“You disagree.”
Eleri shifted her weight from one hip to the other. “It doesn’t really matter what I think. It’s up to Cassie. It’s her life. If she wants you to help her through her recovery, I will assist you in any way I can.”
“I don’t know what humans need. What should I have in my home?”
“You can start by reading through the IA guide on humans.”
“I’ve already read the IA guide on humans.”
“Oh.” Eleri’s lips twitched as she tried to hide a smile. “Well, you’re already lightyears ahead of S’samph. He didn’t finishreading it until we were already mated, although he’ll lie and tell you he finished it before.”
Örim didn’t quite grasp the humor of the situation, but he tapped his elbow node in acknowledgement. “Is there a list? Can I find a comprehensive list somewhere?”
Eleri’s expression softened. “Why don’t I put something together for you? I’ll give it to you tomorrow when you come back. I have a sneaking suspicion Cassie will want to stay with you, even if it’s not my preference.”
“Thank you. I know I am not your choice for Cassie. I will do everything in my power to show you that your trust is not misplaced.”
“I happen to know a thing or two about males with good intentions and poor execution. Don’t worry about me, just don’t let Cassie down again. She deserves only good things for the rest of her life.” Eleri glanced over at a notification on the central interface in the clinic atrium. “I have to go.”
“Thank you, Eleri.” Örim watched her leave. Whatever he needed to do to make sure Cassie only had good things for the rest of her life, he would commit himself to doing, even if that meant removing his involvement from the equation.
CHAPTER 22
Cassie
“You’re being removed from Kestrel’s flock. You’ll be reassigned to Cardinal.”
Cassie frowned. True, she and Kestrel argued frequently, but she’d spent years with the other passera. Why now? Why was he removing her from the rest of her flock?
“I'm sorry, I think I missed that.”
“Don’t be difficult, Cassowary. This isn’t up for negotiation. Take your things and report to Cardinal’s wing of the Aviary. He’s already been informed of the change.” The Aviarist pressed the button on his desk to slide the door open. Cassie paused for a moment, wanting to argue, but the bored expression turned murderous.
“Are you deaf as well as mute? You’re not here to question my judgment. Get out.”
Cassie fled, heart hammering in her very functional ears. Kestrel’s wing was mostly empty asshe collected her belongings into a bejeweled satchel the Aviarist had gifted her after his last journey.
Where are you going?Hawk asked, glancing up from his holovid.
I’ve been reassigned.Cassie tore out of her home before Hawk had a chance to respond.
Cassie woke from a hazy, surreal sleep with the aftereffects of painkillers lingering in her system. There had only been one ironclad rule at the Aviary. The residents were not to touch the iridescence. Iridescence was for clients only. Of course, it didn’t stop some. Cassie remembered when they’d done an unannounced room search for all the residents, stripping their belongings from every corner of the room. No one had understood the purpose until they dragged Wren away, screaming. One of the clients had encouraged her to try the substance with her and then supplied just enough to keep her coming back for more.
After that, no one was allowed to leave a client interaction without a thorough screening. The Aviary had zero tolerance for passeri who couldn’t follow rules. But maybe this unfocused weightlessness was what Wren had been chasing. Cassie hated it. She hated not being able to feel the tiniest twitches of her fingers and the reassuring thud of her heart. It was too similar to the red and gray fog that overtook her when she couldn’t bear to be part of the world.
Cassie picked at the edge of a seam on the blanket covering her, still feeling entirely too hot and too stiff despite being asleep for what felt like days. For the first time, she was awake enough to feel the discomfort from the feeding port they’d inserted intoher belly. It would be several weeks until she was well enough to swallow anything. Eleri had explained the care instructions at some point, but she couldn’t remember. All the painkillers were making it hard to keep track of what happened around her.
“Hey, Cassie.” Eleri pushed aside the curtain around her cot, carrying a basin of water and a pair of folded black pajamas. “I thought you might want some help washing your face and hair. I also brought a change of outfit for you.”
Cassie accepted, allowing Eleri to wash her hair in the basin before towel drying it back away from her face. She then helped her navigate all the tubes and medical equipment to change into clean cotton pajamas. It reminded Cassie of when she and Rhea used to sit and braid each other’s hair, a nightly ritual before greeting their evening clients. Only then had they felt comfortable enough to talk, mostly gossiping about their clients. But Eleri was content to remain quiet and focused as she helped Cassie.
“There.” Eleri placed the comb on the table next to the cot. “Hopefully, it feels better to be cleaned up. There’s someone here to see you. Should I let him in?”
Örim? Cassie signed his name. She found herself looking forward to his visit even though her body barely felt like her own anymore.
“I’ll go get him. We can check your bandages after he leaves.” She collected the basin and the towel before letting the curtain close behind her.
Cassie pushed her damp hair behind her ears as she waited. Her throat felt like it was burning, but she didn’t want to take more of the painkillers until after she’d had a chance to see Örim.
