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

get thechance to interrupt her, “You will be connected to Suryc just asstrongly as you are to me, and Cyrus—”

“Enough, Siri. I get it.There’s a hundred different things I have to learn about being aCadogan. I’m sorry I asked.” Slumping against the cavern wall, Idrop my head into my hands. This is all sooverwhelming. I don’t even know where to start!

Raise your head and lookat me, first Cadogan of the Ddraigs, Siridemands, and I feel a lancing pain in my neck forcing my head toobey her wishes. Siri’s silver eyes swirl and dance with a thousandsubtle hues. Mesmerized by the sight, I cannot turn away.Thankfully, when she uses her mental connection with me this time,Siri’s words float through my thoughts like a whisper.There will come a day when all of this is secondnature to you. I do understand that everything seems impossibleright now. However, time is fleeting, and we must find the otherCadogans soon.

“Why even ask?” I whine,feeling too sorry for myself to really care about Siri’sexplanation. “Couldn’t you just compel me to do what youwish?”

I will always give you theright to decide what happens next, Iris. You can choose to keepCyrus at bay if you wish, you can wash your hands of us all, and Iwill respect your decisions. Siri risesthen, stretching her lithe body to its limits, her iridescent,ivory scales rippling with color as she moves. Just ask yourself this first: are you prepared for theconsequences? Like it or not, the life you have been living is gone. Rightnow, in the coming days, you will have the opportunity to determinethe fate of Cassé. Are you going to stay broken in this cave, orare you going to fight?“There can be no in-between,” Siri finishesaloud, disappearing back into the cavern tunnels. “Let me know whenyou decide.”

“It’s hardly a choice,” Igrumble, scurrying after my Ddraig. “When do we start,Siri?”

I watch my own hands as myarms move without my control. Touch yournose. The Ddraig’s instructions radiate inmy skull so forcefully that I jump to obey. I end up slappingmyself hard with both hands.

“I don’t know whether tolaugh or cry,” I whisper, feeling heat bloom in my cheeks. “Thatwas terrible, Siri! Please—”

“See what I’m saying,girl? I’ve got to learn how much power to use on you too. What if Ineed you to jump a specific distance, or throw something at ourenemies? I can’t have you acting as a danger to yourself or thosethat are around you. We need all the practice we canget!”

***

As the days turn into weeks in thePith, a stagnant routine manages to overpower my emotionalbreakdown. There is some semblance of comfort in the repetition.Every step, every breath, every heartbeat numbs my mind. I amsleepwalking, but I am surviving. Cyrus chooses to sleep in thecaverns near Suryc, so I make my bed in the surface sands. I risebefore the sun heats the granules, long before the moon lays downto rest. After a meager meal of whatever can be found, I drop backinto the cavern in search of Siri. I suspect she sleeps nearby, butevery time I come to find her, Siri is already awake and waitingfor me.

I keep myself away from Cyrus unlesswe are working with our Ddraigs. He attempts to speak to me atevery opportunity. I slink away from his presence as quickly aspossible. I cannot reconcile the images of the little boy outsidemy window, the scarred, contrite man I see before me, and thebrutal leader I know him to be as the same human being.

Siri puts me through mypaces at a relentless rate. She spends most of our time learninghow to force my body’s movements. Thismust be how a puppet feels, I muse one dayas my hands wrap around a tree trunk and my feet search forfootholds on the rough bark. I am amarionette, and Siri pulls the strings. I’ve gained many a bruise and scrape from her failed attemptsto maintain control.

“When am I going to tryand compel you?” I question one day after another fall. “Mybackside could use some recovery time, Ddraig!” Not to mention, I’d dearly enjoy watching you tumble for achange! The onlyresponse I receive is my aching limbs hoisting me up for anotherpractice session.

In the evenings, the Pithoverwhelms me with its strangeness. I hatebeing underground. Every time I look at the cavern’s roof, Iimagine myself entombed in a casket of rock. One earthquake andI’ll be crushed under the weight. Somehow,with the heightened darkness of the impending night, the caveceilings appear even more precarious. Ispend as much time as possible above ground just to feelnormal.

Tonight, I watch the starsas they glitter with mockery, clouds swirling amidst them to joinin their laughter. That’s all my life hasbecome—a colossal farce. Cane warned menot to trust Siri, and that concern grows stronger every day in mythoughts. Has all of this beenwrong? TheDdraigs have stolen everything I’ve known and loved. Does that meanI was wrong to attach myself to things? Or is my presence here my biggestmistake?

“You’re avoiding me, I getthat. But don’t you think that we should at least endeavor tocreate some level of comradery between us?” Cyrus remarks as heplops into the cooling evening sand beside me. “Back at theHouse….” He stops suddenly, as if realizing that mentioning ourpast might set off the emotionally charged powder keg that I’vebecome. “Back home, I would sometimes climb up to the roof to watchthe skies. I used to think about my actions during the day,imagining all the ways I could have done better. I’d get sofrustrated with myself for losing my temper or being shortsighted.And I always felt guilty for everything that I did to hurtyou.”

“I don’t care to hear anyof this,” I sigh, drawing blindly with my fingers, my eyes neverleaving the stars.

“I know that,” Cyrus barksangrily beside me, his fingers burying deep into the sand to keepfrom lashing out at me. “I’m not stupid! I know that you hateme!”

“Don’t you think I haveearned that right?” I snarl, rising up from my spot in the sand.The serenity of this place outside the Pith caverns broke themoment he showed up.

“You’re a