Chapter 83
Aurelia
Eugene has been roosting with Stacey and Yeti on alternate days.
So when Savage fetches him that evening, he arrives trailing an eager Stacey.
“I’m happy for any distraction right now,” she says as I sit her down with a cup of tea.
“Etienne and I are making zero progress, and I don’t think he even wants to see me, but I go down with Beak anyway. ”
“Make sure you never go alone,” I say worriedly. “There’s something in the air that’s making monsters out of beasts.”
She nods sadly and pats the arm her rex shot. “I’m not going to forget this anytime soon.”
Savage sets Eugene on the dining room table, though Xander mutters and insists on wiping his feet first. We all wait patiently until Eugene is ready. He stares out at us all, his bedazzled goggles missing some diamantés now that Connor hasn’t been here to replace them.
“Eugene,” Scythe says, sitting at the head of the table. Eugene’s claws clack as he turns himself to look at his boss. “Do you remember that you are sworn to me?”
Eugene cocks his head before ducking it. Savage makes an excited noise before fetching a piece of A4 white paper and drawing three words, surrounded by uneven circles—YES, NO, and UNSURE.
Scythe continues. “And do you remember what happened in the days before you swore yourself to me?”
Eugene pauses, glancing at me, then Savage, then Xander before pecking the NO circle.
I sit back in my seat. “Poultry are known for memory loss,” I say. “They think it’s a side effect to do with the fast-forward flashes they get. And I’m guessing he’s been a bird for so long that it’s eaten up his memories.”
Eugene pecks YES.
I perch on the edge of my seat. “Do you remember the basilisk, General Ghoul of Serpent Court?”
YES.
“He let slip that you might know some things that will help us solve a mystery. Ghoul was at Halfeather House before it burned down. But we don’t understand how he got there. Do you know anything about that?”
UNSURE.
I glance at Scythe, nodding for him to continue. “Eugene,” my shark says. “Do you give us consent to look through your memories? To see if there is something in there that can help us?”
YES.
“Wait, you guys can do that?” Stacey breathes.
“It’s not normally done,” Savage says. “But between my telepathy, Scythe’s psychic powers, and my regina’s Boneweaver powers, it’s possible.”
I nod, gesturing to Eugene to come to me. “It shouldn’t hurt.” Eugene hops into my lap, and I hold him close to my chest. Scythe and Savage pull their seats on either side of me and place their hands on Eugene’s back.
“Gently,” Savage reminds everyone. “He’s only got a widdle brain.”
Eugene lets out a warble that sounds like something in between “no I don’t,” and “yes, exactly.”
We go one at a time, with Savage connecting first. Scythe goes second, and I feel his psychic power like a beam of moonlight on a cold evening, passing me and heading into Eugene.
I join them last, closing my eyes and trying to connect to the bird before me.
Because I’m still new to my shark powers, I let Scythe take the lead.
“Eugene.” Scythe’s gravelly voice sounds far away to me. “I want you to think about your first memory of Halfeather House. Then we’ll try to follow a thread from there.”
Eugene makes a sound in his throat, and I feel it vibrating through my arms
The image comes to me like telepathic images do, not quite as clear as a TV screen, but vibrant enough to make out all the moving parts.