He looks like he might be able to fly.
His eyes blink open, and that ancient knowing gaze meets mine. A musical trill escapes his beak—a sound that resonates in my chest like a bell.
Good morning, my wolf.
I can almost hear the words in the melody.
Carefully, I unwrap myself from around the sweatshirt and walk over to what's left of the deer to eat.
"Are you ready to go exploring, Feray?" Diaval asks, walking up alongside me and threading his fingers through my thick fur.
Turning my bloody muzzle to him, I nod my head. I take several more bites before heading to where I left my clothes.
Shifting back is painless as well, and it makes me arch an eyebrow.
"I know that look, Precious. What's puzzling you?" Khal steps over what's left of the deer.
"Shifting doesn't hurt anymore." I lower my gaze, shifting my hand back and forth, waiting for the pain that never comes.
"There's always a little pain with shifting, even for me." Diaval shifts his hand to dragon's claws, then back again.
"Same with me." Torben shifts his hand to bear's claws, then back again.
"Mine doesn't hurt." Mentally, I'm adding another notch to the freak belt I'm apparently wearing.
"I'm sure it has something to do with being a Luna and needing to shift quickly." Diaval states matter-of-factly.
"You're probably right." I shelve the conversation for now as I reach down for Easton.
He pops up and runs over to the deer to feed himself, his movements more coordinated than yesterday. His beak tears at the meat with surprising efficiency, and I watch him eat with a strange mixture of pride and maternal worry.
A soft laugh escapes my lips as I shake out my sweatshirt and slip it on. I watch him eat his fill before he comes to stand before me, head cocked expectantly.
His feathers catch the morning light streaming through the broken window, and for a moment, he's luminous—a small sun burning in the middle of this decaying room.
Reaching down, I scoop him up. He's heavier today, more substantial. His talons grip my fingers with surprising strength, and he nuzzles against my palm before I stuff him inside my hoodie.
The warmth of him against my chest is a comfort I didn't know I needed.
Time to find the house in the picture.
Khal leadsthe way out of the house and down the main street. Cradling the baby phoenix inside my hoodie, the surrealness of the situation settles over me like a thin veil.
It's astounding how quickly he's grown—transformed from a vulnerable hatchling to a young bird adorned with feathers, already a quarter of the way to adulthood. His heartbeat thrums against my chest, syncing with mine.
The cobblestone beneath our feet seems to absorb the gloom of the abandoned town, mirroring the overcast sky. As we traverse the desolate streets, my eyes catch details I had previously overlooked—the broken windows, the claw marks etched on doors.
Why didn't I notice them before?
The vampires wiped out an entire town. Probably overnight. Families. Children. An entire pack, gone.
The thought makes me hold Easton's chick a little tighter.
Dried leaves skitter across the cobblestone when the wind blows, adding an eerie symphony to the atmosphere. The sound, coupled with the occasional creaking of a rusted sign swinging lazily, intensifies the ghostly aura.
The windmill, a skeletal silhouette on the horizon, marks the intersection leading to the road we seek.
"Are you okay, Feray?" Torben's voice cuts through the ominous quiet, and I realize how tense I've become.
