I smiled stiffly. ‘Trying to get our schedules to match is like getting the stars to align,’ I confessed.
‘If he’s worth it, you force them,’ Mrs Abernathy advised. She patted me on the hand and started carefully down the stairs. ‘Oh, and dear? Your bird was warbling a great deal today. Seemed terribly sad. Perhaps leave the radio on for him next time you have to leave him home?’
Fear pierced my heart. ‘Yeah, I’ll do that,’ I managed before whirling to the door and fumbling with my keys.
I unlocked the door. ‘Loki?’ I called. ‘Where are you, bud?’
I didn’t hear a response, so I dropped the mace to the floor, shoved the door shut, and hollered, ‘Loki!’ I looked frantically around my open-plan living space. My dad’s files were still scattered on the dining room table and the window was slightly ajar so Loki could leave if he wanted, but there was no sign of the bird himself. My anxiety shot up as I saw a small tray of cut-up ham still on the side, uneaten. That never happened. Loki was always eating, whether he was hungry or not. He said eating washis hobby, and given the amount of joy he got from it, it was hard to argue with that.
‘Loki?’ I called again. Surely he wouldn’t have left? Maybe he hadn’t managed to get home after the crime scene? My stomach lurched. He’d said he was okay to make it home and I’d believed him, but maybe he hadn’t had the energy. Shit! I should have driven him home myself.
‘Pigdog,’ came the faint response from my feathered friend.
Relief surged through me. ‘Loki?’
He trilled softly, and I followed the sound to my bedroom. He was lying on the pillow on my side of the bed.
‘Loki!’ Panic elbowed relief out of the way like a shopper in a sale. His little chest was barely moving. ‘That’s it! I’m calling Amber!’
He didn’t protest, just closed his eyes again. I hauled out my phone and rang the Crone.
‘Yes?’ she answered sharply.
‘You’re still in the area, right?’
‘I’m in Chester right now, as it happens.’
‘Thank goodness. My bird is sick. I need your help.’
‘Your … bird?’
‘My caladrius! Please Amber.’
She sighed. ‘You’d think as the Crone I’d belessat people’s beck and call, but no. Give me your address, Wise.’
I rattled it off and she made a note of it. ‘Bastion and I will be around shortly.’
Chapter Six
She wasn’t kidding. Barely five minutes had passed when a windswept witch appeared on my doorstep, her hulking bodyguard two steps behind her, as always.
‘Show me to him,’ Amber ordered briskly.
I led the way to my bedroom. Bastion barrelled in, checking the room and the en-suite before he gestured to Amber that it was all clear. Bastion propped the door to the bedroom open so he could see Amber working from the living space, and then he went out to prowl around there. Any intruders would have to go through him, and since I didn’t have anti-ogre runes painted on the flat, it would be handy to leave him to deal with Fuck if she was stupid enough to return.
Amber eyed the bird, then sat on my bed and withdrew various potions from her ever-present tote bag. She pulled on some purple gloves and began to painstakingly paint teeny-tiny runes on Loki’s feathered chest.
A firm knock sounded at the door, and Bastion went to see who it was. If Fuck was back for more trouble, I’d happily lethim push her out the goddamn window. There was a time for accosting an innocent Inspector, and this wasn’t that.
‘Krieg,’ Bastion called back but made no move to let the King of the Ogres in.
Relief swamped me. Robbie was a bird whisperer. Maybe he could help us. ‘Let him in,’ I confirmed. Then I turned to Amber. ‘Will it work?’ I asked. ‘Painting runes on feathers rather than skin? It usually has to be skin, doesn’t it?’
‘It works,’ Amber replied, still drawing on the symbols carefully. ‘I’ve healed birds before.’ She set her brush down, ran her magic through the runes, and frowned. ‘Hmm,’ she said.
‘Is that a good “hmm” or a bad “hmm”?’ I pressed impatiently.
‘Curious. It appears the bird has been trying to bond with you, but the bond isn’t taking.’
