Reaper: A raven paranormal romance (Crookshollow ravens Book 2)

by Steffanie Holmes

  I grabbed the end of the white cord in my beak, and pulled.

  I had only done this once before, and never for a human. As the older brother, Byron had the honour of escorting Victor’s father and mother to their final resting place after they’d died, and since Harry was technically undead, he hadn’t needed escorting. But Byron hadn’t been there when our mother died, and so I had taken her cord and travelled with her on the plains.

  And now, I would have the pleasure of dragging Victor’s black soul into the next world. I spread my wings wide, allowing the warm currents to push me up, uncoiling the white cord of Victor’s life behind me.

  Above me, I became aware of a woman screaming from the roof. It was Belinda. I wished she didn’t have to see this. Hopefully Ryan or someone else would drag her away from the edge. I had an important job to do.

  I passed the edge of the roof, and continued up into the clouds. The cord pulled taut. Below me, Victor bellowed out in pain. I flapped my wings harder, and a weight dragged on the cord. I adjusted my grip, holding the cord with my talons as well as my beak, and pulled again, half expecting the weight to snap the cord. But it held firm, and I lifted Victor’s heavy soul from the ground and dragged him through the air.

  Up ahead, the clouds parted, forming a white pathway across the sky. I followed it, ignoring Victor’s bellows from below as he dangled helplessly on the end of his cord. When I looked down, I couldn’t see him through the thick cloud. I couldn’t see the Hall or the rest of the village, either – only a fluffy blanket of white.

  I opened my wings and poured on speed. As I did, the sky around me shifted, the clouds evening out, changing colour beneath me. They became a blanket of white tendrils, then faded into grey-gold swirls of dust. They swirled and shifted, bunching together to become solid – an endless dusty desert, stretching across the heavens towards a horizon laced with orange fire. Up ahead, the skeleton of a long-dead tree loomed out of the dust. We’d reached our destination.

  I dropped the cord, and Victor rolled across the hard earth. He cried out as he bounced twice, then lay still in a heap at the foot of the tree. I flew down and settled on a low branch. The dry wood creaked under my weight.

  “Where am I?” Victor demanded, gazing up at me with blazing eyes. “I demand you return me at once.”

  “Not going to happen,” I said in caw-tongue, knowing that in this place, he would hear every word I spoke. “There’s no going back from this place.”

  I wasn’t sure exactly what would happen now, but I didn’t have long to wait to find out. Above Victor’s protests, a faint whistle on the breeze caught my attention. I turned towards the fiery horizon. A dark cloud rose up from the dust, and moved towards us at alarming speed, humming with a strange energy, a rumbling sound that started faint, but grew more intense. As it drew closer, I realised it was not a shadow at all.

  It was a flock of birds. Thousands of them, all flying in close formation, the wind from their flapping wings stirring up the dusty sands of the plain. Parakeets flew next to twittering sparrows. Graceful mallard ducks flew alongside pied wagtails and exotic waterfowl. Along the ground hopped several chickens, brown shavers with injured legs and bald patches across their backs, and black Orpingtons descending like shadows. Garden warblers added their distinct calls to the cacophony, and greenfinches, kestrels, and red-legged partridges bore down on us with malicious intent. And at the rear, hundreds of ravens drew up their ranks, their large black wings shrouding the flock, their beaks pulled back into sinister grins. My people, my family. The birds that Victor had tortured and killed.

  Every beady eye fixed on Victor. He raised his head, and the expression on his face when he saw that flock descending made up for everything he’d done to me.

  Victor crawled to his feet and ran, but he only got a few steps before the white cord tangled around his legs and he tripped and fell, his face scraping in the dust. He sobbed for mercy, his cries lost in the noise. As the birds drew closer, they cried out to him, calling to him in all the different bird languages, a great chorus of pain and rage. I knew Victor could hear their voices as well as I.

  You did this to us.

  You robbed us of life.

  You will pay.

  “No,” he cried out, crawling along the ground.

  You are evil.

  You have hurt us.

  You will pay.

  “Cole—” Victor gasped, reaching up a hand to me, his eyes wide with fear. I shook my head. Even if I wanted to help him, I couldn’t. There was no saving someone from their fate.

