The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  Everyone raised their glasses and cheered. I joined the toast and then kissed Emrys full on his lips, pulled back and said, “I knew you would win my sweet husband!”

  “Thank you, my wife. I had my doubts there for a while,” he snickered, and then whispered to me alone, “Was the vote close?”

  I laughed again and whispered, “Funny you should ask. You only got four votes.”

  His face crumpled into a frown, and then a questioning grimace. It was hilarious, and I burst out laughing. Of course I couldn’t keep the details from him anyway, but I relished those few moments that he squirmed with confusion.

  “You are rather amusing, Elizabeth. I shall remember this the next time you need me to…”

  I stopped him with another kiss. He didn’t seem to mind one bit.

  After breakfast when Ambrose pushed away from the table, he stood and said, “Emrys, my son. I wonder if you and your lovely wife might give me few moments. I have something of extreme importance I would like to share with you both.”

  Emrys glanced at me, and I nodded. Of course we’d have to postpone the plan to resume our fencing practice for yet another day, but I wasn’t about to complain. I grinned at him and he gave me a quick scowl at my inability to be serious about the importance of these continued lessons.

  But, dear husband, I think I proved myself already…after all who was it that beheaded the rogue?

  He ignored my snide thoughts and turned back to Ambrose. “Of course we have time.”

  I stood up and grabbed my coffee cup. “Where should we go to talk, Emrys?”

  “My office will do just fine.”

  As the three of us left the dining room, I happened to look back and see Priscilla beaming. I didn’t know if she was just happy that Ambrose was back, or if she knew something we didn’t know. I was just glad to see her in better spirits. I glanced at Amrita, remembering our conversation about Priscilla. It would be nice if those two could get along. I couldn’t imagine living under the same roof for so many decades and not at least trying.

  Ambrose sat on a chair across from Emrys’ large desk, and after Emrys moved a chair for me, we both sat facing his father. “It is wonderful to see you this morning, Father. What do you have on your mind?”

  I wondered why - whatever it was, had to be kept from the rest of the family; I was so tired of all the secrets around here.

  “First of all, I would like to thank you, Elizabeth, for your tenaciousness. I believe I’ve mentioned that I was able to keep abreast of the major events that occurred here at Ravenswynd.”

  I nodded, but had no idea what he was getting at. My next thought was who?

  Who kept him informed?

  Emrys piped up before I had the chance to ask. “And who might that be, Father?”

  “Sibelle was my only connection to home. No one here knew where I was, nor what I was doing with my life. I could not take the risk, you see.”

  “What risk, Father?” Emrys asked, shaking his head and giving him a quick troubled frown. His reaction gave me an inkling that perhaps Emrys was still upset that he’d never heard from Ambrose all those years.

  The reaction was not lost on Ambrose, and he quickly said, “I’ve already apologized for not contacting you, son. And let me remind you that you’ve forgiven me. Now let me explain why I had to remain out of sight.”

  Emrys nodded, but didn’t respond. It wasn’t very often that anyone even came close to reprimanding our leader. But it was obvious he still had a deep respect for his father, and he wasn’t about to let his hurt feelings or his status alter it.

  Ambrose looked at me and said, “As I started to say, Elizabeth, it is because of you that I am able to be here.” He gave me a thankful nod and a gentle smile. I still had no clue what he meant, and I frowned.

  “The rules, Elizabeth. It was your idea to change them. It was you who persuaded Emrys to stand up to the Fellowship of Regents and make a change. A brilliant change, I might add. This positive change gives hope to many, and new beginnings for others. Particularly to me and…my family.”

  “I still do not follow you, Father. This does not explain why you had to hide.”

  Ambrose sat forward in the chair, clasped his hands together, and after taking a deep breath, he said, “I had to go into hiding…we had to go into hiding…for the protection and safety…of your mother.”

