by Emma Dean
“There is no official witch queen.” Mika smiled slightly at Torin, testing the waters. “I’m not even officially the Head Witch. I haven’t taken my oath yet.”
Their Daimona rose then and walked around that insane table down the curving stairs with more grace than Mika had assumed she possessed due to her age. When she stopped in front of Mika, Cordelia glared up. Her frail frame was all that gave away her age. Even her face wasn’t all that wrinkled and her white hair could mean anything.
Cordelia barely looked seventy.
“It’s not up to the Council whether you are Witch Queen or not,” the Daimona snapped. “It is up to witches and ravens. How we rule ourselves is none of their damn business.”
Mika felt her smile widen at that. She already liked this old bat. “Witches think they’re neutral. It’s been a long time since you walked among your own kind.”
“I am among my own kind.” The Daimona patted Mika’s cheek roughly before conjuring a high-backed, comfortable-looking chair. “Now, I would kneel before you but I’m old. This will have to do.”
Mika clenched her teeth in frustration. “What exactly does Witch Queen mean to you?” she demanded, looking from the Daimona to the Commander. “What do you expect from me?”
“Traditionally the Witch Queen rules over witches,” the Daimona told her. “As well as the Enclave and all the flocks under it.”
Mika didn’t know what to do with her hands, she was so flustered and annoyed. “And why is that?”
“You are the daughter of our goddess,” Torin explained with a small shrug. “You’ve been blessed by her. If the blood of our own deity isn’t worth ruling over us, then what is the point of our existence?”
This was too much. Why were the ravens so damn cavalier about all this?
“I’m pretty sure you’re worth more than that,” Mika told them, glancing at Corbin for the first time since she walked in. She still couldn’t feel anything from him, and it made this entire situation worse. “You aren’t servants and slaves. You owe me nothing.”
Torin grinned and the two raven females studied her more closely, as if she were no longer boring. “True, we owe you nothing. But we’ve chosen to honor our oath to the goddess. Our entire Collective has agreed to swear themselves to you. The others…it’s been too long. We will need to meet with the Enclave next.”
Mika glanced at Corbin again.
“It’s like our Council of Paranormals,” he explained. “They rule over all the ravens.”
Great. Just great.
“There are other problems,” Mika said carefully. “Other things going on, not just my position in the world.”
“We are aware,” the Guardian stated. “We already have patrols watching our territory as well as our brothers. I’ve called in a few of our allies who should be arriving in the next few days. They’re interested in meeting with you to discuss the issues at hand.”
Well if she wanted help keeping her position as Head Witch, she got it. The only thing was, Mika didn’t know how far they were willing to go, especially with someone as dangerous as Azrael.
“You’re also aware that Death has been hunting down my kind since Morgana and is now on the loose?” Mika crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. “He’s older than old. How do you propose we defend ourselves against Death, Guardian?”
“We are familiar with death,” the Commander promised her. “I’m sure Edgar will have plenty of ideas. In the meantime, do you have any questions?”
Yeah, Mika had a lot of fucking questions. Like, what was she supposed to do all day? What did they expect from her as their Morrigan? Was she supposed to sit at that table and judge people like they did?
She looked at the Daimona still sitting in her navy-blue velvet chair and considered.
This was Corbin’s world, but it was also a witch’s world.
“Armad is the librarian?” she asked.
“Caretaker, yes. He is the head librarian, as you say.”
Then Blaise stood and walked down those curving stairs toward her, and Mika had to say out of all of them, this one made her the most uncomfortable.
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one either because suddenly Corbin was at her side glaring at Blaise.
“You put our lives in danger,” she said simply.
Mika narrowed her eyes. “Your lives have always been in danger.”
Blaise nodded. “And yet, ravens will end up fighting for you against our own kind.”
Still, Corbin said nothing, but he angled his body until he stood slightly in front of Mika.
What power play was happening here that was going completely over her head?
The doors slammed open behind them then and Mika whirled around to see a raven even more beautiful than Blaise.
“Mika Marshall,” she said, stopping barely a foot away from her. The raven crackled with energy and life. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Somehow, she had a feeling that things had just gotten more complicated. “Do I know you?”
The raven looked at Corbin then and gave him a wink. “I’m Emily. I hear we’re cousins.”
3
“Cousins?” Mika arched a brow at this raven who looked like she’d slit her throat and laugh while doing it.
Emily studied Corbin from head to toe with an unreadable expression on her face. “Mhm, or so Eisheth says.”
She narrowed her eyes at the raven. “Funny, he hasn’t mentioned that.”
Those dark grey eyes snapped to Mika’s and she smiled lazily. “It’s complicated. But you’re not going to get the answers you need from my mother. I promise you that.”
This was Blaise’s daughter? Fates, they couldn’t be more different.
