Chapter 138: Birds Are Nice
The parchment unfolded, flattened, its edges curling upward. Fibers rearranged, restructured, sprouting a beak. Two dark spots appeared where eyes should be.
A bird the size of a palm stood on the desktop, wings tucked, head cocked, as though taking in its surroundings.
The blue-white bead drifted from Regulus's right hand toward the little bird and sank into its chest.
A tremor ran through its body. A faint blue glow washed across its wings, imbuing it with magically driven life.
The bird fluttered its wings, lifted off, and landed on Alex's right shoulder.
It sang once. The sound was soft.
Alex blinked, and the anxiety drained from his eyes like a receding tide, replaced by something calm and clear.
As though his brain had been freed from the weight of emotion. Thinking became effortless.
He turned his head toward the bird on his shoulder. It was pacing, its eyes two dots of black ink, but there was something lively in them. Almost intelligent.