The Raven Series 2

by J. L. Weil

  If it were only that simple. “I wish,” I mumbled.

  “Okay. What gives? You’re starting to worry me.”

  Good. He should be worried, but I couldn’t tell him why. What would I say? Parker, the world is not as it seems. There are supernatural forces living among us, reapers and ghosts. I guess all that crap you read in your comics isn’t entirely crap. Evil creatures are running rampant on Earth and I’m one of them. He would undoubtedly think I’d started doing magic mushrooms. And by telling him the truth, I would only suck him into this world and put him in danger. Next to TJ, Parker was the most important person to me.

  So as I sat there biting my lip, knowing no matter what came out of my mouth it would be a lie, and I’d rather not lie to Parker. To be honest, he would call me out on it. The problem with being friends with someone your entire life was sometimes they knew you better than you knew yourself.

  “I’m sorry,” I huffed, thrusting my fingers into my hair. “I’m not making any sense.”

  “That’s the first thing you’ve said that made sense.”

  I tossed a pillow at his head. “It’s been a long day. You know how I get if I don’t get at least ten hours of sleep.”

  “Bitchasaurus rex.” He tucked the pillow under his arm and pushed to his feet. “We have plenty of time to gossip like we’re in a Lifetime movie. You get your beauty rest, princess.”

  I snatched a discarded sock on the floor and rolled it a ball before sailing it across the room, straight for the back of Parker’s head. Bullseye.

  He glanced over his shoulder. “When did you become so violent?”

  “I’m no princess,” I said.

  “Trust me. I know.” He grinned and quickly shut the door before I could launch something else at his head.

  Two days, Parker. You got two days, before I boot your ass back home.

  As soon as the door closed behind Parker, I went to wash my face and brush my teeth. Emerging from the bathroom, I hit the light switch, letting blackness blanket my room. I strolled over to the balcony and stood in the doorway, one leg crossed over my ankle as I leaned against the frame.

  There was something bugging the shit out of me, and I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I got it off my chest. Grabbing my phone, I sent my father a text. I didn’t care if it was one in the morning. How dare you send Parker here!

  Pacing the room, I was prepared to wait, but shockingly, he replied in under a minute. I was only trying to help.

  My fingers flew over the keys. I don’t need your help. Not now. Not ever. Stop trying to be a parent after you’ve been absent for more than a year. I can take care of myself.

  You were always able to, even as a child.

  What is that supposed to mean? That I hadn’t needed him or still don’t need him? He was clueless and I was hurt.

  I turned my phone off. Exhausted and beat, I didn’t want to engage in a text war, regardless that I’d been the one to start it.

  Chapter 13

  A storm was coming. Not the kind of thunderstorm that raged and cracked across the night’s sky, for tonight the skies were clear and the waters stayed calm. This storm roared inside my head, invading my dreams.

  The small apartment lacked its usual coziness and instead felt cramped and claustrophobic. Inside, the vibrant and bold colors were muted and washed out, dull grays and bland taupes.

  Nothing about the place felt like home, yet it was.

  The apartment was empty. No laughter or humming. Not ever again.

  I pushed at the door to my bedroom, but when the door squeaked open, it was a long, wide hallway. White marble glistened on cold floors as my bare feet padded down the hall. I caught a glimpse of myself in a large silver-framed oval mirror—long pale hair, sweeping past my shoulders, bright green eyes that seemed to glow oddly. And my lips were red like blood.

  I touched my lower lip. A chill entered the hall, causing the little hairs on my arms to stand up. Easing my head slowly to the right, I watched as a mist crawled along the marble floor, creeping toward me. In my experience, nothing good or human followed the creepy vibe I was sensing.

  Hallows.

  They were close. Breathing down my neck. Calling my name. Taunting me with my own fear. I turned to run down the hall and came nose to nose with one of the ghastly mofos. Frozen, I stared at his iridescent face. “You’re in desperate need of some sunlight, dude,” I said, the words popping out of my mouth before I thought about what I was saying.