  The flock descended upon Victor, and his screams were lost in a cacophony of squawks and caws and screeches. The tree shook violently under the force of the wind, and I dug my talons in to the wood in order to remain upright.

  The great flock of birds swirled and shifted, the dust rising up like a great tornado to encircle them. The cloud spun, faster and faster, throwing up thick spurts of dust. Finally, my vision was completely obscured, the only thing I could hear the screeching of the birds.

  And then, as suddenly as they had come, they were gone. The cloud dissipated, the dust settled, and Victor and the birds were nowhere to be seen.

  I should have felt pleased, but I didn’t. It was a horrible death for a horrible man, the death one wouldn’t wish on one’s worst enemies. And I knew that wherever he was now, Victor would be reliving this moment for an eternity. It left a sour taste on my beak.

  Wings fluttered beside me, as another bird settled on my branch. I turned, instantly recognising the kind face of the raven.

  “Mother!”

  “My beautiful son.” She inclined her head towards me. I hopped across the branch and nuzzled my head under her wing. Her soft, warm body yielded to mine. My heart surged with joy to see her, to touch her again.

  “I am sorry you had to do this,” she said, gesturing with the tip of her wing to where the frenzy had taken place only a few moments before. “But it means I had the chance to see you again. When I saw you appear dragging the cord, instead of Byron … There’s so much I have to say to you, and there isn’t much time.”

  “You have something to tell me?” I was desperate to hear it.

  “She gave me a grin. “Only the wisdom of a mother’s admonishment. You were always so headstrong, Cole. You act without thinking, driven by your emotions, just like your father. You left that woman because you were afraid of hurting her, but also, you’re afraid of being hurt yourself. But pain is a part of life, my son, and love isn’t about taking the easy road. You have to open yourself up to the possibility of hurt and trust that if it comes, you can deal with it. And I know you can, for you are so much stronger than me. So don’t run from love, because it’s the most precious thing you could ever have in this life. Don’t give up on her, she will make you a better person than you could ever imagine.”

  “You’ve been watching me?” How had she known all this?

  “I have watched you always. That is the duty of the raven. We must keep our eyes on what is most precious to us.” She unfurled her wings. “Goodbye, my son.”

  “No! Don’t go, stay with me.” But even as I reached for her, she took off, her wings open and wide as she soared towards the horizon. I called to her, but she didn’t turn back. As I watched, she faded from view, her body becoming dust that floated away, swirling back into the great expanse of the plain. A deep rumble shook me from my stupor, and the solid ground below tore apart, deep fissures spider webbing across the plain, then crumbling away into nothing, into ether. The branch I perched on crumbled away beneath my feet, and I fell, hurtling through the clouds towards earth once more. The clouds parted, and houses and fields came into view. Crookshollow. I was back.

  I unfurled my wings, and slowed my descent, flipping my body over and gaining control as I sped towards Carlisle Hall. Belinda. I had to find her.

  She’d collapsed on the roof. Ryan and Alex raced out of the stairwell just as I fluttered down and shifted back into my human form
. Ryan picked Belinda up and rolled her over, his eyes falling on the long cut in her arm. Blood soaked the concrete roof beneath her body. “Shit,” he breathed.

  “No,” Alex covered her mouth with her hand. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

  My heart thudded in my ears. It couldn’t be. I couldn’t lose her now. My mother’s words echoed in my ears. Don’t give up on her, she will make you a better person than you could ever imagine.

  Ryan bent down and scooped her up in his arms. “We have to get her into the ambulance downstairs,” he said. “She needs to go to the hospital.”

  “No,” I rushed forward, grabbing his arms and rolling Belinda into my own. Her head lolled to the side, her body limp and cold. It can’t be too late. Please don’t let it be too late.

  “Where’s Ethan?” Ryan glanced around the roof. The vampire had gone.

  “Cole, what are you doing?” Alex cried, as I sank to my knees, my hands stroking her face. “She’s been scratched, and the virus is probably spreading through her system. She needs medical attention.”

