The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  I tried to peek out one of the tiny portholes to see if I could spot land. We zipped along much faster than I had expected and it was far too dark. There was no way I’d be able to figure out where we were. A sudden and fleeting moment of fear seized me as I thought about how none of us knew our destination, much less how to get back. We were now in the hands of our hosts - completely at their mercy if we wanted to make it back home. My stomach did a little flip-flop - nerves or wine, I couldn’t be sure.

  Fiona returned and took a sip out of my glass.

  “Yuck. I need a beer,” she said making a sour face.

  She sauntered over to the fridge and opened a bottle, downing half of it in less than a minute. I guessed she wanted to get drunk.

  Lindy came and stood near me and whispered, “How long do you think they’ll keep us out here, wherever here is?”

  “Not a clue, sis.” At this point, I didn’t even care; alcohol did that to me. And since I had no other choice now that we were here, why worry anyway? I took another sip. The wine would help to keep me calm. Maybe I won’t even faint tonight. That would be a wonderful change. Lindy stared at me with a glaring question in her eyes.

  “What?” I asked. I didn’t mean to sound flippant.

  “Don’t you want to stay clear-minded and focused tonight?”

  “What for?”

  “Well, for one thing, if the legends are true, you need to be level-headed to make a decision. And if they’re not, and we’re all just going to get murdered for no reason at all, you might want to be able to defend yourself for at least a little.” Lindy looked squishy again. Her face was squishy now, not just her eyes. Out of focus - squishy.

  I reached over and touched her face, “Melinda, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I have a good feeling about tonight.” A little white lie between sisters was expected now and then; especially if you did it for their own good. Besides, I was far more worried about her than she needed to be about me. I glanced down at her cleavage as I took another sip. I hiccupped. “Maybe I’ll meet the love of my life tonight!”

  Fiona finally stopped messing with her phone, took a large gulp of beer, and smiled at us.

  “I thought you already met him?” Melinda sounded sarcastic, as usual.

  My heart sped up at the thought of Emrys. I could see his eyes peering into my soul, reading my thoughts. I could see his long rich onyx hair flowing down from his head and his shoulders. His red lips, his chiseled nose and chin. If I were an artist, I could paint him from memory. If I were a songwriter, I could write poetry about his beauty and put it to music. If I were a writer, I could write volumes of books about his eyes. If I were a seductress, I could...

  Lindy grabbed my arm. “Hello! Earth to Lizzy!” I blinked at her and took another drink. Just thinking about him got me all hot and bothered. I had never even kissed him; for all I knew, he was an awful kisser. Nah, that wasn’t possible. I had seen his lips...they were soft and full, definitely kissable lips.

  “She’s at it again.” Fiona laughed.

  “She’s toast,” Melinda added with a grin.

  Captain Red was back. But she was not alone. A tall man dressed in a dark metallic gray suit stepped forward. His sandy-blond hair came just to his shoulders. I noticed that Captain Red now stayed in the background deferring to this man. They both held their coats in their arms, making me believe we were just about to our destination. I downed my glass and buttoned up.

  “Yippee, we’re almost there!” I whispered to my girls.

  The man cleared his throat and said in a raised voice, “Good evening everyone. My name is Larkin and I have to go over the rules with you now.” He waited until he had everyone’s full attention.

  “First of all, is there anyone here who has never heard of the vampire, or Raven legends?” Everyone was silent. Even though I never heard them called that before, I assumed they were one and the same.

  “No one...very well then. There may be a few misconceptions surrounding the legends, and I would like to clear some of them up for you. Number one, and most important of all, we do not go around killing humans at random - we don’t kill them at all.

