by Aimee Carter
“Simon!” yelled Jam, his voice distant. Simon stumbled to a stop, looking around wildly. Where had he gone?
“Jam!” he shouted, pushing his way out of the crowd. “Jam!”
“Simon, run!” he cried, and Simon froze. The people in front of him parted, revealing Jam standing on the sidewalk, rigid as a statue.
Perrin stood beside him, his hand tight around Jam’s shoulder—the same one Ariana had clung to since Times Square. Simon’s pulse raced, and he searched Jam’s expression for any hint of whether Ariana was okay.
“I’m not doing this all night,” said Perrin, his thin lips curling into a sneer. “Either you come with me, or I squeeze your friend’s shoulder a little harder. Your choice, Simon Thorn.”
Simon exhaled sharply. She was still alive. Out of all the choices he had made today, this was by far the easiest. “Let them go, and I’ll come with you.” Nothing was worth his friend’s life, and underneath Perrin’s hand, Ariana would be entirely defenseless. Even if she bit him, Perrin would kill her before the venom took effect.
“Very well,” said Perrin, and he beckoned for Simon to cross the distance between them. Simon did so slowly, one step at a time, his eyes glued to Perrin’s hand. Simon didn’t trust him to keep his word, but right now, he didn’t have a choice.
“Hey, beak nose,” said a familiar voice in the crowd. Winter appeared from behind a pack of businessmen, and she marched right up to Perrin, grabbing his free hand. “You’re going to let them go right now.”
Fear flickered across Perrin’s face. The last time Winter had been this close to him, she’d sunk her fangs into his leg and dosed him with so much venom that Ariana had had to administer an antidote to save his life. Right now, part of Simon—a terrible part of him that wanted nothing more than to get on that train—wished Ariana hadn’t.
Perrin stood straighter, his hand on Jam’s shoulder tightening. “Winter. What a delight. I’m sure Orion will be thrilled to hear how you’re thriving among your own kind.”
Her expression darkened. “Simon, stay where you are.”
“But—” he began. Before he could finish, she opened her mouth and let out an earsplitting shriek.
Simon had never heard anyone so loud in his life. Even several feet away, he thought his eardrums might explode, and Jam winced. Winter tugged on Perrin’s arm, her glove slipping under his sleeve to make it look like he was the one holding on to her.
“Kidnapper!” she screamed. “Someone help! He’s trying to kidnap us!”
It took Simon a moment to catch on, but he and Jam exchanged a look, and in unison, they both joined her.
“Help!” shouted Simon. “Someone help us!”
The crowd began to take notice. Several pedestrians and travelers coming out of Penn Station stopped what they were doing and surrounded Perrin, who had paled. “Hey, why don’t you let them go?” said a beefy man with a thick moustache.
“They—they’re lying,” said Perrin, stumbling over his words. “I’m their uncle, you see. They’re trying to run away—”
“Someone call the police!” shouted another voice, and an angry woman grabbed Perrin’s hand, yanking it off Jam’s shoulder. Simon’s heart nearly burst from fear. Jam sprang free and hurried over, and Simon quickly checked his coat.
A shiny black spider clung to the wool, and even in the uproar from the crowd, Simon could hear her sputtering curses.
“She’s all right,” said Simon, and he headed toward the entrance to Penn Station once more. Glancing back, he caught Winter’s eye, and she nodded, letting go of Perrin now that a dozen adults had surrounded them. She slipped into the crowd, and Simon lost sight of her.
“Do we wait?” said Jam, and Simon shook his head.
“If she’s coming, she’ll find us,” he said. She’d managed to follow them this far, after all.
Penn Station was packed with evening commuters. Jam led him over to the monitors displaying the train schedule, and Simon stared at it, his vision swimming. “Which one are we supposed to take?”
“That one,” said Jam, pointing. Simon still couldn’t figure it out, so he let Jam lead him over to a kiosk. “Have you ever taken a train before?”
“Does the subway count?” he said, and Jam shook his head.
