Page 20 of Carnival of Crows

“Oh, you clever baby.”

Behind me, Sam whispered, “She’s like a Disney princess.”

“Snow White had woodland animals,” Amber said. “Luci gets graveyard birds.”

I caught Catherine moving at the edge of my vision. She had her phone held up presumably taking photos. Usually, I would have turned toward the camera, probably adjusted my hair, and made some dry comment for the video. But, this time, I didn’t. This moment wasn’t curated for social media. This was simply for me… and the crows.

The crows had inched closer again. The largest one stood less than two feet away now, its glossy head turned toward me. I placed another peanut between us.

“Here you go, handsome.” I smiled.

The crow took it. My heart might as well have exploded. I had spent the night inside tilted rooms and dark tunnels. I’d let actors chase me with weapons. I’d been caught by a terrifyingly attractive man twice.

None of it compared to this. They trusted me. Maybe not entirely, but enough to stay. Enough to approach and eat while I remained near them.

I talked quietly as I fed them, told them they were beautiful, apologized when two reached for the same peanut, advised one particularly bold bird not to bully the others… it ignored me.

The bag grew lighter. And then, it was empty. I looked inside anyway, hoping one last peanut might have hidden itself in a corner.

“I’m sorry, friends,” I told them, as I shook the bag upside down to show them it was empty. “That’s all I have.”

I folded the paper sack and rose slowly, giving them time to move away. They hopped back but didn’t fly.

When I straightened, I realized the midway had gone strangely quiet around me. Not silent. The music still played and the midway games still clattered in the distance, but the space around the benches had changed.

A small crowd had formed. There was a couple holding paper cups of cider and several teenagers who were watching the crows as if they expected them to lift me into the sky. And, Damien. He stood next to Cassie, with his lip curled into a half smile. His eyes crinkled in wonder like he couldn’t decide if I was crazy or the whimsical princess my friends thought I was.

My face warmed at the attention.

“Uh, hello,” I said, waving awkwardly.

The crowd immediately pretended they hadn’t been staring. My friends, on the other hand, made no effort to hide their amusement – especially when Damien started making his way toward where we were standing.

His coat moved around his legs as he crossed the pavement, crimson velvet cutting through the fog. Each step was measured and deliberate until he reached me and my friends. Then, for the first time all night, the performance dropped right away.

His shoulders loosened. The sharp tilt of his chin softened. When he spoke, the booming cadence of the Ringmaster was gone.

“Do you mind if I steal Luci for a bit, ladies?” he asked.

Four heads turned toward me. Then back toward him.

“No,” Sam said immediately.

“Go right ahead,” Catherine added.

“Have fun!” Mary chimed in in a singsong voice.

Amber waved one hand dismissively. “You don’t even have to give her back.”

My mouth fell open. “Amber!”

“What?” She took a sip of her drink. “I’m just being supportive.”

“You’re offering me to a stranger,” I rebutted.

“A hot stranger,” she corrected, not giving one single fuck that he was standing right in front of us.

Damien’s mouth twitched in amusement when his eyes met mine.