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

need to practice flying like a true Cadogan insteadof cowering in my claws like my next meal.”

The thought chills my blood as Istumble my way up between her shoulder blades. “There’s nothing tohold on to up here,” I mutter, turning my head to judge thedistance between my backside and her spine’s spikes. “I am oneturbulent storm away from being impaled.”

Siri’s hearty laughter rumbles throughher body. “Lean down over me. Clench your knees together as bestyou can. We’ll figure it out together.” Before I have the chance toinhale or scream, Siri jumps toward the sky.

The world flies beneathme, and I can’t enjoy its beauty. I plaster my body against theDdraig as tightly as possible. Somehow, the force of the windaround me manages to keep me firmly in place. I relax onlymarginally, brooding over my Ddraig’s secrets. What is Siri hiding from me?My mind races with possibilities as we fly towardthe House of Vultures.

***

Wolf plops into the mud as the emeraldDdraig lets him fall in front of the House of Vultures. Condor andFalcon still are bound in the traitor binds. Falcon has alreadypassed through to the next life. A wake of vultures ironicallysoars overhead, one of the braver ones landing on her lifelessshoulder. It won’t be long before only her bones remain.

Condor, however, is still very muchalive, his tongue ever sharp as he jeers at his brother. “Back sosoon, Brother Mine? Mynah already tired of you?”

“I’m a little amazed thatyou survived this long. How did she not kill you sooner?” Wolfgrumbles as he readjusts his clothing from the unceremoniousflight.

“My charm,” Condor cracksas a hacking, bloody cough momentarily overtakes him. His wristgroans in frustration as he jerks against the binds. “Butseriously, why are you back here, Wolf? You cannot truly have hatedme enough to return here to watch me die. You wouldn’t leave heralone in the Pith. Or has your love for her grown sourtoo?”

“I was not allowed tostay,” Wolf replies coolly, his hands behind his back to hide theirshaking.

“You mean they did notwant you,” Condor laughs as he chokes. “Those Ddraig creatures arepicky like that. Only their chosen are admitted; very elitist ifyou ask me.”

“What do you know ofDdraigs?” Wolf demands, hurrying over to Condor and grabbing histhroat. “Tell me everything, or I’ll break your neck,you—”

“Go ahead!” Condor wheezesthrough Wolf’s tightening grip. “You’ll spare me the slow,torturous end awaiting me! Death holds no sorrow for me now,Brother Mine! It’s been my closest friend and ally ever since thefirst time you tried to kill me!”

“You’re insane!” Wolfshouts, ripping himself away from his Condor’s captive body. Hisfingers twitch, as if they are itching to choke the life out ofsomething. “Nothing you could tell me would matter, anyway,” Wolfmutters, preparing to abandon his brother until Death had claimedhim.

“Au contraire, monfrere,” Condor rasps, laughinghysterically at his rhyme. “After I was no longer welcome inOmphalos, I had to find somewhere else to trade. The minor housesset up their own markets near the Pith borders, and they felthonored to have the House of Vultures leader joining their ranks.My unscrupulous ways were never shared with the lower houses, itseems. Anyway, in the evenings they would tell stories about thecreatures living in the Pith and their strange ways. I paid closeattention. None of them claimed to have ever seen the Ddraigs, butthey knew the old lore very well. I learned a greatdeal.”

“Really? And how can youpossibly think I would believe you?”

Condor chuckles, knowing he has Wolf’sattention despite his suspicious words. “Fine, Brother Mine. I’llkeep my secrets as well as you keep yours.” Condor closes his eyes,dropping his head back against the traitor binds.

“What would it take to getyou to tell me about them?” Wolf grinds out through his clenchedteeth.

“Release me.” Condoryawns, feigning boredom. “I’ll tell you every snippet, every bit oflore that was passed around in hushed voices by thefires.”

“That decision wasMynah’s, and I will not go against her wishes. If you want free,she told you to save yourself,” Wolf replies, smiling as Condor’shead droops.

“Then food, water, and aknife will suffice.”

Rummaging through his packs, Wolfremoves a few dried strips of meat, a hard, crusty bread, and afresh water skin. He pulls his smallest hunting knife out of hisbelt and stands before his brother. Condor eats ravenously,slurping every drop of the water from the skin. “Put the knife inthe wood next to my right hand.”

“Tell me what you knowfirst,” Wolf insists, his face grim as he waits.

“So, you have no Ddraigblood then, huh? Well, cheer up, that just means you were toughenough to survive the windstorms without their help.”

“I do have Ddraig blood,”Wolf snarls, pulling the last bits of food away from Condor’smouth. “But Mynah’s creature said that my blood wastainted.”

Condor stops chewing, his hungerreplaced momentarily by his thoughts. “Interesting. Did Siri givean explanation for this altered blood?”

Wolf’s hands clench in fury,desperately desiring to clamp around his brother’s neck. He’drelish the gurgling sounds of Condor’s choking. “Are you going tostart explaining all this to me, or am I going to have to use thisknife as persuasion? I need to know how I can help Mynah with thesemonsters.”

“Oh, Brother Mine, I amafraid that Mynah is not for you. She belongs with another Cadogan,while you belong…elsewhere,” Condor answers with a twisted smilethat bares too many of his teeth. “Ddraig to Ddraig, blood toblood, their hearts will bond if they’re meant to love.”

A fist connects with Condor’s nose asWolf unleashes the full brunt of his anger toward his sibling. Overand over his head slams against the traitor binds, a knee landingin Condor’s gut, an elbow jabbing his ribs. A bone snaps inCondor’s leg, causing his body to lurch forward, straining hisshoulders until they pop. He wails in agony, but the beating rageson, eventually drawing a crowd of gawkers. It is Fox that finallyemerges and yanks Wolf away from Condor’s broken body, stillstanding only by the unrelenting grace of the binds on his bleedingwrists.

“Is he dead?” Wolfscreeches as he fights against Fox, “Because if he isn’t, let mekeep going. That monster was supposed to die a long timeago.”

A heaving breath still wheezes fromCondor, his eyes