Nevermore

by J. C. McKenzie

  Robert.

  A shudder rippled through the collective consciousness of her conspiracy. The urge to dive toward him as a group took every ounce of effort to squash.

  Ugh. He still wore that gaudy necklace.

  Robert swaggered toward the coffee shop, oblivious to his audience. He stepped in front of a young woman with a stroller and reached forward to swing open the door. The mom beamed at him. Robert stepped in front of her and into the warmth of the café, releasing the door to swing shut behind him. The woman’s bright smile faded. At least Robert consistently demonstrated his prowess with the fine art of assholery.

  One by one, Raven called her birds back.

  The young mom caught the door with her hip and pushed it open. She glared at Robert’s back.

  Raven’s conspiracy perched and watched, all their beady eyes tracking his progress through the café. He moved with purpose and passed the counter.

  No.

  With a few more steps, he closed the distance.

  No.

  Today wasn’t the second Wednesday of the month. This didn’t make sense.

  With each step, a sense of dread reverberated through her conspiracy. Robert reached forward and greeted the same mystery man with a handshake.

  Raven’s two cases collided like two cars at a demolition derby.

  The two men sat and discussed what Raven could only assume was some douchebag pumpkin spice latté’d what-the-fuckery topic. The whole while, she sat, fuming while her collective bird brain attempted to connect the dots.

  What did this mean? Were Robert and Kelly in some exclusive club for narcissistic losers? Who met weekly? Or were they trying to rehabilitate their sociopathic ways and this really was a sponsor?

  Nope. That second one couldn’t be true. Robert lacked that kind of self-awareness.

  Were they a part of some other type of group? Regulators? Or maybe the more extreme group—the Closers—that Bane kept harping on about?

  Raven grew up in the PI business and didn’t believe in coincidences.

  Sure, she hoped things happened due to random chance, but experience taught her the cold, heartless truth. And the rule of Parsimony. The most obvious answer was usually the correct one.

  Unease flittered through her birds like a cold draft along the back of her neck. Too long sitting in one place always made her conspiracy nervous. Predators.

  While her conspiracy had grown in numbers, she had no wish to experience the destructive force of a bird of prey snapping the neck of one of her birds. No thank you. It might not kill her or damage her human psyche, but it still hurt.

  Robert and the mystery man who looked like a zealot in tweed stood simultaneously and shook hands.

  She didn’t want or need to see where Robert went despite an intense need to tell him where to go. This time she followed Mystery Man.

  He slipped into the back alley and looked over his shoulder. He reached inside his jacket pocket and ducked around the next corner.

  Amateur.

  As if she’d follow on foot.

  Her birds launched in the air and flew over the buildings and ran into a wall of pain.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “It’s all right letting yourself go, as long as you can get yourself back.”

  ~ Mick Jagger

  Agony streaked through Raven’s hive mind like an intense brain freeze on steroids. A vise-like pressure clamped on her collective consciousness and squeezed.

  Ow. Ow. Ow.

  Her dark energy condensed inward. Her birds absorbed into one and she materialized into her human form on the dirty roof of a downtown east side building

  Cold sludge from old rainwater numbed her exposed skin.

  “Oooo.” She held her pounding head in her hands. “Not good.”

  The footsteps of Mystery Man faded into the distance.

  Screw this. She reached for her dark energy. Pain exploded along her nerves, again.

  Okay, then. No birds.

  She stumbled to her feet. Watery grime ran down her naked body and she brushed away the grit clinging to her skin. She needed to get away from whatever interfered with her powers.

  She headed to the other side of the roof to the rusted fire escape and glanced down. The alley was empty, but the idea of walking around naked in a less-than-savoury neighbourhood near strip clubs, pawn shops and needle exchange sites didn’t strike her as a great idea.

  She took a deep breath. She only needed to get far enough away from the blocker to shift. At least that’s what she hoped. If the vise-like pressure somehow destroyed or damaged her ability to connect with her Other energy, she’d be devastated.

