House of Vultures, Maggie Claire [fun to read .txt] 📗

I cannot believeit! True namesequal power, connecting the named one with the knowledge bearer. Noone ever shares his or her real name with another being, since evenbefore Cassé was destroyed. Even some married couples never learneach other’s true names.

I feel a flicker of thatpower growing deep inside me, like a tiny flower budding its smallpetals in spring. I can do anything withhim, and he will be forced to obey my every whim. I can heal orkill him with a command. I can force him to walk off a cliff, burnhimself alive, starve, or plunge a knife into his own heart. I canwill him to live, share my own strength with him, or not. WhateverI desire, he will be forced to comply. Thepower radiates through my bones, a heady force that overwhelms mysenses. I lean over the boy, wiping sweat from his eyebrows.“Antero, look at me,” I will as I speak. His eyes focus on medespite his fever, and a shiver of pleasure ripples over me. “Fightthis fever. Heal. Let your body fix itself.”

The words burn my tongue as theinfluence within them flows over Antero’s face. I feel my energydrain as it is drawn into Antero’s body in an effort to speed hisrecovery. His body ceases convulsing immediately, his breathingslowing to a normal rate. He falls into a deep, restful sleep as Idraw my hand away.

“What did you do?” Wolfreturns with the rags, stopping speechlessly as he recognizes theboy’s change. He cannot know Antero’sname, I think selfishly, enjoying thecontrol that I hold. For now, thisauthority is entirely my own—let it stay that wayforever!

“Leave him. He will befine,” I whisper without answering his question. “I will come checkon him before I go home. For now, I need to get treasures fortoday’s quota.”

“The old-fashioned gamblein the woods, or Omphalos again?” Wolf groans as he rubs his jaw,already making the decision to head to the city.

“It’s strange: I make it apoint to never go into that place, and here I am planning my secondtrip in two days.” Reaching out to Wolf, he steadies me as I standup beside the boy. “Wolf, I’ve still got most of Shark’s gold fromyesterday. We can try to use it instead of trading blows. We caneven go down to the poorer markets near the River Sangre. You don’tneed to fight.”

“Actually, I do,” Wolfinterjects before I can present my plan any further. “Save the goldfor when you have to deal with this one.” He jerks his head atAntero. Antero. Irepeat, relishing the knowledge of another creature’s real name. Ihave said it to myself now even more than I’ve even acknowledged myown true name.

Wolf stretches his arms and legs,twisting his neck with an audible crack, learning where hisweaknesses are before he enters another fight. “We are trading withthe House of Lions today, Mynah. I have a bone to pick with theirleader. You’ll be able to take anything you need when I amthrough.”

***

This time when we enter the citytogether, the people standing by their tables straighten and scowl.Conversations fall silent as we pass the vendors. Even fightingtraders postpone their sales as they wait to see what we will donext. Wolf slides his arm around my hip with a smirk, his masknuzzling into my neck with his closeness.

“Play along, Mynah,” Wolfbreathes into my ear as he continues his affections. “We’resupposed to be lovers, remember? Act like you arepleased.”

I know what he says makes sense, butthe thought of those jagged teeth and the cured head of that wolfcarcass looming close to my face just makes me cringe.

“Come on, Mynah!” Wolfinsists, his voice a little harsher as he grazes his lips on mycollarbone. “You’re acting like a frigid little bit—”

From some deep, inner strength thateven I was not aware I had, I manage to wrap my arms around hisshoulders. I hug him close to me, closing my eyes so that I do nothave to see the empty sockets of the carcass’s eyes. “Hurry up withyour business, Wolf. I’m ready to get out of this place.” The menat the closest table alert me to their eavesdropping when theysnicker at the unintended implication of my words.

“Better,” Wolf whispers,stroking his clawed fingers through my hair. “Their guards willlower if we sell this act. It will be easier to attack.” Chancingglances as he guides us up to the House of Lions’ tables, I realizehe is right. Everyone relaxes as they assume we are just two loversout on a shopping spree. Even Lion does not seem worried about Wolfas we angle ourselves up to his position.

“Back again so soon?” TheHouse of Lions leader challenges as we stand before his table. Heogles me as he exclaims, “You’re a greedy one, aren’tyou?”

“I just want meat andmoney,” I reply smoothly, not showing the terror I feel.You’ll be able to take anything you need,Wolf had said before entering Omphalos. That canonly mean that Wolf intends to absorb the House of Lions into hisown pack. I know that I am about to witness a fight to thedeath. My words may be among the last onesever spoken to this man.

“Short list today. Did youthink your boy can’t handle more than two punches from me?” Lionsnickers at his own joke. The mask bears a real lion’s mane aroundits edges, blending seamlessly with his natural hair. He turns hishead to speak to a member of his House behind him, and I notice afaint birthmark at the nape of his neck. An image forms in mymemory, a face that I have not seen in such a long time.I know this person, from the time before ourpeople donned masks. Yet his identityblurs in my mind.

Wolf stands stiffly beside me. Histeeth bare at the leader as he sneers. “Do you knowLynx?”

Lion grins and elbows the guy besidehim. “Lookie here, boys! Our wolf pup is going to fight for agirl’s honor! Will the wonders never cease?” Lion plants his handson his table, mask slipping slightly on his left ear. “Did I takeyour woman, pup? Did she tell you all the gory details?”

Lion reaches across the table tolightly tap my hand in mocked