A Song in the Rain

by Lydia Deyes

  As I turned my head back forward, I gaped once again. The sun’s rays settled on a brilliant field of red flowers growing in the sandy soil beside a lake. I remembered what Samuel had said about the cave of smoke, and called to my friends.

  “That’s what they make the drug from! Look...”

  Below us, an entire flock of pigeons was scattered among the flowers. They seemed to be tending to them and picking ones that were ready to harvest. They didn’t look up at us; they were hyper-focused on their task.

  Those birds must be working under the crow’s control, I thought. Magic, perhaps, or under the influence of the very drug they’re helping to produce.

  I looked to Barrie, but he shook his head. “We need to conserve our energy and our supplies,” he said. “We don’t know what we’re about to get ourselves into. We can come back for them later.” Nodding reluctantly, I gave the pigeons one last look as we passed overhead.

  The mountain was large and seemed closer than it really was. By the time we reached the entrance of the cave, the blazing sun was high in the sky and my wings ached. Barrie cautiously led the way into the hole in the mountain. It was much cooler inside, protected from the early summer heat by the shadows.

  “Ignore the noises that come from inside,” I reminded my friends, recalling Samuel’s warning. “It’s a lure.” I almost wanted to hear them myself, to know why they were so attractive to so many birds. The smoke, which smelled a lot like the flowers used to create it, was so thick, the lantern only shone a few feet ahead of us.

  “Amery,” I called, choosing her since I thought she was the most vulnerable. “Come here and eat some of the coffee powder before we go any further.”

  She did as I asked. I followed suit, then handed the bag to Barrie. He dipped his beak deep inside and handed it to Violet. As she was about to swallow her portion, I felt the very air tremble. Something big was approaching, and fast. Then I saw the Beast. It was an enormous reptilian creature, with thick, armored skin and spikes from its head to its tail. Each of its four legs were as thick as Samuel’s entire body. I’d never seen anything like it — this sort of creature shouldn’t even exist.

  It came out of the smoke so quickly, I had no time to react. It snapped its jaws around my beloved sister, coffee and all, and she was gone.

  Violet was gone. My heart stopped.

  I was shocked, but to save myself, Amery, my mother, and my friend, I had to act fast. We’d just arrived, but I already knew we were in too deep.

  “Fly! Come on, follow me and get out of here!” I shouted to my remaining companions. Amery, although stunned from what had just happened, rushed to join me. Reika and Barrie, on the other hand, were sluggish. Maybe Barrie hadn’t had enough of the coffee mixture; maybe his incredible hearing made the strange sounds more effective on him. My mother hadn’t gotten a chance to eat any of the coffee… she was feeling the effects of the smoke. Instead of heading for the exit, to fresh air and an escape from the terrible Beast, they followed it as it led them down into the cave.

  “Stop!” I shouted, but they disappeared into the smoke. I wasn’t ready to lose my best friend or mother, especially so soon after losing my sister. Calling to Amery, I followed them; I hoped I might still be able to save them.

  We passed over the broken lantern. Barrie had dropped it along the way. I had neither the time to grab it nor the strength to carry it, so I let it be and braced myself for the coming darkness.

  To my surprise, fire flickering in the depths of the cave was reflecting off the rocks all around. It provided just enough light that, as we drew closer, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Amery’s unsure movements and squinted eyes told me that my enhanced senses had helped, too. She couldn’t see a thing. “Keep close to me,” I told her. “Follow the sound of my wings. Focus on them instead of the sounds from the cave.”

  There was a sort of natural bridge up ahead. It spanned an enormous hole in the ground that plummeted into the earth as far as I could see. As we neared it, I could see the silhouettes of dozens — no, hundreds — of birds perched on the edge of the bridge. I could barely make out Reika and Barrie’s forms approaching the crowd. A bird split from the line and plunged into the depths. Another bird fell, then another.

  Suddenly, several Beasts tramped from the side of the cave across the bridge, swinging their tails back and forth. They must have reached some sort of capacity; they were forcing all the birds to dive to their deaths prematurely, to make room for more victims. We were too late.

