The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  “I promise, Emrys. What’s the matter?” I was surprised by his sudden and blatant dislike for the man and, as he spoke, needles of ice traveled up my spine.

  “He is a rogue vampire and....” He stopped dead when another couple entered the room and went to warm themselves near the fire. He gave them a gracious nod, turned and took me by the hand, whisked me out of the room, and led me down the hall toward the sound of the music.

  Just as we reached the doorway into the ballroom, we were approached by a gentleman who resembled a butler, though it was hard to say whether or not he was authentic, or just a guest in costume.

  “Excuse me sir,” he said with a short bow. “May I have a word with you?”

  Emrys nodded to him and released my hand. As they conversed in hushed tones, I took a step into the ballroom and, craning my neck, searched for Melinda. Before I had a chance to scan half of the room, another man swooped in grabbing my arm as he called out in a bold voice, “My, aren’t you a lovely sight! Let us dance!”

  He tried to coax me out onto the dance floor, but I resisted, trying to pull my arm back. Before anyone was declared a winner, Emrys seized the man’s wrist, and by the looks of it: a forceful grip. The man took a breath of protest, turning to see who had grabbed him, and then their eyes met. Emrys didn’t say a word, he just glared at him. A second later the man let go of my arm and began apologizing.

  “Oh! Pardon me, sir! I was not aware.” His face was ashen, and with a slight bow of his head, the man stepped back a few feet, saying, “I am exceedingly sorry.” He took a quick glance at me, and said, “Please forgive me, Miss.” And then, like lightning, he was gone.

  Before I had a chance to open my mouth, Emrys had me out on the dance floor whirling and twirling me around once again, my feet barely touching the ground. Amazing! No longer cocooned in my fear of looking like a flailing idiot, I had now morphed into a graceful, dancing butterfly.

  As we sailed around the room I went back to our twice-interrupted conversation. “Emrys, you don’t think I would change my mind about this, do you?” I observed his eyes growing warmer as I went on, saying, “I don’t have a choice, - I belong to you - and you alone. It’s as though I’ve known you my whole life, and this has always been our plan.”

  “I apologize if I have made you feel the need to defend yourself,” he said. “I trust everything about you, my lovely one. It is not you at all. It is the others. And I do agree with you. I am grateful that The Veinvedia has guided Sibelle. She gave me the prophetic riddle and everything came to pass.” His voice was soft and tender again. His eyes piercingly delicate: gazing at me with love.

  I nodded, taking it all in, thinking: This was really it! He truly is my soul mate. I rested my head on his chest and whispered, “I believe it now.” As I said the words, an area on the back of my neck began to burn. I touched my neck, exploring the spot. Did he bite me earlier when he kissed my neck? But that made little sense as this sensation was in the back. I checked my fingers for blood but they were dry. I could see him studying me, reading my mind.

  “Do not worry. It is only the Signatus. And since The Veinvedia has guided us together, our bond is more powerful. My Sign has reacted to your words and thoughts. Your belief has sealed the Sign.” His eyes filled me with love and I believed every word he said to be authentic. Although, I was once again reminded about the damn pamphlet and how I still had so much to learn.

  “I had been picturing it more abstract, like an omen. “I said, concerned about the stinging sensation. “Can you actually see this Sign?”

  “Yes, it looks like a tattoo.” He kissed my forehead, and added, “The irritation will last only a few moments longer.”

  A familiar laugh sidetracked me from seeking any more details or explanations. I looked past my dark-haired beloved, and spotted my sister. Melinda sat at a table with several people, but her attention was directed at a single man. His striking hair came to his shoulders, long and straight, and white as fresh snow. I guessed him to be no more than thirty, and he was gorgeous. On closer inspection I could see that he seemed to be the center of everyone’s attention at the table. They all laughed at whatever it was he had just said, and I became intrigued with this white haired Raven. I didn’t know how I knew he was one of them, but somehow, I began to have a sixth sense about everything around me.

  Emrys, so good at following my thoughts, bent his head to my ear and whispered, “That is Gavin, otherwise known as White Hawk. He loves to make people laugh, and I will bet you anything he has been telling his absurd, mediocre vampire jokes.”

