by Aimee Carter
“You are strong, Simon. Stronger than you know. Never—never forget it.”
Finally his grip on Simon’s hand faded, and the light in Darryl’s eyes disappeared. A choking sob escaped Simon, and he clutched his uncle’s cold fingers. Behind him, the other wolves gathered on the rooftop one by one, but it was too late.
Darryl was gone.
25
PIGEON POOP
Simon didn’t know how long he knelt on the rooftop beside his uncle’s body. Long enough for his face to grow numb in the wind, and long enough for the entire pack to chase away the remaining birds and join them, their heads bowed.
He didn’t let go of his uncle’s hand. Over and over again, he pictured Darryl’s eyes opening, and Simon silently begged for this to be nothing more than a nightmare. But it wasn’t a nightmare. This was his life, and Simon didn’t know how to face it without his uncle.
If only the rats hadn’t attacked them. If only Simon had met Darryl at the ferry. If only Simon hadn’t been so stupid and trusted Winter. None of this would have happened, and they would have found a way to save his mother together. Darryl would still be alive, and by now they would have left the city, all three of them. And they would all be safe.
No, Simon realized. They wouldn’t all be safe. Nolan would still be at the Den, and his mother would never have left New York without him. Orion and the Alpha would have hunted them down, and one way or another, Darryl would have risked his life to protect him.
But maybe by then, Simon would have found a way to keep them all alive.
Malcolm clapped his hand on Simon’s shoulder and cleared his throat. His eyes were red and swollen. “Come on,” he said gruffly. “The pack will take care of him. We need to get you someplace safe.”
“What—what about my mom?” said Simon.
Malcolm frowned, not quite looking at him. “Orion’s lieutenants escaped, and they took her with them.”
The world began to tilt once more, and the edges of Simon’s vision went black. His mother was still missing. Darryl was dead. And all of it had been for nothing. “I’m sorry,” he said softly to his uncle’s body. Squeezing Darryl’s hand one last time, Simon finally let go and stood, his gaze lingering on his uncle’s motionless form. Only when Darryl’s face was burned into his memory did he allow Malcolm to lead him back into the atrium.
The climb down the tree was a blur. He couldn’t think about his uncle, not yet, not without falling apart, so he focused on his mother. Orion wouldn’t kill her, not when he could still use her to find the real pieces of the Predator. But how long would that last? How long would it be before Simon lost her, too?
“About time!” Felix scampered halfway up the spiral staircase, stopping at his feet. “Come quickly—it’s your brother.”
Any relief Simon felt at knowing Felix was all right evaporated, and he ran down the stairs after him. “What happened? Where is he?”
“Less talking, more running!” called Felix, darting down to the lower level and hurrying through the branch-filled hallway. Simon followed, with Malcolm hot on his heels. As they passed an open sitting room, he spotted Ariana and Jam huddled on the sofa. He would thank them later. Right now, he had to find his brother.
Felix stopped in front of a door at the end of a long corridor. An odd scratching noise came from inside the room, and Simon yanked the door open and stopped cold.
His brother wasn’t on the other side. Instead, a young gray wolf paced across the carpet, making a pitiful whining sound.
“Nolan?” said Simon. The wolf sat back on his haunches, and in the blink of an eye, it shifted into a rattlesnake. And then a frog. And then a squirrel, and a robin, and a wasp.
“I’m the Beast King’s heir,” said Nolan as he shifted back into a wolf, shaking his head in disbelief. “I thought when you showed up that you would be instead, but it’s me.”
Simon stared at him, stunned, though he quickly recovered. Of course Nolan was the Beast King’s heir, now that Simon knew he was an eagle. His resolve turned to steel. He wouldn’t let Orion kill his brother. No matter what it took, no matter what Simon had to do, he would protect him. Orion had already stolen his mother and uncle. Simon wasn’t going to let him steal his brother, too.
“Turns out I sprout feathers,” he said wearily, and his grief must have shown on his face, because Nolan trotted up to him, his wolf’s brow furrowed with concern.
