Page 58 of Flock This

“It’s nothing but the reality of my situation. Complaining to me about it is no more useful than complaining to a vampire about their need for blood, or to a were about the effect of the full moon on them. I’d suggest you go, give me a little space, and I will leave after I have time to calm myself. Forgive me for taking over the council room, but it is likely the safest choice.”

Ruben sighed and took the book in his arms. He glanced at the box, but before he could go for it, the man interrupted again. “Leave it for now.”

Ruben nodded and left the room, the large double doors slamming shut behind him.

As soon as we were alone, the man leaned backward in his chair and rubbed his eyes.

I had a moment of wondering if he hadn’t noticed me at all. Maybe it really was just what he’d said, that he was overwhelmed by the emotions in the room and needed a break?

Exhaustion sure showed on his features, after all.

I allowed myself the chance to stare at him while his eyes remained closed, noting the still unfairly good looks he had. With his eyes closed, however, he was slightly less intimidating.

“You are even more foolish than I imagined,” he said into the silence of the room.

Still, I didn’t move.

He stopped rubbing his eyes and opened them, staring straight at me, removing all doubt as to whether he knew I was there. “You have no reason to hide anymore. Come out, Grey.”

I considered ignoring him. I could just stay here, pretend I wasn’t, and he’d…go away maybe?

“You can come out or I can reach in and extract you. Either way, my patience is running thin.”

I didn’t want to get manhandled, so I did as he said and wiggled myself free of the cloth inside the box. However, the cloth wasn’t in one large piece, which would have made it far easier. Instead, it was strips of cloth, and I couldn’t seem to get out of them all.

I fluttered out of the box, but two strips remained wrapped around my legs and one wing, throwing me off and causing me to fall on my side on the table.

A soft sound that could have been a laugh left the man as I struggled on the table, eventually getting out of the treacherous straps. And boy, if he had the smallest amount of respect before for me, I’d sure as fuck lost it with those messy acrobatics.

Crow vs. cloth, round one!

I turned to face him, to find he hadn’t moved in the least. “It’s hard to believe you’ve caused so much trouble for so many people when you struggle with some bits of cloth.”

I let out a soft croak at him, wishing my crow form had the ability to curse. I could have changed to my human form, but somehow that seemed more dangerous at the moment.

“To think that the troublesome thief I found at my sister’s office would be the one and only clanless, the little girl causing so much strife. I had to come to this meeting today, after all, because of you and your actions.”

I tilted my head, hoping he understood the meaning behind it as, ‘I’m not about to apologize.’

In fact, if I could ensure he had to sit through another hundred boring meetings, I’d do whatever it took!

“And here I had no idea a bird’s face could make such expressions. I’d say your reaction had to do with my power, but I suspect you are just generally this unpleasant.”

His power?

I didn’t know much about the Mind Spirits, despite having been friends with Ignis for so long. Minds were uncommon, and they kept mostly to themselves when possible, which meant there was less information about them than other types.

Then the other part of what he said melted through my thoughts. His sister?

Was he trying to tell me that he was Ignis’ brother? The idea didn’t make much sense, but I also couldn’t deny it, not directly. He’d been at her office, even had a code to her door. It meant she must have known him well and trusted him at least a little.

However, here he was, at the council meeting. The idea that her brother could head the council seat for their clan felt strange, but I couldn’t deny it, either.

He looked around the room, then sighed. “I suppose this is hardly the place for a good conversation, is it? Come along, then.” He rose from his seat at the huge table, giving me a chance to see his full outfit. He wore a white turtleneck along with a gray trench coat that fell to his knees. I had to think he’d be sweating bullets, but it didn’t seem that way.

I cocked my head, wondering if he expected me to ride on his shoulder like a parrot. If he did, he better be ready to get his eyes pecked out for the insulting idea.

Or so I thought, until he held open the front of his coat, a pocket there on the inside.

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