Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
The Plan
I slept well for the first time since growing feathers, inexplicably convinced that if he meant to eat me and savor my fear, it would not be today.
I settled into the tight space in the rafters after the echoes of his footsteps faded.
Perched above the empty, echo-prone space, I would’ve been alerted had anyone approached, hence the restful sleep.
Plus, I was tucked in so tightly, it would’ve been impossible to fall.
I woke almost refreshed. There was something on my mind, something I had ignored while I floundered around for the past two days.
If I were successful in somehow pulling off a miracle and returning to my former body, I would need my purse, computer, and phone.
Not that I was terribly optimistic, considering how well that had worked out for the Stag and the Wolf, but quitting had never been part of my skill set.
As long as I was breathing, I would make plans to return to my previous life.
Working in a competitive field, I often heard how successful people visualize what they hope to achieve.
With thoughts of regaining my life as a prosperous, groundbreaking architect, I headed back outside.
The house was empty, and instead of hopping, I flew through the long corridor and out the front door into the fresh, twilit air.
The sun had dipped below the mountains, but the sky was still brilliantly showing off layers of fuchsia and orange so decadent I couldn’t help but marvel.
My Monster was nowhere in sight, and I retraced my original steps from the first night I climbed up his mountain.
Perched on the outer wall, I studied the ground.
Where had I been standing when he transformed me?
It had been pitch black that night, but this night, my eyes could see the surroundings without difficulty.
Perhaps crows saw better at night. They definitely had better eyesight than humans.
Still, everything looked different than I remembered when I first climbed up here, and the courtyard was littered with boulders of all sizes, making it difficult to spot something that should’ve jumped out based on its size and dissimilarity to the terrain.
I noticed my faded black blouse first, in a mound with my jeans, similar to the rocks around it in color, if not texture, and finally, next to it, my laptop case.
It was still there.
The battery had to be dead, but it hadn’t rained since my transformation. If I could drag it inside and hide it somewhere, then all my work, my whole life, would still be intact. Was I being delusional? Probably. And yet I flew down, landing on the closest rock.
Hopping over until I stood on the wide strap, I closed my feet around the fabric and tested the weight by flapping a few times until I hovered in the air.
The bag moved up onto its edge. I landed again, crouched and kicked off, flapped my wings repeatedly, trying my best to lift it off the ground.
Each time, I was yanked back to the earth.
Right, because I didn’t weigh much as a crow, certainly less than my overstuffed laptop bag, which also held my wallet, toiletry bag, spare underwear, keys, and my favorite special reference book.
Fuck.
Maybe the Wolf could help me move it. I heard movement behind me and looked up, certain it was the owl, finally about to catch me.
But the sky was clear. Moonlight bathed the courtyard, creating a strange moonscape of large rocks and craters.
Down here, I was so exposed. I needed to leave, to get someplace up high, but I was torn.
How was I going to move my stuff? If I dumped everything else, could I then drag my laptop to safety?
But I would still need my keys, wallet, and phone.
Crows can’t sigh, but I did my best, almost missing the scratching sound behind me.
Reacting by instinct, I flapped my wings and flung my body to the left as a large shadow blocked out the moon.
For a second, I thought I had escaped, but then giant jaws closed in around me, twisting my left wing in agony. A bone cracked. I couldn’t see the cause of my death as it roared toward me. I closed my eyes and hoped it would be over quickly.
Instead, I was thrown to the ground, mostly intact. My wing was twisted, and when I tried to close it, it hurt too much. But if I wanted to survive, I needed to move. I looked around and saw the strangest sight.
A few feet away stood the Monster, his arm stretched straight out from his side. In his strong grip hung the Wolf, twisting and snapping, doing his best to get free. His back feet kicked at the Monster’s side, large claws catching his thigh on every third kick.
Wolf says you asked him to kill you. Is this true, Corvus?
I blinked up at him, craning my neck.
No, of course not. If I wanted to die, I’d come to you. Or let the owl get me.
