sudden awareness that he had no idea where he was, who that man was, or what any of them were doing here. “Who—”

  “Simon!” The door burst open, and Winter flew into the room. Practically shoving Zia aside, she caught Simon in a tight hug. “Felix said you were in here, but they wouldn’t let me see you.”

  “Felix?” Searing pain from the bite in his side shot through him, but Simon ignored it. “He’s—”

  “I’m right here,” said a familiar squeaky voice. Grouchy as ever, Felix leaped from Winter’s pocket to Simon’s pillow. Too stunned to shout with happiness, he scooped him up and inspected him for any signs of injury.

  “I thought you’d been eaten,” said Simon, pressing him against his cheek. Felix sputtered indignantly, but at least he didn’t struggle.

  “That, I’m afraid, is my fault,” said the man. He straightened in his seat, his shoulders narrow underneath a battered leather jacket. “I summoned our little mouse friend.”

  “And Zia and Crocker got me out of Atlantis. Had scuba gear ready and everything,” said Winter, though she crossed her arms and positioned herself between the man and Simon. “I thought it was a good thing until they brought me here. He won’t tell me who he is.”

  “I’m no one you should fear,” said the man. “I won’t hurt either of you. No one on this boat will.”

  “Crocker’s on deck,” said Felix, hopping onto Simon’s shoulder and straightening his whiskers. “Keeps looking at me like I’m a late-night snack.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” said Zia, who was still perched on the edge of the sofa. “Crocker’s a vegetarian.”

  Simon stood as fast as his pounding head could handle, but even that was too quick. The room spun around him, and as he teetered, Zia reached out to steady him. “Where are we?” he said, more insistent this time.

  “Safe,” she repeated. “Though if you keep this up, you’ll tear your stitches and bleed to death, so do us both a favor and don’t ruin my handiwork.”

  Simon was fairly sure she was exaggerating, but he sat down anyway. Tugging up the hem of his shirt, he saw the fresh bandages on his side, and he could feel more on his leg. “Are you okay?” he said to Winter, who nodded.

  “Just traumatized for life. You should have seen the way Zia took down those soldiers.”

  The man raised an eyebrow. “I apologize for the tactics my team had to employ, but it was necessary to get you to safety. We couldn’t be sure Atlantis hadn’t been infiltrated by Orion or Celeste.”

  “You—” Simon stared. There was something strangely familiar about him, but Simon was sure he’d never met him before. It was more as if the man reminded him of someone, though he couldn’t put his finger on whom. “Who are you?”

  “Thought you’d never ask.” With a grim smile, he rose to his feet. “I’m Leo Thorn. Your grandfather.”

  15

  HEIR OF THE BEAST KING

  This time, the way the room spun had nothing to do with the knock Simon had taken to his head. Out of everything the man could have told him, this was the very last thing he would have ever guessed.

  “My—grandfather?” he said stupidly. “But I already have one. Orion.”

  “You have two biological grandfathers,” corrected Leo Thorn, the lines in his face betraying his faint smile. “I’m the good one. Your father, Luke, was my son.”

  Speechless, Simon stared. Now that he knew, he could see the resemblance between the only picture he’d ever seen of his father and the man who stood in front of him, hands in his pockets as he waited for him to say something. He could even see himself in the man—they had the same eye color, and the way the man frowned reminded him all too much of Nolan. And of himself.

  “You—you’re really my dad’s father?” he said, and the man nodded.

  “Really. No tricks.” Despite his gruffness, his eyes shone, and he reached out as if he wanted to touch Simon’s cheek. Instinctively Simon moved a fraction of an inch away, and Leo dropped his hand. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this, Simon. I can’t tell you how glad I am to finally meet you.”

  “I—” Simon gaped at him, a dozen different feelings rushing through his brain at once, jumbled together until they rendered him all but senseless. A grandfather. He had another grandfather. “I thought you were dead,” he blurted, although that wasn’t entirely accurate. Truth be told, he’d never given much thought to his paternal grandfather. His father, Luke Thorn, had died around the time Simon and Nolan had been born, and despite a few snippets here and there, he’d never heard much about him. Simon’s pocket watch had once belonged to him, but that was the only piece of his father he had. No one had ever mentioned his biological grandfather.

  To his surprise, Leo nodded, satisfied. “Good. That’s what everyone’s supposed to think. Best that way, for reasons you might be able to guess.”

  Maybe on a good day, but between the pounding headache and shock of discovering he had a grandfather who probably wasn’t trying to kill him, Simon didn’t have the faintest clue. Winter, however, groaned. “There’s another one?”

  “Another what?” said Simon, and she gave him a look.

  “Think. What’s special about the Thorn family line?”

  Oh. Oh. Simon refocused on Leo, searching for any sign of—he wasn’t sure what. “You can, too? Like—like—”

  “Like you?” said Leo kindly, with an affectionate smile. “Yes. Exactly like you.”

  Suddenly Simon felt sick to his stomach. He knew. Somehow, some way, Leo Thorn—and possibly everyone else on that boat—knew Simon had inherited the abilities of the Beast King.

