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

the sound has dried up on my tongue. “You, however,I would like to know,” the creature declares before she catches mycoat in her teeth and raises me to dangle off the ground. I amhelpless as the beast jumps through the hole of the Pith, back intothe sunlight.

And flies.

***

“Where is the girl,Bittern?” Condor asks calmly, his fingers steepled together as hepaces around her body. Bound backwards to a chair, the only thingholding Bittern upright is the rope tied around her wrists. Hermouth hangs open, blood pouring from a missing tooth as she heaves.One side of her face is purple with bruises, and her back islatticed with whiplashes. “You could make this so much easier ifyou would just tell me….”

A soft laugh escapes the broken womenas she answers, her swollen tongue making her words sound chewed.“I’ve got nothing, Condor. Do what you need to do, but I havenothing to tell you.”

“Do you know where shewent?” Falcon interrupts with a crack of a whip across Bittern’sthigh. Bittern does not react to the attack, her body so numbed topain that she barely feels it anymore. She watches with fascinationas the stiff leather bites into her skin, coldly observing the wayher flesh splits in tattered lines, blood seeping from the freshwounds.

“Where is Wolf’s hideout?”Condor asks, unwilling to call off Falcon’s attack.

Sweat and muck soaks through Bittern’sratty clothes. The woman’s only response is one of anger, spittingbloody saliva at Condor’s face. Falcon unleashes her fury oncemore.

***

“All this for me? You mustwant me desperately, Condor. You could have just sent a message,”comes a smooth voice from the doorway. Wolf leans against theentrance, a bow pointed at Condor’s heart. Condor tenses, hisfingers twitching over the hilt of the dagger sheathed on his belt.“Give me a reason to take the shot, scumbag, and I will enjoyputting you down.”

Falcon raises her whip to attack, buta long staff smacks it out of her hand. Jackal scuttles along therafters, waving as he passes overhead. “Fair fight, little birdie.No need for your interference.” She watches him pass over her, thebloody end of her whip snaking along behind Jackal like a leathertail.

Condor faces Bittern, his scarreddening along his jaw as the face under the mask turns colorswith his rage. “You siding with Wolf now too? Is the whole Houseturning against me?”

Before Bittern can answer, Falconintervenes, her fist connecting with Bittern’s chin, knocking herunconscious.

“That one comes with me,Jackal. Pick her up,” Wolf commands, hand raised toward Bittern’slimp body. He raises his voice until it is loud enough to be heardupstairs. “Any others of this House that wish to join me shouldsurrender tonight. Otherwise, our fight begins at dawn tomorrow. Wewill not rest until you have surrendered or you’re all dead. Youdecide which fate is yours.” Turning to Condor, he continues, “Youand your henchwoman are the only members of the House that do nothave the luxury of joining my pack. Forsake your mask, Condor, andbe murdered by your whip-wielding fiend here or die with the Houseof Vultures. Either way, you will not survive another day if I haveanything to say about it.”

“How chivalrous of you toformally declare war. Too bad you are already surrounded by mypeople.” A smug smile forms on Condor’s face, slowly fading whennone of his House appears to back up his claims. He turns his headto the kitchen, then glances up the rails to the second floor.“Grouse? Goldeneye? Wren? Anyone?” The only response is a thump asJackal lands heavily on the floor, working on the binds tetheringBittern to the chair.

“Either they are joiningme or they are hiding, but I’d say that they are waiting for yourdemise too, Condor.” Wolf slides behind Jackal, his eyes neverleaving the furious leader of the House of Vultures. “We’ll meetagain tomorrow. And if you open this door even a moment before, Iwill skewer your body on the end of my knife.”

A howl of rage greetsWolf’s ears as he slips down to the gate, stopping to wait forJackal, who still totes the unconscious woman in his arms. Wolf’seyes focus on the traitor binds attached to the fence, the ropeshanging limply from the boards. No other sign of Mynah and the boyare present. She never appeared at ourrendezvous point. Wolf’s fingers trace thenick in the wood where his knife had landed to set herfree.

“What now?” Fox calls ashe joins his leader, immediately attending the broken woman inJackal’s arms.

“We rally our people andtake down this house,” Wolf answers, still focused on thebinds.

“What about Mynah?” Jackalgrunts as he shifts the weight of Bittern’s body.

“We let her go.” Wolftries to disguise the choke of pain in his voice.

Fox turns to his leader, a protestforming on his tongue. “But—”

“No. She must have a goodreason for taking the boy elsewhere. She is smart and resourceful,Fox. I trust her judgment. We will take Bittern back to the pack,and in the morning, we attack this place. Mynah will come to uswhen she chooses.” Wolf pulls at the ropes on the traitor binds,some of their threads stained with blood. Her blood. It practicallyscreams at him for justice. “I will keep you safe, Lupe,” hewhispers as he brings the rope to his lips, eyes closing as thefear in his heart takes over. What ifshe’s lying dead in the swamps?What if she’s swept away in the RiverSangre? What ifshe’s caught in a trap somewhere, and I had the chance to save herbut I didn’t take it?

“Say the word, and I willtrack her. You don’t need me fighting anyway,” Fox offers as hewatches his leader.

“We may need your healingarts,” Wolf whispers.

“Oh please! There areplenty of other medics in the pack,” Fox replies with a snort. “Doyou want me to follow her?”

A clawed hand grasps Fox’s arm inthanks. “Be careful.”

“Of course! You’re not theonly one that liked having that girl around.” The russet faced maskwhips toward the binds, keen eyes catching sight of the footprints.Without another word, Fox lopes into the darkness.

Chapter 9

The creature lets metopple down to the rocks as it lands, gracefully gliding on thebreeze until its clawed feet brush the ground. I roll along thejagged stones, some of