After being freed from the shackles of the Essence Blocker, and reunited with Talon by the hands of a guard who Lirael had directed to go get him, Spheris and the purple haired girl were descending through another ascendor.
Lirael watched as Spheris petted the bird consistently, he had a warm, quiet expression on his face. One that she found herself smiling at.
"I heard you talk to it," she said.
"Him," Spheris corrected without looking at her at all.
"Slip of tongue," she smirked. "Him."
They stayed in silence after this. Lirael watched Spheris while he pet the raven, the smooth hum of the mechanism resonating through the ornate metal walls.
"So... can you talk to him... or?"
"How tall is this building?" Spheris finally asked. "It seems we've been descending for ages."
"Glad to see you're just as impatient as I am."
