A Conspiracy of Ravens: A Raven Saga Book 1

by Crymsyn R. Hart

  "I missed you,” she breathed into his ear. It tickled his flesh and went straight to his groin where he swore he felt the tickle on the end of his dick as well. He so wanted to feel how much of him she could take into her mouth, but it would have to wait for later. Finally, he allowed himself to pull away from her warmth, when all he wanted to do was smother her forever.

  "I missed you, too.” He pushed her away feeling his jaw go hard again, becoming the souless Warrior he had been forever. He had been in feathers longer than he had been human. He wondered if he was truly free of the curse now he had found Linnea. If so, would he be able to hold her and caress her the way he desired forever.

  "What is it?” Linnea asked.

  He forced a breath through his nose like he was snorting fire. Tremain held out the necklace to Linnea. “Betha wants you to help find Maili. She thinks whoever has her has underestimated the connection between you two. She thinks this necklace is the one link you need to be able to home in on Maili's energy."

  Linnea stared at him, taking her time to answer. Would she refuse? Certainly she could. The Druid would not force her to make a decision. However, Betha would have no qualms about making Linnea submit to her will, even siccing her assassins on her again. Tremain hoped that would not be necessary. He took a deep breath and watched as she paced the room. He could easily slip into her mind to see what she thought, but he was not going to break the sanctity of her thoughts when she had just learned to trust him. What they had shared last night was a sacred experience for him. He would cherish it for the rest of his immortality in case it never happened again. He was not a brute. Not like Darius. He felt the vein in his forehead throb as he thought of his Warrior brother. He had no right to lift a finger against Linnea let alone jump to the conclusion she had something to do with Maili's disappearance. Tremain tried to rein in his rage.

  "Are you all right?

  "What do you mean?” Linnea stared at him with a questioning gleam in her eye.

  "Darius hurt you. I need to know if you're all right."

  "Oh. Yes, I'm fine. Caleb healed me. He's a good man. Is Darius normally like that? I mean he went psycho and—"

  Tremain shook his head no. “He was cursed by a gypsy to become a Warrior. Darius was sleeping with her sister and she found out about it. Well, I'm sure you know how vindictive and bitchy women can be. Not that you're—"

  She smiled and put two fingers on his lips before kissing him. “I know what you mean. But you had better stop while you're ahead. So how does the Queen—Damn, I can't believe Maili's a princess. She didn't even tell me. There goes the whole concept of best friends forever."

  "She's supposed to keep it a secret from everyone. Whoever took her, I don't know how they found out about her and the necklace. But I think they really want Betha. All of this is my fault. If I had been watching her, then I'd have known there was someone after her, but I had to fuck it up as usual. Here. We had better get started. Take my hand."

  He extended his hand, but Linnea didn't take it. “What do you mean it was your fault? You had no idea she was going to be kidnapped?"

  "Linnea, it's not that simple. It's part of my curse. I'm assigned a charge. I'm sworn to protect them until they die, or I am assigned another one. I had been watching Maili, but I decided to go AWOL and go for a flight, thinking she could take care of herself. When she wasn't back at her apartment, I figured she was at her pet human's house. But when I went to your house, she wasn't there either. Then I saw the ransacked apartment. I knew I had fucked it up. Betha was going to have my head and damn me to an eternity of living hell, not that my life wasn't like that before, but—"

  "Whoa! Hold up. Did you call me pet human? What the hell is that?"

  Tremain cast his gaze down as he realized he had let his nickname for her slip. “It's nothing personal. You were kind of a running joke in court and with the Warriors. No one wanted to get assigned to watch the queen's brat, but I had earned it. Since you were completely human, before your power awakened, you were considered her pet human."

  Linnea backed away crossing her arms over her chest. She flopped back on the bed and looked up at him. Her eyes glistened with tears. Shit. It had been a long time since he had been around a woman in any form and he had said something which had hurt her feelings.

  "So I'm a joke to everyone. Including Maili. Maybe that was what she was going to tell me. That I wasn't going to be her friend anymore.” She looked down at her hands and began to pick away at the cuticle and then chew on the end of her thumb.