  Odin’s nutbar. She’d never fulfill her agreement with Bane if that happened.

  What would he do to her if she failed? What would he do to her family? Ice trickled down her spine. Losing her powers was not an option. Not now. Not this way.

  She clambered down the fire escape. The ladder wouldn’t slide down—too rusted. Crap. She’d have to jump.

  She swung over the railing and dangled five feet from the ground. Her hands gripped the cold, wet metal. She looked down.

  Why the hell did she look down?

  Idiot.

  Her hands slipped and she plummeted. Her feet smacked the pavement. Her knees buckled and she rolled. Pain shot up her legs and she clenched her teeth.

  “Ow.” She peeled herself from the pavement. More muck and stagnant rainwater coated her skin. She smelled only slightly better than the grime clinging to the ground. She straightened, wobbling a little.

  “That was a lovely jump.” An old craggily voice rumbled from under a soiled blanket.

  Raven yipped.

  A homeless man huddled under the damp material next to the dumpster. He peered out from beneath long, oily hair. “You shouldn’t be out here like that.”

  “I know.” She hesitated. She should ask him about the Mystery Man, but she was naked and in a sleazy area. Yup. Time for clothes.

  She turned away from the direction of the blocker and ran. Her boobs bounced painfully, and her ass jiggled. The black spinel smacked against her breastbone.

  Rain broke from the sky and thundered down. Fat raindrops splattered against her head and bounced off the pavement. Ice cold, the rain ran down her limbs and washed away the filth.

  Running sucked at the best of times but running barefoot and naked was definitely worse. Her feet slapped the wet ground.

  She reached for her birds again.

  Ow. Ow. Ow.

  Pain exploded in her head. She released the corvid essence and staggered to the side. Crap. More running. When her vision cleared and the ringing in her ears faded, she straightened and forced one foot in front of the other, again and again, until she picked up speed.

  She turned the corner to the main alley and tried reaching for her dark energy again.

  This time she connected. No pain. Her magic rose, fast, furious and dark. It spiraled up like a whirlwind and consumed her. Comforting and reassuring, she embraced her power like slipping into her favourite pair of pajamas. Now she could go home where it was warm, clean and safe.

  The power continued to twist and spin. A band of the shifting underworld shadow magic threaded between the corvid energy in the vortex. Instead of splintering into a conspiracy of ravens, she travelled through the shadow dimension and reformed in her basement room.

  Warm air brushed against her clammy skin and rain dropped from her naked body onto the short pile carpet. She patted her chest to find the necklace still in place.

  “Neat,” she said. Her scalp prickled.

  “You’re getting better at that, Einin.”

  Raven squeaked and whirled around. Wet hair slapped her face. Shadows slid off Cole’s menacing frame to gather in the corners of the room. The soft light hanging from the ceiling highlighted the severe cut of his cheekbones and jaw. His dark gaze flashed.

  Odin’s shriveled stick, he was devastating to look at.

  “Than
ks,” she wheezed. Uncomfortable pressure wrapped around her chest and squeezed.

  “The necklace looks good on you.”

  She glanced down at the black spinel nestled between her breasts. Droplets of water trailed down her body, following the curve of her chest. “With or without clothes?”

  “Both, but I find I prefer this look the most.” He stepped forward, all tease fled from his expression, replaced with a need so hot the waves of warmth radiated from his skin. “You smell of the rain.”

  She swallowed. Her body ached for his touch. She wanted him to take her in his arms and make her nerves sing. She’d barely survived sending him away the first time. If she tasted the sweetness again, would she say no again? Ever? Send him away? Would she want to? Would she need to? His touch was a drug.

  “You think too much,” he said.

  She smiled. “Let me guess. I should just feel?”

  He nodded.

  She wiped the wet hair from her face. “I’m worried if I let myself feel you again, I’ll lose all sense of who I am.”

