A Parliament of Owls Pillow

A Parliament of Owls It is difficult to pinpoint proximal causes for the undeniable peculiarities of the Kestrel sisters. Local rumors blamed an ancient horned owl that screeched into their mother’s chambers through an open window several evenings before her due date, resulting in a premature labor. Despite being identical twins, the girls were born three days apart, an ordeal that marked the beginning of the end of their mother. Seeing the girls’ heads rotate 270 degrees to stare at her when they were laid on their stomachs probably finished her off, but not before she’d had a chance to name the girls Minerva and Athena. That night, the horned owl flew into the nursery and perched on the edge of their crib, a ritual it repeated ...