A robin settled onto the branch beside him, puffing up nervously. “Gonna eat that worm?” she said, and Simon spotted a particularly fat one poking out of the dewy grass.
“It’s all yours,” he said, but the robin made no move to take it.
“You’re Simon, right?” she said. “Simon Thorn?”
Suspicion crept through him, and he eyed the robin. “How do you know that?”
As he spoke, several more robins settled onto the trees nearby, along with a handful of blue jays and crows. Not the kind of birds who usually shared breakfast. He dug his talons nervously into the branch.
“Orion said if we find you, we’ll have all the worms we want,” said the robin, hopping closer to him. “And seeds, and bread. Do you like bread? I like bread.”
“I, uh—” He may have been an eagle, but he had no idea if he could fly faster than the others. Over a dozen had gathered by now, all watching him with their beady eyes, waiting for him to make a move.
Perfect.
“I’m late for breakfast,” he said to the robin, trying to sound as casual as possible. “But you can have that worm. It looks extra juicy.”
For a split second, the robin’s attention turned toward the grass, and Simon pushed off the branch and flew toward the zoo once more. Behind him, he could hear the flap of wings as the smaller birds followed. The wind whipped his feathers as he sped up, flying faster than he ever had before. He couldn’t risk slowing down, not if Orion was after him.
His grandfather wasn’t just the leader of the bird kingdom—he was dangerous, too, and though Simon had been foolish enough to believe Orion had been on his side at first, he now knew the truth. Orion had murdered Darryl, and in the chaos that had followed, he’d also kidnapped Simon’s mother, leaving Simon with little hope of seeing her again. It was no surprise the birds were following him. Simon had shifted into a golden eagle in front of Orion, and now his grandfather thought he was the heir to the bird kingdom’s throne. But Simon would have rather pulled out all his feathers one by one than ever help Orion again.
It took Simon several minutes of weaving through the trees at dangerously high speeds, but at last he lost sight of the other birds. As soon as he was positive they weren’t following him anymore, he dived toward the Central Park Zoo and landed in the courtyard, hopping into the tunnel and pulling the grate shut with his beak. Shifting back into a mouse, he darted through the cold passageway as fast as he could, and by the time he reached the secret door into Nolan’s bedroom, he was panting. He stopped, listening hard for the sounds of anyone following him. Silence. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on shifting back into a human. The tunnel shrank around him, and he had to duck his head, but he relaxed as he grew into himself once more. Being able to turn into any animal he wanted was the coolest thing that had ever happened to Simon, but at the same time, there was nothing like being himself.
Simon shook out his tingling hands and pushed the panel open. He hadn’t been gone long. He still had time to read a chapter before meeting his friends for breakfast and—
“Enjoy your flight?” said a deep voice, and Simon froze.
In the middle of the bedroom stood Malcolm.
Cat Got Your Tongue
Simon hunched over in the mouth of the tunnel, staring up at his uncle. No doubt Malcolm knew where the tunnel led—the Alpha knew every inch of the Den, and Simon would never get away with playing dumb. The only thing he could do was own up to it.
“I’m sorry,” he said, feeling strangely exposed. Malcolm had moved the desk, leaving Simon no place to hide. To make things worse, he spotted Nolan in the doorway, his face red with fury.
“You know the rules,” said Malcolm, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “No one goes into the zoo without being accompanied by the pack. Especially not you two.”
“I—” Simon shivered. His shirt was soaked through with sweat, and he was still catching his breath. “It’s been weeks since you’ve let me go outside.”
“I don’t care how long it’s been. You’ll stay in the Den for months if that’s what it takes to keep you safe,” said Malcolm. Despite the anger in his voice, he offered Simon his hand and helped him to his feet.
“But I’m not—I’m not Nolan. It’s not dangerous for me,” said Simon.
His brother snorted. “No one knows what I am. The whole world knows you’re Orion’s heir,” he shot back. “By now Orion’s probably got the whole flock searching for you.”
