Cage the Darlings by Bishop Elora

Author:Bishop, Elora [Bishop, Elora]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-11-20T16:00:00+00:00

*

I knew I must have slept, for suddenly she was poking my side, sitting up, stretching, and I could see her in the early light of an almost-rising sun, anxiously watching the edge of the world where the golden orb would rise.

“It’s time. Come on,” she urged, pulling on my arm, dancing from foot to foot, heel to toe.

I stood, dusting off my bottom, and yawned, covering my gaping mouth with my hand. “Time for what?” I muttered, smiling at her. Then I remembered the evening. Remembered the blackbirds. I watched her carefully, mouth open. It was time for her to transform.

She stepped away from me, again looking toward the east. “I want to show you...” she whispered, combing her fingers through her hair, patting down her wristlets, the bottom of her tunic. She shook her head, closed her eyes, breathed out.

The sun came up over the rim of the world, and I stared as Merle looked up and at it. There was a shimmer of glitter, like gold and silver flashing in candlelight, and then a blackbird flapped its wings, settling companionably with little clicking claws on the floor where Merle had just stood.

I stared, mouth open. I couldn’t help it. Merle was gone.

Well...I supposed...not really?

A blackbird stood in her place, cocking her head this way and that--beak turned up at the corners, I might have sworn. Her wings were burnished and wide, and she practically shone in the light of the rising sun as she flapped her feathers, regarding me expectantly.

“Merle?” I whispered, squatting down. The bird nodded, a quick, jerky movement, then hopped forward, waving her wings a little, almost rising off the ground.

She pecked my knee once, twice, three times, then flew to the windowsill, pecking the window three times.

...It was Merle.

Dazed, I went over and pushed up the sash carefully. The blackbird flew out and down, cawing with all of her might before taking off again.

I watched the birds wheel in lazy circles, the hawks and the doves and the pigeons. The wrens flitted from branch to branch, and among all of the feathered denizens of the sky, my blackbird girl went, wing tip to wing tip, black as night, eyes glittering, voice hoarse and shrill, piercing the brand-new light of the morning.

I began to laugh. First, it was a sharp little chuckle, but then I was laughing so hard, I couldn’t stop, hand on my belly as I wheezed for breath.

Merle transformed into a blackbird girl. I was locked up in Bran Tower. The Blackbird King, kingdom and treasure were real.

All impossibilities, once upon a time.

Now, all true.

I shut the window gently, went to the bed and laid down, staring at the brightening sky with eyes that filled with laughter’s tears.

I was...happy.

I, Envy, terrible thief, utterly common, was falling in love.

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