Someone knocked on the door. He stopped on his way to the window. It could only be Harper knocking at this hour, or perhaps it was…he hurried to the door and pulled it open. He’d been correct. It was Miss Darling. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her. “I was hoping it was you.”
She looked nervous and shy for someone with a feisty spirit. Her gleaming blue eyes dipped to his bare chest and belly of his open shirt. She was already pale but at the sight before her, she grew pale gray, like a ghost.
She brought her arms around herself and tore her gaze off him to look at the window. “It’s chilly. Why is your—”
He heard the flap of Toric’s wings and sensed the raven’s presence before he turned around to look where Miss Darling was looking. She stepped back almost into the hall, her eyes wide.
Gray reached out and took her by the hand. “Why are you here so late? Are you unwell?”
She shook her head, reassuring him, but her gaze returned at once to Toric.
“Come inside. Toric won’t hurt you. He’s a friend of mine.”
At his words, Toric flew into the room and landed on Gray’s shoulder. Was that Miss Darling’s heart he could hear pounding? And harder still when Toric bent his glossy, black-feathered head and rubbed it against Gray’s cheek.
Gray closed his eyes and let out a sigh and a smile riddled with relief and joy to be reunited withhis friend.
I’m sorry I stayed away so long, Toric. Forgive me.
There is no need for forgiveness, Father, Toric spoke in his thoughts.You have returned. We are all overjoyed.
Gray opened his eyes and found his smile resting on Miss Darling’s face.
“You’re talking to him right now, aren’t you.”
“Yes,” he told her.
“I’ll go then,” she said to Gray, keeping her eyes on Toric. “We can talk in the morning. It’ll be coming pretty soon anyway.”
“Aria.”
She stopped trying to free her wrist and waited for him to continue.
“Yes, like music,” he answered Toric out loud after he did so silently so she wouldn’t feel excluded.
She gave the raven an awkward smile. “Tell him I said it’s nice to meet him.”
Forgetting himself, Toric gurgled, piercing Gray’s close ear. Gray brought his fingers to it and closed his eyes.
Toric made a whispering sound and pressed his beak to Gray’s cheek.
“You really can communicate with them,” Aria said, sounding as if she had just discovered the truth.
“Yes,” he told her with the hint of a smile on his lips. “Didn’t you believe me?”
“Yes and no. I mean how many people do you know who can speak to animals? And it hasn’t been proven.”
That wasn’t a problem. “When you were at the Gable’s home, the mice heard you say that you had to leave, no matter how much of your heart was lost.”
Her eyes opened wide, and she gasped. He had the notion that he should have remained silent.
“They told you that?”
He nodded, not sure of what to say next, or if he should say anything at all.
“Did you ask them to listen in on me?”
Yes, she was angry and growing angrier by the moment. Her brows knit together, creating shadows in her eyes and she scowled hard enough to make Toric’s feathers ruffle.