Nolan had no idea how right he was, and Simon wasn’t about to tell him, not in front of Malcolm. “You can’t keep me cooped up here. It isn’t fair, not when there’s no room to really fly,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. He still smelled like skunk.
“I don’t care if it’s fair,” said Malcolm. “Do you understand what will happen if Orion catches you? Or my mother?”
Simon grimaced. Celeste Thorn, the former Alpha of the mammal kingdom and Simon’s grandmother, had already proved she would do anything to defeat Orion and the bird kingdom, even if it meant killing Simon.
“But they didn’t catch me,” said Simon. “I’m fine.”
“They have nothing to do but wait for you and Nolan to appear,” said Malcolm. “All they want is to get their hands on you, and when they do—”
“I won’t let them touch Nolan,” said Simon fiercely, and the grief he’d pushed aside during his flight back to the park crept through him again, hollowing out his insides. The night Darryl had died, Simon had promised himself he wouldn’t let the same thing happen to his brother, and he’d meant it.
“I’m not the one who sneaked out, so I don’t know why you’re both dragging me into this,” snapped Nolan. And while Simon could practically feel the heat of anger radiating from his twin, he also thought he detected a hint of hurt in his voice.
“Don’t pretend you haven’t used that tunnel a hundred times before, too,” said Malcolm. “If you’d gone with Simon earlier, I don’t doubt you would have both left the Den.”
“No, he wouldn’t have, because I wouldn’t have let him,” blurted Simon. Instantly he realized his mistake. Resentment and betrayal cast a shadow on his brother’s face, and Nolan clenched his hands into fists.
“No, you wouldn’t have, would you?” said Nolan, his voice shaking. “I’m not one of your precious friends, so why would you ever bother spending any time with me?”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” said Simon, scowling. If Orion or Celeste managed to kidnap Nolan like Orion had kidnapped their mother—
“Enough.” Malcolm’s voice cut through the air, and Simon clamped his mouth shut. “Nolan, go shower and change.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Muttering to himself, Nolan grabbed a clean black uniform from his dresser and ducked into the bathroom he and Simon shared, slamming the door so hard the lamp on his nightstand rattled. Simon winced.
“Look at me, Simon.”
Though there was a growl in Malcolm’s voice, he didn’t sound as angry as before. Simon reluctantly met his stare. He had blue eyes, unlike Darryl’s black ones, but there was still something painfully familiar about them.
“This isn’t just about Nolan,” said his uncle. “This is about you, too. You’re as much a part of this family as he is, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Simon had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying what he really thought. Malcolm could pretend all he wanted, but they had only met two months ago, and he hadn’t raised Simon the way he’d raised Nolan. Simon wanted to be part of their family—he’d felt like an outsider looking in his whole life, and all he’d ever wanted was a place to belong. But he wasn’t one of them, and as hard as it was to admit, he knew there was a possibility he never would be. Not completely.
“I’m not the one you should worry about,” said Simon at last, his mouth turning to sandpaper. “Nolan’s the one they want.”
Malcolm studied the opening be
hind Simon. “I’m going to have the tunnel blocked. No one will be getting in or out that way again. But Simon—it isn’t about keeping you cooped up.”
“Feels like it,” he mumbled. Malcolm sighed.
“I get it. You may not believe me, but I do. As soon as it’s safe—”
“But what if it never is?” said Simon. “What if Orion’s never caught? What if Celeste takes control of the kingdoms again?”
“That won’t happen,” said Malcolm, though he didn’t look too sure. “The packs have been hunting down every lead we have on Orion and your mother—”
“But you still haven’t found her.”
“No, we haven’t,” said Malcolm reluctantly. “We’re doing our best, though. Mammals all over the country are searching for them. They can’t hide forever.”
“Maybe not forever, but long enough.”
Malcolm rubbed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. “Trust me, Simon. That’s all I ask. I’m doing everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to you and Nolan, but I need you to help me, all right? I need you to not do anything stupid—like go flying outside the Den without telling me.”
