Overture Downs your mother's throat clicks and my spirit swims right to the hook

mercy killing was not a fact of life she’d resigned herself to yet, thus making his spontaneous act of foul play so shocking to her. 

it shocked her all the more so that aventus then FLUNG the bloody wad of a bird at her. her ears craned to hear the affable resonance of his chest the very instant the bird smacked her neck — perhaps going rogue with his true intentions — smearing blood down the length of her shoulder before plopping to rest on the ground below her. 

her eyes, bright saucers at the moment of being struck, glanced at the wine-red skidmark on her person, and then shrank to an aperture of unfavorable judgment. “disgusting, thanks. no, i don’t want it.” 

it didn’t occur to her before now that aventus didn’t verbally acknowledge her malcontent. he only appeared to react to her scathing tone. she corrected her slouch with the realization and blinked owlishly at the boy, careful not to jump to any conclusions… so far. 

without displacing her stare, she cocked her wrist and put the bird back into his possession. “this bird,” gesturing at the heap of feathers; “don’t want,” phaedra repeated, a little more slowly this time.