Tasting Drakness

Chapter 60
The next morning, I woke up to somebody nudging me. With a groan, I rolled to find Lycus stiff as a board next to me and looking
at the ceiling. Fingers jabbing in my ribs had me turning to look at Kalen, who was also perfectly still. I yawned and rubbed my
eyes, only for him to nudge me again.
“What?” I groan, rolling on my side to face and Lycus whimpers behind me and Kalen lifts his hand, jabbing it in Lycus’s direction,
and I peer over my shoulder to see Ryze leaning down off the headboard. Ryze’s head turned from side to side as he scrutinized
Lycus’s face. His long snake-like tongue slivers out of his beak and up the side of Lycus’s face, who pales considerably as it runs
across the shadow of stubble on his cheek. 3
I giggle at how terrified he looked. He didn’t even blink like he was too scared to. The corner of his lip opens. “Get it, get it away,”
he grumbles, and Ryze caws loudly in his face. Lycus’s eyes slam shut before he peeks one open to Ryze’s beak, nearly
touching his nose as he leaned down.
“Ryze, leave him be; you are scaring him.” I yawn, and Ryze puffs out his feather and shudders; I sit up only for him to jump off
the headboard onto my shoulder. His talons dug painfully into my shoulder.
“We really need to cut your nails,” I hissed at him.
“There is no we about it. I ain’t holding that thing down while you go at him with scissors,” Lycus hisses, now able to move
without being stared down by Ryze. I roll my eyes at their fear while Ryze snaps his beak at him, making him flinch and jump off
the bed and away from him.
Kalen rolls away from me, not even willing to sit up with him sitting on my shoulder. A soft thud reaches my ears as he hits the
carpeted floor. 2
“And you’re supposed to be the big scary Wraith’s, scared of my baby phoenix,” I chuckle before blowing kiss faces at Ryze, who
immediately drops his head, pressing his beak to my lips so I could kiss it. 1
“I have seen them pluck the eyes out of a demon, and I mean pluck it out! With its tongue! Like a scoop of ice cream, you are
bloody nuts even touching it,” Lycus shivered just as the bathroom door opened up and Tobias stepped out. Ryze flew off my
shoulder and over to him, making Kalen duck and drop to the floor, a shriek leaving him as he covered his head with his hands.
Tobias grunts as his talons dig into his shoulder, and Ryze bangs his beak on top of
Tobias’s head.

“In a minute, let me get dressed,” Tobias groans, moving around the room and finding his clothes, with Ryze perched on his
shoulder. Ryze had gotten so big his tail nearly reached the floor even while perched on Tobias, who was easily 6 feet tall.
Looking around the room, I noticed Darius wasn’t in the room, only for him to step out of the bathroom a few seconds later with a
towel wrapped around his waist also.
“Good, you’re awake,” he says, walking out only for Ryze to nip him when he walks past. My heart leaped into my throat, but
Darius waved his hand at him, shooing him.
“Control it, Aleera. I don’t like them, and that is the second time this morning it has taken a chunk out of me,” Darius hissed,
wiping his shoulder where Ryze got him.
“He picks up on her. He knows you scare her. What do you expect?” Tobias says before opening the window that I noticed was
now fixed.
“You fixed it already?” I asked.
“Magic!” Kalen said, wiggling his fingers, and I frowned before sighing and moving to the end of the bed, only for Ryze to fly over
to me. This time Lycus dropped to the floor as Ryze swooped past. Darius growls, stepping over him.
“Get a grip of yourself; it’s a bloody bird,” Darius snapped at him.
“Eyeballs, they eat eyeballs,” Lycus growls at him.
“Nope, they eat mice mainly,” Tobias says, turning around with one in his hands from the cage. I didn’t even notice that he had
brought here. He tossed the mouse, and like a cobra, Ryze struck and chomped it.
“I think I am going to be sick,” Kalen murmured, turning a little green. Ryze licked his beak clean before flying toward the open
window, and I shrieked, knowing there were probably demons downstairs out and about.
Usually, he went out late afternoon. Rushing to the window, I peered out to see a few jogging the perimeter, but he flew up onto
the roof. I sighed, a breath of relief leaving me, and I pulled my head back in the window.
“Can we swap classes this morning?” Darius asks Lycus while looking over at him. Lycus’s shoulders sag, but he nods.
“Why, where are you going?” Tobias asked him.

“In town.. Aleera,” Darius says, turning his finger in the air, wanting me to turn around. My brows furrow when I see him grip his
towel, and I turn my back on him. Lycus smirks at me, folding his arms across his chest. 1
“What class has Aleera got this morning?” Lycus asks.
“Mine,” Tobias says.
“Swap?” Lycus asks, and Tobias growls at him.
“Why, what class is Darius got this morning?” I asked while taking some clothes; Kalen went and retrieved for me. Tugging the
shirt off over my head, I tossed it on the bed before pulling the tank top on over my sports bra, only to look up to find them all
staring at me. Lycus clears his throat as I pull the shorts on. 2
“Um, what were we talking about?” Lycus asks, and I huff.
“What class do you have of Darius?” I ask, shaking my head.