“Your mother thought it was a good idea to have someone with you—someone who wasn’t your uncle,” said Leo with a shrug. “We knew you’d be shifting soon, and we needed Felix there to make sure that when that happened, we would be prepared.”
Simon sputtered. “The whole time—you mean—he—you and Mom—”
“Now just a minute,” declared Felix, and he crawled out of Simon’s pocket and onto his shoulder. “Yes, maybe I came to check on you at first. But I hung around because you’re my friend. You’re a decent kid. Not too stupid most of the time, and when you are, you mostly own up to it.”
“But—” His mind whirled with a year’s worth of memories. All the times he’d told Felix his secrets. All the times he’d trusted him. “You lied to me!”
“I never lied,” said Felix, puffing up indignantly. “Omitted certain details, possibly. But everything I told you was true.”
Simon scooped the mouse off his shoulder and set him down on the desk. “You’re not coming back with me.”
Felix squeaked so loudly that he nearly toppled over. “But—”
“I mean it,” said Simon, his face burning and his vision growing watery. Out of all the things that had happened since Darryl’s death, this betrayal felt like the worst. “You’re not my friend if you’re spying on me. That makes you no better than a—than a rat.”
Felix’s mouth fell open, and his tail drooped. Leo, on the other hand, grimaced. “Simon—”
“You don’t get to say anything,” said Simon fiercely. “Not when it was your idea. I don’t care if you did it to keep me safe. I’m sick of everyone lying to me and treating me like I’m some stupid kid who can’t take care of himself. I’m done with this—with you, with Felix, with everyone.”
Simon stormed out of the cabin and onto the deck, missing Ariana by inches. Refusing to look her in the eye, he wrapped his arm around her and helped her to the dock, where a submarine was waiting for them.
As they walked away from the boat, he could have sworn he heard an anguished squeak behind him, but the wind carried it away, and Simon refused to look back.
18
DROWNED RAT
Simon avoided Winter, Zia, and Crocker on the submarine back to Atlantis. They must have seen him leave the boat cabin, and he wasn’t ready for their questions, nor did he want to risk Winter asking why Felix wasn’t with him. Instead he sat beside Ariana, letting her clutch his hand so tightly that by the time they returned to the underwater city, he was sure she’d crushed all the bones in his fingers. He didn’t try to talk to her yet, not while uncertainty and unease continued to swirl around them, but he hoped she at least understood that he was there for her. Really there for her, not pretending to be the way Felix had been pretending with him.
As soon as the airlock opened and they were all back inside the domed city, Simon bolted for the compound. There was an excited buzz in the streets as soldiers roamed freely, clapping one another on the back between tending to the wounded. As Simon passed a dozen stretchers being carried toward a makeshift hospital near the planetarium, he looked at each soldier’s face, desperately hoping it wasn’t familiar. None of them were—and as far as he could tell, none of them were seriously injured, either. The worst he saw was a bite wound as bad as the one in his side.
Had the underwater kingdom really defeated the sharks so easily? They’d been outnumbered and surrounded only hours earlier—how could they have possibly won?
When they reached the compound, security rushed them through, apparently as relieved that they were back as Simon was to see the compound still standing. None of the guards seemed to remember the fact that Simon and Winter were supposed to be in the brig right now, and neither of them mentioned it. Zia led them through the mirrored hallways to the General’s conference room on the ground floor, and as the soldiers opened the door, Simon rushed past her, bursting into the room.
Malcolm, Nolan, and Jam stood around the table, all looking exhausted. Jam was sporting a sling, and Simon could have sworn he had the start of a black eye, but he was beaming.
“Simon! Winter! Ariana!” He flew toward them and threw his good arm around each in turn. “You’re all right!”
“Where on earth—” Malcolm plucked Simon from the group as easily as if he’d been a newborn kitten, and he hugged him. “Where have you been?”
“Kind of a long story,” he said guiltily, glancing at Nolan. His brother gave him a questioning thumbs-up, and Simon returned it. Nolan closed his eyes in silent relief.