“So if I tell you before I go, it’s all right?” he said. Malcolm gave him a look, and Simon slumped his shoulders.
“We both want the same thing, Simon. We both want to keep Nolan safe. But as long as you’re running around ignoring the rules, you’re only tempting Nolan to do the same thing. Despite what you may think, Orion and Celeste would be more than happy to get their hands on either of you, so do me a favor and don’t risk it. Fly around the atrium if you’d like—that’s what it’s there for. But let me keep my promise to Darryl and protect you.”
Simon deflated. That was it—that was the reason Malcolm was trying so hard to pretend like Simon was family. Because as Darryl lay dying on the roof of Sky Tower, Malcolm had promised him he would look after Simon. Considering they had known each other all of three days at that point, it was a lofty promise to make, let alone one to keep. And now he and Simon were both stuck.
No matter how much Simon wanted to help him keep his promise, he couldn’t. Not completely. His mother was still out there, and if Simon ever wanted to see her again, he would have to break a few rules to find her—and likely face his grandfather down, too.
Malcolm seemed to take his silence as agreement, and he gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder before letting him head back to his bedroom. As soon as Nolan was done in the bathroom, Simon showered and finished getting ready while enduring Felix’s chastisements.
“What were you thinking?” said the little mouse as Simon brushed his teeth. “You could have been killed, or captured, or eaten—”
“I’m pretty sure there aren’t any animals native to New York that eat golden eagles,” mumbled Simon with a mouth full of toothpaste.
“Orion still could have caught you,” said Felix. “What would happen to you then? What would happen to me then?”
Simon sighed and turned on the water, spitting into the sink. “You’d find someone else to feed you. Someone who has a TV.”
Felix dipped his tiny paw beneath the running faucet and cleaned his whiskers. “I do miss my shows,” he admitted before shaking himself out of it. “No. I won’t allow you to talk like that. You may not be the Beast King’s heir, but you’re still important to me. You’re important to Nolan, to Malcolm—”
“Don’t pretend you weren’t listening in on what Nolan said. He can’t stand me right now. And Malcolm is only being nice because Darryl asked him to.” Simon replaced his toothbrush beside his brother’s and combed his shaggy hair.
“Malcolm doesn’t have to love you in order to protect you.” Felix scampered onto Simon’s shoulder as he walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom in search of socks. “He could keep his promise and still be a nasty piece of work about it, but he isn’t.”
Although Simon didn’t know his uncle well, he couldn’t imagine Malcolm being nasty about much. “If you’re trying to convince me we’ll eventually be one big happy family, I don’t believe it.” He didn’t want to be one big happy family, not without Darryl. And not without his mother. “Besides, I can’t just wait around, not while my mom’s still missing.”
While Simon was stuck in the Den, Orion was dragging his mother across the country in a desperate search for the pieces of the Predator, the five-pointed weapon the Beast King had used to steal other Animalgams’ abilities. They weren’t exactly easy to find, though. When the kingdoms had overthrown the Beast King, they had broken the weapon into five pieces. Each kingdom had agreed to protect one, preventing anyone from putting the whole thing together again. However, after spending Simon’s whole life traveling across the country to research the Predator, his mother was the only person who knew exactly where they were all hidden. That was why Orion had kidnapped her—to track them down and put the Predator back together. And no matter how much Simon wanted to rescue her, he had no idea where to start.
He opened his sock drawer, his hand hovering over a clean pair. But before he could pull it out, he instead dug toward the back for the pocket watch his mother had given him, turning it over in his hands. The silver face wasn’t particularly remarkable, but on the back was a symbol—five animals drawn together to form a single crest. The sign of the Beast King.
Simon didn’t know what it meant. He only knew his mother had made him promise to keep it on him always, and he felt a twinge of guilt for hiding it in his sock drawer instead. But he had nearly lost it once already, on the rooftop of Sky Tower during his fight with Orion. Darryl had managed to steal it back, returning it to Simon in the final moments of his life, but even after Simon had cleaned it thoroughly, he could still imagine his uncle’s blood staining the silver surface.