I could hear his chuckle in my head. I didn’t think so.
Without further discussion, he reached over with his free hand and broke the Wolf’s neck in a smooth twist, dropping him to the ground like a piece of trash.
I jumped back and lost my balance, my injured wing dragging on the ground. I must have cried out in agony, for instead of turning away, as he looked like he intended to do, the Monster moved closer to me.
He hurt you.
I think my wing is broken. The pain grew sharper.
He leaned in close, giving me a good look at his striking face, which had been so far above my small spot on the ground.
Here, let me fix it.
He held out his giant hand for me to climb up onto it.
I took a deep breath. If he could kill a wolf so easily, it wouldn’t take much to finish the job the Wolf had started. He inched closer, and I wanted to flee. Out of good options, I made the gut decision to trust him.
I hopped onto his hand, and a soothing wave washed over me.
All the pain bled away, and I tested my wing carefully.
I was able to extend it easily, so I tried a few experimental flaps.
I lifted into the air and flew up to the top of the wall.
Even perched up eight feet from the ground, I was still lower than his head.
Thank you. I poured all my gratitude into it. He had saved my life. I wasn’t sure why or if I was in danger from him anymore.
He turned away, extending his own set of impressive wings. I couldn’t help but be a little jealous. He chuckled again and turned his head, looking me right in the eye.
Fly with me?
Then, with a powerful jump off the ground and a few loud flaps, he was airborne. I watched in awe as he climbed the air, a dark king in the night sky. He circled above me, crying out once more in my head. Fly with me, Corvus.
Not giving myself the chance to think about his motivations and talk myself out of it, I pushed my body into the sky.
My takeoff was nowhere near as impressive as his had been, but the rush of air through my feathers was exhilarating.
He flew giant, lazy circles above me, and I flapped hard, doing my best to reach his altitude.
I had never flown so high before, but I could feel his laughter, his pure joy.
I answered in kind, because even though I wanted my old life back, nothing compared to this ecstasy.
Up here, I was one with the sky. Each feather tuned in to the air and wind, wings and tail feathers making minute adjustments as needed.
The air felt different, but I was learning how to respond to its whimsy.
Less empty than when I had been human, I could feel its currents, almost like swimming.
When it blew gusts at me, I took advantage of them, letting it throw me higher, until I found myself so high that the Gothic fortress looked like a child’s toy down below.
Follow me, he cried in the back of my head, and I watched as he turned his magnificent body and dove down the cliff.
Done hesitating, I dove after him, folding my wings and taking the fall.
I plunged faster than I’d dared before, down, down into the abyss.
The moon illuminated the valley so far down below us, the cliff behind us.
He caught a thermal a few seconds before I felt it, flapping a few times and lifting effortlessly up into the sky.
My light body didn’t have to work at all, and I rode the roller coaster back up, finally able to enjoy this body without fear.
We played like that for a while, diving, rushing, floating, laughing, until my muscles grew tired.
I flew to the back edge of the fortress, the part perched above the sheer cliff.
I found a good spot and watched him play in the sky.
He was stunning, a creature so ancient, many religions could’ve been based on him.
And yet he had this childlike ability to play. Thank you, I told him as I watched.
After a little while longer, he came and landed close to where I sat. I cocked my head at him.
Why did you kill the Wolf?
I have been meaning to for a while now.
What? My mind stuttered
He killed my friend.
Oh. The Stag?
Yes.
Why did you turn him into a stag?
He asked me to.
I was still confused. But I had a more important question.
Are you planning to kill me?
Do you want me to?
No. I want to live. I want to go back to my old life.
Why?
What do you mean?
Why would you give up the ability to fly? There is nothing better. Ultimate freedom.
Because I had dreams of becoming an architect, of building beautiful buildings, and I was so close to seeing them come true.
He thought about it before responding. While the silence wasn’t uncomfortable exactly, perhaps I needed to do a better job explaining. I tried to give voice to something I had long believed but hadn’t shared with anyone.