“Leric,” I murmured through our connection.
“No arguments,” he replied, but dipped his head to everyone else, then spoke aloud to the silent room. “We’ll be leaving after breakfast, so please take care of any last minute business before then.” He slipped out of the room.
I cleared my throat, staring where he had been for a moment, then bent and picked up Isolde from where she hopped in front of me, trying to get my attention, and a thought occurred. “Who in this room has Vizoacs?”
Everyone raised their hand, except for Sin, and he muttered, “Odd kid out.”
I handed him Isolde. “Not really.” I rubbed my face. “Shit.” I flicked a finger at everyone. “Your Vizoacs will have to come with, otherwise, they’ll freak out while you’re gone.”
Elder Merrick’s wolf huffed quietly, and he murmured, “Mine is a damn menace, and he only shows up when he wants to.”
I got nods all around.
I shrugged. “Well, I guess they’ll show if they’re supposed to.”
Elder Farrar’s eyes glowed a bit, and then he murmured on a quiet chuckle, “Oh…they’ll come.”
Exiting to the back lawn of the Elemental section after breakfast, duffle over my shoulder, I paused for a moment. Everyone also stopping as they exited. It looked like a break in a zoo had occurred. Four gigantic lions, two small wolves, and two massive eagles were scattered about the lawn, all sitting proudly, waiting. Behaving…
“Told you,” Elder Farrar muttered, whistling loudly. A golden eagle launched into the air, flying and fluttering to land on his outstretched arm, and I watched in amazement as the eagle carefully kept from digging its claws in.
“He’s gorgeous,” I murmured honestly, staring in rapt fascination. I stepped closer, murmuring up to him in a voice I didn’t even recognize. “Aren’t you handsome?”
He squawked, a shrill piercing sound, and his chest puffed proudly.
“He likes you.” Elder Farrar grinned down at me. “He doesn’t like many people.”
“That’s because he’s handsome.” I nodded, smiling at the bird. “Yes, you are.” I paused, realizing everyone was staring. “What?”
Sin cleared his throat. “We’re going to ignore you just did the “baby talk” thing to probably one of the meanest Vizoacs in history,” a twirl of his finger, “and move along.”
I cleared my throat. “Right.” I peeked back up to the bird, and whispered quickly, “But you are handsome.” I waved an arm. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Everyone having said their good-byes already, we moved toward where Leric stood with Roselle and Reese off to the side, he having said it would be better to bring them through from outdoors, even with the protection I had given them, since there was so many. Vizoacs lumbered toward us, and I heard Elder Merrick’s wolf huff directly behind me, then he whistled loudly. I heard a piercing squawk, then the fluttering of wings behind me. I glanced back, and then stopped dead in my tracks, my jaw gaping.
I stared at the biggest eagle I had ever seen sitting proudly on Elder Merrick’s hand. He was pitch black, the morning light shimmering on its glistening feathers, appearing tinged with glistening blue it was so deep, its eyes a piercing gold that peered straight at me. “Oh, my,” I blinked slow, “You. Are. Striking.”
His head cocked, and he screeched loudly, fluttering his wings, damn near preening smugly.
“You’ll give him an even larger ego with comments like that, which he doesn’t need,” Elder Merrick muttered gruffly, and tilted his head behind me. “We should catch up.”
I cleared my throat, glancing back to see everyone had continued, and I turned, walking faster, but I couldn’t help but stare at the magnificent eagle. “What’s his name?”
“Shithead.”
I tripped, barely righting myself. “You can’t be serious?”
“He shits everywhere,” Elder Merrick grumbled. “So, therefore, Shithead.”
I stared at the eagle, who was glaring—and he was—at his owner. “You are better than Shithead.” His head bobbed. “See, even he agrees.”
Elder Merrick grunted. “Too bad he didn’t get to choose his name.” Navy eyes met golden ones, “Right, Shithead?”
Shithead’s wings fluttered in agitation.
“I can’t call him that,” I muttered. “It’s just not nice.”
“Better than what Elder Zeller called his for a while,” Elder Merrick mumbled quietly, and Shithead bobbed his head in, apparent, agreement.
