Chapter 28: LUCIEN

I slipped back into my bird form and laid beneath the tree she'd found me under the day before, doing a good impression of being hurt. If she gave it much thought she'd wonder how I'd flown away so strongly the day before only to be in this condition now. But I'm banking on her compassionate nature clouding her judgment.

I heard her coming not long after I arrived and started limping along the grass embankment making sure there was no way she could miss me. "Oh little birdie, so this is where you flew off to. Why did you leave so suddenly yesterday did we scare you?" She's so easy.

She picked me up from the ground where I was pretending to be too weak to fly. "Let me take you back to the house then I'll come back for my swim." Nope, that's my reward for being good all night while you slept in my arms.

I hopped from her hand and ran along the grass twittering. She laughed at my antics and tried to catch me again. This time I flew onto a low- lying branch of the