“I’m not going to boss you around, if that’s what you’re worried about. As long as you do what I want, I mean.”
Simon shook his head. “It’s not that,” he began, but before he could explain, a shadow appeared over Simon’s shoulder.
“It’s Darryl,” said Malcolm as he stepped into the room. “He’s dead.”
Nolan’s face fell, and his tail drooped. “He—he is?”
“And Orion took Mom with him,” said Simon.
His brother bared his teeth. “We’ll get her back,” he growled. “I’m the Beast King now. No one takes my mother and gets away with it.”
More than anything, Simon wanted to agree with him. He wanted to scour every corner of New York City—every corner of the country, if he had to—until he found Orion and his mother. But dread coiled inside him at the thought of what Orion would do to his brother if he captured him. Simon couldn’t let that happen.
“You.”
The Alpha’s voice rang out, and she stormed into the room, all pretense of royalty gone. At first Simon thought she was hurrying toward Nolan, but instead she cornered him, shoving him against the wall and putting her nose an inch from his.
“You took the pieces,” she said, her face contorted with fury. “You handed Orion the Predator. Now he has control, and because of you, my kingdom will fall.” She grabbed his throat, cutting off his air supply. “You will suffer for what you’ve done, if it’s the last thing I—”
A furious snarl filled the room. An enormous wolf slammed into the Alpha, and she tumbled to the ground, shifting as she hit the carpet.
But it was too late. Malcolm pinned her smaller form, and he snapped his jaw just above her throat.
“I do not care what Simon did,” he growled. “You have only yourself to blame, Mother. You were our Alpha. He’s a twelve-year-old boy, and I will not let you hurt him. Not now, not ever.”
“How dare you.” The Alpha tried to claw Malcolm’s muzzle, but he was too quick for her. In an instant, he shifted his weight, immobilizing her completely.
“You have let down our kingdom, and you have let down our family,” he said. Near the doorway, Simon noticed the rest of the pack gathering in wolf form. “You have no right to call yourself our Alpha any longer. Relinquish your crown before you cause any more harm to our kingdom, or I will kill you.”
Silence reverberated throughout the room, and Simon barely dared to breathe. The Alpha stared at her son, her eyes full of hatred. “I am your mother.”
“And that is why I am offering you your life,” said Malcolm. “I will give you one chance. Step down, and you live. Refuse, and you die here.”
She bared her teeth. “Take him into custody,” she ordered the pack. But none of them moved to help the Alpha. Instead they all rumbled their dissent, and one wolf stepped forward.
“You heard him,” said Vanessa. “We follow Malcolm now, not you.”
The Alpha clenched her jaw, and several tense seconds passed. “Traitors, all of you,” she said, and at last she shifted back into her human form. “Very well. I step down as your Alpha and pass on my title to you, Malcolm.” She glanced coldly at Simon and Nolan. “My only living heir.”
Malcolm rumbled, and he didn’t let her go. “You will leave the city and all our lands, and you will never return. If I ever see you again, I will rip you limb from limb, as slowly and excruciatingly as possible. By the time I’m finished, you will be begging me to let you die.”
Finally he climbed off her and positioned himself in front of Simon and Nolan. She rose, and with her head held high,
she walked out of the room, the pack parting to give her space.
“Follow her. Make sure she leaves,” he said.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Vanessa, trotting down the hall with another pair of wolves at her heels.
“It’s only a matter of time before Orion sends every bird in the city after us,” said Malcolm. “We need to return to the Den. You three, gather the other students. Nolan, Simon, you will remain with me and the rest of the pack.”
“But—” Simon’s mouth went dry. “I’m Orion’s heir. Birds aren’t allowed at the L.A.I.R.”
“You’re my nephew,” he said firmly. “I will not allow anyone to cast you aside no matter what Animalgam form you take. You are the person you choose to be, not the person others think you are.”
Simon was silent. He might not have wanted anything to do with Orion, but that didn’t change the fact that he would one day be in charge of the kingdom the mammals hated. Maybe they only hated Orion—maybe now everything would change. But something in his gut twisted, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be that easy. Nothing ever was.