  “Once every ten years we have a gathering - as you will soon encounter. During these gatherings, the humans who attend have been drawn to our lifestyle. Although some of them come for the enjoyment of dining, drinking, and dancing for one evening only, there are often a few of those generous guests who decide to stay on for a while longer - as a donor. Those that choose to donate their life force are paid in return with free room and board, lavish lifestyles, and many extra benefits. Of course, each human is free to choose any of the latter options. Occasionally, we encounter a human who wishes to become a Raven who has not been chosen. I shall explain the term, ‘being chosen,’ in a few moments, but first I must make a few things clear and I admonish you all to pay close attention. You will not be able to say you were not warned.”

  Captain Red had an uncomfortable look on her face. She glanced around, watching us as the man continued loud and clear.

  “If a human becomes a Raven, and he or she then mates with another Raven, they will be mated for life - or in this case for eternity. You must exercise the utmost caution in this matter. If you should decide to go through the process, be aware that, for some, the propensity to mate can become an extreme temptation. During transition the mortal body merging into the Raven body tends to short circuit temporarily, making one less inhibited. This unrestrained attitude is similar to what many humans feel when drinking alcohol to excess.” I glanced down at the empty glass in my hand.

  “In these situations, however, there is so much more at stake, and I cannot overemphasize this point enough. You must be crystal-clear on this, so let me repeat myself: If you choose to mate during or immediately after your transformation, it will be for all eternity. You will have no choice in the matter. These bonds are stronger than any human marriage you have ever encountered. Divorce does not exist in our world.”

  He glanced from face to face as though waiting for this information to sink in. The silence in the room made the engine sound louder, and for the first time, I noticed the creaking of the yacht.

  “If you believe that your attendance to our gathering tonight came from a random invitation, you are mistaken.” He went on in a quieter tone now. “Each of you has been hand-picked by a single Raven who has either been drawn to you or felt you would be a benefit to our society, and some are chosen through the Veinvedia. Regardless of the reason you are here, you will not be told who did the choosing. But if, in fact, the Raven has made the wise choice, you-will-meet. That is the mystery of the Veinvedia: it shall lead you to your chosen one. As you can imagine, the outcome of these gatherings can be wonderful for all. As understood, not all of our guests will wish to participate in anything other than the socialization - the actual party.

  “We are the fortunate ones if you should choose to give of yourselves in any way. There will be no coercing tolerated and no hints given away. There could, however, be some broken hearts. When a Raven puts his Signatus on his chosen mortal, the chances greatly increase for both of them to find a perfect love; a love that passes all understanding. Although rare, it can be a beautiful thing. If the human wishes to join with us there is rejoicing, if not, well - use your imagination.”

  I peeked at Captain Red just as she licked her dark lips. I was curious to know if she had chosen one of the men standing here with us, most of which had their mouths hanging open since she entered the room. If she had, she hid it well. I also wondered how the Ravens would get their supply of blood if no one ever joined or donated.

  “To answer another question: Yes, we need blood to survive, though we can and do eat food as well. The blood gives us our strength and our ability to do the extraordinary things, which you will learn about in time. Some of you may call these paranormal activities. Without this life force from humans, we would be weak, though still immortal because of the blood already in our veins. I understa
nd this is a lot to take in and digest in such a short time. As the evening progresses, you will be free to ask questions of any Raven in attendance, and they will help you in any area of misunderstanding. For now, if there are any further questions, please check out the pamphlet that you shall receive shortly. And remember: the reason these rules are in place is for your own protection.”

  The little man from the dock passed out the pamphlets to us. Up close he looked completely human, but he never said a word.

  Larkin left the room then, followed closely by Captain Red. It was quite obvious all the men followed her steps with their eyes. I’d bet each one of them wished she was their secret admirer.

  I opened the booklet that was placed in my hand and paged through it. It listed all the human rules, and then all the vampire rules. There was even a frequently asked questions page which I scanned through half-heartedly, hoping no one caught me rolling my eyes. Some of the questions grabbed my attention, but I had no interest in reading the whole thing. There was a lot I did not understand, and I probably should have read the whole booklet, but after reading number one I skimmed over the first page and then flipped through the rest of the pages at random. I suppose I was being stubborn, but the whole idea of a rulebook seemed a bit corny to me. Of course, the cover of the pamphlet was blood red and the title in another language.