“It’s my fault,” said Crocker as he hobbled into the room on his cane. “Thought things might get a bit dodgy, so we took Simon and Winter to the surface to protect them.”
“Without telling me first?” said Malcolm, his voice a mixture of fury and relief. Crocker merely shrugged.
“There was no time. I assumed you would rather they be safe.”
Rhode stepped toward Zia, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. “You assaulted my soldiers.”
“They were manhandling a little girl,” said Zia evenly. “They deserved to be assaulted.”
Rhode’s frown deepened. “And you—” She turned toward Simon. “You evaded arrest.”
“Because I’m not the spy,” he said, too drained to have this fight again. But to his surprise, Rhode sniffed.
“Yes, I know that now. At the time, the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming, and it would have been negligent for me not to take precautions.” She paused. “But I am glad you’re both all right.”
“Thanks.” Truthfully Simon was just happy she wasn’t trying to zip tie his hands together again. He turned to the others. “Is everyone okay? Did you really beat the sharks?”
“We are, and we did, with minimal casualties,” said Malcolm. “Turns out Benjamin is a tactical genius. He emptied the city and hid the soldiers out of sight. When the sharks attacked, there was no one there to fight, and the dome is virtually impenetrable, so all they could do was swim around the outside. Not only that,” he added, patting Jam on the back, “he also had the brilliant idea of dropping an ocean’s supply of chum into the water several miles away. Nearly all of Orion’s forces abandoned the fight for breakfast, and once they were gone, the troops closed in and finished off the rest.”
So that had been what Simon and Nolan had witnessed outside the dome. The larger swarm pinning down the smaller force hadn’t been the sharks attacking the army—it had been the other way around. “That’s amazing,” said Simon, stunned.
“It wasn’t really my idea,” admitted Jam. “I read about surrounding your enemies like that in a book.”
“You’re still the one who put it together and led the charge,” said Malcolm. “And distracting the sharks with chum—that move saved countless lives.”
Jam shrugged sheepishly. “Rhode made me think of that part.”
“I did?” she said, squinting as if this were somehow an insult.
“Yeah. Don’t you remember when I was seven and I cut myself on some coral while scuba diving, and you protected me from the tiger shark that showed up? You said it was instinct, that he didn’t really want to eat me. He was only reacting to the smell of blood in the water.”
“Oh.” Rhode blinked. “I’d forgotten about that.”
“I didn’t,” said Jam. “You’re the reason I still felt safe in the ocean.”
This made her cheeks go pink, but she held her head high, swiftly changing the subject. “Now that we’re all here, there’s still the matter of the spy to deal with—”
“It wasn’t Winter, either,” said Simon hastily. Rhode gave him a look.
“Of course it wasn’t. Thanks to your brother, we now know who the real spy is.”
“You do?” he said. Nolan smirked.
“While you were relaxing on a beach somewhere, I was doing the dirty work,” he said proudly. Nolan knew full well Simon had been doing no such thing, but for once, Simon was glad he was keeping up the charade.
Rhode called for
the guards, and two soldiers entered, with a meek-looking Pearl all but hanging between them. Her feet were dragging, and there was real fear in her eyes. Simon also saw bandages on her arms—where Nolan must have bitten her, he figured. He shot his twin a furtive look. Did Pearl know about Nolan’s abilities now?
Maybe the connection between twins wasn’t a myth after all, because Nolan shook his head minutely, as if he knew exactly what Simon was thinking. Still, Simon made a mental note to check with his brother later on. If Pearl knew, then Nolan’s secret would get out before either of them could hope to contain it.
“Pearl Anne Fluke,” said Rhode in a voice that would have made the commanding officer of an enemy brigade salute her. “You have been found guilty on the charge of treason not only against your kingdom, but against your family. Your actions directly resulted in our father, the General of the Seas, nearly dying, our kingdom losing our piece of the Predator, and the injuries of dozens of soldiers.”
Pearl’s lower lip trembled, and for a moment Simon almost felt sorry for her. Jam must have, too, because he spoke up. “It wasn’t all her fault. I mean, Orion would have attacked us no matter what,” he said when Rhode shot him a blistering look. “She helped, sure, but—I want to know why.”