“Long-distance trains are different. They’ve got bedrooms and stuff.” He hesitated when the screen asked how many tickets he needed. “Three or . . . ?”
“Four.” Winter appeared at Simon’s elbow, smirking. “That was almost too easy. Perrin’s trying to explain himself to a police officer right now.”
It took every ounce of willpower Simon had not to hug her. “You came after all.”
“You said you needed me. And I promised I’d help.”
There was something else in her voice—something that Simon couldn’t identify—but whatever it was, he didn’t care. “Thanks, Winter.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” She pulled out a piece of plastic from her designer purse. “Here. I am not squeezing into a tiny room for two.”
“A credit card?” said Jam. “How do you have a credit card?”
“How do you not?” said Winter, giving him a strange look. She swiped the card, and the printer spit out four train tickets to Chicago. “We should buy an Arizona guidebook, too.”
“We’re not going to sightsee,” said Simon.
“No, but it might give us an idea of where the reptile council is,” said Winter. “Unless your mother told you about that, too.”
Simon opened and shut his mouth. Wish you were here. That was all he had to go on. “Okay. We’ll find a guidebook.”
“Good.” Winter tossed her dark hair back. “I know exactly where to get one.”
As they followed Winter, Simon couldn’t help but wonder what had changed her mind. But as long as she was willing to help, he wasn’t so sure it mattered. They weren’t on the train yet, and until then, he didn’t want to say anything to spook her.
She led them through the busy terminal to a tiny bookstore crammed between a café and a travel shop, and in all of thirty seconds, she’d located a colorful guidebook to Arizona. As soon as she bought the book, she dragged them to the café next door to buy sandwiches—all on her, she insisted.
“Wonder why she’s being so generous,” mumbled Jam as they made their selections.
“Just go with it,” whispered Simon, who figured free sandwiches were better than no sandwiches at all. He had brought all the money he had saved from his weekly allowance from Darryl, but it wouldn’t be enough to get them to Paradise Valley, and he was in no position to refuse Winter’s generosity. Or Ariana’s. Or Jam and his willingness to come along. He knew how much his friends could be sacrificing by going with him, but the guilt wasn’t enough to make him break away and do this alone. He would find a way to pay them back somehow, but right now, he needed them.
While Winter was making her purchases, Simon spotted a man lurking nearby, looking around suspiciously as if he was searching for someone. That wasn’t too unusual, but as soon as he turned around, Simon spotted a few hawk feathers clinging to his trench coat.
Simon quickly ducked his head to hide his face. “That man out there, the one with the blond hair and goatee—don’t look!—I think he’s one of Orion’s.” He glanced at the counter. “Winter!”
“Hold on, I’m doing something,” she said, and she flashed the cashier a charming smile as she handed her card over to him.
Simon’s palms began to sweat. Any moment, the man could spot them, and there was nowhere to run in the café. He silently willed Winter to hurry, but she took her time gathering the bag with the sandwiches and tucking her credit card back in her purse. When at last she reached them, Simon felt like he was about to burst.
“What?” said Winter as she approached him. “We have plenty of—”
She stopped, her face draining of color as she focused on something over Simon’s shoulder. She must have spotted the man.
“Perrin wasn’t
alone,” said Simon through gritted teeth. “We need to go.”
For once, Winter didn’t argue. Simon pulled his hat tighter over his head and, exchanging silent looks with Jam, they moved to either side of her as they exited the café and dashed toward the staircase that led down to the platforms. Simon was recognizable, sure, but he hadn’t lived in Sky Tower his entire life. If the man in the coat was going to spot one of them, it would be—
“Winter!”
Simon cringed and, without looking back, he grabbed her hand and broke into a run. This time he made sure Jam was keeping up before rushing down the stairs.
“Who is that?” said Jam as they darted around a group of tourists wearing I ♥ NY shirts.
