Tasting Darkness

Chapter 60

The next morning, I woke up to somebody nudging me. With a groan, I rolled to find Lycus stiff as a board next to me and looking at the ceiling. Fingers jabbing in my ribs had me turning to look at Kalen, who was also perfectly still. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, only for him to nudge me again.

“What?” I groan, rolling on my side to face and Lycus whimpers behind me and Kalen lifts his hand, jabbing it in Lycus’s direction, and I peer over my shoulder to see Ryze leaning down off the headboard. Ryze’s head turned from side to side as he scrutinized Lycus’s face. His long snake-like tongue slivers out of his beak and up the side of Lycus’s face, who pales considerably as it runs across the shadow of stubble on his cheek. 3

I giggle at how terrified he looked. He didn’t even blink like he was too scared to. The corner of his lip opens. “Get it, get it away,” he grumbles, and Ryze caws loudly in his face. Lycus’s eyes slam shut before he peeks one open to Ryze’s beak, nearly touching his nose as he leaned down.

“Ryze, leave him be; you are scaring him.” I yawn, and Ryze puffs out his feather and shudders; I sit up only for him to jump off the headboard onto my shoulder. His talons dug painfully into my shoulder.

“We really need to cut your nails,” I hissed at him.

“There is no we about it. I ain’t holding that thing down while you go at him with scissors,” Lycus hisses, now able to move without being stared down by Ryze. I roll my eyes at their fear while Ryze snaps his beak at him, making him flinch and jump off the bed and away from him.

Kalen rolls away from me, not even willing to sit up with him sitting on my shoulder. A soft thud reaches my ears as he hits the carpeted floor. 2

Wraith’s, scared of my baby phoenix,” I chuckle before blowing kiss faces at Ryze, who immediately drops his head, pressing his beak to my lips so I

of a demon, and I mean pluck it out! With its tongue! Like a scoop of ice cream, you are bloody nuts even touching it,” Lycus shivered just as the bathroom door opened up and Tobias stepped out. Ryze flew off my shoulder and over to him, making Kalen duck

Tobias’s head.

Tobias groans, moving around the room and finding his clothes, with Ryze perched on his shoulder. Ryze had gotten so big his tail nearly reached the floor even while perched on Tobias, who was easily 6 feet tall. Looking around the room, I noticed Darius wasn’t in the room, only for him to step out of the bathroom a few seconds later with

out only for Ryze to nip him when he walks past. My heart leaped into my throat, but Darius waved

it has taken a chunk out

do you expect?” Tobias says before opening the window that I

it

fingers, and I frowned before sighing and moving to the end of the bed, only for Ryze to fly over to me. This time Lycus dropped to the floor as Ryze swooped past. Darius growls,

grip of yourself; it’s a bloody bird,”

eat eyeballs,” Lycus growls at

didn’t even notice that he had brought here. He tossed the mouse, and like a

little green. Ryze licked his beak clean before flying toward

he flew up onto the roof. I sighed, a breath of relief leaving me, and I pulled my head