Bittern scoffs behind me, no doubteavesdropping on our conversation. However, I know that in thisinstance, she and I will agree. “Warbler, you cannot be serious!You let him watch you—”
“Only if he helps meduring the day,” she answers, her sweet voice trilling as thoughshe’s just announced that lunch is served. “Mainly he just likes tohear me sing.”
“Is that what he said?”Bittern steals the words right out of me.
“Well, he watches me getready to sleep too. But it’s not as gross as it sounds.”
“You have to stop this!” Ibellow, immediately regretting my efforts as pain as strong as ahorse races up my spine. “You are teasing him, and one day Creeperwill take it into his mind to collect.”
“I am fine, Mynah. You donot have to worry about me.” Warbler sniffs, not meeting myeye.
“How long has this beengoing on?” I inquire, unable to grasp how such a sweet, naïve girlcould justify acting like a seductress. They are completely at oddswith her otherwise innocent demeanor.
“A few weeks now.” Warbleralmost beams with delight at her answer, as if it is a badge ofhonor. “Part of our deal is that he watches only me. So, the restof you have nothing to worry about from him.”
That does not comfort melike you seem to think it should. I bitemy own tongue to keep from lashing out against herfoolishness.
“Warbler, I can understandhow you feel.” Bittern tries a different approach, reaching for herhand. “It makes you feel powerful, what you are doing. Also, youthink you are helping us by keeping his eyes on you. But it isdangerous, dear. Creeper is not exactly—”
“You know, you beat all Iever did see,” Grouse interrupts from her spot on the dilapidatedchair across from us. “Afraid to go outside, afraid to kill forfood, afraid to clean your meat, but you’ll let a guy like Creeperwatch you undress. Boy, your priorities are all screwy. You arechildish, Warbler, if you cannot see that what you are doing isflirting with disaster.”
“I don’t have to listen toyou all. It’s my choice, and that’s all that matters to me,”Warbler cries, her arms folding around herself in heranger.
“It is your choice, ofcourse. But are you prepared for the consequences of such actions?”Bittern continues, reaching to pat Warbler’s knee.
Warbler huffs at us, standing upbefore Bittern can touch her, and trounces up to her room. Sheslams the door like a petulant teenager.
“That doesn’t win you anypoints!” Grouse shouts up the stairs. Neither did Warbler’s vulgarcurse in response.
“On her own head be it,”Bittern whispers, sadly watching me. “You can’t fix this one,Mynah. She’s going to have to learn this lesson the hardway.”
“I’m not her mother, Iknow that.” I resign myself to Bittern’s words. “I justwish….” I have no right to judge orprotect her from this. Changing thesubject as I let my fingers roam along my ribcage assessing thedamage, I ask, “What happened last night anyway?”
“After you got your teethhanded to you, Condor and Wren took Panther into the House. Theyasked him some questions about life in the House of Lions and aboutWolf’s whereabouts. Why did you agree to take him in?”
“Is that what Panther toldCondor? That I decided to accept him into the House of Vulturesmyself?” Bittern and Grouse nod to me, Grouse grinning so widelythat I think her mask will tip off her creased face. “Son ofa—”
“There she is! The leaderof the House!” Condor announces sarcastically, and my bones alreadyache in anticipation of the punishment I’m about toreceive.
“Whatever he said,Panther’s mistaken. I did not tell him he could join us.” I try toplead my case. “I told him I would bring him to you, and you wouldmake the decision about his future in the House ofVultures.”
A hand fists into my hair, pulling meoff the couch quickly. Falcon kicks my legs out from under me,forcing me onto my knees as Condor shadows over me, his eyesgleaming in his black feathered mask.
“Where is he?” I beg,hating that I am resorting to stooping before thesemonsters
“The boy? Panther isasleep in your bed. I figured since you are initiating him into ourHouse as our newest member, he’d be yours to keep.”
“I swear to you, Condor, Idid nothing wrong this time! I did not give him rights in ourHouse; I’m not that stupid!” I cry, knowing that my efforts arewasted.
Falcon circles around behind me, thecrack of her whip accenting the air as she gets into position.Condor sighs, his tone almost regretful when he speaks. “How manylashes will it take to send a message? You are not in charge here,Mynah, whatever you may think. I own you, just like I own everyonein this House. Everything you have is because I allowit.”
“Please,” I murmur asCondor kneels down in front of me. “Please don’t dothis.”
Condor’s expression turnssorrowful. His hands wrap around my shoulders, but the touch issurprisingly gentle. If I did not know anybetter, I’d think he hates the idea of hurting me.His fingers trace small circles around myshoulder joints, as if the motion could stop the agony Falcon isabout to inflict.
Leaning close, Condor pushes back thehair from my ear on my right side. “I am truly sorry for this, butyou leave me no choice,” he tells me, his voice strained. Then,jerking away from me as though stung, he nods over my head toFalcon.
The first crack of the whip takes mybreath as it rips into my shirt and skin. The second splits a scaron my shoulder blade that has never quite healed correctly. “Howmany lashes until you beg? Until you promise to follow the rules?Huh?” Falcon screeches as she crushes that whip into my back fasterand faster. I lose track of how many times she strikes, how manytimes I almost give her what she wants to hear: a scream, a plead,a
