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

faces at Ryze, who immediately drops his head, pressing his beak to my lips so I could kiss

opened up and Tobias stepped out. Ryze flew off my shoulder and over to him, making Kalen duck

Tobias’s head.

even while perched on Tobias, who was easily 6 feet tall. Looking around the room, I noticed Darius

for Ryze to nip him when he walks

Aleera. I don’t like them, and that is the second time this morning it has taken a

her. He knows you scare her. What do you expect?” Tobias says before opening the window

fixed it already?”

of the bed, only for Ryze to fly over to me. This time Lycus

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

eat eyeballs,”

mainly,” Tobias says, turning around with one in his hands from the cage. I didn’t even notice that he had brought here. He tossed the mouse, and like a cobra, Ryze struck and

beak clean before flying toward the open window, and I shrieked, knowing there were

he flew up onto the roof. I sighed,