14
The men left me, but I wasn’t alone. Blackbeak sat on his perch above the door, and the moment Rodney shut it behind him the bird fluttered down and landed on my shoulder. I winced as his claws dug into my flesh.
“You’ve got a look in your eye that I’m not going to like, am I?”
A sly smile slipped onto my lips. “You’re not too bad at following people.”
He fluffed up his wings. “Well, you didn’t spot me until I chose to show you. So you want me to follow Shade again?”
“I want you to help me follow him,” I revealed.
His lower beak dropped open. He shook himself out of his stupor and hopped across my shoulder. “Are you insane?”
“Yes, but that’s beside the point,” I scolded him as I hopped onto my feet.
“I think that is the point!” he squawked as he flapped his wings behind u
