by Aimee Carter
“You mean the way you’re planning on using Simon against me?” said his mother. “Or is it me against him? I never quite caught the nuances of your spectacular plan.”
Orion’s face slowly turned red. “You’re my daughter, and he’s my grandson. All I want is to protect you both.”
“And Nolan?” His mother fixed Orion with a steely glare.
“Nolan is also my grandson,” he said slowly, “but you must accept that if . . .” He paused, glancing at the birds perched around him. For one horrible second, Orion’s gaze fell on Simon, but before he could panic, Orion looked away. “If his secret gets out, his life will be in danger.”
“It already is,” said Simon’s mother. “Or did you have another reason for trying to put the Predator together?”
Orion began to pace again, and he gestured angrily at the maps. “If you would cooperate and tell us where the reptiles’ piece is, maybe I would be willing to stop hunting Simon.”
“But I thought you were doing it for his own good—to protect him?” said his mother.
“I am. However, you don’t seem to be terribly convinced, so I thought you would appreciate this . . . compromise. If you help me, I will do as you request and leave Simon alone.”
His mother sniffed and looked at the maps. “I’ve already told you, the reptiles didn’t trust me with their piece’s location. I had it long enough to make a convincing copy, and that’s all.”
She was lying. Relief spread through Simon. Orion might have captured her, but he hadn’t broken her. She still had some fight left.
But if she was human and out of her cage, then why was she still here? Why hadn’t she run away? Simon cautiously flew from one perch to another, this one several feet closer to his mother, and he spotted a collar around her neck. It looked like it was made of some sort of metal, and judging by the way she moved, it was heavy enough to hold her down in eagle form—or even break her delicate bird bones.
“You must have overheard something,” said Orion. “I know you listen, I know you watch. I know you would never allow the reptiles to hide their piece without knowing exactly where they were going to put it.”
“You give me way too much credit,” she said, and she pointed to a spot on one of the maps. “If I were a reptile, I would have buried it in the mountain, just here—”
“We’ve searched the mountain.” Orion slammed his fist on the table, and several birds took flight. “We’ve searched every location you’ve suggested.”
“Then maybe it isn’t here anymore,” she said. “Have you considered that, Father? Have you considered the possibility that the reptiles moved the piece to stop this very thing from happening?”
Orion gritted his teeth. “You know what I have considered? How to make you see that I’m trying to help your sons.”
“Help them?” His mother laughed, but there was no humor to it. “By what, assembling the Predator so you can murder Nolan and take his power for yourself?”
“Celeste is the one who wants to kill him. I have no desire to hurt anyone, let alone my own family.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” said his mother bitterly. “One day you might actually believe it.”
Orion limped toward the tunnel that led back to the gathering room. “If you imbeciles can’t find Simon, then I will,” he called to Perrin and Rowan. “Perhaps then, Isabel, you’ll be more willing to share what you know.”
“You just said you have no desire to hurt him,” said Simon’s mother.
“I don’t, but I will do what I must to defend my kingdom from Celeste. One of us will assemble the Predator, and if she gets there first, I promise you she will stop at nothing to destroy us. If you won’t cooperate in order to protect the thousands of Animalgams whose lives rest in our hands, then perhaps you’ll cooperate to protect your son.”
Orion exited, leaving silence in his wake. Simon’s mother touched the collar around her neck, adjusting it. Around the edges, Simon spotted skin rubbed raw, and anger boiled inside him.
“I have a drink to finish,” muttered Perrin, and he trudged out of the room. Rowan offered Simon’s mother a small smile, but he didn’t say a word as he followed Perrin back into the tunnel.
Once alone, Simon’s mother took a deep breath and exhaled, gazing at the maps. Picking up a book from the top of the stack she’d brought in, she headed back the way she’d come. Simon waited until she was gone before swooping after her.
His mother took a narrow spiral staircase downward, and Simon followed, careful not to make a sound. It wasn’t until she stepped into a private office that she finally relaxed and sat down on a worn sofa.
