The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  Ha! Minced Sage!

  By the time I turned around - sword in hand, Sage had almost caught up to me. Veronica was hot on his heels, but appeared terrified. I spotted a gun in her hand. Had he given it to her thinking she’d be on his side? Was he even aware that she had it? The sight of the two of them side by side stopped me in my tracks and made me wonder all over again.

  Whose damn side is she on?

  “This is going to be fun!” Sage scoffed arrogantly. “I’ve never killed a female vamp before, maybe I’ll take my time and enjoy it.” Nodding to Veronica he said, “Hold the gun on her and if you think she’s getting the better of me, put her down and I’ll take care of the rest!” He swept his sword around with long slashing motions.

  I took a quick glance into her eyes. It was apparent that she didn’t like being treated like a hired hand when she raised a questioning eyebrow, and gave me a slight nod.

  Was she telling me not to worry?

  She began waving the gun around like a drunken cowboy, and although I wasn’t too worried about being hit with a stray bullet, I did not cherish the thought of being slowed down enough for Sage to use his sword on me.

  I swung first and he blocked. Metal clanged loudly throughout the suite as we fought; we lunged and struck, blocked and slashed, moving fast and furious, finally ending up back in the living room. The scene reminded me of the night I’d killed Rohan, and the memory of it actually spurred me on; all of a sudden, I felt light and invincible.

  “Not bad for a woman,” Sage shouted over the ear-piercing clanging.

  Meanwhile, every now and then I’d get a glimpse of Veronica watching us, still brandishing the loaded gun. And then out of the blue, within all the commotion, Sage frantically hollered, “Shoot her!”

  The gun went off, blasting my eardrums to near deafness. I quickly examined myself, finding no wounds, but realized a moment later that someone else had entered the room and was now lying on the floor. My first thought was that it was Phoebe, but I wasn’t sure; whoever it was had fallen on the other side of the sofa. A minute later I was able to step closer and got a glimpse of her feet.

  I recognize those shoes! God, no!

  Holding Sage off, I jumped onto the sofa and saw her brown hair. Kelsey was sprawled out flat on her back, with her eyes closed. My heart jumped into my throat, my ears were ringing, and I froze and just stared at her.”

  Seizing the opportunity, Sage lurched at me again, his sword flashing. I had to defend myself, or end up like the gatekeeper. Somehow, in between the metal clashes, I shouted, “Veronica! Why the flaming hell did you do that?”

  Veronica cried, “It just went off! I swear!”

  Before I had a chance to wonder if she was lying, or just a nervous, trigger-fingered wreck, something whizzed past me so fast - it was only a white and yellow blur. And the next thing I knew, Phoebe was on Veronica like a ravenous wolf. Only she wasn’t a wolf, she was a vampire. And up until that moment, I had never witnessed any vampire attacks - whether for revenge or for rescue. With another blast, the gun went off again; this time the bullet lodged in the floor. Phoebe had Veronica pinned to the wall with one hand tight to her throat.

  “Drop the gun!” Phoebe yelled, reaching for it with her other hand and latching onto her wrist, slamming it up against the wall.

  Veronica’s eyes bulged out and her face turned bright red, her other arm fell limp at her side, but she still did not drop the gun. Faster than lightening, Phoebe let go of her neck, yanked Veronica’s hair pulling her head to the side while still holding her up, and after the familiar clicking sound, she plunged her fangs deep into Veronica’s neck. The sucking noises were savage as she drained the life force-out of her like a drug-crazed addict. The gun finally dropped to the floor with a hard thud, waking me out of my stupor. It occurred to me that both Sage and I had quit fighting, mesmerized by this astonishing turn of events. But seconds later he lifted his sword and lunged for Phoebe, intending to take a sweeping stroke at her neck.

  “Wrong move, jackass,” I yelled, suddenly flooded with a strange thrill. I leapt through the air landing on his sweaty back, wrapped one arm around his throat, seized his wrist like a vice with the other, and wrenched it backwards. It was the snapping of his wrist bones bursting through his skin that finally forced him to drop his weapon. I was completely amazed that the blood spurting out of his exposed fracture never tempted me one bit. Sage reached up with his good hand to grab my arm, struggling to free himself from my stranglehold. He sputtered and twirled in circles, gasping for air. It was much like riding a bucking bronco, but I didn’t let go.