  We glided closer - within hearing range.

  “Why does the vampire consider himself a good artist?” Gavin asked. No one answered, and he came back with: “Because he likes to draw blood.”

  Just about everyone groaned his or her displeasure, but I heard Lindy’s giggle above all the groaning. Gavin’s face brightened when he saw her smile. He seemed pleased that, at least, someone was having a good time at his hand.

  Then Gavin directed his gaze to Lindy alone, and asked, “What is the difference between a vampire and a lawyer?”

  “I give up,” Lindy said, playing ignorant. I knew she had heard this one.

  “A vampire only sucks blood at night!”

  He roared at his own silly joke. Lindy let out a cackle, laughing with him, and reached across the space between them, touching his hand. I saw a slight shock in her face when she felt his electrified skin, but she hid it from the others.

  We danced past the table, and Lindy looked up just in time to see us. She stood, put her hand on Gavin’s arm, and whispered something to him just before she scooted over to meet us, now halfway on the other side of the room. “Lizzy!” she called. “Hold on.”

  We came to a stop and waited a few seconds for her to join us.

  “Come, let us sit a while,” Emrys said. We followed him to the closest empty table.

  “Ooh, chocolate cake!” Lindy exclaimed as she approached the table, freshly laid with goodies. I could see now that she was quite inebriated; her eyes barely focused. What the flaming hell is she thinking? I didn’t want her to end up doing anything tonight that she’d regret in the morning. As she lifted the fork to her lips, the dark-fudge chocolate frosting started to drip down and she licked it just in time. Then sizing-up Emrys with her blurry-eyed gaze, she said, “Ooh, yummy! And I don’t mean the cake, sis. Who’s this hunk? I love your hair!” She took the mouthful of oozing chocolatey goodness and licked her lips with a slow deliberateness.

  Emrys brushed his hair back away from his face and gave a modest smile.

  “Melinda, this is my destiny - my beloved immortal - my eternal soul mate, Emrys.”

  I put my hand on his as I spoke and, for the first time in my life, felt threatened by my own sister. I wished there was some way to show her my complete possession of him. I wanted to stake my claim for the whole world to see. Could that be the reason why Emrys had reacted so - when I spoke about Rohan earlier?

  Lindy’s head snapped up when I said his name. Her eyes grew wide as it dawned on her that he was the same longhaired man I had yammered about from the pub.

  “Emrys? Wow! I thought you were a figment of my sister’s imagination. I didn’t notice you the night she first saw you.”

  “You were not meant to notice me. I was there for Elizabeth.” His voice came cool and collected.

  “Oh. That explains it. I never miss a handsome face.” She took another bite of her cake.

  She acted like it made all the sense in the world to her. It surprised me that she could reason anything out in her current condition, and I rolled my eyes at her.

  “What?” she asked wryly. “I’ve been paying attention all night. I’ve been asking questions, and I think I understand how this works now. That’s all.” She cocked her head to the side and added, “Oh, and don’t think I didn’t notice how you said eternal mate. So this is it then; you’ve made up your mind and you’ll be staying on here, right?�
� Her mood changed in a flash as she pursed her lips and scowled at me.

  Before I could answer, Emrys took my hand and said, “Not exactly. The fact of the matter is: we shall be leaving for home next week.”

  I turned to him with a jerk, and a question that never left my lips. Home?

  “We leave for England next Friday,” he said.

  A pang of sadness welled up inside as I imagined leaving my sister. But when he looked at me with his loving, deep, dark onyx eyes, this gaze I needed so badly, all I could do was nod my head; I so needed to be with him wherever he went.

  “You’re moving out of the country?” Lindy’s voice came sharp and piercing as she glared at me - astonished and completely sober.

  “I guess I am, Melinda,” I said, feeling a lump in my throat. I’m sorry to upset you, but he is my destiny.” I glanced back at Emrys. His expression matched exactly how I felt about him: profound love and adoration. Turning again to my sister, I said, “But, Lindy, you could still change your mind you know. You could find yourself an honorable vamp…Raven to change you too, and we’d still be able to be together.” I gazed at Emrys and asked, “Isn’t that right?” It was so very hard to peel my eyes away from my immortal black haired man.