  Q. What is The Veinvedia?

  A. The Veinvedia comes through our Prophetess. It is her blood vision that allows her to know a Raven’s chosen one.

  Q. What is the Signatus?

  A. The Signatus is the mark that the Raven puts on his chosen mortal. Some simply call it the Sign. A human can be chosen by a Raven with or without benefit of The Veinvedia. The Veinvedia however, gives assurance of the perfect choice.

  Q. How do you know you have a Sign, and how do you go about finding the Raven who put it there?

  A. Some humans are attuned to this mystery. Their intuition guides them correctly. Some are drawn to their Raven subconsciously.

  Q. Is this the only time a Raven can find a mate?

  A. No, just the only time a Raven can put his Sign on a human mate.

  Q. Can a human and a Raven mate?

  A. The human must give consent.

  Q. Will a Raven ever bite a human without consent?

  A. It is against all our rules during this forty-eight hour period; however, we cannot and do not control all vampires that are not members of our own Raven society.

  Q. If we speak of the gathering once it’s over, will we be killed?

  A. Absolutely not. Your choosing to trust us by coming to our gathering requires us, in turn, to trust you to keep our affairs private.

  I closed the book and glanced at Lindy. Her mouth hung open as she continued reading. I looked over at Fiona. Her beaming smile reminded me of a cat in heat. She winked at me as her grin grew even wider.

  Barely able to contain her excitement, she flipped from page to page looking up at me and repeating, “I told you so!” after every page or two. With this new permanent smile plastered on her glowing face, I found myself hoping she would find her perfect mate tonight. Although I was sure I didn’t want to lose her friendship, I’d never seen her look this happy in my life.

  I didn’t read any more, but I wondered if anything had been written about leaving your old life behind - forever. Perhaps we could invite old friends once every ten years, just to show off our youthfulness. It would be like a school reunion where all your friends got old and crotchety, and you still looked like a million dollars. That would be fun!

  The motors started winding down and the boat began to slow. Within a few minutes, we’d be surrounded by vampires. Vampires who called themselves Ravens. The evening was about to get even weirder. And they promised us a good time, good food, and drink. All we had to do was trust them to follow all the rules, and we could come out of this quite well. Or, we could become one of them. I already knew Fiona’s decision. She’d been waiting for this for years. Lindy just wanted to party and nothing more. She had told us that – in no uncertain terms - that she intended to remain exactly as she was. Me - that was a different story. I was conflicted, confused, and ambiguous. Someone else should make this decision for me. Or I could wait another ten years and hope to be invited again. Not bloody likely. Good choice of words, I thought, chuckling softly to myself.

  The boat stopped and began to roll with the wave from the wake it created. It made me quite nauseous. I pulled my coat tight around my flimsy, short, cobalt blue dress, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the night air.

  CHAPTER 8

  MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE

  We walked with great caution down the long wooden pier. Women in high-heels stepping upon planks of wood with gaps between them make for a slow and careful pace. Stepping as though I walked on a tight rope, I didn’t dare look up again until my feet were back on solid ground. In the shadows of the dim parking lot, two large limousines waited with doors already open and motors idling. Both drivers stood at attention, ready and waiting. When the fog rolled in, it added to the eerie stillness that already existed. The clammy mist hid all the sharp outlines of everything around us - visibility reduced to nothing more than vague shapes and movements. By the look of relief on a few faces, I wasn’t alone in my feelings as we climbed into the lighted vehicle.

  The drive took about ten minutes, although the tinted windows, bright interior lights, and dense fog made any hope of scenic views quite impossible. All we could do was sit and look at one another- each soul lost in his or her thoughts. As for me, my thoughts kept on going back to the nagging feeling that, more than likely, we had made a major mistake in coming tonight.

