Fantastical (Fantasyland #3)(40)

“I see you!” I shouted, jumping up and down and shaking Tor’s hand as I did. “I see you! Hang on, Tor’s going to climb up and get you!”

“Chirp, chirp, chirp,” which meant, “Thank the gods.”

“I’m going to what?” Tor asked at my side and I turned my head to look up at him.

“You have to climb up and get him,” I explained.

He looked up at the tree and then down at me. “Who?”

“Aggie! That bird up there!” I cried, pointing up to the tree. “He sounds weak, I think he’s wounded. You have to go get him.”

Tor looked up into the tree again, squinted, I noticed when he saw him because he squinted harder then he looked down at me.

“You jest,” he stated.

“Do I look like a jest?” I shrieked, throwing out an arm. “That’s Aggie! You have to save him!”

“Cora, that bird is half dead,” he informed me evenly.

“Then that means he’s also half alive!” I yelled.

He stared at me for a long moment then he moved into me, pulling me into him with a gentle tug on my hand and he lifted his other hand to curl his fingers around my neck.

“Sweets,” he said softly, “are you attached to this animal?”

“Yes, no, uh… kind of. I’ve only met him once but he was cute. Does it matter? He needs help.”

“You’ve only met him once?” Tor asked.

“Yes, the morning I woke up in this world. He was in my room. He was there when the curse started. I’ve never talked to a bird before, he was my first and, um… only, I guess. But it was cool. You can’t talk to animals at home, I mean, you can but they can’t talk back. He talks back. I mean, he chirps back but in a way where I understand him.”

“Of course,” he replied.

Awesome! He got it!

“So you have to have heard him too! He’s in distress!”

His head tipped to the side. “No, Cora, I can’t hear small birds. Women can hear small birds, rabbits, deer, cats, mice and the like. Men can hear horses, dogs, wolves, birds of prey, snakes and the like. I can’t hear him.”

Whoa. Weird.

I wanted to hear more about that but just not at that particular moment.

“Okay, well, I can and he needs help,” I told him.

“Was this bird your pet?”

“Uh, I don’t think so. He flew in from outside.

He pulled in breath through his nostrils. Then he got closer and his fingers curled deeper into my neck.

Then he said, “Love, you can talk to the wild animals but you can’t form attachments to them.”

“What on earth? Why?” I exclaimed.

His face dipped closer to mine. “Because, my sweet, they’re wild and this,” he jerked his chin up slightly, “happens and you have to let it happen.”

I took a step back and declared, “Oh no I don’t!”

“Cora –”

“Please, Tor, I’m asking you to climb up that tree and save Aggie.”

“Love –”

“Please!” I cried.

“You shouldn’t –”

“I’ll kiss you,” I bartered.

“It’s not about a kiss, it’s about nature. This is nature happening and you cannot intervene.”

I glared up at him. Then I pulled free and stomped to the tree, stating, “Fine! I’ll climb up and get him.”

I didn’t get within three feet of the tree trunk before my h*ps were captured in big hands and I was pulled back.

I struggled forward. “Don’t try to stop me.”

“Woman, you are not climbing up a gods damned tree!”

I looked over my shoulder at him. “You wanna bet?”

He yanked me back and I collided with his hard body. “Yes, I’ll bet.”

Oh dear. I wasn’t going to win this fight.

So I tried a different tactic and cried pleadingly, “Tor!”

He stared down at me. I tried to stare up at him beseechingly.

Surprisingly, I won.

He let me go and strode to the tree, grumbling, “When we get home, remind me to speak to my physician about the state of my sanity.”

“Thank you, honey,” I called quietly.

He stopped at the trunk and cut his eyes to me. “You owe me.”

Oh shit.

“I’ll pay,” I promised.

“You bet your beautiful arse you will,” he muttered then he climbed the tree like he was a ten year old boy yesterday and did it five times daily. Then he climbed down just as agilely all the while cradling the tiny Aggie in one hand.

I rushed to him and bent my head to an Aggie who didn’t look too good.

“Oh Aggie,” I whispered.

“Chirp,” meaning, “Cora.”

“Baby, we got you,” I told the bird.

“Cora,” Tor called and I tilted my head to look up at him not noticing I had the fingers of one hand wrapped around the wrist of his hand holding Aggie and the other hand resting on the wall of his chest. “His wing is mangled. Beyond repair.”

“Oh God,” I breathed.

“You and Salem need to go to the road, I’ll take care of Aggie,” he continued and I blinked.