  His stark horror must have shown on his face, because Leo crouched in front of him so they were nearly eye level, though he still didn’t touch him. “Don’t worry,” he said quietly. “We’re the good guys.”

  “No one who ever has to say ‘we’re the good guys’ is ever a good guy,” said Winter. She hovered over Leo like she was ready to pounce at the slightest hint that he might attack, and Simon wasn’t sure whether to be grateful for her protectiveness or terrified that he’d somehow let slip the secret he was supposed to keep hidden at all costs.

  “Normally I wouldn’t bother,” said Leo, focused on Simon. “But given everything you’ve been through, I figured it would be best to make that clear from the start.” From his pocket he pulled a battered and creased photograph, and he offered it to Simon. “Here. This is all the proof I have right now.”

  Simon took the picture. It was of Leo and his mother, both standing on a boat and smiling. Behind them was a blue sky, and his mother didn’t look like she was being held hostage.

  “That was taken about eight months ago, in Key West,” said Leo. “I promise you, nothing’s changed since. We’re on the same side. We all want the same thing.”

  Simon’s head snapped up. “What?”

  “The pieces of the Predator. You didn’t think your mother was working alone, did you?”

  His mouth went dry, and for a long moment, he said nothing. He caught Winter’s eye, and she shook her head minutely.

  She was right. Leo could be bluffing. A picture didn’t prove anything. Even if he and Simon’s mother were working together, there must have been a reason she hadn’t told Simon about his grandfather. And whatever that reason was, Simon couldn’t trust
anyone until he knew for sure.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, the words sticking in his mouth like peanut butter.

  “It’s all right if you don’t want to discuss it,” said Leo, and he stood. “Better that way, probably. But know that we all want the same thing—for the same reason.”

  “We’ve already proven that much to you,” said Zia. “In Paradise Valley, remember?”

  Simon furrowed his brow. He had suspected all along that Zia knew more than she was letting on. Apparently he’d been right. And Crocker—Crocker had been the reason he’d gotten away with the reptiles’ piece of the Predator. He’d lied to the entire reptile council to protect Simon.

  “You don’t have to make any decisions about us, not now or ever,” said Leo, hands in his pockets again. “But our family has been preparing for this moment for a very long time. Destroying the Predator is our only goal, and I will do whatever I can to help you succeed.”

  “Why me?” said Simon at last, his voice creaking. “I don’t understand—why not you, or Mom, or anyone else?”

  That faint smile returned. “Because after the life I’ve lived, I don’t trust myself with the Predator, and your mother couldn’t risk bringing the real pieces back to Celeste. You, though … your mother trusts you, and I trust your mother.”

  “That’s it?” said Simon. “That’s the reason you’ve been putting me through this?”

  “It was your mother’s decision, not mine. Though in her defense, we all thought you’d be older,” he added apologetically. “All I want to do is help you any way I can.”

  “Then let us go,” said Winter furiously. “You can’t keep us here and claim you’re helping us, too.”

  “It’s not safe in Atlantis, not now that you’ve been arrested,” said Zia, her foot bouncing up and down. Simon had never seen her nervous before, but judging by the way her face was pinched, she would have rather chewed off her own arm than see Simon and Winter return underwater. “Tribunals are no joke. If you’re old enough to shift in the General’s kingdom, you’re old enough to be charged and convicted of a crime. And treason could get you executed.”

  “I’ll take my chances,” said Simon darkly. “I’m not the spy no matter what Rhode thinks, and I need to find—”

  He stopped suddenly. They knew already, but he couldn’t confirm it for them. He and Winter were already at their mercy, and they hadn’t had the best of luck with the adults in their lives lately. No matter how badly Simon wanted—needed help, he couldn’t trust anyone. Especially not someone like Leo.

  “It’s all right, you know,” said his grandfather gently. “One day you’ll believe me, but you and I’ve just met. I know Darryl and your mother taught you better than to trust a complete stranger.”

  “You—you knew Darryl?” he said, his voice catching on his uncle’s name.

  “We all did. He was one of us, too.” He opened a creaky desk drawer and pulled out a book. From between the pages, Leo gingerly removed yet another photograph, this one older, but pristine. He offered it to Simon almost reverently, and Simon took it, careful not to smudge the glossy picture.

  It took him a moment to realize what he was staring at, but when he did, it hit him like a sucker punch to the gut. His uncle, younger than he’d ever seen him and without the scar running down his cheek, had his arm slung around another young man—Luke, Simon’s father. They were laughing at something Simon couldn’t see, but at the edge of the picture, only his profile in view, was a younger Leo.

  “It’s my fault,” said Leo quietly. “I should have never trusted Celeste, but we were family. The Alpha has been protecting our line ever since the Beast King was defeated, taking in our heirs as their own, and while she and I aren’t related by blood, I was raised as her brother. I loved her more than anyone in the world. I thought she was on my side, and …” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I wanted her help tracking down the pieces. She listened and wrung every last bit of information out of me, and after your father was killed, instead of supporting me like I thought she would, she used that information against me. Against us. Against your mother, against your brother, against you …”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” said Zia. “You didn’t know she’d turn out to be about as useful as a toothless piranha.”