  I turned to my husband, wide-eyed and dumbstruck, and clapped a hand over my mouth. With his eyes glued to Ambrose, Emrys blinked several times taking in this startling information. Apparently he was so deep in thought - or confusion, that he never responded to me – even when I wondered if Ambrose was trying to tell us that Phoebe was actually still alive! Until that moment in time, I couldn’t recall Emrys ever being stunned to silence, but he was apparently at a complete loss for words. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He lifted both hands from his lap and gestured in confusion. Frowning, and visibly shocked, he turned his head to me, and then back to his father. Ambrose just leaned back in his chair, waiting for this news to sink in; a gratified smile on his face.

  My mind began to whirl with what this fantastic news would mean for everyone involved, but I kept myself silent, waiting first for Emrys to respond. I stared at Ambrose, then turned back to my husband and put a gentle hand on his thigh.

  Finally, Emrys found his voice and stammered, “My…Mother?

  My…Mother… is… alive?”

  CHAPTER 13

  DO THEY THINK OF ME AT HOME

  Ambrose gave a slow, deliberate nod; I emitted a stunned and unladylike muffled shriek.

  Emrys bent forward, and with his elbows on his knees he covered his face with both hands and whispered, “Holy Hell!” His hair fell forward like a black shroud, and I had no idea what he was feeling. Was he angry with Ambrose? Was he relieved? Was he excited? Was he happy?

  He suddenly sat up, gaped at me, and said, “All of the above, Elizabeth. I am feeling everything. And even more than you can imagine.” He took a long breath, focused on Ambrose again, and asked, “Where is she?”

  Ambrose licked his lips and very calmly said, “I imagine she’s around here somewhere.”

  “What the bloody hell does that mean?” Emrys shouted.

  I put a hand on his arm. He so rarely got upset like this, it bothered me. But then, it wasn’t very often that someone returns from the dead. Quickly calculating in my mind, I recalled that Phoebe was banished from Ravenswynd nearly 100 years ago.

  She must have been…turned!

  “Some time after I turned your mother, she discovered she had the rarest of the gifts.”

  “What?” I asked, clueless as usual.

  “She is a night-shifter?” Emrys asked, surprised and shaking his head, still bewildered.

  “What’s a night-shifter, Emrys?”

  “A night-shifter is a vampire who can, at will, turn into a creature of the night, my dear.” Ambrose had answered for his son, who appeared both deaf and mute, at least where I was concerned. He heard me thinking this, and turned to me with a slight frown.

  “I am trying to process this, my love,” he said lowering his voice. “Please be patient with me. I am having a difficult time grasping this revelation. It is simply unbelievable.” He turned back to his father before I had a chance to respond.

  “So, she is here, near Ravenswynd?” Emrys jumped up and looked out the window. “Where? Why is she waiting? Is something wrong? Surely now that the rules are changed, you have no need to fear any repercussions from the Elders!”

  Ambrose said, “She wanted to wait until I had time enough to tell you and your sister before she made her appearance.”

  Still peering out the window, Emrys looked up and down searching for her, and when he turned around his face was filled with excited anticipation. “My sister! Amrita will be bloody ecstatic!” His voice rose higher, emotions at full throttle, nearly yelling, he said, “We must tell her!”

  “Would you like me to go get her?” I asked,
trying to be helpful.

  “I think we should go see Phoebe first before we bring her home,” Ambrose said. “She is nervous about returning, as you can both imagine, and a bit worried about how the family will receive her. She’d like to see Emrys first.” Ambrose stood.

  Emrys came back to where I sat, and taking my hand in his, he helped me to my feet. “I understand, Father, but Elizabeth will accompany us.” He gazed into my eyes, and added decisively, “She is my mate and where I go - she goes.”

  Emrys and I turned toward Ambrose and he said, “As you wish,” and bent his head as a gesture of respect. “I can drive you to her, if you like.”

  “That would be fine,” Emrys said, already pulling me toward the door.

  The way that gossip spread like fire around here, it made much more sense to have Ambrose drive us, than to ask Royal. At least in the midst of his shock and confusion, Emrys was able to think clearly about some things. And under the circumstances, he didn’t even react to my never-ending musings with anything more than a grin.