“You’re not supposed to be in here,” she said, her eyes closed. It took Simon half a second to realize she meant him.
“I’m not the greatest at following rules,” he said. She must have recognized his voice, because she twisted around, her eyes widening in surprise. He shifted back into a human.
“Nolan?” She stumbled to her feet, capturing him in a tight hug. Her metal collar rubbed against his skin, and he clung to her, burying his face in her hair. Even in the desert, she still smelled like fallen leaves and the forest.
“Simon,” he corrected sheepishly. She pulled away enough to look at him, searching his face.
“But—you were a hawk. Not an eagle.”
Simon nodded, and for a long moment, they stared at each other. Her mouth fell open. “It’s you? You’re the . . . ?”
“We both are.”
His mother paled, and she sat him down on the couch, her hands never pulling away. “Who else knows?”
“No one,” he said. “Not even Nolan. He hates me enough already. If he thought I was taking that from him, too—”
“Good.” She leaned over to scan the empty hallway, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “You can’t tell anyone, Simon. I mean it. You shouldn’t even have told me. You must keep this secret at all costs, do you understand?”
Simon hesitated. Right now, staying quiet was easy, but if there was ever a day when Orion came after his brother—or his uncle, or his friends—Simon couldn’t promise he wouldn’t do everything in his power to save them. “I don’t want anyone to hurt Nolan, Mom.”
“I’m doing my best to make sure no one will. But even the people who claim the Beast King’s heir poses no threat would revolt at learning there are two.” She touched his face, her blue eyes watering. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
She had nothing to be sorry for, as far as Simon saw it. He set his hand over hers. “We have to get you out of here.”
His mother nodded. “Is the pack waiting outside?”
“The pack?”
“Yes. Malcolm and Vanessa and the others . . .” She trailed off, and her eyes widened in horror. “Oh, Simon. Don’t tell me it’s just you.”
“It’s not,” he said quickly. “My friends Ariana and Jam and Winter—they’re here, too. Not here, exactly, because they can’t fly, but they’re at the Stilio. They’re helping me.”
His mother pressed her lips together, as if stopping herself from blurting out what she really wanted to say. At last she managed, “You weren’t supposed to come alone. I can’t believe—Simon, do you understand how dangerous this is?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, and he stood. “I’m going to get you out of here. Orion can’t find the pieces without you, and we can look for them on our own. Together.”
His mother’s expression grew pinched, and she touched her collar. “If Orion thinks the reptiles or the mammals took me, it’ll be all-out war.”
“It’s going to be war already,” said Simon. “We have to destroy the Predator, Mom. That’s the only way to keep Nolan and the whole Animalgam world safe.”
“I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I know.” She watched him for the space of several heartbeats. “I can’t shift. The collar will crush me.”
Simon examined the metal ring. He might be able to hold it while she turned into an eagle, but if he me
ssed up, he could break her wing or worse. His frustration grew as he spotted the keyhole at the back of the collar. Maybe he could steal the key—
Wait. He didn’t need to steal anything. Hastily Simon dug through his pocket, producing the lock picks Jam had given him on the train. His mother blinked.
“Where did you get those?”
“Jam. He got them from Ariana—she’s a spider. Hold still.”
Simon began to work the shallow lock gently, the way Jam had taught him. The collar was heavier than he’d expected, and the lock was far more complex than the one he’d practiced on with Jam. A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek. He didn’t know how long Orion would be gone, but they didn’t have all night. His hands began to shake, but at last he heard a soft click, and his mother gingerly opened the collar and pulled it off.
“Much better,” she said, touching the raw patches on her skin. “We don’t have much time—”
“Leaving so soon? But things were just about to get interesting.”
Simon whirled around. Standing in the doorway was Orion.
Sitting Ducks
“Really, Isabel, I’m perplexed as to why you’re so eager to abandon our efforts,” said Orion, limping toward the pair of them. “I’m doing this to protect Simon, after all, and to ensure that when the time comes, he has a kingdom to rule.”
