Page 80 of Shadow Mark
“Lenore, I believe you should let him bite you,” Baris said.
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. No one is biting anyone.”
Trouble cawed rather loudly, as if in protest.
Baris produced a dagger—why he had one and where he was hiding it, that was a question for another time—and handed it to her, hilt forward. “Offer him a drop of blood. He has chosen you for a bond.”
That seemed unlikely, but the karu had flown a long way. He wasn’t there for the hors d’oeuvres.
“Isn’t there supposed to be a ritual?” Lenore took the dagger. This was…weird. A pushy bird stalked her at the palace and now followed her who knows how far because he wanted to bond with her.
“I do not think he is overly concerned with ritual.”
“He doesn’t seem the fussy sort,” she agreed.
While she contemplated her avian stalker, Baris kneeled on the floor before the other karu. He produced a second dagger—seriously, how many of those did he have?—and sliced his palm. He extended his hand and waited.
“Is that a good idea? Isn’t there a minimum wait between symbiotes?” she asked. Baris did not answer, which really was all the answer she needed. There most certainly were guidelines regarding the minimum amount of time to wait before safely attempting a new bond, and King Baris ignored those guidelines. “I’m totally squealing to Harol about this, you know.”
“No one likes a snitch.”
The absurdity of Baris using human slang caught her by surprise. A loud laugh rang out. The troublemaker was not amused. He pecked at her feet, forcing attention back on himself.
“Hold your horses,” she muttered.
The other karu fluttered down from the table and hopped closer to Baris, patiently waiting with his palm out. It dipped its head and fluffed its feathers, then lowered its beak in the pooling blood in the palm of his hand.
Huh.
Lenore looked at the dagger, then her palm. Why was it always the palm? There were so many nerve endings there, and that stretch of muscle worked all the time. Cuts there were a bitch to heal.
She lowered herself to the ground, wincing at the hard stone under her knees, and pricked her index finger.
“I hope this is good enough,” she said, extending her hand to Trouble.
If the gesture was good enough, she’d never know. Trouble clamped his beak around her finger, breaking the skin.
She jerked her hand away. “Was that necessary?” She hissed in pain, cradling her hand to her chest.
Baris laughed, now sitting cross-legged and most unregal-like with a karu in his lap. The bird cooed happily, looking quite the pleased little miss as Baris scratched behind her head. “Congratulations. You’ve been chosen for a bond. We’ve been chosen,” he said. “She’s marvelous, isn’t she? Quite old, judging by the size.”
Trouble bumped Lenore’s hand like he wanted head scratches, too. Lenore eyed Trouble, uncertain if she could trust the biter.
“Now what?” she asked.
“Now you wait for the bond to develop. The symbiote was transferred in the karu’s saliva. It requires a few days to take root.”
“For the infection to take place. You infected me,” she said to Trouble, who was completely unbothered. He launched himself in the air, perching on the trellis. His companion, Baris’ newly bonded karu, joined him.
The breeze picked up, bringing cool, crisp winter air. Lenore shivered. Baris removed his cloak and placed it over her shoulders.
She pulled it tight, the fabric warm from his body. She buried her nose, enjoying the scent that was equal parts clean soap and woodsy. “Am I even allowed to touch this? I thought this was reserved for the special few.”
He tilted his head, waiting.
“Does this mean I’ve been elevated? I’m Lady Dr. Kelley? Ugh, that’s terrible,” she said, giddiness sweeping through her. The situation was not funny or amusing, but she felt light, filled with excitement. Or that could be the symbiote spreading through her body. “Dr. Lady Kelley. I’ll have calling cards made. When will I get my superpower? Sarah and Ghost do this really amazing thing where they can grab and drag you with shadow tentacles. Will I be able to do that?”
The karu nestled together in the trellis overhead, chirping and making their opinions known. They sounded tired. She didn’t need a bond to know. They had flown a very long way that day just to meet her and Baris on the temple roof.