Page 84 of Mistaken Magic

Aspenjust shook her head. "Notat all."

Chapter Thirty-Six

Thenext day, everyone was talking aboutThanksgiving.Ihadn't even thought about it, in all honesty.Forsome reason,I'dassumed the fae wouldn't bother with such a human holiday, but it made sense.Aspensaid the fae used it as a chance to be thankful they had a safe world to hide in.Keirtold me the important thing was the long weekend.

AndJackwas still there for classes that afternoon.I'dgrabbed a couple of rolls from the dining hall.One,Ifed him on my way toWeapons-Crafting.TheotherIsaved for after my last class, givingKeira chunk to bribe the bird soJackwould stop dive-bombing him.WhileJackdidn't seem completely convincedKeirwas his friend, he was more than willing to accept the bribe.

WhenIgot back to my room that night,Aspenproduced a pretty little ring.Itwas made of iridescent metal, and she explained how she had a mismatched earring she'd reformed.Iwasn't sure a bird needed a hunk of some pricelesseltamon its leg, but she was adamant.Mostlybecause it would allow us to track him if he ever went missing.

So, onWednesday,Ipacked a baggie with bread, meat, and some fruits.Googlesaid crows would eat almost anything, andIwanted to make sureIconvincedJackthis was a good idea.Likehe had the day before, my feathered friend flew to meet me asIheaded to my first class after lunch, cheering with his name.

Then, whenOffensiveCombatgot out,Ipulled the little leg bandAspenhad made from my coat pocket and slipped it onto the tip of my pinky finger.Itdidn't go all the way around, but the split would allow me to wrap it around his leg without problems.Then, with the offering of food ready to go,KeirandIwent outside to do this.

"Jack!" the bird said, hopping around the doorway as if he'd been there for a while.

"Hey,Jack,"Isaid, turning to the right, aiming for a more secluded area. "Ihave something for you."

"Jack!" he said again.

Keirjust chuckled. "He'smore like a parrot than a wild bird,Ithink."

Jackshook his head, clearly not a fan of that idea.Healso followed, alternating between hopping and flapping a few paces to keep up.WhenIgot far enough,Ijust sat down on the ground, crossed my legs beneath me, and placed the bag of food in my lap.Openingit,Icould smell all the good stuff from the dining hall, andJack'sattention made me think he could too.

"Wehave to make a trade,"Itold the bird, looking up to seeKeirlean up against a tree to watch me.

"Thinkhe understands you?"

Icould only shrug. "Ifhe can learn words, then maybe?"Ilooked back to the crow and showed him the thing on my pinky. "Youwant a pretty,Jack?"

Caw!

Thatwas a yes ifI'dever heard one.So,Ireached down for a little piece of chicken. "Youlike meat?"Thatgot tossed onto the ground by my feet.

Immediately,Jackhopped over to peck at it.Findingit was good, the crow used a foot to hold half down while he tore a chunk off and just swallowed it.Needlessto say, it didn't take long for him to finish the whole thing.Itwasn't that big.

ThenIpatted my knee. "Willyou sit here?"

Jackcocked his head, thinking about it.WhenIpatted my leg again, he ruffled his feathers, and then gave in.Ittook two hops, and then he was perched on my knee.Iheld up my hand between us again, lettingJacksee the pretty colors on theeltamband.

"Seethis?It'spretty, right?Itfits on me soIdon't lose it andIdon't have to think about carrying it."ThenIslowly reached down to pet his foot - half expecting the bird to peck at me. "CanIput it on your leg?It'llmake sure no one hurts you, ok?"

Jackswiveled his head, blinking at me likeI'dlost my mind. "Jack!"

"Yes,Jack'sa pretty bird, andIwant to keep him safe."Carefully,Islipped the band off my pinky.

Jackbent down to watch whileIslowly and carefully moved it to his leg.Once, he tried to nibble at it, tugging like he wanted to pull it from my hands.Iheld on tight enough he couldn't steal it, so he fluffed his feathers again.Whenhe still didn't leave,Idecided to just be brave.

Holdingthe little band between my index finger and thumb,Ipressed it around his leg, closing the gap quickly.Itwasn't perfect, but if he did fly away, the metal wouldn't be lost.ButJackdidn't fly.Hecawed instead, right into my face.

"Ok, hang on,"Ibegged. "I'llmake it fit better, but not too tight."

Imashed the sides, thankful the metal was thin so it would flex.Thebird nudged at my fingers with his beak, but he didn't peck or bite at me.WhenIthoughtIhad it good enough,Ireached for a piece of bread and tore off a nice hunk about the size of my thumb.

"See, you were a good bird, so now you get some treats!"Ipraised.

Jackjust lifted his leg and examined the new band.Hepecked at it, then rubbed his beak against it, proving it could rotate around his leg.Thenhe chittered at me as if grumbling and took the offered bread.

Keirchuckled. "Yournew pet has an attitude."

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