by Aimee Carter
“Not yet,” said Simon, recognizing him as Perrin, the bird Orion had commanded to watch the pack. “I’ll be there soon, but my family—”
“We’ve sent a team to retrieve your mother,” said Perrin. “I will not leave without you.”
The hawk shifted in midair, landing on his feet with a thud. He was a tall, thin man with muddy hair, but he moved with undeniable power as he closed in on Simon. Ariana squeaked and disappeared, shifting into her spider form.
“I know a way out of here,” said Winter. “I’ll bring him back to Sky Tower as soon as we’re done.”
“I’m afraid that is not an option.” Perrin grabbed Simon’s arm. “We go now, while our soldiers have the pack distracted.”
“I’m—not—leaving!” Simon tried to break his grip, but Perrin dragged him toward the door.
“I don’t think you heard him,” said Winter, stepping between them and the exit. “I’ll give you one last warning to let him go.”
Perrin shoved her out of the way, hard enough to make her stumble, and Simon cried out in protest. “You can’t do that!”
“I have my orders,” he said, reaching for the knob. Simon fought, digging his heels into the grass, but it was no use. As soon as Perrin opened the door, dozens of birds would come flying in, and they wouldn’t stand a chance of breaking away.
“I said let—him—go.”
The air around Winter began to shimmer, and as Simon watched, her body began to shrink. Her dark hair seemed to melt into the rest of her, but her arms didn’t grow into wings the way he expected. Instead they disappeared into her sides, and her legs molded together, forming one long body. Her face grew flat and her nose pointed, and before Simon knew it—
She was a snake.
Her green eyes looked brighter than usual against her black scales and pale rings, and she hissed, baring sharp, curled fangs and a white mouth. Perrin paused, shock registering on his face.
“When Orion discovers what you are—” he began, but Winter didn’t let him finish. In a flash, she shot toward him, sinking her fangs into Perrin’s ankle. Winter must have been venomous, because instantly his grip loosened enough for Simon to shove him away.
Perrin stumbled, his eyes wide. “You—”
But whatever he was going to say never made it past his lips. His eyes rolled back into his head, and his knees buckled as he collapsed to the ground.
Simon stared at the viper coiled in the grass, her forked tongue tasting the air as her head bobbed up and down, as though she wasn’t sure what to do with herself now. “Is this the first time you’ve shifted?” he said, his voice so high that he was fairly sure only dogs could hear it.
“I’ve been shifting into a cottonmouth for months,” said the snake—Winter—miserably. “But if Orion finds out I’m not a bird, he’ll disown me.”
“No, he won’t,” said Simon. “He loves you, and you’re his family. You were the one who told me how important family is to—”
Suddenly the door to the Alpha’s office opened, and cold fear washed over him. But it was Ariana, not the mammal queen, who stuck her head out. “I hate to break up the love-fest, but we have work to do.” She spotted the unconscious Perrin, and her eyebrows shot up into her pink hairline. “Whoa. Impressive.”
Winter shifted back into a human. She was paler than usual, and her hands trembled as she examined Perrin. “I’ve never—I’ve never bitten anyone before. Will he be okay?”
“Depends. How much did you give him?” said Ariana.
“All of it?” said Winter in a small voice. Ariana cursed and lurched forward, kneeling beside the man and checking his pulse.
“You’ll be useless for the next few weeks, while your venom replenishes,” she said as she searched her pockets. Finding a tiny syringe, she administered its contents into the side of Perrin’s neck and settled back on her heels. “There. That should keep him alive. Someone will find him eventually. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not be caught.”
Winter continued to watch Perrin as though she couldn’t believe what she’d done, and Simon took her by the arm and led her toward the Alpha’s office. “You heard Ariana. He’ll be fine,” he said.
“Probably,” said Ariana, and Winter let out a choking sound. “You really need to learn to control your dosage. Come on, the safe’s back here.”