“Rowan,” she said in an oddly high-pitched voice. “He’s Perrin’s son. He used to babysit me when Orion was out of—”
“Winter!” called Rowan, sounding desperate. He was getting closer. “Winter, stop, it’s me—please. We all want you to come home.”
A flicker of uncertainty passed over Winter’s face. As they stepped onto the platform, Simon tightened his grip on her hand. Two trains sat on either side of them.
“Right or left, Winter?” he said firmly, trying to distract her. She twisted her head around, and he repeated, “Right or left?”
“I—”
“Winter, please—Orion’s sorry—he wants you back—he loves you—”
She stopped now, her heels digging into the concrete, and a dozen different emotions played out in her eyes. Simon knew that look. He’d never seen it before, not on anyone else’s face, but he knew exactly what was going through her mind. Rowan wasn’t only offering to return her to her old life, one where she had been raised as Orion’s granddaughter. He was offering her a family again. He was offering her a place to belong. If Celeste herself had chased after Simon, saying she could return him to early September, when Darryl was alive and he had no idea what an Animalgam was, Simon would have stopped, too.
“He’s lying,” said Simon.
“He’s not lying,” said Winter, her voice catching. “He’s practically my older brother. He wouldn’t lie to me.”
“Orion left you behind,” said Simon. “He killed Darryl, he kidnapped my mom, and he took off without you. The only reason Rowan is here right now is because Orion wants me. Not you—me. Do you get that?”
“Simon . . .” said Jam, but he didn’t have to say anything. Winter’s eyes were glassy, and she stared at Simon with such horror on her face that he felt a sick stab in his gut. But with each second they wasted, Rowan grew closer, and they didn’t have any time to spare on Winter’s feelings. Simon would apologize later. Right now, they had to board their train before Rowan reached them.
“If he really means it, he’ll find you again,” said Ariana as she joined them from behind a pillar and tucked her purple hair underneath her hood. “If he’s just after Simon, he won’t bother. So if you want to prove he really wants you back, then your only choice is to get on the train and see what he does. Preferably before he catches us.”
Winter’s lower lip trembled, and for one terrible moment, Simon thought she was going to burst into tears in the middle of the platform. Instead she dug into her purse with shaking hands and pulled out the tickets. “It’s—it’s that one,” she managed, nodding to the train on the left.
Without another word, Simon led her farther down the platform. The crowds began to squeeze together, forcing them through narrow spaces and over pieces of luggage. “Sorry, sorry,” said Simon, pushing his way through the crush of travelers and creating a hole big enough for the others to follow. Only when Simon was absolutely sure they’d lost Rowan did he lead them onto the train.
It was just in time, too; when Simon peered through the window, he spotted Rowan’s long blond hair only a few yards down the platform. His brow was furrowed, and he looked around before pressing through the crowd and passing their car.
Simon exhaled, but his relief was short-lived. Winter stood beside him, her jaw clenched and her eyes stormy as she also watched Rowan go. She looked as if she was about to spring off the train and race after him, and Simon’s hand twitched, ready to grab her if she tried.
“I’ll be in the room,” she said at last, and she walked stiffly past him and headed down the train. Jam hurried after her, his mouth open like he wanted to say something, but they were gone before Simon could hear what it was.
Ariana lingered beside him, watching them go. “If Rowan doesn’t come back for her . . .”
“He would have taken her with him the first time if that’s what they really wanted,” said Simon. And though he would’ve given nearly anything to be wrong, he knew he wasn’t.
Maybe he’d made a mistake, asking Winter to come, but it was too late now. The train began to move and, shoving his hands into his pockets, Simon followed his friends through the car. If Rowan didn’t come back for her, it would destroy Winter. But if he did, that would mean the birds had found them again, and Simon wasn’t sure how long they could keep running before their luck ran out.
Creature Comforts
Their assigned room in the sleeper car was smaller than Simon had pictured. The beds folded out from the wall, and there was a tiny private bathroom, but otherwise they were crammed together on two benches—or, rather, Simon, Ariana, and Jam were crammed together while Winter sat on the bench opposite, staring resolutely out the window as the train left the city. She hadn’t spoken to anyone since Simon had arrived.