  "What? No. Maili didn't know what we called you. Please. I'm sorry. Look, I hate to do this, but we have to go and find her. My time in human form in your realm is limited to the three days and nights of the full moon and already the sun is setting there. Please come. I shouldn't have opened my big mouth. It's been such a long time since I've been around anyone other than the Warriors. I've forgotten what it's like to talk with anyone who isn't like me.” He knelt before her and drew her hands away from her mouth as she had begun biting her nails. He kissed each finger gently, not liking the fact she mutilated herself even if it was ripping off nails or pulling out her hair. It made him wonder if she was hiding something herself. No matter what it was his experience with women was nil since he had lost his wife and had turned into a Raven Warrior. Damn curse. I can't even talk to her the right way.

  Her smile wiped away his doubt as it lit her face. “I'm sorry. All this is happening so damn fast. Give me the necklace. I'll see what I can do."

  She took the necklace from his hand and closed it in her palm. She then wound her fingers through his. That simple gesture made his heart race and his palms sweat. He felt a little like he had when he had been with Beatrice on their wedding night, like an inexperienced teenager who was going to be initated into his first rights of manhood. He remembered that ceremony among his Brother Druids and smiled. It was a day when the Elder Priestesses had been their teachers into the mystery of the flesh and the heart. They had shown him some techniques that he one day hoped to use on Linnea.

  Tremain hugged her close to him and let his power slide through him and over to her. It was cold as he let the power split the dimensions. Everything was gray, and they were nothing more than shadows.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Linnea felt the cold of Tremain's power settle over her heart. It made her gasp and her heart skip a beat. It felt like she became light, as thin as tissue paper so the sun could beam right through her. Everything around her went gray and folded in on itself. As it did, the cold numbed her extremities and made her fingertips tingle. When she blinked, she was back in her attic, but she was still a ghost to her own world. Even as she had lost substance, everything around her was also a ghost. The power of the Warrior was amazing. She closed her eyes as blood rushed to her head, and it felt like she had gotten up too quickly. He kept her balance. As soon as her body got used to being back in her world, the power of the circle flared up against her skin. It was like cool water flowing over her. It sparked her power as well, like she and the circle were merging, becoming familiar with one another. And as she looked around, she heard a gasp.

  "Jesus, Mary Mother, and Joseph."

  At the altar inside the second circle was Henrietta, one of the Old Cronies and her grandmother's best friend. She hadn't seen the Old Cronies in forever. As she listened, she heard the whir of the elevator and the laughter of two other women as they came up in the small enclosed space. Linnea wondered what they were doing there, but before she could say anything, Henrietta raced over and hugged her in a strong embrace. Linnea returned the gesture then stepped back looking at the woman who she hadn't seen for almost nine months. She was dressed in a black broomstick skirt and a white peasant blouse. Her hair was copper, as the red hair dye had washed out some. Dangling pentacles hung from her ears. Her face was slightly wrinkled and held the bluest eyes Linnea had ever seen. No one would know she had just turned seventy. Her socks were white-and-green striped tights with small b
oots, which reminded Linnea of the ones from the Wizard of Oz. Henrietta and her grandmother had been friends for years and each was eccentric in her own way. Her grandmother was five years older than Henrietta. The elder witch always mixed her Catholic beliefs with her pagan ones. Her gift was controlling the weather. If she got angry, the nearest tree fell victim to a lightning strike. Linnea had seen it happen.

  The elevator door opened and in walked the other two members of the coven, Charlotte and Coralline. Charlotte had joined the coven about twenty years ago when Linnea had been only five. She was the most conservative of the group. Her gray hair was bound into a tight bun that pulled at the edge of her eyelids. All knowing hazel eyes were hidden under the slanted eyes. She worked as a librarian for thirty years and still worked part time. Her specialty was crystals and information since she worked in the library. She had thick black horn rimmed glasses and bright pink lipstick with small gold button earrings. Her dress was conservative with a tan suit and shoes, which even matched her purse. She was prim and proper. Linnea swore she was stuck up as anything, but her energy meshed well with the group.

