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

same end, Mynah. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’sdead. I just wish you hadn’t been the one to do the deed.” Condordrops his head against his chest, muffling his words as hecontinues. “It changes you, doesn’t it? This brutal life we lead.No matter how hard we try, we can never come back from some of thethings we do.”

Condor’s words leave me shaken. I canhear the rawness of the emotions in his voice. His earnest regretstartles me. “I…I just want to see your face,” I stutter, fingerstrembling as I reach up to Condor’s mask. “I will not remove itcompletely.”

“I’m not really able tostop you, am I?” Condor remarks snidely, but I can tell by hisshallow breaths that he is terrified.

“You know, you’ve put methrough hell over the years. Everyone who knows you wouldunderstand if I let the pack rip you to shreds. None of them wouldblame me!” I accuse as I tug at the cords binding his mask. Afteryears of remaining knotted, the leather is tight. Stepping closer,I work my broken fingernails into the binds.

Condor takes advantage of the intimacyto whisper in my ears, but his words surprise me. “I know I’vecaused you pain, Mynah. But it was never what I wanted. Please! Youhave to believe me.”

I feel it in Condor’s maskwhen the leather cords finally release their binds. The soft blackfeathers drop down onto my chest, tickling the skin exposed aroundmy neck. It is an effort to raise my eyes to view my leader’sunmasked face. “You are twins!” I bellow when the shock ofrevealing a familiar face overtakes me. The only difference is the scar! Otherwise, Wolf and Condor areidentical! “Didyou know Hawk was your father too?”

“Of course, I did!” Condorbites at me with a grin. “I specifically chose the House ofVultures because of Hawk! He thought I was dead, so he neversuspected my true identity. I took the mask of a condor for areason, Mynah. It is a scavenger bird, a death harbinger. That’show I wanted my father to see me, once I finally revealed my face.He was a monster to me! Everything I did to him wasvengeance!”

A knife flashes before my eyes, thetip aiming at Condor’s heart as Wolf slinks up beside me oncemore.

“Do not kill him!” Siricommands as she lands in the yard of the House of Vultures. Thestrength of the wind as she beats her wings is enough to push thepoint of Wolf’s knife toward the ground. “Twins are a preciousrarity, Wolf. When they appear, it is with good reason. As much asyou may hate the idea, you two need each other more than you mightrealize.”

With great effort, Wolf replaces theknife in its sheath, a wicked smile on his lips. “I don’t needmetal to hurt you, Condor. I can strip you of everything you lovemost without even lifting a finger. Or rather, Mynahcan.”

A shudder racks my limbsas Wolf puts an arm around me. I don’tlike the ruthless side of him, Iacknowledge as my back stiffens against his touch. “I don’tunderstand; what can I do to him?”

“Do you know howleadership passes in the houses? By death and its hand—meaning thatyou are the true leader of the House, Mynah. You have been sincethe day that you killed Hawk.”

I feel like all the airhas rushed out of my lungs. I catch Wolf’s arm to hold myselfupright as that sinks in. For thirteen years, this House has beenunder a false rule. The starvation, thebackward rules about food going to the men alone when it’s scarce,the beatings and public ridicules, the traitor binds….Guilt pours over me as I think of all the thingsthat I could have done differently. If Ihad only known! “She’d never have died,” Iweep to myself, knowing that I would have removed Creeper andFalcon long before they could have hurt Warbler.

“You cannot fix that,love.” Wolf brushes a stray tear from my cheek, pulling me backfrom my heartache. He’s right; I cannot do anything about her lossnow.

But I can mete out justice for Condorand Falcon. “You are named as traitors to the House for assumingtitles that were not yours to claim. I should remove your masks andlet the others tear you apart. However, Siri believes that at leastyou, Condor, are of use to us, and I will honor my Ddraig’s wishes.I will not kill you; but I will do nothing to save you either. Finda way out of these binds and you are free. If you do, you are asthe nameless unchosen, and none will hesitate to kill you.” Falconwails as I finish, tugging on Wolf’s hand as I move toward Siri’sside. “Carry us to the Pith,” I demand, desperate to leave thisplace for a few moments of solitude.

Chapter 11

Neither Cane nor I speak during theflight to the Pith caverns. Cane, though I can feel he is furiouswith me, is too preoccupied by the scenery to argue during itsview. He drinks in the sight of the hills and meadows, wondering atthe River Sangre as it rushes to its oceanic end. My thoughts arefar away, brooding over the Devil’s Spine.

The boy is alive. He’s returning toDéchets injured and broken. Will he live, or will he die? Will hisfather come for vengeance? What will happen to Siri if he does? Ibrood over the possibilities just to keep my thoughts from turningto Cane, Condor, and Hawk. Father. I chide myself for letting mymind drift in their direction. What kind of cruel joke would pittwo sons against each other? What kind of son would betray hisfather like Condor did?

When Siri lands, she disappears intothe Pith immediately. “Only enter this place when you are finishedsharing what you both harbor in your hearts.”

Before her long tail has fully slunkthrough the cave mouth, Cane removes his mask to faceme.

“I am so sorry,” I sob, mysilver traced fingers wiping my eyes.

“Now is hardly the rightmoment, Mynah.”

The real you and the realme—hadn’t Cane said that to me only a few hoursago? Yet he’sstill calling me Mynah. Is it a sign of a fickle devotion or thedepth of my sin against him?With a whimper, I choke out