The Uncanny Raven Winston

by Tammie Painter

  "Hello, Winston," I groaned.

  He replied with a friendly gurgle. I couldn’t get up for several minutes, but I didn’t pass out. Even in my dazed state I could still hear the woman yowling then whimpering. The noises sounded the exact same as they had earlier. It was only then I realized that Tobey wasn’t the idiot. I was. I’d been fooled by a recording of someone crying. I’d lost Alastair for nothing.

  I sat up. While my head spun for a few seconds, Winston tapped his beak on something in my hand. I looked down at it, confused momentarily about how it had gotten there.

  Under my fingers, the watch vibrated with life. I had the watch. That’s what the Magics wanted, wasn’t it? I could return my overdose of power to it and they could go back to protecting it.

  They’d be pleased, but I felt no satisfaction over it. Olivia or someone else from HQ would offer some stupid platitudes about Alastair sacrificing himself for the greater good. They would grant Tobey a posthumous magical diploma for Mr. T’s sake. And they’d congratulate me for ridding them of the Mauvais.

  Screw that. I wanted Alastair alive. I even wanted Tobey alive. A disturbing thought if there ever was one.

  I struggled to my feet and went to the window. Glass bits littered the floor, and the frame still had jagged shards that made me think for some odd reason of the mouth of the Abominable Snowman. Winston flew over to perch on the windowsill. He then looked down over the edge and let out a loud crooo-ack.

  "That bad, huh?"

  I braced myself. It would be ugly.

  Oddly enough, a small spark of hope fought through the darkness of my pessimistic nature. Alastair had the absorbing capsule, he had some of my magic. He might have had time to work a Floating Charm, or to turn the pavement into cotton, or even conjure an umbrella that he might have opened and used like Mary Poppins to drift down. Why else in his last moments would he have wanted me to blast him with magic? Maybe he was waiting below with Tobey, and wondering what was taking me so long to join them.

  I took a deep breath, then carefully leaned forward, gripping the watch with a fearsome amount force. I wasn’t about to drop the stupid thing.

  There, on the pavement below I saw—

  Nothing.

  Huh?

  Winston made another noise that sounded as if he was as confused as me.

  I pulled some photons together and directed them down to the pavement. Nothing. I mean, there was a sidewalk and a discarded napkin from Pret a Manger, but there were no bodies, no shattered pieces of skull, no pools of blood. Normally, I would have thought that a good thing, but where the hell were they?

  Winston then flew out the window. I ordered him to come back. I don’t know how he had escaped, but I wasn’t going to be responsible for losing two humans and one of the Tower ravens all in one night. But Winston didn’t go far. He flew in circles in one spot several times, then returned to the sill.

  I stepped back and looked around for something with enough heft to throw and make a difference. On a table piled high with discarded and dusty office junk was an old-school stapler, the kind made entirely of steel except for a rubber base to keep it from marring your mahogany desk.

  I picked it up. This was no plastic piece of junk for two dollars from the Office Depot. This was your classic if-you-wanted-to-kill-your-boss-you-had-a-perfect-weapon-at-hand stapler that weighed at least a pound.

  "Show me again," I told the bird. He flapped his dark wings, made a little hop, then he was airborne and circling the same area he had before.

  When he returned, I aimed and, hoping I had the trajectory right, threw the stapler through the window. The stapler went straight out about six feet, then began its curve downward. Just at the moment it began to descend, there was a small crackling noise. The stapler disappeared.

  "Holy hell," I muttered as Winston hopped excitedly next to me.

  A portal. But to where? And who was getting hit on the head with a stapler at that very moment?

  "Move out of the way, Winston." He obeyed by perching on my shoulder. Not exactly what I meant, but good enough.

  I used a chunk of brick to knock out the rest of the glass. If I was going to leap out into the unknown, which was probably just as crazy at it sounds, I wasn’t going to do it with gashes across my arms and legs.