  Coralline was the total opposite. Her blue-tinted hair was a mess as if she hadn't combed it in a week. Blue eyeshadow matched the tint in her hair, which had gone out of style ten years ago. She was short and round and ran a bakery in her spare time. She traveled the world and brought back Linnea little trinkets every place she stopped. A permanent flour smudge lived on her forehead, and her oval face and small lips always smiled. Her perfume was that of cinnamon and vanilla from being at the bakery. Her special power was calling fairies and anything astral. Of all the people in the coven, she was Linnea's favorite besides her grandmother. Together, the three ladies and her grandmother made up the Old Cronies Linnea had grown up with.

  "Linnea, where on this Goddess's green earth did you come from?” Coralline asked her.

  The witch smiled at the comment. Before she could respond, Charlotte started poking Tremain's muscled arm with her tan fingernail. “Who cares were she was? Where did this come from?"

  Linnea's gaze went to Henrietta, who had her hands crossed over her chest and was shaking her head. She knew that look from her grandmother. “Linnea Rose Hammond!"

  If Henrietta was starting off with her whole name this was not good. She gazed back at Tremain, who was taking in the whole situation and slowly moving away from Charlotte who was looking at him as she looked at one of Coralline's cupcakes, like any guilty pleasure. Linnea knew she had a hankering for sweets, but she had never seen her drool over a man before.

  "Henrietta, I didn't do anything. I swear."

  "See. There she goes thinking she's in trouble again. Hen, give the child a break. Something must have happened to trigger the wards at our homes and the ones here. You know she can't feel the power like her grandmother,” Coralline said to the other coven member.

  Linnea watched Henrietta's gaze slide over the other two women, her, and then settle on Tremain. The witch swallowed wondering what the elder witch was going to do. “I think we had better listen to what Linnea has to say and then you, Raven Warrior, will have to tell us your story too."

  Shock and surprise jolted through the witch. How did Henrietta know Tremain was a Raven Warrior? For that matter, what exactly was a Raven Warrior? She didn't even know the whole story and wanted a better understanding of the curse. Her new lover's gaze met hers, and she shrugged. “We don't have a choice."

  A coy smile played on his lips. "There is always a choice. We have to find Maili. There is no time for dawdling or story telling. We are burning time here. And that is something I can't waste."

  Linnea nodded absently. “Guys, I really want you to hear the story, but there's nothing to tell. We have something we have to get done before dawn. Can't we tell you then?” She looked at the group.

  "No,” all said in unison.

  "Fine."

  "We—"

  She looked at Tremain. "Not going to happen. Sit your perfectly shaped butt down."

  "You think I have a perfectly shaped butt?" She felt Tremain smile in her mind and feed her some of the images of how he had ravaged her the night before.

  Linnea blushed. The night she had spent with him had blown her away. She was not thinking she would ever bed an Adonis, let alone a perfectly toned Warrior who was as good in bed as her sexiest fantasy. He was not all about getting pleasure for himself, but made sure her mind was blown and her body satiated before he gave into the ecstasy of their lovemaking. Wherever she had found him, she had no idea, but he was one in a million. Parts of where he had touched suddenly came alive under the intensity of his eyes which she noticed were the same smoky quartz silver color they were before. She could tell he was thinking about the same things. She licked her lips and turned away as his fingers started trailing lightly over the back of her shirt along her spine. Their energy sparked together. She could almost hear it crackling as he did, and she wondered if the Old Cronies heard it too.

  Linnea stared at the older women. She had known them forever, but where did she begin? How much was she supposed to tell them?

  "Hen, why are you questioning Linnea and her delicious—I mean, nice young man? Can't you see they are in a hurry? Besides, no one believes that old wives’ tale about Morrigain turning evil-doers into Ravens for her flock.” Charlotte said as she absently ran her hand over Tremain's bicep.

