Simon Thorn and the Wolf's Den (22 page)

As far as Simon could tell, Ariana couldn't nod or otherwise show she agreed, but after a few seconds, Winter seemed satisfied. “All right. Pick it up.”

Simon slowly lifted the glass. “Don't run,” he said. “She really will squish you.”

The spider twitched, but at last she began to grow. Simon blinked, and the pink-haired Ariana sat on the nightstand, looking—happy?

“I knew it!” She hopped off and grinned at both of them. “I knew there was a reason you were here.”

“I
will
still throw this at you,” said Winter, brandishing the book.

“What? Oh—I won't tell anyone,” said Ariana. “Are you kidding? My mother is the Black Widow Queen, and she isn't exactly crazy about the Alpha assembling the Predator, either. You think the other kingdoms just submitted to her on a whim?” She shook her head, and a wisp of pink hair fell into her eyes. “No one wants her to get that final piece. But Winter's right. She'll look under every single rock until she finds it, and she'll have the entire mammal kingdom to help her.”

“Is—is that why you were listening?” said Simon. “Because you thought we had something to do with the last piece?”

Ariana shrugged. “I thought something was going on
when
you showed up and the bird flock went crazy, so I've been following you. You're pretty interesting, Simon Thorn. Especially your family tree.”

Simon's cheeks warmed. So she knew everything. “You can't tell anyone. If you do—”

“Relax. The queens of my kingdom have known about the Beast King's heir for generations,” said Ariana. “I'm not going to rat you out.”

Simon eyed her, not entirely sure he believed her. “Why are you telling us this?”

“Because,” said Ariana, her mouth twisting into a smirk, “I know where the Alpha's hiding the pieces of the weapon.”

19

TWO BIRDS AND ONE STONE

“This is crazy,” whispered Winter as they followed Ariana down the spiral staircase in the Alpha's section. “She's a spider. Never trust a spider.”

“Do you know where the pieces are?” said Simon, and she shook her head. “Then we don't have any other choice.”

“You know I can hear you, right?” said Ariana as she sashayed through the empty atrium, looking extremely pleased with herself. Winter scowled at the back of her head.

“It's true, isn't it?” she said. “Spiders are the spies of the Animalgam kingdoms.”

“And we are
extremely
good at it,” said Ariana. “If I wasn't willing to be caught, I wouldn't have been.”

“
Easy to say now,” said Winter, and Simon nudged her. Whether they could trust Ariana or not, she was trying to help them. That was the important part for now.

“We don't have much time before the Alpha comes looking for me,” he said. “Where is she hiding the—”

“Simon!”

A strange cry filtered in from the hallway. Simon, gripped by fear, ran over to the door and pulled it open.

A hair-raising screech filled the air, and he gasped. Dozens of birds flew through the hallway. Pigeons, falcons, hawks—every kind of bird Simon had ever seen in the city swooped between the branches, screaming at the top of their lungs with their talons poised to attack. Orion had received his message.

“It's the flock!” he shouted over his shoulder. “They invaded the Den.”

“Don't let them in!” called Winter. “If they take us to Sky Tower now, we'll never be able to come back.”

As relieved as he was to see them, Simon knew she was right. The key, the pieces of the Predator—they couldn't leave the Den, not yet. He tried to close the door, but a hawk swooped into the atrium, narrowly missing getting its tail feathers caught. Simon slammed the door before any other birds could get inside.

“Simon Thorn,” said the hawk. “You must come with me at once.”

“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.”

“You have to,” she said, finally allowing Simon to help her up. “Orion's already going to be angry when he finds out what I am. If he thinks I left you behind, 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.