The scene featured is the day of Lucy's blind date Madame Eve of 1 Night Stand arranged. She's rather nervous but relaxes while visiting with a crow on her porch. The large bird entertains her with typical crow behavior when she shares a slice of toast with the bird. Little does she know, she will meet up with crow again, but in his human form.
Putting her head into her
hands, she croaked, “Can you believe it? I’m so stupid. Here I am talking to a
bird like he’s a person when I should be getting ready for my date. Maybe I
should pack my bags and leave.”
The delicate beat of wings whispered in her ears and the rocker moved
from the weight of him as he landed. She sat up and wiped a tear from her
cheek. He began tugging at her earring.
“Really? Again with the earring?” She tried to lean out of reach. “I
suppose it’s true that crows like to steal shiny objects and always act the
clown. Is it because you seek the bright and shiny aspects of life?”
With unrelenting focus, he elongated his neck.
“Or are you getting tired of my reading?” She shooed him away.
With a sharp backward pull, he yanked the silver loop out of her
ear and took to the sky.
Jumping from her seat with a yelp, she raced off the porch. “Damn
you!” She shook her fist at him. “Give that back to me!”
The silver hoop glistened in the tight hold of his beak. He taunted
her. Keeping her eyes on him, she walked away from the cottage. As he flew
close, he emitted a throaty grumble before flying toward a path leading into
the woods. The mission of retrieving the earring became a game of follow the
leader
She sought to have the jewelry returned, but the words from Madame
Eve’s note haunted her. May you learn
from the spirit of the Crow. Something told her to follow the thief. She
ran along the well-traveled dirt trail and he glided, beckoning her to follow.
The canopy of trees shadowed the corridor, the cool air fragrant with pine,
cedar and sweet fern. Woodland flowers dotted the route. She ducked under a low
pine branch, giddiness swelling within her. Taking pleasure in the sudden
happiness, she followed the path until the forest opened to a field and a lake.
A little winded, she slowed her pace, becoming conscious of the
beauty surrounding her. She stood in the same meadow depicted in the painting
above her bed. Flying to a large oak tree in the center of the meadow, he
slowed then perched.
Mountains climbed from the edges of the lake reaching for the
cloudless sky. Envisioning she was the first human to witness such beauty, she
listened to the whispering pines, lapping waves, and songs of the living earth.
No boats graced the water, no calling children played, only pure nature. Clean air
filled her lungs with every purifying breath. Dropping her robe to take in the
rays of sunlight, she journeyed to the beach. Enchanted, she extended her arms
and waded into the water in expectation of a baptism by nature.
She imagined the spirits of the natural world calling out to her and instructing to let go of the loneliness. A simple task of emotional spring cleaning so room could be made for the physical intimacy she craved. Standing with the water surrounding her legs, an eerie power seeped into her pores. Tingling pulses in rhythm with the waves traveled through her cells.
Looking at her own reflection in the water, she watched a grin find
its way from her heart to her
lips. A shadow circled above, still carrying her earring. In a bold move, she
flexed her fingers in invitation for him to land on her arm. Tucking his head,
he arched his wings and flapped in short, quick strokes, accepting her unspoken
summons. He landed on her wrist and dug his feet into her skin. A drop of blood
beaded under a claw. Shifting his weight, he gazed into her eyes. Held in the ebony pools, her soul reached out to his. A longing to
soar on the waves of the wind made her arms ache. Her vision grew hazy. The
image of an ancient warrior with copper skin, strong brow and chiseled features,
flashed in her mind then disappeared.
He dipped his head and broke the gaze then flexed his toes, apparently uneasy about the wound on her wrist. Lucy blinked.
“It doesn’t hurt.” She gave him a small smile.
After a gentle game of tug-o-war and an unsuccessful attempt to
retrieve her earring from his beak, she tapped her fingers on his back to
distract his attention in hopes that he’d drop it.
But content with his position on her arm, he held the earring tight.
With her arm extended slightly, she left the water and sat on the warm sand of
the beach. She tucked one foot under her while keeping one knee raised to rest
her arm and support his weight.
Gazing upon him with wonder as he sat at ease, she slid her palm leisurely
over his back and stroked his lustrous feathers. The heat of the animal greeted
her skin and a low, throaty
sound drifted to her ears.
“You are so beautiful; I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything or anyone so perfect.”
Desire sparked in her
womb and surged through her veins. The sudden liberation made way for the
stronger yearning to fly and soar on the
winds of passion. In the daydream, strong hands touched her, drawing out her
feminine cravings. Erotic visions of lying under a dark warrior flamed her desire to life. She
imagined charcoal eyes and a masculine face framed by wild strands of black
hair.
Inner strength rose and unlocked the door of reservations and opened
it for the pleasure of human contact. She welcomed the strange power that
greeted her. The crow gave a low purr then shuddered and flew to the
oak tree with the silver earring still in his grasp.
“You’re not going to give my earring back, are you?” She shook her
fist. Pacing under the tree, she called out to him several times “Please, give
it back. Crow!”
So very unusual from any animal, or human for that matter, that
she’d ever known. Perhaps magic does
exist. Something fascinating had transpired between her and the creature,
yet she didn’t understand it all.
Without a glance at her, he focused on the mountains before him.
With a deep sigh, she
paused again to absorb the beauty of the panoramic view and thought of Madame
Eve’s words. May you discover the magical
power of the mountains and their crystal clear waters.
Majestic mountains jutted into the heavens from the green robe of
earth and trees. She breathed in the enchanted air.
“Maybe it’s time to quit holding on to all things of the past.” For
some reason the world seemed brighter. “If you truly are a spirit, then I guess
I just have to accept defeat. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. However,
if you change your mind, I’ll be in the cottage until tomorrow and you can
bring it back to me.”
Without a sound, he crouched then leapt into the air, taking flight
over the lake and out of sight. The loss of the earring didn’t affect her as
deeply as she’d thought it would. Her adventure with her feathered friend materialized
into a lesson of self-growth. Her new, fragile, emotional state developed into
a fresh beginning with the confidence to prepare for her date.
BLURB FOR CROW MAGIC ~
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