  His response was interrupted by a loud clang, followed by an angry sigh, as Lindy dropped her fork down on the plate. She yanked on my arm to get my full attention.

  “I told you I want children, Lizzy!” She sounded miserable, broken, and torn. “I can’t do what you’re asking me to do!”

  “You could have children first and then be turned, Lindy!” Remembering Emrys’ mother now, I announced with confidence, “Raven males can father children!” That had been her original intention, to have a few kids before becoming a Raven herself.

  Melinda grew quiet, staring off into the distance, like she was a million miles away. I kept quiet, waiting for her response. A few moments later she grabbed the fork and started stabbing at the leftover cake. With her other hand she twirled her hair, still deep in thought.

  Finally, with a shake of her head, she said, “I can’t stop thinking about Mark. What if I’m supposed to be with him? He’s such a sweet guy, and I feel like I’m just now getting to the point in our friendship where we can take it to the next level. We have a date later on this weekend, remember, Lizzy?” Her voice came soft again as she faced me.

  “You don’t have to decide right now Lindy. Think about it for a while.” I leaned closer, putting my hand on her arm, near enough to notice her jasmine perfume. As I looked into her sad blue eyes, the lump in my throat turned sharp and jagged. I swallowed hard, trying to push the pain away. I couldn’t imagine never seeing my sister again, and I had to hope she’d see that my idea would work.

  Melinda did not speak. She continued to fiddle with her cake - smashing it into a pancake with her fork - every now and then licking the fork. I knew she was torn just as much as I had been. The difference being that I now had the best reason ever to become a vampire and her only reason was to stay with me. As I thought about the possibility of her not choosing this life, I felt sure the sharp ripping pain in my chest was my heart splitting in two. Blinking back the tears I turned to Emrys, and heaved a heavy sigh.

  Giving me an understanding smile, he put his hand on mine - calming me at once. His gaze told me he that everything would be fine, he loved me, needed me, and he wanted me as badly as I wanted him. This thought was enough to make my head spin and fresh goose bumps wreaked havoc on my spine. Tingling all over, I wondered if I would always get these insane feelings - even after I transitioned. He squeezed my hand sending sharper volts through me. He was the outlet and I was the plug.

  A movement behind Lindy caught my eye. I peered past her and caught Rohan staring back at me. He stood in the doorway of the ballroom leaning on the door jam, arms folded over his chest and a smoldering scowl on his face. What the flaming hell is his problem? Emrys followed my eyes to the doorway, but Rohan turned abruptly and left the ballroom.

  Just then Lindy jumped up, reached for the linen napkin, and wiped her mouth, saying, “Well, right now, I’m just going to have some more fun. I told Gavin I’d be back shortly, and I don’t want him to think I’ve deserted him. See you guys later.” And she was off toward the other side of the room. Not even bothering to go around; she just dipped and turned to avoid the couples on the dance floor. I called after her but it was too late, she didn’t hear me - or if she did, she pretended she hadn’t.

  I sighed again as I watched her go, but then I saw how her face lit up when she returned to Gavin’s table. He stood at once, and quickly pulled the chair out for her. Within a few moments she was once again laughing, sipping from a glass, and flipping her hair the way I’d seen her do a million times. I shook my head. If I didn’t know my sister better, I’d think she could be flirting with this vampire: Gavin.

  “She doesn’t seem to be too worried about Mark right now, does she?” I asked, somewhat concerned. Turning back from checking her out, my eyes returned to Emrys. His hair flowed all around his head and shoulders like a shiny black waterfall.

  He raised an eyebrow and said, “She will be over her friend in no time at all. I know Gavin. We have been friends many years.” Emrys grinned and said, “He has been known to say he would like to meet a black haired beauty, and that with his pure white hair they would make a stunning, matched set - complimenting each other like ebony and ivory.”

  I couldn’t help myself. I laughed out loud at my own thought, and then said it aloud, “Like an Oreo cookie!”

  But then his words hit me. The part about her being over Mark in no time at all puzzled me, and I asked, “Are you saying that he could choose my sister to be his mate?”

