Page 96 of Of Flames and Crows

“Oh.” Mae looked from Nikolai to Vlad and Cortes, surprised. “I didn’t know you guys were hanging out.”

“We didn’t have a choice in the matter,” Nikolai said a tad coolly. “He practically forced us to go with him to every pet shop in the damn city.”

Mae grimaced at the Colombian. “Seriously? That shit gets old fast.”

Cortes didn’t bat an eyelid.

“How about you introduce me to everyone?” the voice said brightly at his feet.

Cortes smiled brittlely. “Excuse me.” He grabbed the birdcage, parted an opening in the cover, and glared at whatever was inside. “How about you pipe down before I shoot you?!”

The unseen voice sniffed. “Tough words from a guy who couldn’t properly access his magic until I showed him how.”

“Is it a parrot?” Roman asked.

Filomena tasted the air curiously with her tongue where she perched on his head.

Cortes hesitated as he found himself the center of attention. He reluctantly uncovered the birdcage.

A Macaw with dazzling, red feathers and golden eyes peered out at them from behind the bars. He blinked when he saw Mae.

He whistled shrilly and started bobbing his head. “Hot babe alert! Hot babe alert!”

Mae gaped. A low growl escaped Brimstone.

Cortes looked like he wanted to sink into the ground.

The parrot checked Violet over with a tilt of his head. He navigated his perch and leaned close to his sorcerer.

“I mean, she’s pretty too, Enrique, but her chest is a bit, you know,flat,” he whispered.

Purple magic blossomed around Violet. Trixie bared her teeth.

“That thing has a death wish,” Budimir muttered.

“I like his spirit,” Ludmila asserted. “What’s his name?”

Cortes assumed the appearance of a man about to kiss his reputation goodbye.

“—po,” he mumbled.

Ludmila put a hand to her ear. “What?”

“It’s Mister Popo,” Cortes said between gritted teeth.

A strangled snort escaped Nikolai as he made to leave the room with the mop and dustpan. Tears were streaming down Vlad’s face where he quaked with silent laughter. Mae bit her lip hard.

Cortes scowled at Nikolai and Vlad. “You assholes are dead.”

“I’ve told you a dozen times already, Enrique,” the parrot whined. “It’sSirPopo.”

Cortes’s dagger appeared in his hand.

The parrot gulped and stepped hastily to the far side of his cage. “Alright, how about the rest of these peons address me as Sir Popo and you and that hot lady over there just call me Popo?”

Vlad sobered. “Peons?”

The bird ignored the scowls being directed at him and cocked his head at Mae. “She can stroke my feathers all day long, you know what I me—?”

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