  “It won’t do any good,” I cradled Belinda in my arms. I brushed a strand of hair from her face, holding my palm against her sweat-streaked forehead. She was burning up. “Morchard was the only person who knew how to cure this virus, and the secret died with him. There’s no way to cure her.”

  Even as I said the words, determination hardened my heart. I will not let this be your fate, Belinda. I will not let Morchard take the best thing that ever happened to me.

  A warmth rose up from within me, rolling down my arms and sizzling in my fingers. As I touched my finger to Belinda’s cheek, her head lolled back, and she let out a low moan.

  As surely as I had received instructions from Odin himself, I knew what I had to do.

  “Belinda?” I pulled her closer to me, whispering my words against her lips. “Can you hear me?”

  “Cole?” Her eyelids fluttered erratically. “You left me … why did …”

  “I know. I’m so sorry.” The heat within me rose higher, my fingers burning as I placed them against her forehead. She cried out, gritting her teeth. “I’m such an idiot. I thought … I thought it would be better for you, in the end. You’d already been hurt so badly, I didn’t want to hurt you more. I didn’t want you to have to love a slave. I wanted to find a way to be free, so that I could be the man you deserve…”

  “I didn’t need … a free man. I needed … you,” her breath came out in harsh gasps.

  “I know that now. But I’m here now, and I’ll never leave you again, I promise. I ... Belinda? Belinda?”

  Her eyes rolled back in her head. Her chest stopped moving. She had gone cold.

  24

  Belinda

  Pain clutched at my chest, an icy claw reaching inside of me and squeezing at my heart. All the noise around me – the people screaming and yelling below, the sound of Alex sobbing, the whipping of the wind in my ears – faded, replaced by a rush and a thundering of my own heartbeat, slowing with every second.

  Cole’s words echoed in my skull, each one stabbing at me, like a knife slicing through my mind. I’ll never leave you again ...

  I struggled for every breath, heaving in my chest to push more air inside. It never seemed to be enough.

  “Belinda,” Cole’s voice filtered through the pain. “I need you to trust me.”

  Trust him? He left me. How could I trust him?

  “You can’t keep fighting it,” Cole cried. His face pressed against mine, his skin warm, a heat fighting against the chill. Pain crushed his voice. “Belinda? Please … if you keep fighting, it will claim you. You have to give up. I know it sounds crazy, but you have to let the virus win. It’s the only way I can help you. It’s the only way I can drag it out of your system.”

  He was asking me to give up, to stop fighting, to let him help me. I had never done that before, never completely given over everything I had – my life – to someone else. Especially not someone who had so recently let me down.

  I focused my gaze on his eyes, which stared into mine with such intensity. His hands on my body radiated warmth. His voice trembled as he begged me to trust him. My own heart swelled. Despite everything, despite the whole universe and our own stubborn beliefs keeping us apart, I trusted Cole instinctively, and loved him completely.

  I forced my breath to slow.

  The ice crept across my chest.

  No, I squeezed my eyes shut. I can’t do this. I can’t just let this overwhelm me.

  Belinda, Cole’s soothing voice echoed in my head. Don’t fight it. Let it happen. I’ve got you. I won’t let you go.

  I can’t—

  Belinda, I love you.

  For the first time anyone had ever said those words to me, I truly believed them. And I wanted to live badly enough to let the pain win.

  The ice wrapped around my heart. My whole body urged to fight it, but I let the urge go. I let the ice. I gave everything I had to Cole, laid it all out for him.

  I love you, Cole. I love ...

  My lips froze, my brain seized up. All words, all thought, died within me, replaced by the screaming pain of the ice. Something warm pressed against my lips, the searing heat of it like needles stabbing into my skin. The ice crawled over my face, touching every hair on my head. But it didn’t touch my lips.

  And then, slowly, the warmth spread out from my lips. It covered my chin, then my nose. It spread over my cheeks, so I felt as though I’d been running outside on a cold day. My eye sockets warmed up, and I found myself able to move my eyelids. I blinked. Cole’s warm, dark eyes burned into mine.

