If the only peace a dragon can find is in death, then what am I even fighting for?
With a small but adamant shriek that makes me flinch, the falcon balances on one taloned foot, extending the other, tightly clenched. Scrunching up my face in confusion, I tentatively open my palm, only for a crumpled five dollar bill to be dropped into it. Two seconds later it flies off again, leaving me standing on the side of the road in a confused state of paralysis.
Eventually snapping out of my shock, I shake my head and pocket the money, because I’m sure as hell not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Halfway to my car there’s another small lurch as it lands, and this time, it practically punches me in the side of the face. The second my hand opens, it drops a mini bag of chips, punctured by its talons.
Dropping my backpack abruptly, I whirl around, glaring. “Is this some kind of sick joke to you? What game are you playing?”
But now that I’m facing it head on, I’m able to see the small, golden cuff around one of its legs. “You’re somebody’s pet?”
All I get in response is a ruffle of feathers. Crouching down, I nervously extend one gloved hand. It wastes no time fluttering over to balance on the side of my wrist and pointer finger. Keeping my movements slow so as not to startle it, I spin the gold cuff around. The elegant scrawl etched into the metal only offers a name, no contact information.
“Avery?”
That head cocks again, obsidian eyes seeming to stare straight into my soul. Feeling like an absolute idiot, I lift the bag of chips in my other hand and dip my head gratefully. “Thank you. You should probably be getting home; I’m sure your owner misses you terribly.”
When it launches into the sky, I’m both impressed and a little disappointed. Picking up my bags, I return to the car, laying all of my damp clothes on the top to dry in the sun. As soon as that’s squared away, I sit in the driver’s seat sideways with the door open, downing the entire bag of chips in thirty seconds flat. Long gone are the days of being self-conscious over wolfing down food.
It’s hard to give a shit what other people think once you accept that out of sight, out of mind, works both ways.
A small cry is the only warning I get before something drops onto my lap. Avery takes his perch on the top of my door this time, watching me intently as I balk at the diamond-studded bracelet he flung at me.
“You little thief.” Chuckling, I look up at him with a grin. “Your owner isdefinitelymissing you.” Fluttering down, he lands on my hand again, staring at me expectantly. “Shit, you get rewarded for a job well done, don’t you?”
What do birds like? Pets and praise? Seeds? Souls of the damned?
Lifting my free hand to my lips, I take the finger of my glove between my teeth to peel it off, cool air kissing my skin as I let it fall onto my lap beside the bracelet. Moving slowly to make sure he won’t take a snap at me, I trail the back of my fingers and knuckles down his head and back.
“Such a pretty bird. A sneaky little thing hiding in plain sight; I respect that.” He soaks up every bit of affection before taking off again, leaving me with a car covered in laundry and stolen jewelry. Grimacing, I pull out my phone, searching for pawn shops in the next town over.
Chapter 6
Stone
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Tossing another uselessfolder aside, I snag the next one from the nearest stack, rubbing the heel of my free hand over my eyes. The past three days have been a non-stop blur, but we’ve made a solid dent in our research, and I can’t bring myself to stop when it feels like we’re finally on the cusp of a breakthrough.