  “Then we share the same fear.” His deep voice rolled over her like a caress.

  Say what? The mighty Lord of Shadows feared something?

  He took another step forward. Now, directly under the bulb, the light cast shadows over his face. “What we shared is not a typical experience for me. If I close my eyes, I feel you in my arms. I want you, again and again, even though you sent me away. Giving you time and space has been one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do.”

  “Even holding my brother in fox form while you watched me scale a tree to break into my parent’s place?”

  His serious expression cracked a little. “Yes.”

  “Harder than watching the past Corvid Queen attack me?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Even splicing off sections of the Realm of Light and the Underworld to create the Shadow Realm?”

  Cole growled. “Even that.”

  Her mouth fell open. The pressure squeezed her chest again.

  “But the fear of losing myself in the heat of your body is nothing compared to the fear of not being with you,” he said.

  She shut her mouth and swallowed. His words thawed her heart and cast away the chill in her bones. Her doubts and fears fled with the rising heat from her core. “I often think of you as an addictive drug.”

  “That’s a fitting analogy.” He nodded and closed the distance. Warmth still radiated from his skin and the shadows rose from the confines of the room to surround them. “Can’t get enough?”

  “And the withdrawal is hell.”

  “Do you still want me to stay away?” he asked. Large and looming, he held back…even now. He still gave her room to breathe, to escape if she wished, but she didn’t want to breathe. Not without him.

  “No,” she said.

  With that simple word, he gathered her in his arms. The shadows caressed her skin.

  “I’m not sure I can let you go again,” he said, his voice holding a hint of warning.

  She nodded. She didn’t know very much about him or the Underworld. The inner workings, politics, and dynamics were a complete mystery, much like Cole. Why did her Other energy sing whenever he came near and intensified with his touch instead of getting snuffed out like it did with other Others?

  Despite so many unanswered questions, Cole was kind underneath his lethal exterior. He was considerate and respectful, and he held himself in check because she asked him to. And even though she ordered him to get lost, he worked behind the scenes to ensure her safety. Rourke was right—words could mislead. Actions didn’t. There were no nagging voices in the back of her head trying to warn her like there was when she dated Robert. She had no doubts about Cole as a man. Not anymore.

  Cole waited patiently as her brain scrambled, stumbled and clambered to process the truth her heart always knew. She reached up and slid her hand along his porcelain-smooth face. Warm and present and not at all like a granite statue. His predatory gaze remained trained on her, waiting.

  “If you let me go,” she whispered. “I will crash and burn.”

  His dark gaze flashed. “Then I won’t let you go.”

  Such a simple solution. She opened her mouth to comment, but Cole’s lips closed on hers. The contact sent all remaining thoughts racing from her mind and left only him. Only Cole. Her energy rose up to entwine with his intoxicating power.

  “Do you have a sock?” he pulled back to ask.

  “A sock? Do you mean a condom?”

  “No. I mean a sock. Your brother suggested using one if we didn’t want any interruptions.”

  “Oh.” Images of her family flashed through her mine. Ew, no. Gross. Mood killer.

  Cole chuckled, pulled her close and wrapped his shadows around them. The dark energy carried them away, through the dimensions between the realms. This time, Raven followed the movements around them and understood the intent of his magic. He seamlessly wove the bands of shadow to move them to the Realm of Shadows.

  They reformed in his bedroom.

  “Much better than a sock,” she said.

  He grinned and kissed her again. His hands and shadows splayed against her, everywhere, running over her body and sliding along her skin.

  She throbbed with need. She gripped the hem of his shirt and tugged it upward. He stepped back and let her pull the soft fabric from his body. As soon as the shirt cleared his head and freed his arms, he unclasped his belt and pulled his jeans down.

  Oh, my. Commando.