  The backhanded slap sent me sprawling. A bright shock of pain had me curled up into a little ball. Terror clutched my belly as I dragged myself along the floor, looking for an escape. I wasn’t going to get far if I didn’t get back on my feet, and there were more of them now.

  Fog covered my hands and feet, increasing in density. I glanced over my shoulder to gage how much shit I was in and gasped.

  Four more figures had drifted into the hall, all faces I recognized. TJ. Parker. My dad. And…Zane. Pure panic discharged inside me, my breaths quickening. I scooted backward on my butt, shaking my head. No. No. No. This couldn’t be. If they were hallows…they were dead. Suddenly, I lost my grip on the dream, the emotions inside too real, too raw.

  My head spun and spun, blurring the four figures as they stalked toward me with leering grins of hunger and spite on their wishy-washy faces. I lost focus of the room, of where I was. Blood pumped in my veins, the blood of the hunted. And when my vision cleared, I was no longer in the white house, but outside. My fingers dug into the mossy grass, dirt gathering under my nails.

  They were on top of me before I had a chance to get my bearings. But the moment I did, I fought—kicking, scratching, and clawing. I welcomed the rising tide of rage. “I’m going to kill you,” I spat, no longer thinking of them as TJ, Dad, or Zane. They were hallows.

  “You don’t have it in you,” the hallow of Zane taunted.

  “Maybe not yet, but I will,” I seethed, kicking out my legs and planting my feet into his gut. Edging off the forest floor, I ran to the shadows, where the air was soft and cool. There were screams in the wind, eerily not all of them mine. My breathing was ragged as I ran, tearing in and out of my throat and ending in whimpers. Fear ruled inside me until there was nothing left. No reasoning. No answers. No reality.

  Brush tore at my clothes, shredding them as I darted. Then, I could run no more. My feet teetered on the edge of the cliff, rocks tumbling over the side. Winds slapped at my back with sharp bites, pushing me closer to the ledge. Below the wild violence of the sea churned, water colliding against rock. Amidst the darkness, the lighthouse sliced through air, but below, the sea was wild, churning in violence.

  With nothing else to do and no other path before me, I leaped from the rocks and spun in the wind as I plunged toward the depths of the water. The dream, the light, and my fears all tumbled in with me. Zane’s name rang from my lips, echoing in the wind as I fell.

  Just as my feet hit the crisp water, my eyes popped opened and I was staring at the ceiling. Sweat drenched my forehead and my skin was clammy. Light poured from a full moon, casting a cool glow over the darkness. As my eyes roamed over the room, a shadow formed near the balcony doors, slowly becoming a man with spellbinding eyes burning blue.

  An icy shiver glinted through me. “Zane?” I squinted in the dark, focusing on his face. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  His dark waves were untamed and windblown, just the way I liked them. “I should be asking you, princess. You called.”

  Uh, what? Confusion swirled as I sat up, and I swallowed back the fear I could still taste. “No, I didn’t.”

  He moved, blinking to my side. Those bright blue eyes glimmered, encompassed by black veins. He brushed damp strands of hair from my face. His touch was so light. “You did. In your sleep.”

  I chewed my lip. Had I really? My cheeks burned. How many other times had I screamed his name? “This isn’t the first time, is it?” I asked, peeking through my lashes.

  He shook h
is head. “Hardly.”

  I groaned, ready to bury my head under the pillows. “Don’t tell me I do this every night.”

  “Off and on since Rose passed. It’s been almost nightly now since your training.”

  “I don’t understand. Why can’t I control it?” I didn’t think about the covers falling to my waist or that I wasn’t wearing a bra.

  He shrugged. “My theory, it’s because we’re suppressing the link between our souls during the day that once your body shuts down, your soul calls to mine.”

  My entire body flushed at those words. Oookay. That was kind of hot, in a weird and twisted way. Then, it hit me. “You come every night?”

  With him standing over me, I could smell the ocean on him. “You make it sound a lot creepier than it is.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s not what I meant. And you know it.”

