Carlo slumped against the kitchen counter, carefully pinching the ache between his eyes with pointed fingers. The kitchen was quiet save for the pot of stew hissing in the hearth, Melody clanging about, and his frustrated grunts. Most of his feathers had melted back into him aside from the mane that always remained on his back but he was having trouble reining in his claws. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense the animosity radiating off of his older sister. If it was up to her, her eyes would have burned a hole clean through him.
"Mel. Quit staring at me."
"Why did ya bring her here, Carlito?"
Carlo clenched his jaw.
God, I'm too tired for this.
"Is she a hunter?"
A flicker of rage cut through him. Carlo's eyes popped open and he immediately regretted it. A ping-pong ball of pain rattled in his head. He followed Melody's pacing with one trembling eye open.
"Ya really think I'd bring a hunter here? Here?"
Melody stilled by the ice box.
"No... No, I guess not. Still, it's not like you. Here," Melody tutted. Something cold pricked his knuckles. A block of ice wrapped in a hand towel. Carlo mumbled a word of thanks as he took it from her. She frowned at his swelling hand and the dark haphazard curls yanked loose from his ponytail.
"Home run treatment, ey?"
Carlo answered with a scoff.
"Thought Jo was the bat."
"He was. But I needed to whack him a second time. Woke up on the way."
"He needed a second hit or you did?"
He glared at her, but Melody was immune to his intimidation tactics, unlike the others.
"He's lucky I didn't leave 'im fer dead, the pendejo," he sighed. "How is she?"
"Pneumonia from the looks of it. Ma and I were able to bring her fever down. Ya don't normally pass out like that, not unless she's dehydrated or..."
"Or if she's already on her way out," Carlo spat as he tossed the towel he was using to nurse his knuckles into the sink. Something squeezed in his chest. The discomfort only made him angrier. Ambriel's pleading words were stuck in his head.
Don't leave me again.
"Stop that." Melody shooed his hands off of the sink's lip before he could crack it in two. "If you're this pissed and she's not a hunter then what is she? A friend or something?"
"Something."
Melody crossed her arms and squinted at him.
"Fine. I'll find out eventually. What about the other one? Did you interrogate him yet?"
Carlo let out a frustrated growl. Both his and his sister's volume raised with every retort.
"Woman, would you stop hounding me? I haven't been here for more than an hour. Porfavor."
Melody didn't back down. "Mira. I don't know what your deal is but if they were headed north then that's something we should take advantage of. We could finally-"
"No."
"They could be the distraction we need to draw them out. To find the one-"
"I said no, damn it! You and yer selective hearing."
"Carlo! We owe it to Ely!"
"Don't tell me what I owe-"
An ear-splitting scream rang throughout the house and interrupted Carlo mid-sentence. Another scream followed shortly in unison. Melody blanched.
"Maria!" Melody furiously wiped her hands on her apron and hustled to the doorway until Carlo blocked her with his arm.
"Stay here. I got it."
"Wait, let me go with you!"
Carlo hardened his expression and allowed his feathers, scales, and teeth to cover all traces of human skin.
"I said I got it!"
YOU ARE READING
The Grackle
FantasyAmbriel has managed to avoid the 'curse' that has turned most of humanity into monsters. After being separated from her mother as a child, Ambriel keeps her head down by earning her keep as a scavenger. That is until one morning, she ventures too fa...