  Simon tried to echo her sentiments, but nothing came out. Winter crossed her arms and glared at Zia. “I get why Crocker’s part of this, since he’s on the reptile council and all, but what do you have to do with any of this?”

  Zia lazily pointed a finger at Leo. “He’s my dad. What do you have to do with any of this?”

  “He’s my friend,” said Winter, undeterred as she jutted her finger at Simon. “And I don’t care if you’re related. If you want him, you’re still gonna have to go through me.”

  Related. With a jolt, Simon put the pieces together. Zia Stone was his father’s sister. His aunt. Simon’s head spun yet again, and he pressed his palms to his forehead. It was too much at once—finding out yet again that there was a whole branch of his family he’d never known about, that there was another Beast King heir alive and well and looking for the pieces, and realizing that this was all far more complicated than he had ever imagined. It was more than he could process, and with his head throbbing, he didn’t bother trying.

  “I need to go back,” he blurted. “Let me off this boat.”

  “Are you forgetting the part where not only were you attacked by sharks, but the entire underwater kingdom thinks you’re a spy?” said Zia, moving so she was sitting beside him again. “You’re safe here. If you go back—”

  “Do you really think I care?” said Simon, immediately regretting the nastiness in his voice. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—take it back, though. “Atlantis is under attack. Orion’s going to kill everyone, and if I don’t—if I don’t do what I have to do, then he’ll get there first. That can’t happen.”

  Silence. Normally Simon would’ve been embarrassed by an outburst like that, but right now, nothing was more important than getting back to the octopus garden and finding the missing piece. Not even his pride.

  Zia gave Leo an insistent look, but he shook his head. “Simon has gotten more done in the past four months than our family has in four hundred years. We trust him. We give him as much protection and support as we can. And we let him do whatever he has to do, like you did in November.”

  She swore softly to herself, but rather than fight, she squeezed Simon’s knee. “You’re not allowed to get yourself eaten, all right? I can’t help you underwater, and you and Dad were both lucky there were only two sharks attacking you earlier. You have to be more careful.”

  He nodded tightly, not sure what else to say to that. “I need scuba gear. And someone has to go after my mom, too.”

  Zia glanced at Leo. “Can we get word to our eyes?”

  “Not safely. Orion won’t let anyone but a bird on that beach.” Leo rolled his shoulders and headed toward a closet. “I’ll do it. It’s been a while since I’ve been flying anyway.”

  A sudden thought occurred to Simon, and he focused on Zia. “You can’t … can you?”

  She laughed unexpectedly. “No, no. Luke got that gift, not me. I’m just a fox, like our mother. She was a Stone,” she added, and part of Simon wilted at hearing was. “Everything I told you about our family protecting Stonehaven was true.”

  At least that hadn’t been a lie. Simon stood slowly, though his head was throbbing a little less now. “What about Winter? What’ll happen to her while we’re gone?”

  “She can stay here with us and watch the boat,” said Zia, while Winter looked like she was about to spit nails. “When you have the piece—sorry, when you’ve finished your mission, you can come back.”

  “You want me to sit around doing nothing while Simon’s out there fighting sharks?” said Winter indignantly.

  “He won’t be fighting any sharks again,” said Leo sharply as he dug through the closet, pulling out scuba gear. />
  “They’re all busy right now anyway,” said Zia wryly, despite the very real danger Orion and his shark supporters posed to Atlantis and everyone inside. “Besides, Winter, it’ll be fun. We’ll braid each other’s hair and paint each other’s nails and tell each other all sorts of secrets.”

  If Simon hadn’t been so anxious and confused, he would have burst out laughing at the horror on Winter’s face. As it was, he heard Zia’s message loud and clear: Winter was a hostage. And if he didn’t come back with the piece … he didn’t want to think about what might happen then.

  His heart sinking, he half listened as Leo went through the instructions for the scuba gear. Before pulling it on, Simon changed into a wet suit that was too big for him, keeping his own clothes dry for when he returned. Once they were finished, he trudged over to the corner where Winter was pouting, the oxygen tank heavy and awkward on his back.

  “Be careful,” was all he could say in front of everyone, but he stared at her for a moment longer than he normally would have, and she nodded.

  “You, too,” she said, her words also heavy with meaning. As Simon headed out of the cabin, he heard her say, “If I have to get my nails painted, so does Felix.”

  “Excuse me?” squeaked the mouse. “I am not a poodle.”

  As Simon went out on deck, he noticed Crocker leaning against the railing, cane beside him. “Simon,” he said in greeting, as if nothing were unusual about them being on a small boat together off the coast of Santa Catalina while a bunch of sharks waged war on the underwater kingdom below. Lights twinkled from the shoreline, and Simon guessed they weren’t more than a mile from Avalon. That meant they weren’t far from the octopus garden, too.

  “You have your job, and I have mine,” said Leo as they approached a gap in the railing, pulling off his jacket and setting it aside. “Let’s both get this right. And Simon …”

  Silence hung between them for several seconds. Leo raised his hand as if he were about to reach for him again, but instead, with a smile that looked more like a grimace than anything, he dropped it.