They stepped through the doorway into the Alpha’s office. The portraits on the wall stared down at Simon, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were silently accusing him. “Where are the pieces?” he said, eager to get them and leave.
“Right in front of you, Simon.” Ariana strode behind the Alpha’s desk, where the picture of Simon’s father hung, and began tugging on the frame. “Just have to find the—there!”
The portrait swung open, revealing a safe. Simon inspected the dial, and the bubble of excitement in his chest deflated. “Don’t suppose you have the combination, too?” he said.
“No, but I’m sure we can figure it out,” she said. “I’ll shift back into a spider, and when the lock clicks, I’ll be able to hear it, and—”
“Move over.” Winter stepped between Ariana and the safe, and she began to spin the dial.
“What are you doing?” said Simon. “How do you know the combination?”
“The insect kingdom isn’t the only one with spies,” she said, pausing before she twirled the dial the other way. After one more switch in direction, Winter pulled the latch, and the safe opened effortlessly. “Take a look at this.”
Inside was a black box roughly the size of a dictionary. Simon picked it up and set it on the desk. “Do you think it’s . . .?”
“Open it and find out,” said Winter.
Simon fumbled with the gold clasp, his stomach doing somersaults. The case was lined with black velvet, and within it lay four triangular crystals. They sparkled in the low light, emitting a soft glow as if each contained an ember. Simon had never seen anything like them in his entire life.
“Are you sure we should give Orion all four pieces?” he said. “Won’t it be better if we separate them?”
Winter shook her head. “Orion’s going to give them back to the leaders of the other kingdoms, but we can’t do that yet—not while they’re still under the Alpha’s thumb. She’ll just steal them again. And if we leave her a piece, that’s one more she won’t have to track down. Besides,” she added, “they’re useless without the scepter, remember?”
A loud growl echoed from the atrium, and Simon’s skin prickled. Ariana immediately shifted back into a spider, and Winter closed the safe as Simon snapped the box shut.
“How are we supposed to get out of here?” he said.
“This way,” said Winter as she scrambled around to the Alpha’s portrait. It swung open, revealing another hidden tunnel. It was dark, like the one in Nolan’s room, but it was also wider.
“Where does it lead to?” whispered Simon.
“Near Turtle Pond. Come on.”
Simon shook his head. “That’s too far from the exit. We’ll never make it before they discover we’re gone.”
“What other choice do we have?”
Simon hesitated. Another growl ripped through the air, this one from immediately outside the office door. His palms grew sweaty, and the box slipped in his grip. Even if they could make it to the exit on time, he couldn’t leave Darryl.
“I’m staying here,” he said. “They won’t notice you’re gone for a while, and you’ll have time to get the pieces to Orion.”
Winter stared at him. “I’m not leaving without you. The Alpha will eventually discover they’re missing, and the moment she figures out it was us, she’ll kill you.”
“She won’t kill me. I might be the Beast King, remember?”
“And if you aren’t? If you’re Orion’s heir instead?”
Simon stooped down to give her a boost. “They’ll have to figure it out first. Now go, before she finds us and I don’t have a chance to get away, too.”
“I’ll be there,” Simon promised, and he handed her the box. “Be careful.”
“Same to you. Don’t get killed, all right?”
“I’ll try not to,” he said, closing the portrait behind her.
It was just in time, too. The door to the office burst open. “Simon! What are you doing in here?”
The Alpha. Simon straightened, trying his best not to look guilty. “I—a bird got into the atrium, and he tried to attack me. My friend, she’s a snake—she fought him off, and I went in here for safety.”
The Alpha stepped forward slowly, glancing around. “I suppose that explains the unconscious man. Did he harm you?”
“I’m fine,” said Simon quickly. “My friend, she went to get help.”
“No need,” she said, setting her hand on his shoulder possessively. “The packs are chasing the invaders out now, along with the older students and faculty—”
Before she could finish, Malcolm burst into the room, his shirt ripped to shreds. He had fresh scratches on his face and neck, and he gasped for air.
