The Aviary Read online

  I knew Force would hunt us. He would comb whole countries for me and my child. But the thought of freedom from his ravenous mouth and his vengeful whip kept me moving forward. As did the thought of waking up to Kerrick.

  I used Kerrick’s security chip to get me to the freight elevators. When the doors opened onto floor one instead of the ground level, I panicked—until I saw him.

  I turn the page, and a little note falls out of the book, but I crumple it up so I can focus on the next words.

  A little boy with almost golden eyes, too wide for his small face beneath those cropped tufts of tawny hair. I asked him what his name was. Skylar, he told me.

  When I slam the book shut, the pricking burrs return, competing with watery soft forgiveness. My attention turns to the note I crumpled, and I smooth it out to read Sky’s familiar scrawl.

  You deserve the truth about your past. Sorry it’s late.

  I shove the note into a nearby pocket before gripping clumps of my hair, yanking them so hard my scalp moans just a little. My hands quake. My fingers tremble, itching to reach out and break something, to throw something and watch it smash into a thousand pieces. To cause destruction.

  Now, I know where my lightning comes from. Where I get my violent outbursts, my quick temper.

  I am my father’s daughter.

  Though Dove says my decision to use my town pass right away is ill advised, I ignore the warning. I have to speak with Sky in private. He must have more answers about Force and my parents.

  Luc bids me a fond farewell, entrusting me to Vulture’s company. I try to ignore the feelings I conjure when I picture Luc’s eyes, which haunt me even from the security transport car—his unyielding arms around my body, luring me in.

  It doesn’t take long to reach the downtown district of the city. Closer to the Temple City, the gigantic tower looks more like a blade’s edge compared to the long needle from the Aviary. I know we’re somewhere over the bridges, but I suppose I never paid attention to the Aviary’s location when I caught the occasional advertisements or digital brochures.

  As soon as I step outside, I catch salty whiffs of air curling into my nostrils. I imagine the only reason I can’t smell the ocean on Aviary property is because of all the fresh oxygen pumped through its walls. I pause to look around me, one hand on the transport door even as Sky patiently waits for me. Just before I get out, I hear the telltale hum and feel the vibration of the skin shield. If I flutter my hand, I can see the shield flash and shiver when a wave vibrates like a rippling soundwave. It’s an odd feeling, but necessary. Even with the private entrance and the chocolate house closed to the public.

  The area echoes of the Aviary—from the glass retail businesses, luxury hotels all boasting glass architecture to the stained-glass decorations hanging in the windows, evoking bird patterns. Bird-patterned fashion haunts every fashion house and clothing outlet, no doubt exorbitantly priced due to their proximity to the Aviary. I press my lips into a thin line when I notice an employee erecting a mannequin dressed in a white ensemble that is reminiscent of a swan. Digital ads reveal swan jewelry, perfume, shoes, makeup, and more. Glad to know I’m having such an effect.

  Before entering Lust and Cocoa, I notice black leather-gloved figures standing sentry across the street. The gloves are a distinguishing feature of Family security known as the Black Hand; this entire area, if not county, is Family-controlled. Guild-controlled. When I’d first seen his gloves, I’d assumed Luc was one of them—until he revealed himself as museum director. I wonder how high up in the food chain he is. No telling, considering the Families have their fingers in all sorts of revenue—nightclubs, shopping outlets, restaurants, and more. Family elders thrive as corporate moguls, surveying the world from their bulletproof skyscraper glass or luxury hotels. Borders here have far more security checks than cities without museums.

  No wonder Sky can’t get me out. The Guild is everywhere.

  A few people pause to eye me, but Sky quickly dodges in front of me when they try to take pictures. Whether it’s because they recognize me or just think I’m some sort of Family celebrity, I can’t tell, but it’s probably best to move on.

  Lust and Cocoa is an older building. Vintage, unlike so many of the others, it isn’t built of glass, but brick, though stained-glass pictures decorate windows. Inside, the sweet aroma overwhelms me.