However, if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that he would be the best heir to the bird kingdom he could possibly be. Malcolm was right about that—he got to choose who he would be. And he wasn’t going to be anything like his grandfather.
“You need to shift back, Nolan,” said Malcolm. “Can’t walk the streets of New York like this, can you?”
Nolan pawed uncomfortably at the carpet. “I don’t know how.”
“You don’t—” Malcolm sighed. “Fine, I’ll show you in the atrium. Let’s go.”
Malcolm guided Simon and the wolf that was his brother out of the room. He hovered closer than usual, and it took Simon a moment to remember that Malcolm had also made Darryl a promise—to protect Simon, even though he wasn’t the Beast King’s heir. Was this what his life was going to be like now? Trapped in the Den under Malcolm’s watchful eye, unable to leave unless he wanted to risk Orion capturing him again?
As they passed an open bedroom door, Simon heard shuffling, and he stuck his head inside. Winter stood in a room decorated all in white, with several large bookcases lining the walls. Classical music spilled from a pair of speakers, and she sniffled as she sat in the center of the bed, staring at something in her hands.
“What are you doing?” he said. Winter jumped, and her expression quickly hardened.
“Orion left me,” she mumbled, her gaze drifting back to the thing she was holding—a picture frame. “I tried to go with the flock, but they wouldn’t let me.”
“Maybe if you’d told the truth, things would’ve been different,” he said.
“No. They would have left me no matter what I did,” she said, refusing to look at him. “I’m sorry, Simon. I thought—I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Deep down he knew that, but she was still the reason Darryl was dead. And he wasn’t sure he could forgive that so easily. More pictures lined the bookshelf nearest the door, and Simon stepped inside to get a closer look. Most of them were of a man and a woman he didn’t recognize, but some of them were of Orion and Winter. At least he was still alive. But he had abandoned Winter without a second thought, and Simon wasn’t sure which was worse.
“Are you coming back with us?” he said, picking up one of the photographs. “It’s safe now. Malcolm banished the Alpha.”
“He won’t let me back in after what I did,” she said. And while there was a chance she was right, he shrugged.
“If Malcolm’s letting me back in, he has to let you in, too.”
She scoffed, her voice choked. “Don’t pretend you like me. Not after what I did.”
“I don’t. And I’m not sure it’ll ever be okay. But—” He cleared his throat. “You lied to me to protect your family. I get that.”
Her face flushed. “I really am sorry,” she whispered.
“I know.” He pretended to inspect the pictures as Winter hastily wiped her cheek. “Darryl’s dead.”
“What?” Her eyes widened. Setting the frame aside, she stood and took several steps toward him. “Simon . . .”
“They took my mother, too,” he said hollowly. “I don’t think I’m ever going to see her again.”
Winter bit her lip. “You will. I know Orion better than anyone. He told me all kinds of things, and if anyone can track him down, it’s me. I’ll do anything to help you find her, Simon. I swear.”
He shook his head. “I promised Darryl—I promised him I would stay safe.”
“Our world won’t ever be safe, not if Orion gets the weapon. I thought he would do the right thing, but . . .” Winter trailed off and glanced at a photograph of the man and woman on her shelves. “I never got to know my mother. But you—you have a chance to know yours. You can’t give that up, Simon. You just can’t.”
He averted his eyes, and a lump formed in his throat. No, he couldn’t. “I don’t know what to do.”
“We’ll figure it out,” said Winter. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
A long moment passed, and finally he said, “Everything that happened . . . it’s not really your fault, you know.”
She hesitated. “It is. I knew exactly what I was doing. But I never thought this is how it would end.”
“It’s not over yet,” said Simon. She was right—no matter what he did, if Orion got his hands on the real Predator, there would be no safe place left in the world for him and his brother. And in the end, that meant the only way to keep his promise to Darryl was to make sure that never happened. “I’m sorry I told Orion you’re a snake.”
