by Aimee Carter
The coral snake slithered around them, forming a circle in the sand. “What do I get in return?”
Simon racked his brain. What did reptiles like? “Books,” he said. “I have a whole library at home. I’ll bring you as many books as I can carry.”
The coral snake seemed to consider this, and finally moved aside. “And charcoal,” he said.
“S-Sure. I’ll see what I can do.” Taking Ariana’s hand again, Simon gingerly crossed the rest of the expanse of sand until they reached the entrance to the insects’ section.
“Trust me,” she said. “We’ll be fine.”
She opened the door and dragged him out of the desert. The shadowy insects’ section was even worse than Simon had imagined. He gulped and despite the muggy air, he shivered. A wall of cobwebs stood inches from the tip of his nose, so thick that all he could see was white.
“How am I supposed to get through this?” he said.
“Crawl, of course,” said Ariana, and she knelt down. “Follow me.”
She disappeared through a small opening underneath the webs. Simon flattened himself against the floor; there was just enough room for him to fit, though he had to drag himself along with his arms, and spiderwebs caught in his hair. He had the unnerving feeling that someone was watching him, but he kept his eyes on Ariana as she crawled through the maze of cobwebs. And it was a maze, Simon quickly realized. Each intersection offered two choices, and he didn’t want to think about what would happen if someone chose the wrong one.
At last they emerged on the other side. Simon shuddered, while Ariana ran her fingers through her hair. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” she said.
Simon blanched. “Speak for yourself.” He wasn’t sure he would ever shake the feeling of a million imaginary insects crawling over him.
From there they broke through to the foyer of the Academy. Simon dashed down the hallway toward the entrance, nearly tripping on the thick rug. He pushed open the double doors that led to the bridge, and—
Nothing. The bridge was gone. In the distance, he could see the doorway to the Arsenal, but unless they wanted to go for a swim, there was no way to cross the moat.
Ariana skidded to a stop beside him. “Well. That’s a problem.”
Simon’s mind raced. They couldn’t chance the tunnels—Ariana was right. The pack would anticipate that and be waiting for them. But there had to be some other way across. “I think I might know someone who can help.”
Simon headed back toward the school, but instead of returning to the insects’ section, he turned right, toward the Aquarium.
“No way,” said Ariana. “The reptiles like the mammals about as much as we do, but the fish are completely under the Alpha’s thumb.”
“Not all of them. Come on.” He led her into the underwater tunnel. A shark floated above them, but if he noticed them, he didn’t stop.
Ariana shrank down. “You know they can see us, right?” she said, and Simon was surprised to hear her voice shake.
“I know. Through here.” He stopped in the middle of the hallway and crouched down. The trapdoor Malcolm had pointed out to him opened easily, and Simon slid through, climbing down the ladder.
“I don’t like water,” said Ariana as she followed him down into a concrete corridor.
“We don’t have much of a choice, unless you want to sneak out through the tunnels on your own.”
“Please,” she said. “Like I’m letting you do this without me.”
He led the way through the damp hallway. The yellow lights flickered, giving off an eerie glow, and finally they reached the barracks. Simon peeked around the corner. It was a long room full of metal bunk beds, and the only decoration was the glass ceiling that showed the Aquarium above them. The members of the underwater kingdom sat at tiny desks, with their heads down as they worked on their homework. All except for one.
Jam stretched out across his bed, book in hand as he happily ignored the furtive looks from the others. His bunk was only a few down from the door, and Simon tried to wave and catch his attention.
Nothing.
“Let me do it,” whispered Ariana, and she shifted once more and crawled across the concrete floor. Simon lost sight of her when she reached the bunk bed, but a moment later, Jam jerked and dropped his book.
“What—” he started, but he blinked and then finally looked at the doorway.
Simon waved. Nearby, others glanced at him as well, and Jam pushed his glasses up his nose and stood.
“What are you doing down here?” said Jam as he hurried toward Simon. They stepped into the hallway, and Jam closed the door to the barracks. “If the captain catches you, you’re chum.”