Grabbing Simon’s wrist, she pulled him behind her, and Simon felt her nails digging into his skin. “I was just about to come find you,” she said in a falsely cheerful voice. “It seems Simon found his way here after all.”
“How delightful.” Orion’s gaze flickered to her bare neck. Perrin appeared behind him, a silent guard. “I only wish he had allowed the flock to escort him.”
“I don’t trust Perrin,” said Simon tightly. “Or Rowan. Or any of the flock.”
“That’s a pity, since one day you will be the one to command them.” Orion began to circle the pair slowly. “Why did you come back, Simon?”
“Because—” His mouth went dry. “Because I want to be a family again. Malcolm and Nolan, they try, but—but they’re not you and Mom.”
“I see. And how did you know where we were?”
“Malcolm—Malcolm heard rumors,” lied Simon. “He believed them, so I thought I would come down here to try to find you.”
“You came all the way to Paradise Valley on a maybe? How touching.” Orion smiled, and though Simon’s mother circled with Orion, trying to keep herself between the pair of them, Orion eventually outmaneuvered her and grabbed Simon’s shoulder, yanking him away with surprising force.
“Don’t you dare—” began his mother, but Perrin stepped beside her. Two more men lingered in the hallway behind him, and she fell silent.
“Now,” said Orion, clutching Simon so tightly that a jolt of pain ran down his arm. “Why don’t you tell me where the reptiles’ piece is, Isabel, so we can put this bit of ugliness behind us and be the family Simon wants us to be?”
“I told you, I don’t know,” said his mother.
From his belt, Orion pulled a long knife with a jagged edge and rested it against Simon’s throat. His mother turned sickly pale, and Simon couldn’t breathe. “How about now?” said Orion. “Does this jog your memory?”
“You won’t do it.” His mother’s voice shook.
“Won’t I?” He pressed a little harder. “Are you sure you want to test that theory?”
Before that night in Sky Tower, Simon would have never imagined that anyone, even Orion, could hurt his own family. But he hadn’t only murdered Darryl. He had dropped Simon from the roof, too, on the off chance that would be the moment he shifted. Orion hadn’t been wrong, but Simon had still seen the darkest side of his grandfather—the side that would stop at nothing, not even killing his own blood, to assemble the Predator. And Simon knew without a doubt that Orion wasn’t bluffing.
“He’s your heir,” said his mother. “You can’t live forever, and if you kill him, your kingdom will be picked apart by vultures until there’s nothing left.”
“You’ll be there, won’t you, darling?” said Orion. “And as much as you insist you want nothing to do with us, I know you. I know you won’t let your kingdom fall to the wayside, not when it would mean war and unfathomable loss.”
“Try me,” she said with a snarl. The two of them stared at each other for the longest moments of Simon’s life. He could feel the sharp edge of the blade pressing against his skin, only a slip away from opening an artery, and the fiery knot in his chest constricted.
He could shift into a wolf, or a bear, or anything with fangs and claws, and he could tear Orion apart before his grandfather knew what was happening. Or he could change into a snake and squeeze the life out of him. Or he could become a spider and disappear into the rock. His mother didn’t have to give Orion what he wanted. Simon didn’t need her to protect him, not like this.
But even as his nails began to grow and sharpen, his mother glanced at him, and he could see the warning in her eyes.
Keep this secret at all costs.
Simon clenched his fists, the claws digging into his palms. Even if he could bring himself to kill his own grandfather, Perrin was still there, as well as the guards standing in the doorway. He didn’t think he could kill them, too, no matter what Orion was threatening. But what else was he supposed to do?
His mother seemed to realize the same thing—that they were stuck. Seconds ticked by, and eventually she sighed, defeated. “The mountain is where the reptiles used to keep it, inside a hollowed-out boulder where no hikers could reach. But Simon overheard the council saying the piece was moved when I copied it in March, four years ago.” She glanced at Simon. “The same way the underwater kingdom moved its piece after I copied it in September, two years ago.”
