Lucas had clearly wanted to say something when he’d seen Robin working, but had taken one look at Robin’s face and stayed quiet. Of course, not five minutes later, Robin had felt the need to reassure him that this barely counted as work. Hehad chosen almost the simplest of patterns, letting the colors do the heavy lifting. He’d thought he might hint around and see if perhaps Lucas truly liked gray and black that much or if he might like some different shades, but Lucas had taken some food out to the porch for the birds and returned a while later with Flint, or so Robin assumed, on his shoulder. Robin’s attempt at prying would have to wait.
Flint was currently on the back of the armchair, croaking quietly whenever Lucas stopped petting her.
Ravens were always so much larger than Robin thought. Even seeing them in town regularly did not change how it felt to have one close and realize it was nearly two feet tall. He didn’t know their wingspan and was sure Flint would knock things over if he asked her to demonstrate.
Lucas reached up over his head to gently scratch Flint’s face around her beak, most of his attention on his book, which he must have brought from home.
Flint was incredibly shiny, an obviously well-fed and well-loved familiar. Robin couldn’t help but wonder if Lucaswouldsacrifice her for something important enough. Robin thought he would. But then Robin decided Lucas was too wise to do it. That was perhaps better to say than that he absolutely wouldn’t. If anything should ever come up that might require him to, Lucaswoulddestroy himself to see it done. That was the point of such a sacrifice. The cost wasn’t only the bird’s life, it was what taking it would do to Lucas.
Lucas understood how nature worked. Nature wasn’t especially kind and it didn’t care about tender feelings. Nature meant death—that was how it was, and Lucas wouldn’t intervene to stop a natural process, likely not even for his mother though he adored and respected her. So it would have to be somethingfar more world-shattering than that for him to consider such an action.
But Lucashadthought about it. Lucas had probably thought about it before ever letting Flint onto his shoulder. That must be what frightened people.
Holly and Oak gave part of themselves to the town, and Lucas did too. It was funny—not remotely funny—how the people the coven had tasked with protecting and preserving their town were never really allowed to be a part of it.
Maybe that was how it was supposed to be, but Robin didn’t have to like it. They ought to have help. They ought to havefriends.
He didn’t need banging sounds from upstairs to chide him for the thought. He scowled and watched Lucas be tender with his familiar as if he’d forgotten Robin was there to witness it. He thought helping Lucas, and the others, should be done, and with more than merely showing them kindness or understanding—although that was a good start. The coven should have folded them into their arms, and someone, someone with a strong gift of Sight, should be there to try to warn them of what may come and give them time to prepare if the future could not be avoided.
Robin dropped his gaze to the beginnings of the pattern forming in his hands. Not the one he’d chosen, but undoubtedly the one that was best for the recipient.
It didn’t matter if Robin wanted to See; he would. Yet he hid from it anyway.
To Lucas, he must seem the worst sort of coward.
“Baby,” a feminine voice said from not far away.
Robin jumped and looked over, then down, to the raven on the floor by one of the baskets. The bird pulled on a strand of yarnenough to nearly unravel whatever loose ball it had been in, then let go.
“Big baby,” the raven said. Robin recognized Persephone’s voice being mimicked. “Baby baby, big baby,” quoth this particular raven, then walked in a slow, sassy, comical way to the basket by the side of the couch to tug at another length of yarn.
“I’m not a…” Robin controlled himself before Lucas could tease him for arguing with birds too. Lucas looked up at the sound of Robin’s voice but Robin watched the much-too-large bird displace even more yarn. “Do they often call you a big baby?” he asked the raven.
“Persephone does when he decides not to listen to anyone but Flint,” Lucas explained, then answered Robin’s next question before he could ask it. “No, not even me. He’s not mine.”
“Why is he walking?” Robin finally glanced over to Lucas.
“He likes to be contrary, as far as I can tell.” Lucas patted Flint soothingly before her feathers could ruffle over this discussion of her mate. “He’s an unexpectedly difficult creature. I’ve never been able to predict him.”
Robin ought to ask what Lucascouldpredict, but knowing what Lucas saw in the dregs of a cup of tea or if he interpreted signs from the flight of geese or the color of the moon behind the clouds, if Lucas had the occasional Dream, was skirting close to a discussion Robin didn’t want to have.
Anyway, having called Robin a baby, Flint’s mate walked himself sassily out the door. Flint swooped down to follow him, so Lucas got up with a sigh to go let them out.
When Lucas returned, Robin stopped with him a question before he could go back to his reading.
“Does he have a name?”
Lucas was so very serious “I’m sure he does to other ravens.”
Robin put his project down. “They’ll really be okay out there?” It seemed as if the rain was coming down harder. The wind was picking up too.
Lucas was still serious, but also a little unhappy. “If they were wild, they would be in the trees taking their chances. The porch will do.” He paused. “I did move the bench closer to the door, for more protection. I didn’t think you’d mind.” Robin shook his head to show he didn’t. Lucas smiled gently. “If Flint makes a racket, feel free to let her in.”
That both did and did not calm Robin’s worries. “I meant, will she be okay so far from you?”
Lucas hesitated. “She normally stays outside my window. We built a sheltered balcony for them. But there’s no place for that here.”
“My grandparents’… the largest bedroom has a balcony,” Robin suggested. “When it’s not raining, that would do, if you’d rather sleep in that room.”