  I felt two large birds approach me and Amery from behind. I began to despair but tried to fly faster.

  “No!” I cried. Everything happened at once, and the world seemed to move in slow motion. Reika and Barrie were knocked down into the pit. The two crows behind us caught us in their talons. They were taking us back towards the entrance, and all I could do was watch as my mother and best friend fell. “No!” I cried again. “No!”

  XVIII

  Hoping my silent words could somehow save them, I cried out their names in my desperation. “Reika! Barrie!” I cried out my sister’s, too, even though I knew she was long gone. I could feel the movement of the crow’s belly as he had a conversation with the other, but I didn’t care that I couldn’t hear them. I didn’t care what happened to me next. How could I tell Samuel I’d failed? How could I go on living without my family and friends?

  Amery and I were dumped on the ground, but I didn’t even have the strength or willpower to get up. Then I recognized a mangled talon in front of my face.

  Spike.

  I peeked out of the corner of my eye, turning my head slightly sideways so I could just barely see both him and the crows who’d captured us.

  “I thought I told you not to harm him!” Spike narrowed his one good eye. I didn’t even care anymore that I couldn’t hear his interesting accent. I was content to barely cling to the conversation.

  “I didn’t, sir,” the crow beside me protested. He was so close, I could feel his chest move as he breathed. “I promise. He’s faking it.”

  “We’ll see. Take the girl away. We’ve got no use for her,” Spike ordered.

  The crow behind Amery bowed his head. “Yes, sir.”

  Amery squirmed and bit at her captor, to no avail. When she was dragged away, I found the strength to rise. She was the only friend I had left. I had to follow them; I had to protect her. Samuel had risked his life for her — I couldn’t let that be in vain.

  “There, see?” my captor announced triumphantly, pointing his wing in my direction. “He’s fine.”

  “So he is. Sparrow,” Spike addressed me, “I know what you were trying to do.” He tossed the bag of coffee before me, now slick with saliva from the Beast who’d swallowed my sister. He stood tall, with his chest puffed out, and gestured with his wing to an invisible giant. “You think those reptilian monsters came from nowhere? I need that blood… avian blood… to bring them back. Yet you come traipsing in, trying to mess up my whole operation!”

  I said nothing. Instead, I stared at his two-toed foot, refusing to look him in the eyes.

  He was killing birds to create the Beasts. I shuddered in disgust. How could someone do such a thing?

  Spike continued slowly, tapping his toe with every other word. Without looking at the crow, I wasn’t sure what he was saying anymore. I assumed it was some kind of threat. I refused to budge, and after a while, the tapping stopped. He shifted his body to face the crow beside me.

  Suddenly, my captor swiped his beak toward my right wing. Before I could think about what was happening, a cold piece of metal was clipped over my feathers. I immediately felt the added weight. I wouldn’t be able to fly with this thing on. I stumbled forward, off balance, and cringed from the pinching sting. My captor pushed me along toward a cage. It was about three times as tall as the crows, and four times as wide on both sides.

  The crow forced me through the gate, then closed and locked it behind me. I noticed the bars of the cage were further apart on
the top than on the sides. That was my only chance of escape. But even if I did manage to squeeze out that way, I wouldn’t make it very far with the clip weighing me down. Besides, I was being watched.

  I had little hope. I was still beset with grief, but I knew submitting and giving in to my pain was no way to avenge the death of my only friends and family. No. All of this was Spike’s fault. I had to defeat him. I closed my eyes with the setting of the sun, hoping I’d be able to come up with a plan before morning.

  In the middle of the night, I felt a soft breeze near the ground, and coughed because of the dust. I opened my eyes and peered into the darkness until I saw a pair of glinting eyes.

  Amery. She’s alive!

  Peeking over at my guard, I saw that he’d dozed off. “How did you get away?” I whispered to Amery, hoping my voice wasn’t too loud. “And what are you doing here? They’ll catch you again!”

  She gave me an incredulous look that probably meant something like, “I came back to rescue you. What else would I be doing here?”

  I shook my head and nodded to my clipped wing. “They’ll do the same to you if they catch you.” Flapping my wings, I tried to indicate that she should leave. I didn’t want them taking her away again. Surely, the second time she wouldn’t be so lucky.