“We need your help,” said Simon. “The Academy’s on lockdown.”
“I know. The captain wanted me to do extra training, since the general’s unhappy with my . . .” Jam stopped, shuffling his feet. “But I said I had homework.”
“I didn’t know the Lord of the Rings was on the syllabus,” said Ariana, suddenly appearing in human form beside Jam. He turned nearly as pink as her hair.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Simon. “Jam—do you think you can get us to the other side of the moat without being seen?”
“You want to sneak out?” he said, and Simon nodded. “Why?”
“I’ll explain everything if you help us. If you don’t—”
“If you don’t, the Alpha is probably going to kill Simon,” said Ariana casually. “We stole the pieces of the Predator.”
“You did what?” said Jam.
“And he and Nolan are the Beast King’s heirs. Surprise.”
Jam stared at him, agog, and it took a couple of hasty minutes for Simon to explain the whole story. “And Ariana’s right,” he added. “When we shift and figure out which of us is the Beast King’s heir, the Alpha’s going to use the Predator to kill whoever it is and absorb their power. I can’t let that happen.”
Jam opened and shut his mouth several times. “I—of course I’ll help, but—how?”
“We need to get to the other side of the moat,” said Simon.
Jam blinked owlishly and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Can you swim?”
Simon nodded, but Ariana made a face. “No way am I getting in the water,” she said. “I’ll meet you both on the other side of the bridge.”
“You’re sure you can sneak past the pack?” said Simon.
“You do remember who you’re talking to, don’t you?” she said. “I’ll see you in ten minutes. Don’t be late.”
She disappeared down the hallway, and Simon turned back to Jam. “Listen, I know it’s dangerous. You really don’t have to do this.”
“I want to. You’re the first friend I’ve had in this place. I’m not going to let the Alpha hurt you,” said Jam, and despite everything, Simon decided that if this was what having real friends felt like, he almost didn’t want to leave. Almost.
Jam led him to a small chamber at the end of the hallway. The glass ceiling exposed the moat, and a school of piranhas swam right over their heads. Simon tried not to think too hard about what else was in there.
“How are we supposed to do this?” said Simon. “I can’t shift yet.”
“They won’t hurt you if you’re with me. Probably, anyway. Here, put these on.” Jam offered him a face mask and a swim cap from a hook on the wall. “This way, they won’t recognize you.”
Simon had his doubts, especially since they might already have seen him in the tunnel, but he pulled on the equipment. Once he finished, Jam stepped back to inspect him.
“Excellent. Up here.” He climbed a ladder and pointed to a hatch. It led to a compartment at the very bottom of the moat. “It’s full of air right now. Once we’re inside, it’ll fill with water, and the other side will open so we can swim out. Come on.”
He crawled into the glass chamber and Simon followed, squeezing in beside him. The same school of piranhas swam by again, and Simon’s hands grew clammy.
“Take a deep
breath,” said Jam. “Hope you can hold it for a while.”
Simon inhaled as much air as he could, and Jam hit a button on the side. A buzzer went off, and another panel in the hatch opened up into the moat. Jam shifted into his dolphin form, and cold water rushed in around them until they were completely submerged.
“Grab on,” he said, his squeaky voice muffled by the water. Grasping the slippery gray fin, Simon held on for dear life as the dolphin began to swim.
Seaweed brushed up against his legs, and the other fish all gave him curious looks, but it seemed that Jam was right; none of them questioned what Simon was doing in the water. It was almost peaceful down here, and for a moment, Simon wished he really was the Beast King, if only so he could stay down there longer.
But he was still human, and it didn’t take long before his lungs started to burn from the lack of oxygen. He squeezed Jam’s fin. “Almost there,” the dolphin promised. “Just a few more meters and—”
“Soldier!” A roar ripped through the water, and a great white shark swam up to them: the captain. “What are you doing with that civilian?”
“Training exercise, sir,” said Jam without missing a beat. “Civilian rescue, sir. Malcolm authorized it this morning, sir.”
The captain considered them as he showed off rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth. “Did you fill out the paperwork?”