All eyes focused on Pearl. She hung her head. “I … I didn’t think it was fair,” she whispered.
“Didn’t think what was fair?” said Jam. Not in the strict way Rhode spoke, but more like a brother talking to his sister. At his hint of warmth, Pearl glanced up. The defeat in her eyes reminded Simon all too much of the way Winter had looked after Orion had abandoned her.
“I didn’t think it was fair that Rhode was doing all this work and protecting our kingdom, and you’d get to be the General instead because you’re a dolphin and we’re all sharks,” she mumbled. “Orion—Orion promised me that Rhode could be the heir apparent, that he would make things right if I helped him. So … so I did.”
The stern expression on Rhode’s face cracked, replaced by astonishment. “You did this for me?”
Pearl nodded, staring at the floor again. “I didn’t know Orion wanted the piece. He promised me no one would get hurt, that he just wanted to talk to you and the General, and … and by the time I found out what he really wanted … he told me if I didn’t help him, he’d kill—he’d kill you and—”
She burst into tears. Not the kind of tears Simon had seen other kids use to get out of trouble, or the kind they cried when they were more upset they’d been caught, but real, fat, mournful tears full of guilt and grief. Simon took a step toward her.
“Orion’s really good at convincing people they’re doing the right thing, when all they’re really doing is helping him,” he said to her, and while he was quiet, he knew the others could hear him. “He’ll tell you whatever you want to hear if he thinks it’ll get him what he wants. My uncle died because I trusted him, and I—I know how it feels, that’s all. It’s not your fault. Not completely. I don’t blame you for wanting to help your sister.”
Pearl looked at him, astonished. “But—I tried to kill you.”
Simon shrugged. “You were desperate. Besides, I don’t think you really would have done it in the end.” That was a lie, but Pearl looked at him with such intense hope that he was sure she believed she wouldn’t have done it, either. Maybe that would make a difference if she ever faced that kind of choice again.
“I’m sorry,” she choked out. “For all of it. I’m really, really sorry.”
“Me, too,” he said, and after a moment’s hesitation, he dug into his pocket and pulled out the underwater kingdom’s piece of the Predator. “Here,” he said, handing it to Jam. “I think this belongs to your kingdom.”
Jam took the piece, turning it over in his hand. “Right,” he said, clearing his throat. But this had been the plan all along, and even though they’d proven he and Winter weren’t the spy without it, Simon couldn’t let Pearl be punished under the assumption she’d lost the kingdom their piece. He trusted Jam to give it back somehow.
“Is that the real thing?” said Rhode, peering at it. Jam nodded, showing her, though he didn’t let her hold it. It was still painfully hot to the touch, as close as it was to Simon’s pocket watch.
“Dad—I mean, the General, he let me carry it,” he said. “I’m sure it’s the real thing.”
Rhode took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I owe you both an apology,” she said to Simon and Winter. “I will learn from my mistakes here, and I will do better in the future.”
“That’s all anyone can do, Colonel,” said Malcolm, though Simon detected a hint of smugness on his face. “But do remember that my memory is very, very long, and I will not tolerate this kind of circus again.”
“Understood. Soldier,” she added, this time looking at Jam. “Because of you, Atlantis is still under our control, and I think it is only fitting that you be the one to sentence Pearl for her crimes.”
Jam blinked. “Me?” he squeaked.
“Yes, you,” she said. “You were able to look beyond our regulations and traditions and see the situation in a way the rest of us couldn’t. Because of that, because of your creativity, ingenuity, and bravery, you saved us.” Rhode paused. “We’ve been doing things the same way for a long time. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to shake things up a little.”
His eyes the size of clams, Jam looked between his sisters. “I—” He stopped and shook his head. “You’re right. We’ve been doing things the same way forever, and I think it’s stupid that once we’ve shifted, we aren’t allowed to make mistakes anymore. Everyone messes up sometimes. Maybe not in a way that starts a war,” he added, “but Pearl never meant for any of this to happen. She was only trying to help.”
“The soldiers who were injured in the battle will carry those scars for the rest of their lives,” said Rhode.