  I love you, Belinda. Cole’s voice echoed inside my head. He wasn’t speaking, but I could hear his thoughts as though they were my own, the same way I’d heard him speak to me during those dreams-that-weren’t-dreams. The intensity of his feelings burning in my skull. I relaxed into that emotion, settling down into it like a cosy blanket in front of a warm fire.

  Cole’s fingers brushed my arm, and I felt them. I felt them. His fingers sought mine, knitting our hands together. He squeezed, I squeezed back.

  I love you.

  I sat up, my head heavy, as though it might at any moment roll off my shoulders. Cole wrapped his arms around me, holding me close.

  “She’s alive,” he said to someone behind me. “The virus has left her system.”

  Alex reached out and clasped my hand, her beautiful face streaked with tears. “We thought we’d lost you.”

  “You did,” I croaked out. “But Cole brought me back.”

  Cole squeezed me tighter, his muscled arms encircling me completely. His lips found mine, and he kissed me, deep and intense. He poured out his feelings in that kiss, and I poured out mine.

  When we withdrew, I was gasping for breath. Cole’s eyes grazed across my face. His hand cupped my chin.

  Alex wrapped her arms around me. Tears streaked her cheeks, running her wedding makeup into long smudges, like the markings of an ancient warrior.

  Ryan held out my arm. “The cut is gone. You’re completely healed. I don’t understand, Cole. What did you do?”

  “I’m not really sure,” he said, not loosening his grip on me. “I just … reached inside of her, and drew out the virus.”

  “It’s in you now?” My voice wavered. Cole would die because he’d taken the virus from me.

  He shook his head. “No, I destroyed it. Don’t ask me how I know, but I know it is gone.”

  “Do you think you can do this … whatever ... on the others?” Alex asked, a tremor in her voice. “There are so many people down there who are injured—”

  “I can try.”

  Alex made to stand up, and I expected Cole to follow her. Instead, he squeezed me tighter, his cheek pressed against mine. His hands stroked my back, fingers tracking the edges of my dress.

  “Cole …” Alex looked pained. “I’m sorry. Ethan’s got away. We really need you—”

  “Go,” I whispered to him.

  “I don’
t want to leave you again.” he whispered back.

  “I’ll be fine. You need to save those people. Elinor is down there. She’s been bitten. Please, do everything you can.”

  Cole pressed my hand into Alex’s. “Look after her,” he whispered.

  “I will,” she promised, pushing him down the stairs.

  As soon as his back disappeared from view, I collapsed against my friend. Weariness washed over me, followed by an overwhelming outpouring of gratefulness and relief.

  I am alive. Cole saved me.

  25

  Cole

  It took a couple of hours, but Byron and I managed to sit with every single party guest that had been bitten, and draw out the poison. By the time I had finished with them all, my body weighed two hundred pounds, the poison sloshing about in my veins.

  While I did this, Sir Thomas and his vampire friends rounded up Ethan, Harry, and Clive, and locked them in the house under guard. Sir Thomas explained that they would be adopted out into old vampire families, and taught how to control their hunger and behave like proper men of society. “I do not tolerate uncouth vampires. If any of them step out of line,”” he promised. “Their punishment will be swift and deadly.”

  Now that I held all the virus within me, I could pour it out again. Byron and I flew to Morchard Castle, and together we drove out the poison from our own bodies, into the ornamental lake. The water turned brown, then a thick, sludgy black, then it evaporated away into nothing. That was the end of it.

  Back at Carlisle Hall, all of the guests had fled back to their homes or the hospital. Belinda’s friends dragged a table and chairs from the destroyed marquee and set it up on the lawn. The cake had been knocked about by stampeding guests, but one whole side had been salvaged, and sat proudly in the centre of the table like some fondant Minas Tirith, the skeletons of the miniature bride and groom now stuck precariously to the icing on the side of the third tier. Elinor rescued some platters of food from the buffet, and Bianca managed to find five bottles of champagne that hadn’t been smashed. Watching them eating and talking as if nothing was amiss filled me with a deep sense of longing. I’d enjoyed being a part of their world for the last few weeks. I’d never had friends before, except for Mikael, and even then, our friendship was based on what we owed each other. I wanted these people to be a permanent fixture in my life.