Sawtooth Spire i’m looking down the barrel of a string-bean

mahler was ill-equipped for discipline. every iota of him resisted taking such a harsh role with any chilld. save for those of caiaphas, for he had hated all about her and regretted harassing her brood only belatedly. another thing to be entombed with him. 
his mind had turned to thade as he stalked off, but in the next his ear flicked and he felt the million-pinprick clamp of phaedra's needlemouth around his tail, followed by rambunctious tugging. the weight of her small body snapped annoyance through mahler. with a yank of his heavy plume, he sought to pull it roughly from her jaws.
at the same moment he loomed close, circling back to hover his chin above her crown, head atilt to show the wide ridges of his ivoried teeth. a growl rusted in the wide bellows of his chest, and amethyst scourged phaedra's bluebell gaze.