“I missed you, Corbin.” Emily popped up on her tiptoes and kissed Corbin’s cheek before whirling around. “Come with me, blood witch.”
Mika bristled, feeling her power crackle. They didn’t need another repeat of what happened with Mavis.
She clenched and unclenched her hands to dissipate the energy, breathing long and deep before turning to Corbin. “It’s rude not to greet someone you clearly know very well.”
Those ruby red eyes met hers and then darted away. “Emily and I used to be partners.”
Mika glanced back at those still sitting at the table, clearly watching the drama unfold. She buried down her jealousy and irritation at not even knowing what the fuck that meant exactly. “Are we done?”
“I’ve scheduled time for each Head to meet with you, show you around the areas that they control, and help you get integrated into your life here,” the Commander told her. “When you meet with me, we can discuss the next step. You may go.”
Mika glanced down at the Daimona, still happily sitting in her armchair like it was a throne. “And how exactly do you expect me to know that schedule? I’m not a mind reader.”
Sybil smiled at that and stood with the others. “You meet with me first, tomorrow after lunch.”
Mika checked her watch and set an alarm, sighing. “Fine. But you find me.”
Ignoring Cordelia’s smirk, she turned on her heel and went to catch up with the only raven who wasn’t trying to be mysterious as hell. Even Corbin had clammed up and she had no idea why.
Emily was waiting for her just outside the room where the Administration met, and Mika crossed her arms over her chest as she inspected her from head to toe.
The raven dressed a lot like she did, but her hair was dark brown, and her eyes were a fascinating grey color. Who was this and why hadn’t Corbin or Eisheth told her anything about Emily?
“You’re a blood witch,” Emily stated, crossing her arms over her chest as well.
They both ignored Corbin and the Heads who filed out of the room, giving the two of them a wide berth.
“And you’re a raven,” Mika snapped. “Pretty sure this part has already been established.”
She didn’t expect Emily to grin at her attitude. “I think I’m going to like you.”
Mika rolled her eyes.
“This is a blood witch?” a soft male voice asked, appearing out of nowhere.
Mika’s hackles rose when four males seemed to just…appear. What the fuck?
One of the four was tall as hell, nearly as tall as Dagon with dark wavy hair that looked soft as silk. His shoulders were massive, but he had the gentlest eyes out of the four of them. The blond leaning into him grinned at her and it made her want to smack it right off his face.
The other two wore glasses. One of them sharp and crafty and beautiful, the other soft with romantic eyes, but clearly strong. The shortest one pushed his glasses back up on his nose and waited for her to respond.
Mika’s entire body was tight and rigid as she filtered their scents through her new nose. They smelled like Chuck, but not – a hint of the forest. “Something small,” she murmured, cocking her head to one side as she inspected them again, this time with Emily by their side.
If they were cousins…
“Hunter did mention raccoons,” Mika said softly, eyes narrowing.
All four sets of eyes widened.
“Kenzie said you helped them take down Bradley Davis,” she told them, smiling slightly. Then Mika gave them a nod. “You have no idea how grateful I am for that.”
“Hunter trained you?” Emily asked, stepping in front of the raccoons.
Somehow the raven knew him too.
Mika studied the five in front of her and realized then just how irrevocably her life was intertwined with these strangers. “Seems like we have a lot to talk about.” She turned and started walking.
Where didn’t really matter since she had no idea where she was or where her rooms were. All she knew was she needed to move before she clawed that grin off the pretty blond raccoon.
Still, Corbin said nothing. There was something he was hiding, or something he was waiting for. She hadn’t figured it out yet, but she would soon.
“I’m tired and apparently I have a full schedule tomorrow. Let’s get on with it.” Mika found herself heading toward the hell-forged gate she’d come through and she picked up the pace.
“I’ve wanted to meet a blood witch my entire life,” Emily admitted as she easily kept up despite being shorter than Mika. “Reading about your kind was a special interest of mine. I probably spent thousands of hours studying the morrigans over the years and of course Corbin is the one who ends up getting to serve one.”
Mika burst through those doors, practically running towards the edge.
No one was meant to serve her.
All she wanted to do was throw herself off and see if she could finally grow wings. Anything to avoid this conversation. But she stopped when her boots reached the edge. Corbin’s hand wrapped around her arm tight enough to bruise.
“I swear…” He didn’t like when she stood on the edge of anything, not even the cliff at Morgana’s island.
“I wanted to see if I could fly,” she said wryly, giving him a look. “Don’t ravens drop their babies over the side?”
Emily snorted. “We’re not that barbaric.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Mika stared into those grey clouds, appreciating the momentary lack of rain.
Being here, in his eyrie, it made her realize just how much Corbin had kept to himself – just how much she hadn’t even thought to ask.