Simon knew she was lying—the council had said they’d kept it in the exact same place—but there was something insistent about the way she looked at him, something he couldn’t figure out.
Orion adjusted his grip on the knife. “Are you certain that’s all you know?”
“I swear,” she said.
At last Orion released Simon and returned the knife to its sheath. “Good. That wasn’t so hard, was it? You’ll show me the boulder. It’s unlike the council to reveal such a secret in front of members of another kingdom, is it not? Perhaps Simon heard wrong.” Orion studied her suspiciously with his good eye. “While we’re gone, Perrin will see to Simon’s comfort.”
His mother grabbed him as soon as Orion let him go, pulling him close. “I’m not leaving my son,” she said.
“It’ll be fine, Mom,” said Simon. “Just do what he says.”
“There’s a good lad,” said Orion, and he ruffled Simon’s hair. “Come along, Isabel. Do I need to tell you what will happen to Simon if you try to fly away?”
She shook her head, and Orion limped toward the doorway.
“Good. We’ll be back shortly, and you two can catch up all you’d like then. Perrin, can I trust you not to let him slip away this time?”
“Yes, sir,” said Perrin stiffly. “I won’t take my eyes off him.”
Reluctantly Simon’s mother let go of him. “Get out of here however you can,” she whispered in his ear, so only he could hear. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” mumbled Simon, and he watched her join Orion as they headed back toward the spiral staircase. But he couldn’t leave, not without her.
Perrin grabbed him by the elbow and led him to a small cavern, and though it was light on furniture, several cages lined the rock walls. Bird cages, Simon realized. This might as well have been the bird kingdom’s dungeon.
“Shift,” ordered Perrin, and Simon stared at him blankly. “Into your Animalgam form. Shift.”
“And what if I say no?” said Simon.
“Then we have more than one collar, and it would be my pleasure to chain you to the wall.”
Simon considered his options. A collar would be more difficult to escape from than a cage, and ma
ybe if he seemed cooperative, Perrin wouldn’t keep such a close eye on him. Slowly he shifted into a golden eagle, and when Perrin opened the door to a large cage, he hopped inside.
“I don’t trust you,” said Perrin as he shut the door and secured the lock.
“You probably shouldn’t,” agreed Simon. “If you’re still around when I become the Bird Lord, the first thing I’m going to do is fire you.”
“We’ll see about that.” Perrin scowled and settled into a chair at the entrance to the prison, pulling out a rolled-up paper from his boot to read. Simon pretended to familiarize himself with the food and water dishes—both half-empty—but instead he watched Perrin, checking to see how often he looked up from the paper. There didn’t seem to be any discernable pattern, though Simon did notice that every time he ruffled his feathers, Perrin immediately focused on him.
So disappearing would be more difficult than he’d anticipated, and even if he were able to shift without Perrin noticing, getting out of Beak Peak undetected would be next to impossible. No doubt the flock would be suspicious of any new animal that appeared, from a snake to a fly to a rat, and Simon couldn’t be too careful. But he also had no choice.
He would wait for his mother to return first, he decided as Perrin turned the page. He couldn’t leave without her, and the only way they would be able to escape was if they sneaked out. Otherwise Orion and the flock would be on them like buzzards, and no matter how fast they could fly, Simon didn’t doubt that there were members of the flock who could fly faster.
Minutes ticked by. He tried to remain alert, but the more he watched Perrin, the more Perrin watched him in return, so eventually Simon closed his eyes and buried his beak in his feathers the way birds did when they slept. It felt oddly comfortable, and twice he nodded off for real, only to be jolted awake by the rustle of newspaper. Simon figured he had to take a break sometime. Right now, Simon simply had to wait him out.
“Here, thought you might be thirsty.”
Simon cracked open an eye and peered between his feathers. Rowan stood in the doorway, holding out a bottle to his father. Perrin took a deep drink and sighed. “Are they not back yet?”