  I climbed up onto the window frame. My legs shook. If this portal was small, if I missed it by even a centimeter, the police would be scraping me off the ground tomorrow morning, but probably not before several of Winston’s cousins pecked my eyeballs out for a little snack.

  Still, I had to try. I took several deep breaths to steady myself as I scanned the air for any sign of a disturbance that might give me a clue to the exact location of the portal. I gripped tight to the watch and crouched down, readying my legs to leap.

  And then, from down the hall, a sound came again. Different this time. A woman singing, or perhaps humming. A song that dragged a fingernail of familiarity over my skin. And then the sound of a man clearing his throat and joining in, his tune coming across in a deeper register than hers. The words mom then dad sparked across my mind.

  I hesitated. If I didn’t go to my parents now, who would? If I died trying to get Alastair, who would know they were here? Who would come looking for them? No one. But Alastair was out there somewhere. I needed to help him. I owed him that much and I wanted him back with a keen sense of longing.

  I readied my legs once more.

  And I jumped from the window.

  Winston’s flapping wings whispered in my ear as he held on to my shoulder. With a muffled thump, my boots landed on the concrete floor of the room.

  I glanced out the window into the night. Jumping into an unknown portal would have to wait. Alastair had my power. I had to hope it would last long enough for me to get to him.

  Yes, there I was, hoping again.

  I stepped away from the window and turned toward the mumbling sound of the nostalgic tune. Tears streamed down my face as I hurried down the hallway, calling for my mother.

  * * *

  Keep turning the pages for a preview of Book Three, The Untangled Cassie Black, available at most online retailers.

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  This is the Part Where I Beg You for a Review

  You may think your opinion doesn’t matter, but believe me, it does…at least as far as books are concerned. I can’t guarantee it mattering in any other aspect of your life. Sorry.

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  Sorry, it’s not scones or Victoria sponge. It’s just an excerpt from and description of The Untangled Cassie Black: Book Three of the Cassie Black Trilogy

  Prologue - Let Me Catch You Up

  Morelli here. So the last time you were hanging out with that dimwitted tenant of mine, she’d gone and gotten herself into a huge heap of trouble. When I heard about it, I wasn’t a bit surprised. Always figured she’d end up on the wrong side of a problem.

  Anyway, so here’s the deal in case you ain’t just read that second book of hers and you might’ve forgotten a few things.

  The Queen of Mistrust, who’s already been on this loop-the-loop ride of trying to sort out whether Alastair’s a two-faced jerk or not, had gotten her panties in a twist seeing Alastair kissing Olivia. She’d also failed a pretty important test and faced the risk of being booted from the magic community (should we be so lucky). And so, as Black tends to do, she went and had a knee-jerk reaction that landed her right where the Mauvais wanted her.

  This girl, I tell you. Makes me glad I never had kids.

  ‘Coz not only did she get herself in a tricky situation, she got Tobey and Alastair in a bind. Literally. And when she walloped the Mauvais, he tumbled into a hidden portal. Along with Alastair and Tobey.

  Like I said, the girl’s an idiot. That cat of hers has more smarts than she does.

  But, you know, you lose some, you win some. Because while she did lose two people, she also found two people…her parents. Not sure if that evens up the balance sheet, but I’m gonna guess not.

  Anyway, when you last saw her, she was running down the hallway of an abandoned building calling for her mom. Which I suppose is kind of touching. Except it’s Black we’re talking about, so I’m sure she’ll screw it up somehow.

  So that’s it. I’ll let you loose with the story. I’ve got to go whip up a BLAT for that boss of hers. Great guy that Mr. Wood. Man after my own heart. Can’t believe he actually likes that idiot tenant of mine.

  Speaking of, if you see her, tell her the rent’s due in three weeks, five days, and sixteen hours.

  * * *

  —THE UNTANGLED CASSIE BLACK—

  Sometimes taking an overdose of magic is the least of your worries.

