Peaked by Bennett Jamie

Author:Bennett, Jamie [Bennett, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-09-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

I t glared at me out of beady, angry little eyes. A hiss issued from its dirty orange beak. Which, by the way, was serrated.

“It’s going to attack,” I whispered, trying not to move my lips. I shivered in the unheated barn but kept my focus on my adversary.

“Just stay calm. He’s sensing your fear. Try not to be afraid,” the trainer advised me calmly.

The swan shuffled closer to me. My heart pounded. Try not to be afraid? Was he joking?

“It tasted my blood and it’s thirsty for more.” My voice shook. “Could it peck out my eyes?” The hissing increased and now my whole body shook. This bird meant business.

I risked a glance at the trainer, who now looked a bit nervous himself. Oh, great, now the trainer was scared too? “Due to…liability concerns, let’s call it a day.” He stepped between me and the swan and herded it back into its pen. I let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Not really an animal person, are you?” the trainer’s wife said to me cheerfully as I rushed out of the barn.

“Not vicious birds, no, not so much,” I answered .

“I’ve never seen him act like that with anyone,” she told me. “Billy is our most docile cob. He just really doesn’t like you.”

“It’s entirely mutual.”

I got into my car and cranked up the heat. A heavy, wet snow was falling. I thought that Detroit might have a white Christmas yet if it would stick. I still hadn’t managed to find my gloves and I yanked off an old pair of my dad’s, which fit nicely over my bandage but were hard to drive in. The wound was healing well. Despite the swan’s best efforts, it hadn’t permanently maimed me.

I checked my texts. The first one read, “Call me after swan boot camp.” I did before I put the Jeep into D and drove out of the gates of the farm.

“I’m alive,” I announced dramatically when he answered.

A deep laugh sounded through the speaker, filing my car and making me smile.

“No more biting?” Tom asked me.

“Well, I wore really thick clothes so he couldn’t get a hunk of me, but the trainer held him back. We watched each other in the barn for about an hour. It was a standoff.”

“No progress on the leash?”

“Ribbon lead. No, I didn’t even get close enough to hold it in my hand.”

Tom laughed again. “At least you’re not bleeding.”

“There’s always an upside. How is Denver?”

Tom and my dad had been in Colorado for the past week for work. They had left on Monday, and Tom had texted me from Metro Airport before they even got on the plane. They would be home tomorrow.

We talked for a while as I made the hour and a half drive back home. The next day was our triple date with my Lamb’s Academy friends, and I told him more about Francesca and Sofia.

“Sofia usually ran things in our group. Francesca was her best friend, kind of her follower.

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