  Emrys led the way out the door, nearly dragging me behind him, he moved so fast. In the foyer, we met up with Gavin who was heading up the stairs with a new supply of baby formula. He dropped one of the containers and it rolled down the steps and stopped near Ambrose, just as we neared the big oak doors. He picked it up, strolled over to Gavin, handed it to him, and said, “Ah, the new father. I have heard much about your new additions. Congratulations, Gavin.”

  “Thank-you, sir,” he said. Glancing at me, looking puzzled, he added, “Should I tell Melinda you won’t be making it before nap-time?”

  I tried to get up there to help at least once each day, and most days I succeeded in rocking Armand to sleep for Lindy. He was stubborn and hated napping.

  I gave Emrys a questioning look, and then shrugged. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be, Gavin. Could you please tell Lindy that if I don’t make it, I promise to come up later?”

  “Sure thing.”

  He didn’t question where we were going, which was a good thing, because I’m not sure what I would have said. But I’d be willing to bet he wondered; Emrys and I never left Ravenswynd without telling him where we were headed - and when we’d return. But Emrys was in such a hurry, I never even stopped to grab my purse. Touching the pocket of my jeans I was happy to feel my cell and decided that once we got comfortable in the car, I’d send Lindy a quick text.

  As it turned out, I was completely sidetracked and forgot all about my phone. Emrys was almost too quiet during the whole ride to town. Every now and then he’d glance at me, but for the most part, his eyes swept back and forth between the passenger window and the windshield, endlessly watching. But for what?

  Apparently Ambrose noticed what I thought was odd behavior, and finally in a calm tone, he said, “If you see a beautiful white Snowy Owl, that’ll be her.”

  That got me to searching above the zooming vehicle, craning my head up and around as well. And then I spotted her flying high above the trees, soaring gracefully and smoothly, keeping up with our car. I pointed and yelled, “Look!” The startling sight actually gave me goose bumps.

  Emrys craned his head up and exclaimed, “Yes! I see her!” He sounded breathless.

  Ambrose chuckled, saying, “That’s pretty much the same reaction I had the first time I saw her flying.”

  We kept our eyes on her as best we could, and then suddenly she was behind a small grove of trees, just outside of the quaint town of Folkestone. Ambrose maneuvered the vehicle onto a narrow driveway that wound around through tall evergreens. As soon as he stopped and opened the door, the smell of pine wafted all around us. Emrys took my hand to help me out, and glancing down I noticed the bed of pine needles everywhere. Beyond the driveway stood a large Victorian house, and a sign that said, Stone Pine Inn, Bed and Breakfast.

  “Come,” Ambrose said. “I’m sure she’s in our room by now.”

  No one spoke as we made our way up the path to the giant wrap-around porch. Ambrose held the door for us and we entered a beautiful foyer with shiny oak floors which opened up into a living room with colorful antique sofas and chairs, scores of hanging plants and tables that had vases of fresh flowers. I spotted a gentleman sitting in one of the chairs smoking a pipe and reading the newspaper. He glanced up and nodded hello, but never removed the pipe from his lips. Ambrose gave a cordial wave and then pointed to the stairway. My heart raced faster with each step up, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine how Emrys must be feeling. At the top landing, Ambrose led the way down a short hallway, and tapped on the first door on the right. From within the room came a gentle voice, calling, “Yes, do come in please.”

  He opened the door and stood back letting us enter before him. Emrys allowed me to go ahead of him but as soon as I was in, I stepped to the side and watched. Phoebe stood across the room smoothing her hair down, looking a bit self-conscious. She then adjusted her golden chiffon top, and placed her hands at her sides. The air crackled with tension and everyone stood absolutely still, except for me. My eyes darted back and forth between Emrys and Phoebe while they stared at one another, barely breathing. Except for her hair color, she looked exactly as I remembered her in my dream.

  “It is true,” Emrys finally said, just above a whisper. “You are really here.”

  Phoebe nodded. “Yes, my son. I am.”

  I was already bawling.

  A millisecond later, Emrys was across the room. With a choking sob, he scooped his mother up in his strong arms, hugging her and twirling her in an exuberant circle. I giggled helplessly as the tears rolled down my cheeks. After he set her back down, he gently touched her lily-white hair, and in a restrained voice, he said, “This is a lovely color for you, Mother.”

