Inhumane Seduction (Vampire Romance-on hiatus)

fifty-six

Fifty six - Father

[ 40 days after the wedding ]

I looked up when I heard a gentle chirp from the garden. Genevieve had disappeared somewhere and my tea was slowly cooling down. I stood, determined to see what animal was making the chirping noise and why it sounded so panicked.

As I stepped out of the building, I was immediately greeted by a chilly breeze that made the hair on the back of my neck stand. I descended the patio stairs, walking toward the chirping sound. It sounded like a bird.

The sound led me toward the giant willow tree standing in all its glory. It loomed over me like a massive psychopomp. The leaves hung from the branches like slender fingers trying to reach down and curtain me.

I froze on my track when I saw a bird lying under the tree, chirping away anxiously beside a thick strand of root protruding out of the ground. One of its wings was spread out on its side, bent in a weird angle. I walked closer, noticing it was watching me as I approached closer.

To my surprise, it stayed still as I bent down to get a closer look. Its feathers were pure white with no speck of any other colour on its body. I had no idea what kind of bird it was. "Are you hurt?" I mumbled, more to myself than the bird really.

I reached out with my hands but it suddenly chirped even louder, trying to fly away but unable to. "I won't hurt you," I whispered. "I think you broke your wing."

It seemed to calm down when I scooped it into my hands. It watched me with its beady, black eyes. The contrast of its black eyes and white feather was magnificent.

It fluttered its wings but then opened its black beak as if it was in pain before finally realising staying still was the best option.

It turned its head side to side as if it was... examining me. I was taken aback by the way it held my gaze for so long.

Then, a sudden heat surged down my arms, reaching down to my fingers. I was so shocked at the sudden sensation that I stepped backwards, almost dropping the white creature. The bird's bent wing suddenly straightened and then fluttered.

I yelped loudly, staring in amazement as the bird's broken wing seemed to heal out of nowhere. The bird pushed itself into an upright position and then flew right out of my hand, soaring in the air as though its wing hadn't just been broken only a few seconds before. I watched the bird fly high into the sky where it disappeared into the grey cloud.

Reaching up my hand to hold it in front of my face, I gazed at my palms in bewilderment. I curled my fingers and then uncurled it again several times, trying to figure out how I had managed to heal the bird.

I sensed someone watching me and turned toward the direction of the mansion, frowning slightly when I saw Xander watching me from his office balcony, his body bent at the hips and both of his arms propped up on the railing.

His lips tugged into an amused smile. As I lowered my hands down he rose back to his full height and then walked into his office after giving me a small nod.

My eyes flickered toward the sky again, unable to fully grasp what had just happened. I was so sure the bird had a broken wing. Had I really healed it?

When I returned back to Xander's office to resume my work, Xander had his back turned toward the door. He was shrugging on a black coat over his shoulder.

I rapped my fist on the door twice to signal to him that I was in the room. "Going to the castle?"

He turned to face me, adjusting his coat that, I must admit, looked terribly scrumptious on him. "Yes. I won't be back until later in the evening so you will probably be back home by then."