House of Vultures by Maggie Claire (read my book TXT) 📕

to join a masked house when the neworder of Cassé took place. But we are not barbarians!” The crowdsroar around me, working themselves into a frenzy.

Soon they will be callingfor my blood. “I’ve never hurt a namelessunchosen,” I defend myself, knowing it is a fruitless act.My mask condemns me in their eyes.“I have never hunted….” My words die as Creeper’sface appears amongst the crowd. His wide eyed, agonized grimace ofpain. What would it take for these peopleto believe me? I have my answer the momentI ask myself the question.

Slipping my fingers underthe leather lacings of my mask, I carefully pull it away from myface. The warmth of the sunlight burns my cheeks almostimmediately. This is how it feels to be aside-show freak, I imagine as I observethe wide-eyed stares of my audience. Not a word is spoken amongstthem as they drink in the spectacle. Ifeel like a monster.

“You say that we treat youlike animals; but don’t you think of us as a different species too?‘Your kind,’ you called us. Without this piece of dyed wood betweenus, am I really any different? Yes, there are people in the maskedhouses that have committed horrible acts against the namelessunchosen, but I am not one of them! Now I have told you that I meanyou no harm. I shared information about the masked houses in aneffort to keep you from getting caught in their crossbows. I baremy face to you as nakedly as I bare my soul to you now. All I askin return is to be left in peace.”

“Tell us where you aregoing, and you can leave without trouble,” the leader demands, hiseyes focused on the mask in my hand.

I consider his wishes verycarefully. How many of these people willdie if I don’t come clean about what lies in thePith? What aboutAntero? Whatabout myself? Butif I do tell him, will he try to stop me anyway? Will this only end inbloodshed? “I amgoing to the Pith,” I finally admit.

“No one goes there,” comesthe immediate response.

“I know that!” I gripe,feeling frustrated and on edge.

“No, there are strangethings that occur in the Pith. The land is practically barren. Whatdoes grow there does not last long. Unusual shadows and soundsplague the place. Some say it is haunted. Others argue it iscursed. If you go there, you will not return.”

“I have my reasons formaking the journey,” I announce, trying not to sound terrifiedafter hearing their description of the place.

The leader of the nameless whistlessharply, motioning swiftly to the crowd behind him. A narrow pathforms between them, human bodies forming the walls. “Go then.You’ve been warned: you will not survive the journey. If you are sointent on traveling to this land, we will not have to worry overyou long.”

I race away from the namelessunchosen, seizing the opportunity to reset my mask and escapebefore the offer to leave unscathed is rescinded. It is a strangecomfort, to feel the wood biting into my face once more, providinga barrier between myself and the outside world. I scurry back tothe shore, cursing myself as I trip over bits of driftwood andweeds. I had strayed farther than I had intended.

Half an hour later, Antero and Irejoin one another. “I found some cress by the stream,” he exclaimsproudly. I do not have the stomach for it, still shaken by thewords of the nameless leader. Antero eats his meal in silence,while I brood over the journey. Not for the first time, I questionif I am making the right decision.

When Antero finisheseating, my mind is made up once more. Thisis about so much more than just my safety. I owe it to my country,to the Cassé that still lives in my memory, to discover what liesin this place. I point toward the RiverSangre. “We have to cross over to enter the Pith. There’s a sort ofbridge about thirty yards east of us.” I do not dare mention whatkind of bridge it is yet; I cannot handle his incessant, terrorizedquestions this early in the morning.

Soon enough we reach the place, asmall stepping stone path that rises up strategically through therushing, violent current. Water churns foamy green around theexposed rocks. Some are coated with strong willed algae thatdesperately clings to the stones, fighting the rushing current inan effort to survive.

“We have to cross there?”Panther’s voice is barely able to be understood over the roar ofthe water. His eyes widen as I point to the stones. “No way, Mynah!We would surely drown! One misstep and you’re sweptaway!”

“It’s the only method,Panther. Even if you travel to the nearest towns, no one has everbothered building an overhanging bridge to the Pith. It isdeserted, remember?” I bellow over the current, unsure if Panthercomprehends my words.

“Mynah, I cannot crossthere!” Panther exclaims, hands on his head as he observes theswirling water beating the shores. Tree limbs as thick as my wristcannot even survive the strength of the current. Such a branchfloats down to the stones before us, smacking against them until itsnaps in half. Panther gulps, and I realize I’ve lost any hope ofgetting him to cross this water willingly. “I can’t do it!” Hiseyes never leave the broken branch. Judging by the horrifiedexpression on his face, he is just as disturbed as he would havebeen if a body had just shattered against the stones.

“Do you want to knowwhat’s in the Pith?” I shout over the current. “Because the onlyway to find out is to cross. You can do it here where we are alone,or we’ll have to backtrack to the nearest town. The only differencebetween the two options is the fact that in town we’ll havewitnesses.”

Panther drops to his knees, reachingout in vain for the first stepping stone. All he succeeds in doingis nearly plummeting into the current. “There’s no way,” he wailsas his fingers slide off the slick surface of the rock.

I do not have time towaste watching you let your fear overpower you, I shout at him through our bond in our minds, and I feel himflinch at my harshness. Tugging on the control I have, I demandthat he cross quickly.