  I can understand why Sky enjoys this place. If it were inside a hotel, we’d sneak out together early in the morning to sample its wares and keep the secret from my parents like mischievous children. Immediately upon us walking in, he lets his guard down, relaxed like normal.

  It’s lunchtime. As Luc ordered, it’s empty, and we have one hour to speak.

  On display behind a wall of glass, the gold vat of churning chocolate causes my mouth to water. My eyes devour rich brownies decorated in dark frosting and assorted truffles. A woman behind the counter greets us. She wears a brown uniform with black hair tied back into a tight, thick bun, and her gold-tinted skin is set off by her lips, blushing red cherries.

  Sky smiles as he approaches the counter. “Theodora.” He nods to the woman. “Two Chanticos, please. We’ll be at table sixteen. The Aviary tab.”

  She trains her gaze on me. “Are you certain you don’t want anything else?” She gestures to the menu screens above our heads. A moment later, they flash to featured delicacies that equal the price of a hover car. My jaw drops when I eye the items—from strawberries dipped in edible gold to cupcakes filled with champagne jelly and topped with exotic vanilla caviar to creations decorated in crystal and stained glass.

  I glance at Sky, puzzled for a moment, before Theodora adds, “You may choose anything.” From the way she says the words, it’s almost as though she’d be insulted if I didn’t.

  “Those.” I point without delay to the chilled chocolate shells housing an array of thick, dark chocolate ganache. Dusted with edible gold flakes. Not as expensive as others, but I’ll be sure to include a worthy tip on the Aviary tab.

  Table sixteen is actually a booth in the far corner of the cafe near the entrance to the kitchen. Before we sit down, I start to put my fragile arms around Sky. Even with my shoes on, my head can only find its way to his chest.

  “Sky, if we don’t leave soon, I’m going to be trapped in that birdhouse forever.”

  “Serenity.” Sky doesn’t touch me, just urges me into the booth. “Sit down and try the Chantico.”

  I remember the skin shield. The wearer can touch others, but not the other way around. No wonder he can’t hug me back. The shield will shock him.

  When we slide into the booth, I loosen my hair from its bun. I let the curls fall down my back, purposely using them to conceal the tattoo on my shoulder.

  “How close are we to the Temple?”

  Sky keeps his hands to himself, more conscientious of the shield. “Couple of hours’ distance. You know you’re on the island, right? The well-established. Not the urban sprawl. You’re smack dab in the middle of billionaire alley. Congratulations.”

  “It doesn’t seem too busy.”

  “It’s still spring, but we’re right around the corner from summer. And let’s just say this island is the queen of summer. It’s a playground for trust-fund kids and celebrities.”

  “But we’re near the sea,” I point out, surveying him.

  “No escape there.” He shakes his head, understanding my meaning. “Guild Family controls this entire region, including any charter, private yachts, fishing, or tourist boats. They even have their own coast guard, believe it or not.”

  My hopes sink a little.

  “Wish we were near the marina. They have a great cottage café where they keep the live lobsters in an antique bathtub by the front door.”

  I make a face, and Sky chuckles, knowing full well my distaste for seafood.

  “Remember the time you stepped on a sea urchin?” I remind him of our seaside retreat when I was ten, remembering it was the first time I ever saw Sky so angry. Or c
uss so much.

  “Yes, and I also remember how you swam out too far, and the current carted you farther out to sea.”

  “But you dragged me back to shore.”

  “Under protest.” He rolls his eyes. “Too fearless for your own good.”

  Our ability to find humor even now reassures me of our familiarity with one another. And how an apology is due before we get down to business.

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve waited for you. You were gone all day, and I just…wanted to swim.”

  “I was delayed. My fault.” He shouldn’t blame himself like that.

  “I did everything you showed me. Snuck out at night, took the stairs. I figured we were far enough away from the city, but there were smugglers.”

