Page 35 of Vampire's Cupcake
"Morning."Eli spoke low, hoping no one was around to hear him greet a flock of birds.
All five of them turned in unison, and a shiver worked its way down Eli's spine.Not ordinary birds.One of them began to grow, and Eli looked around, hoping yet again no one was nearby.When he focused on the crow again, he was looking at a man who looked to be in his thirties, fine-limbed and sinuous.How did their muscles work?If he flew a lot, would it show in his human shape?His gaze dropped to the man's chest, but Eli forgot all about checking his muscles when he noted what should've been chest hair was small feathers.It was the same farther down.
Eli yanked his gaze away when he realized he was inspecting another man's dick on an open street.
"I'm Byrd, and Thano sent me to let you know the bag is still at Romeo's, and he didn't mean to steal it."
"Oh."Eli hadn't spared the bag a thought.His mind had been occupied with Romeo's books and what would happen if anyone found out he'd been there to look at them."That's...eh...thank you for letting me know."
Byrd nodded but didn't move or shift back into bird form.When several seconds had gone by, Eli took a step forward."I always enter from behind."
Byrd raised an eyebrow, and Eli wanted to move closer to see if the dark of it was hairs or tiny, tiny feathers.
"Interesting."
His husky voice had Eli looking at his eyes instead of his eyebrows."What?"
"That you always enter from behind."
Eli gaped.No words came.What could he say?"The...eh...back door."
Byrd grinned, and it was a nice grin, but Eli wanted to run.
"Joshua Fagan from Fisherman's Lake will be here soon.I need to unlock the door."
Byrd swept an arm out."We won't be in your way.We only want to look in the box of shinys."
Oh, God.Eli stepped through the group of crows and unlocked the front door."There isn't much."What would crows do with kitchen utensils?
The crows paid him no attention and marched into the shop one after the other, their heads bobbing with each step.Eli looked around one more time.This was insane.Byrd walked in behind him.
"No naked men in the shop, either get dressed or shift back to crow."
Byrd shrugged, and soon a wave of black feathers washed over him before he shrank.Amazing and creepy all at once.
He stepped around them and grabbed the box."Here it is."He put it on the counter, and the crows flew up, squawking and pecking at each other as they looked into the box.Eli walked to the back, crossed the small, mostly empty storage room, and unlocked the back door.It opened the moment he turned the lock, and a sound of surprise left him.
Joshua grinned at him on the other side."Hiya."
"Were you waiting by the door?"Had he heard him talk to the crows?
"Not waiting, I've walked between the dock and here a few times."He gestured at the crates stacked on the ground."There is some fish that needs to be placed somewhere cold."
"Fish?"Joshua wasn't a fisherman.
"Finn was going to come here to see if you wanted to buy them off him, so I said I'd buy them from him and sell them to you.Save him the trip."
It wasn't often Eli had fish, and he didn't know if he had enough money to buy them, but he'd take them.He'd have to forgo his salary this month.
"I have a couple of sacks of flour too.The Finnegans hung onto a little extra back in the fall in case of emergency, but they said they could spare a couple now since there will be new product coming in soon."
Eli nodded.He'd been worried about flour.
Joshua looked at him."Have you heard anything else?"
"No, nothing."Silence fell and a sense of doom settled around them both.
Joshua sighed."Let's get this inside so we can head to the bank.I want to leave for home before they can fine me."
