“They’re birds.”
“They are majestic creatures–birds with the height of a man and the temperament of a chicken, which normally I detest, but in this case, I find it adds to their appeal.” He sighed dramatically, throwing an arm over her shoulders as if they were close friends. “I envy your indifference, as it means you spend somuch time in their presence as to become immune to their fowl glory.”
She was frozen in place under the weight of his arm, unable to corral the thoughts needed to provide him with an adequate response to his ridiculous statement. How many years had it been since she had been touched by someone? Her father’s affection—or what she had interpreted as such—had died the day she sprouted feathers. Even Dmitri, her closest friend for years, had necessarily stopped any kind of physical contact between them once he was old enough that attention could be mistaken for romantic interest. Jax’s arm was solid and comforting, his warmth blocking the cool breeze that brushed the bare skin of her shoulders. He was close enough that his scent wrapped around her every time she breathed—one she couldn’t quite place but that filled her mind with thoughts of spring forests and sunshine. She was caught in a moment of indecision, wanting to both lean into the unexpected connection and also to run as quickly and far away as she could.
“There, there.” Jax patted her shoulder, obviously oblivious to her mental struggle. “It’s quite normal to feel overwhelmed at realizing just how much beauty you’ve taken for granted. One might say it could cause you to feel…emutional.”
He paused, as if waiting for her to react to his horrible joke. When she didn’t, his voice changed, losing its merriment. “Odessa?”
She drew a deep, shaky breath as she turned to face him, willing herself to shove aside her feelings and meet his humor with her own. Her emotions must have remained too close to the surface, however, for the moment he met her eyes, Jax immediately withdrew his arm and jumped back.
“I’m so sorry!” His face twisted with chagrin, and even in the moonlight Odessa could see the dark red blush that spread up his neck and ears. He held up his hands. “I don’t know whatcame over me. I promise I don’t normally go around forcing hugs on women I barely know.”
Odessa found herself missing the connection, despite how much it had thrown off her equilibrium. She managed to crack some semblance of a grin. “You realize that implies you force hugs on women you do know?”
“Oh, absolutely.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Especially if those women are my sisters. It’s sibling code; they have to accept my love.”
“And women who aren’t your sisters?”
Jax shrugged. “Are usually unwilling to be too closely connected to the Shame of the Papageno Name to think me worth getting to know, which means they are unworthy of accepting my love.”
The way he said the words so easily, as if he had repeated them over and over to himself, almost disguised the pain that reflected in his eyes. Odessa had a feeling that his blithe humor was actually a layer of armor that he wore to protect his heart.
“Perhaps they don’t fully understand the noble career path of Bird Catching?” she tried.
He laughed, and the sparkle it brought to his eyes for a moment was mesmerizing. “It’s not the Bird Catching that’s the issue, though I appreciate your sentiment. The Papagenos have made a name for themselves in Faerie as some of the best.”
“Then what do you mean by shame?”
Jax scuffed the toe of his boot against the gravel. Bean, who had been sleeping contentedly against her waist in the pocket of her apron, stirred. He poked his head out and yawned, then blinked his groggy sapphire eyes.
“My father is…very traditional,” Jax said quietly. His eyes were downcast, staring sightlessly at the ground. “There are six of us, but I’m his only son. His greatest hope was that I would follow in his footsteps in carrying out the family business.”
Odessa frowned. “And you’re not? Aren’t you a Bird Catcher?”
“Bird CatcherandDragon Charmer.” His gaze lifted, settling on Bean, and his lips lifted in a wry half-smile. “The last bit is the part Father would rather forget.”
“Why?”Of the two, charming dragons is the one that seems much more impressive.
“In his words, ‘Only a fool would try to make a living out of charming dragons.’ To his eyes, I’m throwing away the legacy that our family has built to chase a dream that will never amount to anything.”
Odessa looked down as Bean’s sharp claws pierced through the fabric of her dress as he climbed his way out of the apron pocket. He reached the edge and flipped over, nearly falling to the ground before she caught him and gently set him by her feet. He shook himself out, then waddled over to Jax.
“But it did. You found a dragon.”
Jax crouched down, offering his hand for Bean to sniff. “It took me years—years my father never let me forget. Dragons aren’t as common in Faerie as they used to be, and dragon eggs even less so.”
Odessa watched as Bean practically preened under Jax’s attention. “Did it have to be an egg?”
“I suppose not, but for a novice like me, it seemed the right place to start. Dragons are much harder to charm once they’re old enough to have established a hoard, which usually happens around a month or two of age. Once they establish that connection, it becomes incredibly hard to convince them to care about anything else, and they definitely won’t be willing to leave it behind. My Uncle Avi is the only one I know of that’s successfully done it.” He scratched under Bean’s chin, and the little dragon nearly flopped over with happiness.
“Hold on a moment—if you have an uncle who’s a Dragon Charmer, why would you be the one your father is ashamed of?”
“Oh, Father is ashamed of Avi as well. But since Avi is his younger brother, he views himself as having saved the family legacy, rather than being tainted by it. I suppose that’s what makes my ‘betrayal’ so much more painful. It’s rather ironic.” Jax’s smile was forced. “He tried to distance himself as much as possible from his brother, only to have a son just like him.”
She put her hands on her hips, feeling the same protective anger that came over her when Dmitri came to visit her to vent about the unreasonable attitudes and expectations of his court. “Well, from what I can tell, he’s the one who should be ashamed. You’re obviously very skilled in Dragon Charming.” She gestured to where Bean had sprawled on the ground with his belly in the air and his long pink tongue lolling out of one side of his mouth.
Jax rose and brushed his hands against his trousers. His smile was genuine again. “And in assisting the Assistant Keeper,” he said. “What’s next?”
