Dawn on the fourth day and Jason woke to the rustle of feathers again. Clenching his eyes tight, he buried his face in the pillow, wanting the imaginary sound to go away. It was too close to what he craved, too close to what he wanted to hear in the real world. Nothing would make him happier than his guest to wake up and spread those great wings out, inviting Jason to touch at his leisure instead of the guilty little thrill he got cleaning the black feathers, being as clinical as possible.
Bolting upright after a minute, he realized he could still hear a soft shifting, and he whipped his head around, staring at his bed. Sparkling eyes as blue as midnight pierced him, down to Jason’s soul. His surroundings faded away, he was so thoroughly caught in those eyes.
“Etharzi.” The voice was par