  “I only peek in, make sure you’re safe,” he admitted, a smile in his voice. He sat on the edge of the bed, one leg angled in a triangle toward me. “But tonight was different.”

  “Different how?” I asked, because it had been different for me too.

  Concern flickered across his stoic face, deepening the lines around his eyes. “You’re not usually pale as a ghost or shaking.” His fingers laced with mine and immediately I felt calmer.

  I hadn’t realized I’d been trembling. I stared at our joined hands, and an image flashed before my eyes. It was the same picture, but my finger had a ring on it—a wedding band in the most intricate design. It was beautiful. My lashes fluttered, and it was gone.

  “Your eyes aren’t bright with fear,” he continued, his thumb absently rubbing across mine. Most nights you never wake up. But tonight you didn’t just call my name; you screamed.”

  “I had a nightmare,” I admitted. “It wasn’t my first, but this one was bad.”

  “I-I sensed you were in danger, but there was no way I could get to you. You were in the one place I couldn’t reach you.” His fingers tightened against mine as he relived those moments in his memory. “Do you want to talk about it?” I could hear how much he wanted to know what had happened in my dream.

  I wasn’t the only one who was turned inside out. My gaze rose to his. The pain and frustration crystallizing in his eyes caused pangs inside my chest. I was going to go out on a presumptuous limb here, which I hoped would make both us feel better. “I’d rather you hold me.”

  The look that gathered in his eyes made my body tingle. “Piper, I don’t think—”

  “I’m not asking for you to sleep with me,” I clarified. “Just stay for a little bit. Nothing has to happen.”

  “That’s the problem. I don’t think I could help myself. Not tonight. I’m already tempted.”

  Okay, we could sit here and argue about it all night…or I could do something about it. Because I really, really didn’t want to be alone right now, completely forgetting that Parker was in the house. My mind was scrambled with thoughts of only Zane.

  I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him farther onto the bed. “What? You were already half on the bed,” I said when he glared up at me under dark lashes.

  He brushed aside the hair hanging in my face. “You’re impossible…to resist.”

  Those sexy eyes that crinkled at the corners made my stomach topple over. We both knew I would never be able to overpower him. If he really wanted to, he could have resisted. “I’m glad.”

  “I want you to know this is dangerous,” he warned.

  I smiled. “Good thing I like living on the edge.”

  The mattress dipped as he moved more toward the center of the bed, making himself comfortable and leaning back. He opened his arm, an invitation I couldn’t turn down. “Now that you got me here, tell me about the dream.”

  I snuggled my head on his shoulder, indulging myself in his scent. It was hard to stop myself from thinking about how superb his body felt pressed against mine. Lord have mercy, I shouldn’t be thinking about his body at all. “It was nothing. Just a nightmare. Everyone has them.”

  He lifted a brow.

  Right. Not everyone was a banshee and summoned reapers to their beds. I sighed, placing a hand on his chest. His heart beat steady, reminding me he was alive. “I was being chased by hallows—nothing new—except this time, when they got close enough for me to see their faces, it was TJ, Parker, and my dad. All dead.” I swallowed the lump that weaseled its way up my throat. “So were you.”

  His lips turned down as he processed. “You’re right. It was nothing more than your subconscious expressing your fears.”

  Tracing lines over his shirt, I asked, “What made you suddenly change your mind?”

  No hesitation. “I don’t die easily.”

  I scoffed. “I can’t believe that’s what you base your analysis on.”

  He swung his other arm behind his head, a smug grin on his face. “It’s the truth. I’m the son of Death.”

  I tilted my face up to make a snide comment, not realizing how close we were. The words never made it past my lips. I felt myself get swept away by his face. Eyes of a gypsy, body of a god.

  Together we were ensnared in a trance. The air seemed to spark between us. I didn’t know how long we lay there caught up in each other. “You bring light into the darkness,” he murmured, touching the side of my cheek as he spoke.

  “I want you to kiss me,” I said in the dark. I knew what I wanted and so did Zane, especially when my entire body was illuminating as it was now.

