Kier stared at the owl dead in the eyes. But his look was absent, lost in a frustration that grew very slowly, but surely.

“Ummm.” Medes blinked and tilted his head to one side and the other. “Kier?”

“What?” Kier said with a calmness that did not match the maniacal gleam in his eyes.

“Last time you looked like that, your brother spent six weeks living as a rat in your parents’ castle.”