  Smiling through her joyous tears, she said, “This lovely color, as you call it, crept up on me during the time I was away from your father. It was quite a shock leaving all of you behind.”

  She reached up and gently touched his cheek with the palm of her hand. “I have missed you so, Emrys.”

  Emrys hugged her again. The lump in my throat nearly choked me, and I swallowed down, trying not to make a scene.

  Phoebe sniffed and wiped her face, then glanced my way with a wide grin, saying, “And this young beauty must be Elizabeth.” She held out her arms to me, and before I even knew what was happening, I was in her arms.

  After formal introductions were made, Phoebe welcomed me into her heart with endearing sentiments about my love for Emrys, and told me how pleased she was to hear that he had taken a wife. We then gathered together around a table, and Emrys sat next to Phoebe. Still in awe of her presence, his hand gently covered hers as it rested on the tabletop, and I got the distinct feeling that he was afraid to let go for fear she’d vanish again.

  “Emrys, did you doubt me?” Ambrose asked, taking a seat on Phoebe’s other side. “You must know I would never lie to you.”

  “Father,” he began, “surely you recall the state you were in the last time I saw you. I had no idea if you were just living in a dream world, or if indeed you had truly found Mother.”

  Ambrose chuckled. “Finding her is what saved me from myself. I could not spend one more day skulking around Ravenswynd, walking the halls by night, hiding by day, lonely and miserable. I longed for her gentle touch more than I longed for blood.”

  Phoebe smiled and stroked his cheek with the back of her free hand; her amber eyes reflecting how much she loved him.

  “After searching for months - in her home town, and anywhere else I imagined she might go,” he continued, “I finally went to Sibelle. She told me about an old prophecy she’d given to Phoebe, and hinted that perhaps there was a clue in it. Of course, I had no memory of any prophecy, but after Sibelle realized how desperate I was, she came clean without any more talk about clues or riddles.”

  As I watched Ambrose talking, I saw just how much Emrys resembled his father. Even down to the way he would touch his medallion on occasion. I wanted to ask him if Si
belle had always known where Phoebe was, but I stopped myself; of course she knew. But I never knew Sibelle to give in this easily before, and I was intrigued. Turning to Phoebe, I asked, “So where did Ambrose finally find you?”

  “I was with Sibelle in the Hebrides,” she said, smiling. “She had a soft spot in her heart for me.” Phoebe sighed, looking thoughtful as she went on. “I had visited with her about a year before the…attack and she was quite moved when she gave me her prophecy; so moved in fact, she even shed a few tears.” Phoebe shook her head and said, “I had nowhere else to go… Sibelle was the only one outside of Ravenswynd that I even knew any longer.”

  “If I had realized that back then, I would have found you even sooner, my little owlet.” Ambrose took Phoebe’s hand in his, smiling.

  They are so perfect together!

  “I know, Dear.” Phoebe gave Ambrose a nod, and then she turned back to us, saying, “We’ve been over this many times. Your father has many regrets. And yet I have told him over and over how important it was for him to stay at Ravenswynd. He had to see to it that you received proper instructions in all things pertaining to the role of Regent. And from all we’ve heard through the years, it was the right decision.” She gave Emrys a wide grin and said, “We are both very proud of you, son.”

  She became quiet for a moment, gave a long sigh, and narrowing her eyes she asked, “Do they think of me at home?”

  “Of course they do, Mother. Everyone missed you greatly. All of them – but most of all, Amrita. She will be absolutely ecstatic to see you.”

  “Do you really think she will be receptive, Emrys?” Phoebe asked with a frown of concern. “I am so afraid she will be angry that I never tried to contact her.”

  “Trust me, Mother. Her reaction will be every bit as receptive as mine was. She will understand your reasons and forgive you.”

  “Oh yes!” I added. “Emrys did a great job raising Amrita. I’ve recently gotten to know her better, and can see what a kind-hearted soul she is. You’ll see what I mean,” I said, trying to imagine their reunion, wondering how Phoebe will take to Amrita’s outlandish attire. “When will you be coming home?”