  "It's not an old wives’ tale,” Henrietta stated. “It's true. I've seen him in my dreams for years. In my dream, I saw the Goddess searing the triple brand into his left shoulder. I saw him being cursed, and when I looked in my oldest Book of Shadows. It told of an ancient priestess who called down the goddess because a Druid married her daughter and then killed herself."

  "Stories. You know some of the tales in our books are there to scare us.” Charlotte fidgeted with some of the books on the shelves, blowing the dust from her hands. She wiped them on her pants and turned her attention back to the gathering. Linnea was astonished by what Henrietta was saying.

  "How do you know that?” Tremain asked the older woman. He took a step forward, and Linnea saw the far-away look in his eyes.

  "Her name was Beatrice, wasn't it? The woman you were cursed over. And she was pregnant."

  Linnea saw Tremain's face go lax as he stepped toward the old woman. Linnea was dumbfounded as she looked on. Her world was only getting stranger and stranger.

  "Tremain, do you even know what she is saying is true?” Linnea heard the words come out of her mouth before she could stop them.

  The Raven Warrior stared back at her, but ignored the comment and looked back at Henrietta. The witch watched as he led Henrietta over to a chair, and he bent down on one knee and stared at her intently, almost as if he was studying her very soul. No matter how he looked at her, Linnea noticed it was her eyes the Druid could not take his gaze from. He clasped her hand in his.

  "Please continue your story. I would like to hear it. What you say is true. Please."

  The other two witches gathered around him. Linnea shrugged and stood on the fringes of the coven. The power of the circles played over her aura as she stood there. The attic was growing warmer. The power washed over her like a cool stream and hers reached up to join it. She examined the necklace as she still clutched it and realized she wasn't getting any images like she had done before. I thought this was my link to finding Maili. Where are you?

  "Linnea." The witch heard the voice weakly in the back of her mind. It came in over the airwaves like a bad connection on a cell phone. It was coming in and out.

  "Ali, where are you?" Linnea asked.

  There was a pause. Then the witch felt the bond between them pick up again. She closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to keep the link open. However, instead of her best friend's voice she saw images. It was dark and she could barely see. There was a room with weak lighting. She was tied to a chair. But the images kept coming. She saw Maili dragged through a brick hallway, but as she was hauled she kept her e
yes moving. Linnea recognized something as the rack of clothing from their costumes. Maili was being kept somewhere in the Wang Theater. She would find her friend and save her.

  "I'm coming to get you," Linnea answered.

  "No. Stay where you are. They want my mother. Not me. If you come, they won't be able to save me. Tell Tremain—"

  Suddenly the link between them was cut, and she could not sense her friend. No matter, she knew where Maili was being held, and she was going to go save her. She looked at the Old Cronies. They were engrossed in whatever Henrietta was saying to Tremain. Quietly, she slipped out of the attic and went downstairs. Before she left, she grabbed her athame from her dresser table. She had a feeling she would need it, but not exactly sure what she was going to do. She slipped it into her purse, which she threw around her shoulder, and went out the door to catch the train down the street.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Listening to her weave her tale, Tremain settled himself in front of Henrietta. Something about the old woman had him intrigued. There was a spark inside of her which he recognized. It scared him. He lost all track of what was going on around him except feeling the rhythm of her words. Her eyes had him more enthralled. They reminded him of his dead wife's. They stared into his soul, whispering to him about things which had happened in the past.

  "Tremain, do you still remember your wife? The way she looked on your wedding night, in the glade where only the Druids and Priestess were allowed."

  "Yes,” he whispered.

  The old woman's hand caressed his cheek. His eyes fluttered shut at the touch. It was also familiar to him. His heart had found his match, but how could that be true if Linnea was his heartmate, bringing him back from the cold maze of limbo in which he had been stuck. Confusion filled his heart. He felt the love he had for the witch, and now he was staring at an old woman who he saw nothing more than another possibility of someone he could spend eternity with. Caleb had never told him there would be a possibility of having two heartmates to save him from his curse.