  His impressive erection jutted out and Cole stepped from the clothes pooled at his feet. He pulled her close again. Her breasts pressed against his bare chest. His mouth found hers and she lost herself in the feel of his lips and tongue, and the intoxicating forest scent surrounding them.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “I’m really trying to be fabulous today, but I was so fucking fabulous last night I’m exhausted.”

  ~ Unknown, someecards.com

  Raven attempted not to squirm while Mike peered at her through the kitchen service window. Wafts of warm air filled with burger grease caressed her face.

  “You’re extremely too happy to be on shift here,” he observed. “What’s up? Did you break the insurance case?”

  “No.” She knew precisely why a smile kept teasing her lips and refused to go away. She knew a number of reasons, and they all began with the letter O.

  “Figure out what Robert’s up to?”

  “Not really.” Crap. This direction of questioning wouldn’t lead to a desirable destination. Warning! Distract. Divert.

  He crossed his arms.

  “Something weird happened,” she said.

  “Oh? Well, spit it out already. We’re slammed.”

  Raven snorted. The diner was empty. “Kelly went to a café to meet the same man as last Wednesday, but this time I didn’t follow her when she left.”

  Mike’s eyebrows rose.

  “Robert showed up.”

  His mouth dropped open. “No shit.”

  “Met with the same guy, too.”

  Mike frowned. “Can’t be a life coach, then. Robert’s not the type to realize he’s an asshole who needs help.”

  “I thought the same thing. So, what are they meeting about?” She tapped her finger on the smooth countertop.

  The diner door swung open and they both turned toward it.

  Bane strode through the entrance with his usual scowl.

  Drat. Raven’s shoulders dropped. She hadn’t seen Cole since this morning, and she was already in need of her next fix. Her body trilled with the memory of his touch and heat spread through her body. Her cheeks grew warm.

  Bane’s gaze narrowed and he stopped at the counter. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing.” Raven patted down her frizzing hair.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “Well, what?” Raven pulled at the chain around her neck and played with the black spinel as if she had zero fucks to give that
the Lord of War had graced them with his presence. On the inside, a war of emotions broke out in a rampage. Pun intended. What did he want? Why was he here? Could she make it to the nearest exit before he seized her? How could she protect Mike?

  His jaw clenched. “Any progress?”

  “A little, but not enough to make you happy, I’m guessing.” Forming a portal twice was a huge accomplishment for her, but her mind failed to wrap around how to block portals completely. Cole kept trying to reassure her, saying once she mastered creating portals, blocking them would be simple.

  Somehow Bane’s scowl deepened.

  “If you’re going to keep frowning like that, you’re going to get lines. I can recommend a good moisturizer,” she said.

  He held his hand up for her to stop. Like he’d lose his shit if she kept talking. Yeah, she harboured no secret desires to see that.

  She clamped her mouth shut.

  Honestly, his expectations of her abilities were too high. She couldn’t deal with a blocker to follow some plain-clothes Mystery Man down a downtown Vancouver alley. She snapped her fingers. “Hey. While you’re here and already putting your unimpressed face to good use, maybe you can he—Maybe you can answer a question for me.”

  Bane grunted.

  Guess that was a yes? “Yesterday, I followed a man involved in another case with my conspiracy. I ran into something that caused me a lot of pain.”

  “You never told me that,” Mike said.

  She half-turned to address him. “I hadn’t got to that point in my story yet.”

  “Pain?” Bane said, drawing her attention back to him. “I have no interest in hearing you recount your broody romance with the Lord of Shadows?”

  She flipped him off. “Whatever it was, it latched onto my Other magic and squeezed my mind in a vise. It was so intense, I had to reform as a human and couldn’t access my power until I got far enough away.”

  Bane’s smirk disappeared while she spoke, and his expression grew contemplative. Had he heard of this before? He wasn’t mocking her anymore.

  “You were…naked…downtown? In an alley?” Mike growled. “Fuck, Raven. Why didn’t you say something?”