  Amery stared into my eyes, not wavering. After a moment, I released a sigh, then directed my gaze at the wider openings above me. When I turned back to her, she had a glimmer in her eye.

  She flew up to the top and squeezed through the bars. She started to climb down with her claws and beak but lost her grip. A dust cloud rose up around her when she fell. It must have made a sound, for the sleeping crow stirred.

  We held our breaths and remained completely still. I watched him mumble something like, “Don’t let them get away,” then go back to sleep. We were safe, for now.

  I turned back to Amery and gestured to my clipped wing. I desperately wanted this thing removed.

  Amery responded by pulling it off with her beak and claws. My wing ached afterward, but I was free. I stretched, and we climbed up to the top, using our wings for balance. We squeezed through the wider gaps and looked around for the quietest way to escape.

  The crows might hear our beating wings and wake up if we flew, so we hopped from branch to branch and tree to tree until we were far off. Then we headed through the forest in the general direction of the city, towards home.

  We stopped to rest around midday. Amery had gotten sleep the previous day; she stood watch so I could close my eyes without fear.

  While I napped, I had a dream. As soon as I saw the mysterious black smoke, I knew the visions were coming back again. I saw the place I’d just left, and Spike arguing with my guard.

  “How could ya let this ‘appen, Bruce?”

  “I fell asleep, sir. I didn’t think he could escape, sir.” The guard cowered in fear.

  “Less ya gi’ me a good reason t’ spare ya, I’ll end yar life ‘or this. I needed t’ know who ‘e was!” Spike spat.

  “Th…There is one thing you could use to find him again,” the crow pleaded.

  “What? Spit it out, ya moron!”

  “His eyes… they’re different. They’re flecked with g…” he said, but he didn’t get to finish.

  Spike lashed out at the guard, raking a sharp talon across his face. “How could ya not tell me this b’fore?” he demanded. “Yar tryin’ t’ tell me tha’ we captured th’ bird from th’ prophecy, th’ only one Nivek cared ‘bout? Th’ one I tried t’ poison, but ‘e survived? And ya moron let ‘im go?”

  “I didn’t know!” Bruce cried, blood dripping from his beak. “I swear, I didn’t know!” When Spike went to attack again, Bruce shrieked. “Wait! Please, wait! There’s one more thing.”

  “What?” Spike demanded, lowering his talon. “It bett’ be good.”

  “The coffee mixture they used.”

  “You best git t’ the point, Bruce,” Spike warned, flexing his claw.

  “There’s only one animal who could find coffee in the city and not get caught by the humans.”

  Spike’s eyes narrowed. “Ya think I don’ know the lynx is a part o’ this? We’ve tried attackin’ th’ boy from th’ inside already, for Nivek. But now it’s personal. Tha’ bird almost ruined my plans! I wanna kill ‘im myself, and that dumb ol’ lynx, too. I bet there’s tons of avian blood ripe for th’ takin’, tha’ he’s keepin’ safe. But we can’t take on th’ thirteenth floor, with all ‘is wards! Not withou’ an army.”

  “I’ll get your army!” Bruce shrunk back, trembling. “Please, give me another chance.”

  “Fine. If ya can do tha’, I’ll spare yar life, Bruce. But if ya disappoint me…”

  “Thank you, sir. I won’t disappoint you. I promise, you will have your army.”

  XIX

  Awakening with a start, I looked for Amery in a panic. When our eyes locked, I shook my head swiftly. We couldn’t go back to the thirteenth floor… not now that Spike had a plan to kill me. I told her what I’d seen. She had an uncanny way of understanding me, so it was nice not to have to use as many words.

  “The crow,” I said simply. “We can’t go back.”

  “But Sheer, he’ll attack even if you don’t return,” Amery said, catching on to what I meant. “And when he does, he’ll murder everyone there!”

  I shrugged. None of them would want anything to do with me anymore, anyway. Not when they learned we lost Barrie and Violet and Reika, and had ultimately failed in our quest.