“Don’t be. Perrin would have told him, anyway. Besides, I deserved it.” She sniffed and took another tentative step toward him. “No matter what happens, Simon—I’m on your side. And I won’t let anyone hurt you or Nolan, even if he is a toad. I know you’ll probably never forgive me, but maybe—maybe we can be friends eventually. Once this is over.”
Simon shook his head. He would never forget this, and he wasn’t sure his uncle’s death would ever stop hurting, but he’d already lost enough that day. “Winter . . . we’re already friends.”
Her lower lip trembled, and wordlessly she caught him in a hug. It took everything Simon had left, but at last, he hugged back.
Darryl was buried beneath a stone plaza at the edge of the zoo, beside a statue of a wolf bowing his head. It was his father’s grave, Malcolm had explained to Simon in a hushed voice, and a second statue would be erected in Darryl’s honor. Neither grave was marked with their names, and Simon hated the thought of tourists passing them every day, taking pictures and rubbing the wolves’ muzzles without ever knowing what they really represented.
When the funeral ended and everyone began to trickle back toward the Arsenal for dinner, Simon stopped and gazed across the park in the direction of his old apartment. It was too far to see the building, but he ached to visit one last time. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he approached Malcolm, who stared blankly at the outline of Darryl’s grave.
“We should head back to the Den,” said Malcolm at last, clearing his throat. “It’s getting late.”
“I was hoping I could go back to my apartment,” said Simon. “I know it’s dangerous, but I’ll be fast. I just want to get my stuff.” He had the important things, like his mother’s postcards and notebook and the pocket watch Darryl had returned to him. But he needed proof that his whole life up until this moment hadn’t been a dream. And he had promised the reptiles as many books as he could carry.
“I want to go, too,” said Nolan, popping up behind them. “I’ve never seen the rest of the city before.”
“If he’s going, then so are we,” said Ariana and Jam, who had come to the funeral as moral support. Malcolm sighed and closed his eyes, long enough for Simon to see a flicker of grief flash across his face.
“All right,” he said quietly. “Just this once.”
He gathered half the pack, and together they all headed toward Fifth Avenue an
d piled into three taxis. Nolan and Simon were squished together in the backseat with Malcolm, and as the taxis sped up the street, Nolan glanced nervously out the window.
“You’ve really never been to other parts of the city?” said Simon. His brother shook his head.
“The Alpha—Grandmother—she said it was too dangerous. She didn’t even let me go into the rest of Central Park.”
“Darryl didn’t let me go alone, either,” said Simon, his uncle’s name heavy on his tongue. “But I went anyway, before and after school sometimes. There’s a path I took that I think you’ll like. It’s short.”
“No,” said Malcolm wearily. “No detours.”
“It’s not far from the apartment,” said Simon. “I just want to see it one more time.”
To Simon’s surprise, his uncle gave in far more easily than he’d expected, and twenty minutes later, they all pulled up to the familiar corner of Central Park. Simon’s chest tightened as he glanced down the street toward his old apartment building. Two members of the pack headed over to start boxing everything up, and Simon almost asked to go with them instead. But the excitement on Nolan’s face stopped him, and he led them up the sidewalk and into the trees.
It was a warm evening, and the city seemed to melt away. The pack kept a wide perimeter, eyeing each pigeon as it passed, and Simon led Nolan, Ariana, and Jam down the footpath he’d taken to and from school. “This is my favorite place,” he said, watching a pair of squirrels argue over an acorn. “It’s quiet here, and the chipmunks and birds like to talk. Mostly they just want food though—”
“Look who it is!” called a familiar voice. “Psycho Simon.”
Simon felt as though he’d jumped into the icy polar bear water all over again. Up ahead, Bryan Barker and his gang spread out across the path, laughing and throwing sticks at the squirrels. Behind them, once again struggling under the weight of five backpacks, stumbled Colin.
“Who’s that?” said Nolan, stepping behind the others and ducking his head. Simon didn’t blame him for trying to stay out of sight.
“No one,” said Simon as they drew closer. “Just some jerk who thinks he’s important.”