  Phoebe twisted around at all the commotion, frenzied red eyes ablaze, lips dripping with fresh blood. With a new goal in mind, she lurched towards Sage, muttering, “And you’re next!”

  Veronica’s limp body crumpled to the floor like an unstrung marionette. With me still clinging to his back, choking him, Sage couldn’t get much air, and his lumbering steps were starting to falter. Suddenly realizing he was doomed, he frantically tried to sidestep and turn away from Phoebe. But she was much faster and circled to meet him straight on, glaring at him.

  She took a step closer, gave him a wicked bloody grin, and said, “You’re just lucky that I’m full.” Reaching out she gripped each side of his head, and with a resounding crack, snapped his thick neck like an anorexic twig. Seconds later he dissolved beneath me into a tangled pile of death. As soon as I freed my foot from under his carcass, I ran to Kelsey.

  Kneeling down, I lifted her head and rested it on my thigh. “Kelsey? Can you hear me?”

  She can’t be dead! She just needs some Ambrosia…

  Phoebe sat beside me and took Kelsey’s hand in hers. “Oh dear, Priscilla’s daughter. This is unfortunate.”

  “What do you mean? She isn’t dead, is she?” I cried. “I thought only beheading could kill a Raven. Please, Phoebe. Tell me what’s happening?” I was suddenly filled with thoughts of silver bullets, or wooden bullets, or bullets filled with Sacred Datura, and I began to panic.

  Moments later, the living room door flew open, and several Ravens rushed in. Apparently not everyone had gone on the search, and must have heard the gunshots. Latimer took a quick survey of the room and then knelt beside us and pried open Kelsey’s eye.

  “Fixed and dilated,” he said in a matter of fact tone.

  Oh really? Now he’s a doctor?

  I looked up and saw Priscilla carefully stepping into the room. The minute she recognized that it was her daughter who was lying motionless on the floor she screamed out, hurried over to us, and shoved Latimer out of her way, sending his fake round glasses skidding across the floor.

  “What happened? Who did this?” She took Kelsey’s other hand and kissed it. “Kelsey, my love. Can ye hear me? It’s mum.”

  Kelsey’s eyes finally began to flutter, and then she gasped, taking in a huge breath. I examined her, searching for the bullet wound, and finally found the hole in her blouse right near her heart. Since she was wearing a brilliant red top, the blood seemed to blend right in and it was hard to spot at first. Cautiously, I pulled the collar of her top down a bit and took a peek. The hole was much smaller than I’d expected, and the bleeding had almost stopped. Amazing!

  I glared up at Latimer, who had managed to gather his wits, and had reached his stupid glasses, and was adjusting them onto his face. “Why did you say that? Fixed and dilated? You scared the crap out of me!”

  He shrugged, making an apologetic face, and said, “I am sorry, Miss Elizabeth. I’ve always wanted to say that. I knew she would be fine in a few minutes, and thought you understood that.”

  I shook my head, frowning at his foolishness, and gazed back into Kelsey’s eyes. She finally gave us all a recognizing grin.

  “Here you go, Kelsey. Take a drink; this will help to get your strength back.” Phoebe handed her a glass of Ambrosia, and with her mother’s help, Kelsey sat up and took a sip.

  “Thank-you for your help, my friend,” Pri
scilla said, smiling at Phoebe.

  Just then two of the kitchen girls came in, and once they saw all the blood and gore - being human, they scurried out a second later.

  Kelsey grinned up at me and said, “Hi Lizzy. I’m glad to see you won.”

  “Actually, it was Phoebe who did him in at the end.” I gave a relieved sigh and said, “Although I did wear him out a bit before she got the better of him.” I glanced at my mother-in-law and smiled. “So how is our friend Veronica doing?”