“I know. Believe me, I know,” he added, glancing at Simon. “And she did a lot of bad things that could have been a lot worse, which is why I think she should be dishonorably discharged, stripped of her rank, and put into a rehabilitation program, where she has restrictions and extra duties until she’s eighteen.”
“That’s all, soldier?” she said. “That’s all the punishment she should receive for treason?”
“It’s bad enough, isn’t it? I mean, our whole society’s built around the army. If she isn’t part of it, then she’ll always be left out. But …” Jam hesitated. “I think she should be reassigned to work with injured veterans, so she understands her actions have consequences. But I also don’t think she should be punished for the rest of her life. When she’s eighteen, I think she should be given a chance to reenlist, if she wants. If the General thinks it’s safe, I mean.”
“You want to let a traitor reenlist?” said Rhode incredulously.
“No. I want to give our sister a second chance, because she’s only thirteen and she knows she made a mistake. No one died. We have the piece. And it was scary, but Pearl knows that, and in the end, she was trying to protect us. I think that should all count for something, too.”
Jam finished firmly, standing as tall as he could with his head held high. For several seconds, Simon was sure Rhode would overrule him, but instead she nodded curtly.
“Very well. I will inform the General when he recovers. He will, of course, have the power to modify your sentence as he sees fit. But,” she added, studying him, “I don’t believe he’ll have any reason to do so.”
Jam beamed for a brief moment before smoothing out his expression into something more neutral. “Thank you, Colonel,” he said formally. “I hope I don’t disappoint.”
“You haven’t so far,” said Rhode with a hint of wryness, and she and Jam shared a brief smile.
Malcolm cleared his throat. “As much as I hate to interrupt, I think it’d be best if we left as soon as possible. You have plenty to do here, and after everything that’s happened, I think the kids deserve a real vacation.”
Rhode nodded. “Of course, Alpha. I’
ll have a submarine prepared for you.”
“We should stay,” blurted Simon. Every pair of eyes in the room focused on him, and he swallowed. “I mean, not down here. But I think it’d be cool to see Avalon.”
“The bird army is already retreating,” said Rhode, looking to Malcolm. “I could post a handful of guards to ensure your family’s safety, but I don’t believe they would be a problem.”
“You did promise us a Christmas on the beach,” said Nolan. Malcolm sighed.
“If that’s what you all want, then as long as it’s safe, I won’t say no.”
Nolan whooped and gave Simon a high five—the first high five he had ever given him. Ariana, on the other hand, wrung her hands.
“I need to go home,” she said, her gaze trained on the floor. “My mom—” She stopped. “I need to go home.”
“I’ll make the arrangements,” promised Malcolm. “You should get some rest. We all should.”
Jam escorted them to the dock later that day, once they’d all had a chance to nap. Though they made plans for Jam to visit Avalon, he still hugged Simon goodbye. As he did so, Simon felt something hot slip into the pocket where Felix usually slept.
“Thanks,” said Simon, letting him go. “For everything.”
“I’m just glad we made it out of this alive,” said Jam, though he was smiling. It quickly faded, however, and he added, “If Orion gets the Predator, all our families are going to die, aren’t they?”
“We won’t let it happen,” said Simon quietly. “Besides, we’ve already survived sharks. There’s nothing Orion can throw at us that will be any worse.”
Jam managed a soft snort. “Don’t jinx us. We’ll have to battle giant tarantulas next. But I am glad you’re okay,” he added. “And I’m really sorry about Al and Floyd. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m down here, okay?”
“Can’t make any promises,” said Simon, forcing a grin. “Enjoy your sushi and kale. I’m going to have real food.”
Jam laughed, and with one last wave, Simon boarded the submarine, where the others waited. Winter and Nolan were near the back, while Lord Anthony, Ariana’s adviser, sat ramrod straight in his crisp suit toward the middle. A few seats down, Ariana still looked green, but also relieved to be leaving Atlantis for good, and Simon made a point of sitting next to her the whole way. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. Whatever she was going through, Simon would see to it that she wasn’t alone.