As soon as I walked in, the baby’s attention averted itself to me, and its tail started wagging.

Its beak open and shut, and it made several clicking sounds, and attempted to fly away from Mother Hannah’s embrace.

“Would you look at that?” Mother Hannah said, clearly mystified. “He’s calling for you.”

“Yeah, like he’s going to get me,” I snorted, folding my arms and looking away.

“Don’t be so blunt, Eloise. He’s just an infant.”

“Sure, now he is. And then he’ll grow up and slit the throats of innocent humans.”

“You know that’s not going to happen. That was a special case. The animals here are imprinted upon and get along with humans.”

“So, I was a special case, huh?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow and feeling the familiar burn of tears behind my eyes.

“You tell that to the people who are six feet under!”

“ ELOISE !” Mother Hannah’s thundering voice made the entire room shake.

Sister Lisa looked up, wide eyed and frightened.

I looked away indignantly, blatantly ignoring the cries of the baby.