“On my desk, sir. I made copies for you, Malcolm, and my personal records, sir.”
Simon grew dizzy. He wouldn’t be able to hold his breath much longer. His chest ached, and he considered swimming up to the surface himself. He might be seen, but it would be better than drowning in the moat. He squeezed Jam’s fin again.
“The civilian needs air, sir. He isn’t used to holding his breath, sir.”
“Go ahead, soldier,” said the captain. “If I don’t see the paperwork before dinnertime, you’ll be doing laps for weeks.”
“Noted, sir.” Jam launched himself through the water, and just when Simon thought he might gulp in a lungful of water, they broke the surface. “There,” he said proudly. “Told you we’d make it.”
Simon took a great gasping breath and coughed. “Thanks. Remind me never to do that again.”
“You did great,” said Jam. “Do you think he bought it?”
“I think so. We’ll see if any piranhas try to eat me.”
“We keep them well fed.” Jam swam them over to the entrance to the Arsenal. Simon tried to pull himself up, but his palms slipped, and he couldn’t get a grip.
“Gotcha.” A hand shot out and wrapped around his wrist. Ariana. “Took you long enough.”
“Jam decided to have a chat with the captain,” said Simon.
With Ariana’s help, he climbed onto the ledge and yanked off the cap and mask. His clothes were sopping wet, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. However, when Jam rolled himself up onto the platform and shifted back, his clothes were perfectly dry.
“How do you do that?” said Simon, and Jam shrugged.
“It’s part of whatever makes us able to shift in the first place, I guess.”
A muffled howl cut through the air, and Ariana made a face. “We need to get out of here before the pack finds us. Think you can make it?”
“I’m all right,” said Simon, and he stood. “You shouldn’t come with me.”
“I already told you, you’re not getting rid of me that easily,” she said.
“Or me,” said Jam, readjusting his glasses. “Someone has to watch your back. The more of us there are, the better our chances.”
“He has a point,” said Ariana. “You won’t be able to get to Sky Tower without us.”
Simon hesitated. “If the Alpha finds out—”
“She already knows I bit her,” she said. “Can’t get much worse than that. We’ll be fine.”
Together the three of them headed into the Arsenal and up the narrow staircase. Simon expected a wolf to burst through the door at any moment, but they made it to the foyer without any problems. A few tourists taking pictures gave them strange looks, but Simon dashed past them and out the front door, with Ariana and Jam following close behind.
“Sky Tower’s only a few blocks away,” said Jam. “That’s where we’re going, right?”
“Not yet,” said Simon, and instead of heading out into the city, he turned back toward the zoo entrance. “The Alpha has my uncle, and I have to set him free first.”
“It isn’t safe in the zoo anymore,” said Ariana. “Not for you, anyway. If you let me do it—”
“It won’t take long, and I don’t want you to get caught,” said Simon, slowing when they reached the gate. A zoo worker stood taking tickets, and Simon glanced around. Nearby, a large group of tourists ambled toward the entrance, and he gestured for Ariana and Jam to follow him.
“This is a really stupid idea,” muttered Ariana as they joined the tourists, who were too distracted by snapping pictures to notice the three of them. “The pack is going to be stationed at every tunnel exit.”
“Then we’ll just have to avoid them.” Keeping to the middle of the crowd, Simon held his breath as the zoo worker tore the tickets and gestured for the group to go through, and then—
They were on the other side of the gate. “Come on,” he said, breaking off from the tourists. Jam and Ariana followed, and within minutes, they were inside the sweltering rain forest building, running toward the unguarded door. Simon fumbled with the Alpha’s key, relieved when it opened the lock. “Make sure no one comes in,” he said before slipping inside.
The first thing he saw was his mother’s empty cage. Orion had managed to rescue her after all. Part of Simon hoped he had done the same for his uncle, but when he looked into the second cage, all the air left his lungs.
The hulking wolf lay inside, his sides heaving and his gray fur matted with blood. Scratch marks lined his belly, and the feathers that clung to him made it obvious what had happened. Whoever had rescued Simon’s mother had tried to kill his uncle.
