January 31, 2015
A little after midnight
It had been nearly two whole days since Aoife found the injured owl, and she hadn?t spent a single second away from it. A promise given was a promise kept and the night she?d brought home to the Cajun?s, he?d healed its broken, little leg. She?d spent the night with the poor thing in the bathtub which she?d made into a nest fit for three. Canaan, despite his misgivings, held out in a place on the floor with her until the beginnings of dawn crept through the window and sang him to sleep.
Just a few hours later he?d gone to Salvador?s to feed a hunger welling inside, leaving Aoife alone with a very wide awake fledgling. They?d spent some time staring at one another, the bird perched on the edge of the tub and her crouched on the floor. Two songs and some gentle cooing later, a bond was formed and they were as one.
Two whole days later they?d painted the town in shades of grey. Here and there and everywhere they?d been, where she?d looked, watched, read, and bought bits and pieces of a new beginning. One of those just so happened to be a sling that she?d fashioned in a criss-cross over her back and chest for the owl to nestle, hide, and peek. This particular day of adventure sparked a thought and a take home piece of reminder. One hand pressed over the bird?s breast, the other clutching a folded piece of paper, she climbed the stairs to Cane?s haven clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she counted each step.
The Cajun looked up from the couch when Aoife came in the front door, a little startled because the only person who ever really visited him was already asleep on his bed...until he remembered there was now a Bird and her bird living in his bathroom. He caught the tortilla chip that fell out of his mouth and put down the sketchpad he?d been poring over. Hit with the sudden warmth of remembering what it was like to have someone coming home to him, Canaan flashed the songbird and her baby a smile.
?Y?all was out a while.?
It was a bittersweet moment for the both of them. Aoife?s smile was more than half but not quite a finished painting. The pair of bright, yellow eyes staring at him as they peered over the edge of a brightly colored wrap blinked. Pausing by the nearest chair, certainly not Salvador?s, she lifted her left arm and let the layers of newspaper she had there fall to spread on the cushion. ?I found something,? she told Cane. The something was caught between her teeth so that she could reach into the sling and lift out a puddle of fluff and cuteness. She set him on the floor where he stood, shock still. Blinking.
Cane stared at Aoife. ?Ya already foun? somet?in an? now it?s taken over my bathroom. Speakin? ?a my bathroom?? Hazel eyes shifted away from the songbird?s wind-blown hair to the bathroom door. ?I seen what?cha did.?
With the owl down and shock still, she took a moment to swipe at that hair and tuck it behind her ear. It had been a bitter cold day, promising to blacken the night. Her cheeks were going to have evidence of pink kisses for hours. She chased his glance for the bathroom, but her attention shifted sharply to the bedroom door which was closed. It lingered there for nearly a minute before swinging back. ?He needs to remember where he?s from.? And she thought Cane was referring to the pieces of nature she?d strewn about. ?No. But look.? She carefully stepped over the bird and handed over a folded piece of paper.
Cane reached out for the paper with one hand and shoved the chip back into his mouth with the other, then opened the folded parchment to have a look. Brows furrowed not three seconds into reading. ?Doux jeune fille, we ain? even have dis bird fer two whole days an? ya wanna?? the Cajun trailed off because Aoife was looking at him that way girls do when they want a man to give in. The look that says, ?You?re going to do this, so just stop talking?.
Aoife blinked those beautiful doe eyes at him as there was no smile of enticement needed. Someone else had made it three steps to stand between her legs, craning his neck to catch the lace of her untied ankle boot. Tugtugtug.
?Is it a thing we can do?? She asked anyway. It was also something to be noted that it had been barely two whole days and the both of them were speaking in ?we?s?.
Canaan stared at the fluffy owl as it made clicking noises at Aoife?s boot. ?I guess. We?ll have ta take a picture of it. He?ll need a name, cher.?
There were points he?d made that she?d missed along the way. Tucking her lips in, she bit them and looked down at the owl who?d moved forward to peck at something interesting within the carpet. The weight of her sigh brought her shoulders down. ?I don?t know what to call him.? Her head dipped when she pulled the wrap over her head. So much for the braid she?d attempted to battle the wind. ?I suppose he needs one,? she murmured as she peered at Cane through her hair before straightening.
?Should give it somet?in bad***. Like Killer. Or Conan.? Cane snorted, amused with his own lame joke, even if Aoife wouldn?t understand.
She blinked and stared at him. Meanwhile below, little destroyer was tugging on the sling that was dangling from Aoife?s hand.
?Yes!? Cane pointed at Aoife. ?I?m namin? da lil? fu----fluff.? Ahem. ?I call dibs since I can? use my own tub fer da next two months.? He got up and skirted around the woman to retrieve a book from a shelf on the far wall.
A frown fell over her brows when he moved for the shelf of books, rather than his bejeweled phone on the table. He said he was calling ?dibs?. It must have been fate that she?d come across the baby owl, for they shared the same blinking affliction. And now, they shared a nest. ?Why do you need a book?? She draped the sling over the arm of the chair and bent over it to collect the pile of newspapers that had taken a haphazard fall.
He wasn?t even aware that she had completely misunderstood him. Cane grabbed what looked like a very old book from the highest shelf and started rifling through the pages looking for something specific. ?I remember readin? ?bout dis crazy as **** bird dat eats people.?
?But he doesn?t eat people, Canaan Devillier.? The use of his full name tasted less foreign on her tongue, perhaps she was coming to know it as he knew hers. She took the newspapers into the bathroom and added them to the pile. On her way out, she nearly tripped over the owl who had waddled after her. Aoife crouched down to gather the bird against her before she stole the Cajun?s seat. There was an indentation that promised warmth and she settled him in her lap.
?No,? he said, looking over the top of the book to watch her as she sat. ?But he?s gonna grow up ta be a predator. Ya know, killin? ****. When he?s full grown, he?ll be able ta take down small deer.? The way the Cajun talked about it, it was clear he found it all very fascinating and was likely the only thing he found endearing about the creature.
?Here it is.? Cane carried the book over to where Aoife sat and settled himself on the cushion beside her. ?Strix. A bird of ill omen dat feeds on human flesh an? blood.? The Cajun eyed the non-threatening ball of fluff in Aoife?s lap, reaching over to stroke it?s face with a finger. It promptly bit him. It was too small to do any damage yet, so Canaan just let the thing gnaw on him to prove his point. ?See??
With the book in Cane?s lap, she leaned over to skim the page he referred to. It was a complete breach of personal space but she seemed to have forgotten her liberties and stole those of others. ?He?s not an ill omen,? was her meager defense.
?Ya hungry, Strix?? It would seem he was going to ignore Aoife?s weak attempt to dissuade him. Cane was firm, resolute in this decision. Plus, Salvador would get a kick out of it. With a chuckle, he glanced aside to seek the songbird?s eyes. ?I ain? stayin? up t?nigh. Y?alls gon? be on yer own. But I?ll feed ?im ?fore I go ta bed.?
She caught the tip of her tongue between her teeth and held his gaze, a habit that told a secret for her thoughts. Easing up a little straighter, she cut a glance for the closed bedroom door then down to the owl in her lap who was still working on Cane?s finger. ?Strix?? She asked him.
Strix chewed.
Aoife's sigh was a breath and a silent answer.
Canaan grinned, victorious. ?I?ll go get da mice.?