  I lifted my hand in the air. He pressed our palms together, and a static bolt of energy radiated down my arms, causing the veins under my skin to glow brighter. I caught the intensity in his luminous eyes. A half grin spread on his lips, revealing a dimple deep in his cheek. “I know you do.”

  More than half transfixed by him, I felt a little dizzy. “What are you waiting for?”

  His fingers weaved with mine as his cool eyes hooked mine, full of desire. “Piper,” he whispered in a rough texture.

  All my senses enhanced.

  It seemed so simple to me—so natural. Zane and I were meant to be together. I was tired of fighting the universe. I was tired of pushing aside my feelings, and I could see he was too.

  Zane was going to kiss me. And the anticipation was delicious torture.

  He lowered his mouth to mine, meshing my lips against his. A spark always burned under the surface, and it ignited into a wild inferno. He gripped my hips and pushed me back all in one swift motion. I wiggled against him, encouraged by the breathy moan of my name.

  The kiss was infinitely sweet and tender, slow at first, as if he was savoring the sweetness. He tasted of home. No quick peck. No chaste kiss. Our tongues touched, tangling. And that was all it took for things to explode.

  I loved the feel of him, the muscular back, the narrow hips, and the strong hands as they glided over me with patience, lingering and kindling fires along the way. My body seemed to shimmer in the heat, glowing under the skin. He conjured a light inside me.

  As I clung to him, his fingers moved into my hair, fisting the strands at the base of my neck and murmuring endearing words I recognized but couldn’t understand. They reached my heart, warming my soul. I ground my lips to his as he forced my head to tilt, allowing deeper access to my mouth. Nothing mattered when Zane was kissing me. Time ceased. Responsibilities forgotten.

  He demanded everything, all of me, and I surrendered into the dark and light we solidified between us. I curled my hands into his hair, pulling closer as my body arched into his. “More.”

  But it wasn’t enough. Would never be enough.

  I wanted more than stolen kisses. I wanted all of Zane, heart and soul. Being with him and in his arms like this only reinforced what I knew in my heart. There was no way I could marry Zander when my feelings for Zane were so damn intense. Now I needed to figure out how I was going to get out of this farce of an engagement without hurting anyone or jeopardizing the balance of the universe.

  Fun times.

>   Our lips separated, and he stared down at me. “Do you feel any better?” he whispered.

  My body warmed in a hundred places, close to feverish. I’d say I made a full recovery. “I feel like I’ve been to both Hell and Heaven in one night.”

  “We keep complicating things. I don’t know how to stay away from you.”

  “I don’t want you to.” But I could see the resolve in the lines on his face. Things were not going any further. My body was aching for his touch.

  He moved closer, extending an arm, and I curled against his body. “This is bigger than just you and me,” he said.

  I wanted to stay like this, tangled up with him all night. Having him here beside me was enough. It’s all I wanted. I nestled my head in the space between his shoulder and neck. “I know, but for tonight, can it just be us?”

  He murmured something Celtic against my hair as he spoke. “Try to get some rest, princess,” he added.

  How was I supposed to sleep when my innards were still buzzing? I smiled, placing a hand over his heart. Before I knew it, I’d drifted back to sleep in the deepest, calmest rest I’d had in weeks.

  ***

  It was the scent of coffee that roused me, that and a husky laugh. My eyes fluttered open. I was half lying on top of Zane, my head resting on his shoulder and a hand balled on his shirt, as if I was afraid he might leave in the middle of the night. There was this complete harmony inside me, and I didn’t care about my morning bedhead or bad breath. I stretched, not ready to fully wake from this satisfying haze of sleep.

  And might not have, had a knock not sounded on the door, followed by Parker’s voice. “You better be up, Pipes. It took me almost an hour to find your room.”

  My eyes locked with Zane’s. OhmyGodno. Then I shoved him over the side of the bed, dumping his ass on the ground. “You’ve got to get out of here,” I whispered frantically.

  He glared up at me from the floor, sexily rumpled from sleep. I couldn’t believe he’d stayed all night. I couldn’t believe I pushed him out of the bed. If Parker found us together…