“Is he . . . ?” said Jam, his eyes wide.
“He’s breathing.” Simon quickly unlocked the cage and opened it. “Darryl—are you awake? Can you hear me?”
The wolf opened an eye. “Simon? What are you doing here?”
“We’re getting you out of here,” he said, and he moved aside so Darryl could climb out of the cage. He did so slowly, wincing with every move he made, and Simon felt like he was going to be sick. He knew the war between the birds and the mammals was bad, but Darryl had been imprisoned—he couldn’t have done anything to them even if he’d wanted to.
As soon as Darryl was free, he shifted back into a human and staggered against the wall. Simon helped him to the concrete ground, panicked. His uncle couldn’t possibly walk out of the zoo like this, not without attracting too much attention.
“I don’t know what to do,” said Simon, his voice hitching. “Nolan and Mom are safe with Orion, but—but the birds attacked you, and—”
“We have to leave, before the pack finds us,” said Darryl, his breathing labored. His face was scratched up, and the scar that ran down his cheek was a ghostly white. “You’re not safe at Sky Tower.”
“I’m safer there than I am here,” said Simon. But his uncle wasn’t. “We can’t just leave Mom and Nolan behind.”
“We have to,” said Darryl. “You don’t understand—”
“Simon!” cried Ariana. A snarl echoed from behind them, and with a start, Simon twisted around. Another gray wolf stood in the doorway, blocking their only exit.
Malcolm.
22
SMUG BUG
The wolf growled, and Simon instinctively stepped in front of his uncle. Malcolm was supposed to be their ally, but the fury in his eyes and the rage in his snarl made Simon question whether he’d ever been on their side.
“Don’t eat us,” begged Jam, holding his hands in front of his face. “I’m all stringy and probably taste like fish. Unless you like fish. Then I probably taste lik
e—like mercury. And seaweed. Definitely seaweed.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Fluke. I’m not going to eat you.” Much to Simon’s relief, Malcolm shifted back into a human, and he immediately crossed the room and knelt beside them. “What did Mother do to you?” he said, his hands hovering over Darryl’s chest.
“Wasn’t Mother this time, shockingly,” said Darryl with a rough laugh. “Orion holds a grudge, it seems.”
Malcolm grunted. “We can’t stay here. Do you think you can move?”
Simon helped Malcolm hoist Darryl to his feet, and his uncle leaned heavily on Malcolm as they trudged back into the hallway. “Where are we supposed to go?” said Simon.
“Anywhere but here,” said Darryl. “Or Sky Tower.”
“There’s a safe house upstate,” said Malcolm. “Mother won’t think to look for you there, and I’ll convince her you’re with Orion instead.”
“You won’t come with us?” said Darryl.
Malcolm grimaced.
“Not while Orion still has Nolan.”
They reached the exit and burst out into the daylight, where the breeze immediately cooled Simon off. “We can’t leave them,” he said. “Mom and Nolan—even if they’re safe with Orion, we can’t just abandon them like that.”
Darryl let out a humorless laugh. He was walking on his own now, though he limped heavily and favored his right side. “The only place any of you are safe is as far from the city as you can get. Nolan and your mother—”
“Malcolm.”
Vanessa stepped out from the crowd and blocked his way. Behind her, another half-dozen human members of the pack appeared, forming a semicircle around them. Tourists and families stepped around them easily, not seeming to notice the intrusion, but Simon stopped cold.
“Vanessa,” said Malcolm, and Simon could feel his towering presence directly behind him. “I have this handled.”
“I’m under direct orders from the Alpha to bring the boy in,” she said. Simon gulped. So the Alpha must be awake. “She also added that, unfortunate as it may be, your judgment could be compromised.”
Malcolm growled, and the other members of the pack began to flex their muscles. Simon’s pulse raced, and he glanced at Darryl. No doubt his uncles could take Vanessa and the others when they were both whole and healthy, but Darryl was too injured to get into a skirmish and win.