  Phoebe’s face went from smiling to serious. “Our friend? When I came into the room she had a gun aimed at you, and when the Hunter said shoot, she twisted around and shot at Kelsey. Why would I think she is any friend of ours?”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I wasn’t really sure, and that there was a slight possibility that Veronica had been telling us the truth about Sage. It seemed like he had forced her into doing his ugly bidding, but my opinion of her had flip-flopped as often as a politician running for office.

  “I know her motives were unclear. But, is she dead?”

  “Not quite. If one wanted to save her, there is still time enough to turn her. All she needs is the blood of a Raven.” Phoebe looked impassive; willing to do whatever was needed at the moment.

  I looked around at all the gawking faces. I certainly didn’t want to be responsible for this huge of a decision all on my own. “Where is Emrys?” I asked, exasperated.

  With her mother’s help, Kelsey stood up and said, “They’re all still searching. I just came back to see how you were doing, and I’m supposed to call Royal to let them know. I heard all the noise and the door was ajar, so I came in.”

  “Quick, call him now and tell them to go to the …Stone Pine Inn?” I checked with Phoebe, asking, “Right?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “I heard the sound of a baby crying there as I perched atop the chimney. I am not one hundred percent positive, but something tells me it’s them.”

  Kelsey called Royal immediately and relayed the news to the search party. I tapped on her arm and whispered, “Have Emrys call me as soon as they have any news.”

  In the meantime, we had our work cut out for us. We had a dead body to contend with, and a mostly-drained human that awaited our decision.

  My decision…?

  “To turn or not to turn…that is the question,” I mumbled under my breath. Kelsey chuckled.

  “Does anyone else have an opinion besides me? Without Emrys here, I could use some advice.”

  I searched Phoebe’s eyes again. She was busy laying our almost-dead patient down on the couch. I noticed Veronica’s eyes were half closed and her face pasty-white. So much for the bronze skin, I mused.

  “I think Priscilla should gather all the equipment needed, and we can begin the process at once. But it is up to you, my daughter. Her body is still warm and there is more blood that must be drained. I only attacked her because I thought she was about to shoot you and I had no other weapon - but my fangs.” Phoebe sighed and added, “However, if we do this, I think you should be the one to finish the job.”

  My heart did a flip.

  Finish the job? I’d get to drink warm, fresh, human blood?

  But then I’d have to feed my blood to her. Even though the prospect of feeding on a live human was exciting, this could cause another huge problem.

  “But what about the babies?” I asked, searching Phoebe’s face. “Once they bring them home, we cannot have a Newling around here.”

  Nodding, she said, “We would have to send her to another society for the time being. If she wishes to rejoin us once the children are older, that would be up to you and Emrys.” Phoebe looked a bit unsettled.

  Frowning, I asked, “What’s wrong, Phoebe?”

  “If we’re going to do this, we should begin soon. Either that, or we let her die.”

  “Priscilla, could you please collect the things we need?” I asked. “Make it quick and meet us in my quarters, would you?”

  Priscilla nodded and scampered out of the room. Latimer and Kelsey had picked up Sage’s corpse and began to carry it out, but I stopped them. “Latimer, someone needs to check at the gatehouse. We may have another casualty out there. Do you know who was on duty tonight?”

  Latimer gasped in surprised realization and dropped the Venator. Sage’s head smacked the hard floor with a loud, hollow thud. With a sad sigh, Latimer said, “I do believe it was Matthew’s shift.” He bent down and picked Sage up by his arms and walked backwards out the door, Kelsey carrying the Hunter’s feet. Once they were gone, I called some of the kitchen girls and, after two of them helped to carry Veronica back to my suite; I sent them back to clean the rest of the mess up in Phoebe’s living room. Phoebe waited with me in silence for Priscilla to return with our supplies. Here I was, just about to embark on my first attempt at turning a human, something all vampires look forward to, but all I could think about was Melinda and her triplets.

  Priscilla finally showed up, a bucket-full of supplies in her arms, and a worried look on her face. She understood the risk we were taking as well as Phoebe and I did. But I also knew that I could never live with myself if I just let the human die. It felt like I was smack in the middle of a real dilemma and had no other choice. As Priscilla backed out of the room, she said, “Let me know if ye need anything else, Miss Elizabeth.” I nodded, equally troubled, and closed the door.