He’d promised his mom, though, and reluctantly he tucked the watch into his pocket. He had other reminders of her—other gifts that weren’t so painful to think about. On the wall above his desk, he had displayed his collection of the one hundred and twenty-four postcards his mother had sent him while she’d traveled throughout his childhood. One for every month she’d been gone. Each boasted a different animal native to North America, and he had long since memorized the careful handwriting on the back where she’d given him facts about each species and occasionally mentioned how much she missed him. He had also found her old notebook in September, which she had filled with everything she knew about the Beast King. Simon had pored over every inch of it, searching for any clues to where the pieces might be hidden. While he’d discovered a list of locations and a few tantalizing clues, he had yet to put any of them together. If it was even possible.
Despite the turmoil of the morning, Simon’s stomach let out a loud rumble, and he quickly pulled on his socks and shoes and headed into the atrium. Rather than take the spiral staircase to the ground level, Simon shifted into an eagle and flew down, hoping he would feel the same freedom he’d experienced beneath the sky. He didn’t.
The dining hall was already crowded with students who all wore black armbands with silver animals on them, declaring their Animalgam forms. Almost all of them were Simon’s age or older, since Animalgams could only attend the five-year program once they’d shifted, but unlike middle school, where the older kids never paid attention to the younger ones, every head seemed to turn his way as he entered. Keeping his eyes firmly on the buffet that offered every breakfast food he could imagine, including a morning sushi platter for the underwater kingdom, Simon quickly filled his plate and weaved through the dining hall. Each kingdom sat with their own kind, and not even the seventeen-year-old Animalgams mixed despite knowing one another for years.
Thankfully not all the students were like that. Somehow, Simon had managed to make friends despite who and what he was, and he set his tray down across from a blond boy wearing glasses and an armband displaying a silver dolphin.
“Morning, Jam,” he said, stifling a yawn. Jam pulled his nose out of the book he’d been reading and grinn
ed.
“Morning. You have feathers in your hair,” he said.
“What?” Simon ran his fingers through his hair, and several eagle feathers came out. He must have shed them while shifting. “Oh. Thanks.”
“What are you doing here so early?” said another voice. Winter, a small, pale girl with long dark hair, sat down beside Simon with a plate full of fruit. “You don’t normally get to breakfast until five minutes before it ends. And why do you smell like skunk?”
“I, uh—”
“He went for a fly around the park this morning.” Another girl joined their table, but unlike Winter, everything about her was vibrant, from her freshly dyed purple hair to the mischievous look in her eyes. She’d even colored in her black widow armband with pink Magic Marker. “The Alpha yelled at him for ages.”
“Malcolm didn’t yell,” said Simon, scowling as he tried to remember if he’d shifted into a mouse where Ariana could have seen him. “And you promised you wouldn’t spy on me anymore.”
“Did not,” said Ariana, taking a bite of bacon and smirking. No, he decided, she hadn’t seen him shift into anything but a bird. He probably would have noticed her in the tunnel if she’d been there, and if she knew his secret, she would have mentioned it to him by now. Or at least not so openly admitted to following him. If he knew anything about Ariana, it was how good a spy she really was.
A loud chorus of laughter echoed through the dining hall. Nolan sat at a table on the opposite side of the room with a handful of the biggest and most brutish mammals at the L.A.I.R. Simon caught his brother’s eye, and Nolan glared at him before turning away.
Simon refocused on his plate, stabbing a piece of sausage. Apparently Nolan was still upset.
“The Alpha put my name down for the pit this morning,” said Jam, his voice shaking slightly. “If he puts me up against anyone but an insect—”
“Not everyone in my kingdom is an insect, you know,” said Ariana. “Spiders are arachnids. We’re all arthropods, though.”
“If he puts me up against anyone bigger than a cricket, I’m dead meat,” amended Jam. “I can’t shift on the sand. I’d be useless.”