  Cassie Black has just lost two people through a magic portal. Her archenemy, the Mauvais, is threatening to destroy city after city if HQ doesn't hand her over to him. And HQ isn't exactly saying no to that offer.

  As HQ debates her fate, Cassie refuses to sit by and watch the grass grow between the toes of the surveillance gnomes. Biting back her life rule to never get involved, she knows the only way to stop the Mauvais is to go after him herself.

  Which is exactly what he wants. Because the instant Cassie falls into his hands, the Mauvais will have unlimited power.

  So don't get captured, right? Easy for you to say. Trouble is, there's a traitor within HQ who's proving to be more devious, more powerful, and to have more tricks up the sleeve than Cassie could have ever dreamed.

  In this page-turning conclusion of the Cassie Black Trilogy, the curses are flying, the pastries are plentiful, and the magical batteries are charged to capacity.

  The Untangled Cassie Black can be found on most major retailers.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Many moons ago I was a scientist in a neuroscience lab where I got to play with brains and illegal drugs. Now, I’m an award-winning author who turns wickedly strong tea into imaginative fiction (so, basically still playing with brains and drugs).

  My fascination for myths, history, and how they interweave inspired my flagship series, The Osteria Chronicles, and my second series, Domna.

  But that all got a bit too serious for someone with a strange sense of humor and odd way of looking at the world.

  So, while sitting at my grandmother’s funeral, my brain came up with an idea for a contemporary fantasy trilogy that’s filled with magic, mystery, snarky humor, and the dead who just won’t stay dead. That idea turned into The Cassie Black Trilogy.

  When I’m not creating worlds or killing off characters, I can be found gardening, planning my next travel adventure, working as an unpaid servant to three cats and two guinea pigs, or wrangling my backyard hive of honeybees.

  I'm also the host of The Book Owl Podcast. where I explore the tales of quirky books and literary lore. It's a book nerd's paradise over there so be sure to give it a listen wherever you listen to podcasts.

  You can learn more about me at TammiePainter.com

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  OTHER BOOKS BY TAMMIE PAINTER

  The Cassie Black Trilogy

  If you like contemporary fantasy with snarky humor, unforgettable characters, piles of pastries, and a little paranormal mystery, you'll find it hard to pry yourself away from the Cassie Black Trilogy...a fish-out-of-water tale that takes you from the streets of Portland to the Tower of London.

  The Undead Mr. Tenpenny

  Work at a funeral home can be mundane. Until you accidentally start waking the dead.

  The Uncanny Raven Winston

  There’s nothing like an evil wizard to ruin a perfect good trip to London.

  The Untangled Cassie Black

  Sometimes taking an overdose of magic is the least of your worries.

  The Osteria Chronicles

  A Six-Book Mythological Fantasy Adventure

  Myths and heroes may be reborn, but the whims of the gods never change.

  Perfect for fans of mythological adventure and romance like Clash of the Titans, as well as historical fantasy fiction by Madeline Miller, S.J.A. Turney, Mary Renault, and Bernard Cornwell, the Osteria Chronicles are a captivating fantasy series in which the myths, gods, and heroes of Ancient Greece come to life as you've never seen them before.

  The Trials of Hercules: Book One of the Osteria Chronicles

  In a world where mortals contend with the gods' vengeful jealousy, one man must ask himself if he will risk his life to defend the goddess who has done everything to destroy him.

  The Voyage of Heroes: Book Two of the Osteria Chronicles

  In a dangerous game that pits god against god, and family against one an
other, trust is the deadliest weapon.

  The Maze of Minos: Book Three of the Osteria Chronicles

  With the gods as your allies, your life, your world, and your sanity have never been in more danger.

  The Bonds of Osteria: Book Four of the Osteria Chronicles

  In a fierce clash for power, titans rise, heroes fall, and the gods find themselves on the brink of destruction.