  With Phoebe’s help, we drained some of my blood, and after moving Veronica into the bedroom and turning down the lights, we were ready to proceed. Phoebe stayed with me, and even though she had never turned anyone herself, she had been around long enough to have seen it more often than me. Little did I know when I woke up that morning, I’d be turning someone for the first time in my life. And not necessarily by choice.

  I was a little tired after giving my blood, and turning to Phoebe, I asked, “Is there still enough of her blood left to make me stronger?”

  “I am only guessing, but I do believe so. And if you still feel fatigued, you can always have a glass of donor blood. Not to worry, my dear. You must finish the job now.” She looked concerned as she studied Veronica’s face. But I had one more quick question.

  “And after she drinks my blood, she will have my memories?” Of course I knew this, I was stalling.

  “Yes. This is the reason I thought it would be better for you to turn her. She will finally understand fully the love you share with Emrys.”

  I surmised that someone must have told her about Veronica’s infatuation with Emrys.

  But the thought of sharing my memories with Veronica made me cringe. Did I really want to share those intimate details with her? Did she even deserve eternal life? I had another moment or two of feeling conflicted, and then as I gazed at the artery in her neck, watching the blood pulse echo each beat of her heart, I made up my mind. Perched on the edge of the bed, my fangs clicked down and I leaned over, punctured her throat, and drank in the rest of her life force.

  So many memories filled my mind from the night I was turned. I remembered the silence…the peace that took over as my life began to ebb away. I wasn’t even sure if Veronica was conscious enough to know what was happening, but surely she would feel that same peace.

  When I sat back up licking my lips, Phoebe handed me the glass that contained my blood and I put it to Veronica’s mouth. She sipped slowly at first, and then started to gulp as she was overtaken with thirst. I whispered, telling her to sleep now. I knew she dreamed my memories, and hoped that instead of being jealous of my relationship with Emrys, she could truly understand that we were meant to be together and nothing could ever rip us apart.

  Not even a beautiful blonde vampire.

  “Sleep, perchance to dream…” I whispered, smiling at Phoebe.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket. I flipped it open and slipped into the other room to take the call. “Emrys! Did you find the babies? Are they okay?”

  “Yes and yes. We are on our way home now.” He paused a minute listeni
ng to my thoughts and then said, “Elizabeth! What on earth possessed you?” The shock in his voice resonated through the phone.

  Damn mind readers.

  “Well, we could have just let her die…and trust me, I was tempted.”

  “I see. We shall discuss this when I get home,” he sighed. “And here I thought we had an eventful evening.”

  “Right,” I sighed. “My evening consisted of discovering that the triplets had been kidnapped, nearly dying from Sacred Datura, fighting with - and watching your mother kill a Hunter, witnessing my dear friend getting shot, and then turning a lunatic human into a vampire. At least your day ends on a high note.” As I licked my lips, still tasting Veronica’s blood, I had to admit that my day hadn’t ended all that bad either. Emrys chuckled, amused by my take on it all.

  “Thank God the kids are okay. How’s Lindy holding up?”

  “She’s fine, now.” He lowered his voice and said, “She nearly ripped the throats out of those women though. Gavin had to physically stop her.”

  “Good for her. Perhaps they’ll think twice before they show their faces around here again.”

  “Oh they shall never be back. Gavin took care of them both after he had Melinda and the children safely tucked away in the limo.” Emrys cleared his throat, catching my mental image, and began to explain.

  I interrupted him saying, “I don’t even want to know. Just hurry home, Emrys. I need you.”

  “Give us five more minutes, my lovely.”

  For some reason, the next five minutes felt like five hours.

  * * *

  Phoebe went outside to meet the returning search party and left me by myself. I couldn’t leave; I was now the maker of a Newling. As I checked once more on Veronica, watching her sleep, I thought about this strange turn of events. Whoever would have thought I’d be the one to turn Veronica. I chuckled at the memory of the look on her face the first time I showed her my fangs. She practically ran down the aisle of the airplane, trying to get away from me as fast as she could.