“Where is he?” said the Alpha coldly.
“I—” Malcolm faltered. “The flock knew exactly what they were doing. Several of the mammals are injured, and—”
“I don’t care. Where is Nolan?”
Malcolm’s entire body shuddered with rage. “The students saw several birds of prey take Nolan hostage. We’ve searched the entire school, but—” He swallowed hard. “He’s gone.”
20
DOGHOUSE
Nolan was gone.
The Alpha’s nails dug so deeply into Simon’s shoulder that he was sure she would leave marks behind, but he didn’t care. Orion had rescued Nolan, which meant his mother and brother were safe now. His relief must have shown on his face, because Malcolm gave him a strange look. Simon quickly furrowed his brow, trying to look concerned instead, but it was too late.
“If Orion has my grandson, then what are you still doing here?” said the Alpha in a dangerous voice. “Track them down before they reach Sky Tower.”
Malcolm tilted his head. “I’ll take the pack. Where’s Darryl? The more noses on the ground, the better chance we’ll have.”
“You’ve been doing well without him for twelve years. Do not allow his presence to rob you of your agency.”
Malcolm turned to leave, his expression sour, but before he could exit the office, the Alpha spoke again. “And, Malcolm?”
“Yes?”
“If you do not find him, do not bother coming back.”
Malcolm clenched his jaw and nodded once more, closing the door behind him. Simon tensed as the Alpha crossed the room and slowly slid the lock into place.
“Now tell me, Simon,” she said. “How did the birds get into the Den?”
A hard, cold lump formed inside him. “I don’t know.”
“Of course you do. You’re the one who sent for them,” she said, and his heart pounded.
“I—”
She stepped forward, her hands folded in front of her. “I know why you’re here, Simon. I know you’re only trying to find your mother. And I can make that easy for you, or I can make it very, very difficult. It’s entirely your choice.”
Simon’s mouth went dry. “I—I don’t know how they got in,” he said. “Maybe the birds know about the tunnels.”
“Perhaps,” she allowed. “But you are still the reason they came.”
“I don’t know anything about that,” he said, the lie thick on his tongue.
She sighed. “Very well. We’ll just have to do this the hard way, won’t—”
The Alpha stopped, her eyes narrowing. Simon followed her gaze, and suddenly the room seemed to tilt.
His father’s portrait, the one that hid the safe, was cracked open.
“What were you doing in here before I arrived?” she said, touching the gilded frame. The portrait clicked shut.
“I—nothing,” he said. Winter must not have closed it all the way.
“Are you sure about that?” she said, pulling the portrait open once more. Her fingers touched the dial. “I will give you one more chance to tell me the truth, Simon.”
The knot burned in his chest, and he tried to formulate an excuse—any excuse—but the words didn’t come. “I—I—”
She twirled the dial expertly, popping open the safe. Silence hung in the air, and slowly the Alpha turned toward him, her face twisted with shock and fury. When she spoke, her voice trembled, as if she were barely able to hold herself together. “Where did you put the pieces, Simon?”
“I don’t have them,” he said.
“Then you know where they are, and you will tell me, or I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your very short—”
The Alpha stopped suddenly, and a strange look passed over her face. She tried to step toward Simon but stumbled. She peered down at her arm, where a black widow clung to the inside of her wrist.
“You—” She tried to bat the spider away. It jumped onto Simon’s shirt instead, and she stumbled toward the sofa. “What . . . ?”
The Alpha collapsed onto the rug in front of the fireplace, and her eyes fell shut. Simon blinked. What had just happened?
The spider leaped off his shirt, and a second later, Ariana stood in front of him wearing a smug smile. “Winter had the right idea earlier,” she said. “I gave the Alpha a dose of special venom I created last year. It won’t kill her, but it’ll knock her out long enough for us to get out of here. Now come on—she hit the panic button.”