He too stared out the window once they emerged from the tunnel, watching the city disappear. They were doing this. They were really leaving New York. None of it seemed real, and Simon wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. He had every intention of coming back as soon as he had rescued his mother, but it still felt like he was saying good-bye to something important.
“You look like you’re about to throw up,” said Ariana. “Even if they figure out which train we took, there are a million stops between here and Chicago, let alone the number of trains we could take when we get there. As long as we’re careful, they won’t figure out where we’re going.”
Simon wasn’t so sure he believed her, but they were heading directly to Orion anyway. They would inevitably have to face the flock again. “It’s not that. I’ve never been out of the city, except for the trip to the Stronghold.”
“Never?” said Jam, adjusting his glasses. “But—what did you do for vacations and holidays?”
“We stayed in New York,” said Simon with a shrug, suddenly self-conscious. “Darryl worked a lot, and I guess he must have thought we were safer there than on a beach or something.”
“Your uncle was right,” said Ariana as she flipped through the guidebook Winter had bought. “Not many Animalgams live in the city, but there are tons of them near the coasts. They would have picked you off in a second if they’d figured out who you were.”
Jam turned red. “No one in my kingdom would ever hurt Simon.”
“I’m sorry, how many teeth does a shark have?”
“Darryl didn’t trust any of the kingdoms,” said Simon quickly. Their compartment was small enough without adding more tension. “He hated spiders, too.”
“That’s because he was smart,” said Jam. Ariana grumbled. As she flipped through the pages, Simon craned his neck to get a glimpse. She was searching for hotels. “What are you looking for, exactly?” he said.
“I’m looking for the council. Reptiles are weird,” she added, and Winter huffed. Ariana continued as if she hadn’t heard her. “They have a horrible reputation, right? No one sees a snake and wants to cuddle it. But they’re really the most laid-back, peaceful kingdom in the Animalgam world. They don’t usually form communities—most of the time they travel from place to place, or if they do settle down, it isn’t in an area populated with other Animalgams.”
“Wonder why,” muttered Winter. Ariana cleared her throat.
“Most of the leaders of the five kingdoms rule from somewhere only their kind would
go, so you might think the council would be in a cave in the desert or something. But reptiles are creatures of comfort. They like the finer things in life. Art, good food, culture—”
“Designer handbags,” said Simon, eyeing Winter’s purse. She pulled it onto her lap and hugged it.
“Exactly. And you try to find the equivalent of a Fifth Avenue socialite willing to stay in a hovel. The council’s location is supposed to be secret, but I know for a fact that even though reptiles are nomads, the council is always in the same place. Otherwise they’d be too hard to find.”
“But they’re supposed to rotate members every year,” said Jam from the other side of Ariana. “That’s how their government works. You serve on the council for a year—sort of like jury duty, I guess. It’s supposed to keep everything equal and honest. Except ever since the treaty with Celeste, the members of the council have mostly stayed the same. I remember the general talking about it. He doesn’t like Councilman Rivera.”
“Right.” Simon glanced at Winter, but her expression remained impassive. “So we’re looking for someplace fancy. Someplace a reptile Animalgam would want to stay.”
“Someplace comfortable in the middle of a desert,” said Ariana. “They’ll have to be in their human form at least part of the time. There are thirteen members of the council, and if you want to petition them, you have to visit, so—”
“They’re not staying in a house somewhere.” Simon took the book from Ariana and scanned the pages. “You’re thinking a hotel?”
She nodded. “Five stars. Expensive. A resort, probably. Think someplace Winter would stay. Paradise Valley is close enough to Scottsdale that we can count those, too.”
There were too many luxury hotels to count in the Scottsdale area, but only a handful near Paradise Valley itself that looked promising. “Winter, if you had to choose, would you rather stay in the . . . Desert Flower Resort, or the Stilio?” said Simon.