  “Probably a scout. Doesn’t take more than a phone call to tell his contacts about a score. Too big a score for them to turn down.” He observes me, eyes blinking down for one moment before settling on my face again. I know I’ll remember that momentary glance.

  “Thanks for the journal, by the way,” I seethe. “And for lying to me all these years. Where are my parents?”

  Sighing, he clenches his fingers into a fist on the table. “I might have a lead, but I can’t be certain.”

  Theodora arrives with our order. Thick, decadent, creamy, and exploding in sweet richness, the drinking chocolate warms the passage of my throat and heats my insides to a delirious deliciousness. When I set it down, I immediately notice the object sitting on the table.

  “An apology token.” Sky motions to the snow globe housing the familiar network of glass buildings.

  At first, I just study it, unsure whether I want to pick it up and shake it like I’ve always done with every other globe Sky has brought me.

  His words seem to lead where my thoughts stray. “The Aviary’s no different. It’s part of you now. Just like every other place. You’ll be taking it with you.”

  I don’t want to believe that, but I pick up the snow globe and tip it over once, watch dozens of mini birds start to swirl before I start to shake. And shake.

  “Careful. Don’t want to kill the poor thing.”

  I meet his eyes in a deadpan as if to suggest ‘what if I do?’

  “It’s just a snow globe,” Sky reminds me.

  Sighing, I set down the bird globe and fix my gaze on him. “Start talking.”

  “I believe the Guild branch has taken Kerrick and Serafina into custody.”

  Sky inches his hand forward to take a piece of my chocolate shell, but I slap his hand away and nearly shout, “You’re not finished talking!” I cup my hands around the ganache, threatening him with my eyes. “Start explaining or I’ll stab your eyeballs with this fork.” I brandish the utensil. “How did this happen? They keep a low profile. They use disguises.”

  “As far as I know, it happened in the Glass District. Same one you ended up in. I don’t know all the details, but they lost a bid on a girl there. Sounds like your mother made quite the scene.”

  “But she never does that.” Unless it’s in private.

  “Can’t begin to say. All I know is the Guild leader was on scene, and I guess he didn’t believe they were just some ordinary sterile couple looking for a child to adopt. That was their cover. Anyway, by now, their DNA has been flagged in the system.”

  “Why do they want my parents?”

  “I’m getting to that.” Then he confirms what Luc once told me. “The Guild runs the Aviary. Second to the Syndicate that controls the Temple.”

  “But isn’t the Aviary number three?” I interrupt, a little confused.

  “Profit, yes. Power, no. The Garden brings in more revenue thanks to its location and its size, but the Garden is independently owned, inherited. No Family affiliation, but the only reason they’re in business is because Force lets them. Anyway, the Guild and the Syndicate have always had a power struggle, and they could be using your parents as leverage.”

  “After all these years, Force still wants my mom, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes, but it’s more complicated than that.” Sky’s eyes focus on me. “I need you to understand and trust everything I’m going to tell you. Because if you don’t, we’re all going to be in a world of trouble.”

  15

  T h e G u i L d

  “Your parents work for the Sanctuary.”

  “Come again?” I plant my hands on the table. “You always, always told me it was an urban legend!”

  “I lied. Your parents didn’t want to get you caught up in their world. They were afraid you’d insist on getting involved.”

  I want to be angry, but I know they were probably right about that. Thumbing the rim of my Chantico glass, I ask, “Are all the stories true?” When I was little, I concocted idealistic images of a paradise with a great castle where girls were treated like princesses and rode unicorns all day.

  Sky sniggers. “Not the unicorn ones. But girls can live in freedom and peace away from museums and Glass Districts, and that’s the important thing. They run off strict secrecy.”

  I nod. If the Sanctuary’s secret network is ever exposed, the Families would bring down their hammer. Any number of branches would unite to destroy the Sanctuary and reclaim the treasure hoard of lost girls inside.

  Sky leans back in the booth. “Your parents have spent years building connections to rescue girls from every diseased place in this twisted world. If they fall into Temple hands, the things they know about the Sanctuary could unravel it.”