“The what?” said Simon. Ariana pointed to the underside of the desk, where a red button was embedded in the wood.
“Security’s probably on their way here already,” she said. “We have to go.”
“We can escape through the portrait,” said Simon, but she shook her head.
“They’ll be waiting for us on the other side. We have to go out the only way they won’t expect—through the Arsenal.”
“But—the bridge isn’t high enough. The sharks will stop us.”
“Then I guess we’ll just have to outrun them, won’t we?” She opened the office door. “Are you coming or not?”
Simon hesitated, then bent down and removed the key from around the Alpha’s neck. “We have to make a stop in the zoo first.”
“Are you crazy?” said Ariana. “We don’t have time for that.”
“I don’t care,” said Simon. “Even if Orion rescued my mom, I doubt he bothered with my uncle. You can go if you want. It’s probably safer if you don’t come.”
She snorted. “As if I’d miss this. If we’re caught . . .”
“We won’t be, not if we hurry.” He wasn’t going to leave Darryl behind, not even if it meant going tooth to tooth with a shark to save him.
21
SHARK BAIT
Simon and Ariana crept out of the Alpha’s residence and into the hallway. It was eerily empty, though Simon had the feeling that would change soon.
“This way,” he said, moving toward the curtain of ivy that separated them from the mammal section. Ariana snorted.
“Are you suicidal? That’s where the packs will be coming from. We have to go through here.” She headed in the opposite direction, toward the door that led into the reptiles’ section. Simon followed nervously.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“This is the fastest way,” she said, exasperated.
“Not if one of us steps on a venomous snake.”
“Then just watch where—”
“Through here!” shouted a deep voice from behind the ivy. No time to worry about getting bit—Simon grabbed the handle and yanked open the door that led to the reptiles’ section, pulling Ariana inside.
Heat like a roaring fire hit Simon hard. Sweat trickled down his back, and he wiped his forehead. Fine w
hite sand shifted beneath his feet, and the walls shimmered blue, as if the sky itself were a mirage. He’d never been in a desert before, but if he had to imagine what it would be like, this was exactly it.
“Clingy much?” said Ariana, prying her hand from his grip. “Watch where you step.”
He glanced down at his feet. A white-and-black snake slithered inches in front of him, and he blanched. “I’m not going into the insects’ section.”
“Why not?” she said, stepping over the snake. Simon followed in her footsteps exactly.
“Because I want to live long enough to see my mother again.” A rattlesnake coiled in the middle of the path, shaking its rattle threateningly.
“You stepped in my drawing,” he hissed, and Simon glanced down. His shoe was in the middle of an elaborate sand illustration of the Eiffel Tower.
“Oh. I’m sorry,” he said, jumping to the side. “I didn’t mean to. We’re just cutting through.”
“Come off it, Geoff,” said Ariana. “You were just going to wipe it clean.”
The rattlesnake hissed, but he slumped back down into his coil. “It was a good one, too.”
“It was,” agreed Simon hastily. “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you later, Geoff.”
The snake sighed, and Simon moved delicately past him. Halfway there.
“The spiders won’t hurt you if you’re with me,” said Ariana. “And we don’t kill people we like. Most of the time, anyway. Watch the coral snake.”
Simon stopped, his foot hovering half an inch above the tail of a snake with a red, yellow, and black striped pattern. “Sorry.”
“You’re going to die, Simon Thorn,” the coral snake hissed. “We can’t help you out there.”
“You aren’t helping him in here, either,” said Ariana. “So unless you plan on getting a little snappy and distracting the pack while we escape, stop being a jerk.”
The coral snake hissed, and Simon angled himself between them. “She didn’t mean it,” he said, and Ariana snorted. “Well, okay, she did, but we really could use your help. If anyone tries to come after us, can you stop them? Don’t—don’t kill them,” he added. “Just make sure they don’t follow us.”