Page 34 - SAMPLE Fledgling

perhaps a little fear too.
She begins to tremble in my arms and my fear
disappears. I touch her head to reassure her. “Can you speak?” I ask, even though I know the answer. She doesn’t say anything, but instead makes a soft cawing sound. “Please don’t worry,” I say. “I won’t hurt you.” She crawls closer to me, as if to become a part of me. She looks around the room, taking everything in. When her eyes fall back on me I smile at her, trying not to look worried. “I’ll look after you,” I say.
I want to learn more about the Sturmfalken and question Raphael further, but now with the cherub awake it doesn’t feel right somehow. I shift her position on my knee. “I think we should put the book away for now,” I say. “We don’t want anyone else finding this, least of all Papa. He’d only worry.”
Raphael slides the book back into its place on the shelf before returning to his chair.
We sit for some time, transfixed with the cherub, but like frightened new parents, not knowing quite what to do next.
Raphael cranes his neck to see what the storm is doing. “I’m going to have to go,” he says. “I promised Father I wouldn’t be long.Will you be all right until tomorrow?”
“Please don’t go,” I say, feeling a rising panic at the 28