  Finally, the vehicles stopped. When the doors were opened the sound of light Celtic music filled the air. Melodies from violins, piano, and flutes rolled in like waves on the ocean. The arrangement had such a beautiful and calming effect that within moments the soft dreamy music managed to ease some of my apprehension.

  The air was clear and dry here, farther inland. A warm, gentle breeze drifted through my hair bringing the aroma of flowers at every movement: roses, lilacs, lavender. Each step seemed to fill my senses with another lovely fragrance.

  I craned my neck up at the building we were about to enter. It was massive - at least five stories high and huge pillars lined either side of the entryway. The two doors of heavy oak were both open and bright light flowed out onto the wide cement stairway. I counted twenty before we reached the top, and the music became louder at each step. We followed Captain Red inside to a vast foyer which seemed larger than our entire dorm building. A massive double stairway on either side, each a half circle, rounded the foyer and led to places unknown. Hanging from the ceiling in the middle of all this space was a beautiful crystal chandelier the size of Fiona’s car. Two gentlemen in tuxedos took our coats and we were brought to a parlor on the right side of the stairway. In this room, there was a fireplace so large a person could stand upright in it.

  A familiar painting hung on the wall above the mantle, and I stared, marveling at its strange beauty: Brilliant orange streaks burned across the sky as a thin man walked on a pier beside deep blue swirling waters. Far in the distance, two dark figures can be seen coming toward him. The man appears to be holding his face in his hands, or perhaps covering his ears, but has a most agonizing expression and wide open mouth: the epitome of fear. I thought this quite ironic, that a painting with the most befitting name, The Scream, would be displayed in a room where vampires and humans would meet. Perhaps the artist, Edvard Munch, had experienced such terror as the man in his painting did.

  After a while, I was finally able to tear my eyes away from the ominous picture and take in the rest of the scenery. So far - no vampires. The room was filled with chairs and sofas, soft lighting and elegant decorations. Women servers dressed in black uniforms edged in crisp, lacy trim and little white aprons started flitting about handing out glasses of champagne to everyone. After a few moments of nervous mingling,
Captain Red entered the room. It then occurred to me - we didn’t even know her name.

  Her bright smile surprised me, and after getting our complete attention, she said, “Welcome to our gathering. Let me introduce myself. My name is Amrita.”

  She then went on to explain what would take place for the first half of the evening. It was to be a masquerade ball where we’d be so disguised no one would be able to tell who was who, whether human or Raven, simply to get everyone to relax. I saw my sister frown and shake her head. I could see she wasn’t happy at the thought of having wasted so much time on her hair and makeup, only to mess it up wearing facemasks or wigs. I personally thought it was a grand idea. It would help us to relax, and we’d able to talk to the Ravens and not think so much about the fact that they were vampires. Just because Captain Red - Amrita, told us they weren’t allowed to do certain things here, didn’t mean there couldn’t be a rogue vampire who refused to follow the rules. The very thought of villainous vampires sent a quick chill all through me.

  Fiona leaned toward me and whispered, “Don’t you just love the way she talks?”

  I hadn’t noticed, but now that she mentioned it there was a slight cross between a Scottish and an English accent, although just with some of her words. I supposed she could be trying to reinvent herself, or maybe she only wanted to blend in with us non-accented Americans. Regardless, I was intrigued by the idea of costumes- not accents.

  Soon we were led one by one up to a large room on the second floor where we were allowed to choose from an enormous selection. Costumes and evening gowns from every era in time filled dozens of racks. Wigs and shoes, and jewelry and masks of every sort filled rows of shelves. There was so much to pick from, it became one of those tasks that I hated. Finally, I asked the wardrobe lady, who had introduced herself as Constance, to please choose for me. She was more than happy to help. As she looked me up and down for size, she explained how she had worked for a wardrobe company that did costumes for movie stars before she retired, and that she’d taken this part time job just for fun more than anything. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was a vampire. She seemed very nice and looked normal enough with her silvery white hair and soft gray eyes. If she was one of them, her transformation must have taken place after her retirement, but there was no way I could ask such a question.