  “If they work for the Sanctuary, why haven’t they just kept me there? Both of us?”

  He interrupts me, “I’ve asked myself the same question. My guess is they didn’t want to take any chances. They just wanted you nearby.”

  “My mother wrote something about ‘the first.’ Was I a twin?”

  Sighing, he kneads his eyes. “Yes. Firstborn wasn’t breathing when she came out. All I know. Stillborns are common. Your mother has never talked about it. She’s had enough demons in her life. Figured it was better not to ask.”

  I can’t argue with him. And it’s better to touch on our common ground. “So, I guess you and I are both Family brats.”

  Sky shrugs. “Bummer, huh?” He brandishes a smile, his eyes turn to liquid amber, and he adds, “Welcome to the club.”

  I recognize something else other than the humor there. Something that would explain his avoidance of physical contact over the past few years. At least I know we have a more important goal in mind: my parents.

  “I don’t understand. What does the Guild leader want with my parents?”

  “It’s a power play against the Temple. According to my sources, once you became Aviary property, they had your DNA on file. The system flags DNA if it matches another’s in the system, so the Guild knows who you are. Who your parents are.”

  I shudder, imagining what the Guild might do with the knowledge they effectively own their fiercest competitor’s daughter.

  “I’m guessing the Guild leader is probably setting the stage for bargaining. He knows he’s found a diamond in the rough in you, but I don’t think he anticipated your exhibit to excel as much as it already has.”

  “Does Force know who I am yet?”

  Sky shakes his head. “No. He’s heard of the Swan, but hasn’t discovered your true identity. The Guild leader wants to keep it that way until you get more popular. Show how valuable you are to Force when the time comes.”

  “What the hell am I supposed to do with all this?”

  “Don’t curse. Your mom wouldn’t like it,” he scolds. “Look, I don’t like this any more than you do. It’s going to take time for me to go through Aviary records. The more I do it, the greater the risk of getting caught. It’s going to require more time inside the Aviary. And I’m…” He rubs the back of his neck and finishes, “I’m going to need you to play along. Maybe even convince Luc that you’re letting him in. That you trust him.”

  “No! No! Uh-uh—no way.” I shake my head violently. “Do you even know what you’r
e asking me to do?”

  Sky softens his eyes, angling his head, and I grimace. I can tell it hurts him more than he’ll say to have to ask this of me. “Don’t give me those puppy-dog eyes,” I plead.

  “If you keep getting as popular as I think you will, it’ll buy me the time I need. The Swan is the perfect bait to draw the Guild out and recoup your parents.”

  Paint me into a corner, why don’t you? “I’m not good at behaving. You know that.”

  “All I’m asking is that you do your best.” He can’t meet my eyes any longer. As he says his next words, his expression is one of pure revulsion. “The closer Luc believes he is to you, the better our chances he’ll trust you enough to take you into his confidence. Maybe he’ll even tell you something about your parents that will help us find them.”

  We sit in silence for a moment. Finally, he looks me in the eye.

  “Ser, you can’t imagine how critical Kerrick and Serafina are to our cause.”

  “Our cause?” I question, cocking an eyebrow. “You’re not telling me something. How involved are you?”

  Sky’s voice deepens, a tone that registers he means business. “Very involved.”

  Sky returns me to the Aviary shortly after our talk. I need time to consider his words and what to do about them. As soon as I can, I slip inside the walk-in closet with its ocean of white clothes and settle down in the corner to read my mother’s journal again.

  Back then, he was just Force. He never let me use his first name. Now, I call him the Vampire. At night, I was his Unicorn. By day, I was Serafina. We were trained from childhood to never let those worlds touch. Serafina and Unicorn could never meet. But somewhere along the line, Unicorn took over, and Serafina became a ghost. I tell this story to my daughter because she’s a child. It must always feel like a story to her. A fairy tale with a happy ending. I can’t let her see the horrors I face every day.