  “Technically, not during the gathering. This one night is set aside for the Signatus, for the chosen ones. Though it is not to say it could not happen in the future. Does it please you that he shows an interest in your sister? Perhaps giving you some hope?”

  After I nodded, he leaned close and pressed his lips against mine, lingering awhile- tasting of cherry. I thought about nothing for those few moments, but his electrified, and oh-so-kissable lips. A sudden tap on my shoulder and a barely audible clearing of the throat snapped me out of my glorious kiss. For a brief second I thought it was Rohan, as I felt a sudden chill within the startling touch.

  I pulled back and looked behind, relieved to see Fiona’s friend, Rufus. He bowed his head down with a slight nod, and said, “Excuse me.”

  I couldn’t help but question why he stood there alone and I asked, “Where’s Fiona?”

  He looked at me for a brief second and then nodded at Emrys. “Hello, cousin. I came to give Elizabeth a message.” His light green eyes flickered to me.

  “Well then – out with it!” I couldn’t make out Emrys’ tone - annoyance or anger.

  “Elizabeth, please forgive my intrusion,” Rufus started, sitting next to me and touching my hand lightly. I felt a brief and slight sense of something akin to electricity, so slight you’d barely notice it if I hadn’t become so aware of Emrys. His apparent edginess freaked me out a little. “But I promised Fiona I would come and collect you. She will be finished transforming soon, and she wanted to see you when she arises, and to witness our ceremony.”

  “She’s gone through with it already?” I asked, surprised she hadn’t even come to tell me. Still having so many unanswered questions, I was amazed by Fiona’s willingness to move so quickly. I knew I would follow through myself - all in good time. But first, I had to go to my friend. I leapt to my feet, “Where is she?”

  Emrys stood up alongside of me and said, “We shall follow you, Rufus. Lead the way.”

  As the three of us made our way out of the ballroom, the band started playing an upbeat tune and I noticed Melinda pull Gavin out onto the dance floor. She began to move about in a teasing and seductive manner, oblivious to anyone else in the room. What is she thinking? Her behavior only added to the bitter taste already invading my mou
th. Now, on top of being in a state of high anxiety, I also felt queasy, and was quite positive I could smell blood.

  CHAPTER 11

  WINDS OF CHANGE

  Emrys took my hand and we followed Rufus up to the second floor, taking the main staircase on the left side of the foyer. At the landing, I glanced over my shoulder to the other side just as Constance came out of the door. She nodded to me with a sweet smile and went down the stairs. It seemed ages ago, and yet it was only hours since she dressed me as Scarlett O’Hara.

  We went down a long hallway, turned left and stopped at an elevator. The surface of the gold door was polished smooth and shiny, like a mirror. Well, there’s one myth that’s wrong, I thought, observing our reflections. I glanced down as we stepped into the pocket-sized compartment, noting the deep red of the carpet. We were silent as the door slid shut. Closing us in like a coffin! The scent of blood became so blazing obvious I could almost taste its metallic flavor. I didn’t mind the smell and wasn’t usually upset by the sight of blood, but I knew that this particular scent was my best friend. Fiona’s blood! Her actual life force drained out! I couldn’t help but wonder if all that remained of her was what emanated from Rufus. My nerves had started to unravel and I couldn’t stop tapping my foot as we huddled together. The crowded space made me claustrophobic.

  Why is it taking so damn long to reach our floor? Real panic started creeping in, along with shallow, uneven breaths. Sensing the increasing level of my anxiety, Emrys wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close, trying to hide the look of concern on his face. I supposed that our very destiny rested entirely on my state of mind, and he aimed to keep me not only safe, but also sane.

  He spoke up, breaking my erratic thoughts. “You may be curious how Rufus and I are related?”

  In actuality, it had not crossed my mind and I realized at once his attempt to create a diversion.

  “My father and his were brothers. Perhaps you also observed the similarity between Rufus and Larkin? They are half-brothers.” He squeezed me closer and continued, “Think about it, sweet Elizabeth. Once we are married, you and your friend Fiona will be related as well!”