  “Sheer!” Amery scolded, her brows crossing in anger. “They may not be the friendliest towards you, but they don’t deserve to be abandoned! What would Samuel say?”

  I flinched. I didn’t need to be reprimanded by her… what did she know? She’d only recently arrived on the thirteenth floor, and one of its new members was the rat who’d kidnapped her. She should care even less about them! But… she was right. If my mentor knew I’d rather run away from the thirteenth floor than put myself in the hands of Spike and his army, he’d never forgive me.

  I grimaced and looked at Amery, though perhaps not entirely willing to listen to her plan.

  “We go back and prepare everyone for battle,” she said simply.

  Samuel had intended to keep the thirteenth floor safe, and free from spreading panic, by shielding the common creatures from too much knowledge of the dangers lurking in the world. But now that had to change. We could no longer keep them in the dark. If we did, all of them would die without even knowing what had happened. Amery was right, again.

  Unable to argue anymore, I consented. We stretched our wings, took off, and flew onward towards the city.

  ◆◆◆

  Upon our return, the window opened for us as always, but that was where the hospitality ended. Amery took it upon herself to explain that our mission had been a complete failure. There was no grand feast, since there was nothing to celebrate. Not only had we failed to rescue any of the animals from the smoke, we’d lost Violet, Reika, and Barrie as well. Just thinking about my family and best friend made my heart ache with sadness. Though Amery had given the news, all of the members of the thirteenth floor stood tall and stern, glaring at me. They finally had a real reason to hate me. The cats hissed and lowered their ears, the sparrows looked away, and the others narrowed their eyes. The words freak, weirdo, and worst of all, traitor, shone in all eyes that met mine. It stung, and the names echoed over and over again in my mind as if I’d heard them firsthand.

  You don’t belong with us, their stances shouted, and my mind took care of the rest.

  Why don’t you go back to the cave of smoke and finish what you started? You should be the one at the bottom, not Barrie and Reika.

  Why didn’t you look out for your friends instead of yourself? No one wants you here. Just go away.

  My thoughts put words to their expressions, dragging me down. I tried to push through the crowd, to get to Samuel, to someone who cared about me. No one moved. They wanted me to know how mu
ch they hated me. My mind continued to make up what they were saying, the worst ideas rising to the top before I could consider otherwise.

  Why doesn’t he speak?

  You’re a freak. You shouldn’t even be alive.

  If I were you, I would kill myself.

  I tried to keep my eyes on the floor, but I could feel everyone glaring at me. As much as I knew I needed to help them, to warn them, their hostile eyes bored holes into my soul. The words I imagined them saying sunk deep into my flesh, harsher than any wound. They were angry and afraid; they thought I was some sort of demon. I started to shove.

  Ignoring the pecks and even more hate-filled looks I got in return, I pushed harder, squeezing through gaps and pecking at the sides of larger animals who refused to budge. More than anything else in the world, I needed to get to Samuel.

  After what felt like a lifetime of negativity, I finally made it to his room. I stopped in shock. It was completely bare. Spinning around, I rushed to Anna’s room, picking up speed through the less crowded hallways on the other side of the building.

  I flew so fast into the room, the door slammed against the wall in its attempt to get out of my way. Samuel wasn’t here either, but Anna was tending to a young rabbit with a bent ear.

  “Where is he?” I demanded, landing on the floor. “Where is Samuel?”

  When Anna looked at me, her eyes were red from exhaustion. Her coat was rough and unkempt. Her mouth was turned down, and her whiskers drooped. She closed her eyes and shook her head solemnly. “I’m sorry…”

  “No,” I moaned. “No, it can’t be. He was fine when we left!”

  “The infection was spreading, Sheer. You know how hard it is to treat something that severe. I did everything I could.”

  “No,” I repeated, shaking my head and stepping back. “No, no, no!”

  My confidence shattered, and my hopes drowned; I couldn’t bear it any longer. I stumbled forward and flew out the window, up to the roof. A few pigeons were perched there, but they took off as soon as they saw me. I was completely and utterly alone. I wallowed in my grief, alternating between crying and screaming and sitting still until the sun began to set.