And it was weighing on her.
“So, explain to me how you two know each other.” She ignored the sniggers from the raccoons at that question – like they knew she wasn’t going to like the answer.
Corbin cleared his throat. “We were partners.”
“What the fuck does that even mean?” Mika glared up at him. He was avoiding her question and she didn’t like it.
“It means that we trained together all our lives,” Emily explained. “Our official pairing was approved by the Administration. Once we graduated from our final academy, we were an assassin pair until Corbin was approved to fly solo.”
Mika could hardly comprehend everything this raven was saying to her as her blood boiled. Not because she necessarily cared about whoever Emily had been to him, and clearly still was to some degree, but that Corbin had never told her.
Then, “We were supposed to get married,” Emily said slyly.
“Until you were mated to raccoons!” Corbin snapped, finally losing his cool.
Mika wanted to be furious, but she was mostly just relieved he had his emotions back on.
“Yeah, until then.” Emily snickered and pushed Corbin hard enough he almost fell off the edge.
She was strong too.
Mika cracked her neck as she considered all that. Then she turned and focused on the four raccoons that were more closely intertwined in her life than the female raven in a way. These were Emily’s mates, and Ash’s brothers. “Kenzie should be arriving at some point, and with her I assume the chaos.”
All but the tallest smiled. “I look forward to reuniting with my brother,” the sharp one told her.
Mika nodded. “I’d like to talk to Emily alone.” She gave Corbin a look, so he knew she meant him too.
All four raccoons bristled at her, clearly getting ready to argue like any mate, but Emily cut them off with a wave of her hand.
“We’re cousins,” she reminded them. “And we need to talk.”
If Mika hadn’t been watching she would have said she was losing her mind, but they just…disappeared. She bared her teeth in annoyance and focused.
Then…her hand snatched out as she tracked the energy of their life force.
“I said alone,” she snapped, yanking the blond one forward.
His look of surprise at her strength eased some of her irritation and Mika released him.
Emily smirked. “Alone,” she agreed, shoving the blond back toward the others when they reappeared. “You can see them?”
“No.” Mika left it at that.
Corbin nodded, but didn’t try to touch her. He folded in on himself and took off into the sky. Mika watched him with a sigh. One day she would figure out how to do that.
There was a lot left to deal with and a lot still to talk about with her raven, but right now, Mika had to talk to a new cousin and figure out what exactly it was she wanted from her.
Why was Emily reaching out to her now?
“I doubt you sought me out because you’re fascinated with blood witches,” Mika murmured. “Eisheth didn’t tell me about you. Neither has Jess or Kenzie. Why?”
Emily pressed one hand to the stone floor and swung her body until she sat with her legs dangling over the edge. The motion looked simple and graceful, but Mika knew exactly how strong she had to be to accomplish something like that.
Mika could never forget Emily was a raven, trained just as ruthlessly as Corbin.
Dropping to her knees, she suddenly felt the full weight of her exhaustion. Mika couldn’t remember the last time she slept, and she’d fought a challenge since then. Twisting, she let her legs hang over the edge like Emily’s and then laid back on the stone, so she could stare up into the sky.
Even with the howling wind this was comfortable – safe. Despite everything, Mika felt untouchable in the eyrie. There was no way the Council could get to her here, but Azrael?
“When my eyrie sentenced me to death, Corbin came to visit me in my cell and told me he had received a solo job from the Council. That he had to go babysit some little bitch witch and he was not pleased about it.” Emily chuckled and leaned back on her elbows, dark ponytail whipping in the wind. “He helped me escape and then later I find out you were his job.”
Mika didn’t know why that made her shiver in anticipation, but it did.
“You have no idea how goody-two shoes Corbin was. I’ve never seen him with his emotions on, Mika. Never, not even after he set me free. It’s not our way and he was the golden boy.”
Had Mika ruined that somehow? Is that why he was so nervous now that she was here and acting all weird?
“The reason I came back home, is
because of what happened before I was charged with treason.” Mika turned her head to study Emily then, not bothering to ask. If the raven wanted to tell her, she would. “My mates, um, ‘borrowed’ Kenzie’s portal device to gather some magical items to save the world.”
She snorted at that. “I’m sure Kenzie wasn’t pleased.”
Emily actually winced. “To put it mildly. I made them beg for forgiveness, don’t worry. But sometimes we see shiny things and we take them. It’s just part of what we are.” She shrugged and there was a rueful smile on her face.
Mika tugged on her necklaces as she considered the depth of that truth.
“The reason I mention that is I visited other planes of existence with them, searching for what we needed. The first time I met Eisheth was on one of those planes.”
Dread settled in Mika’s stomach and she sat up, twisting to give the raven her full attention.
“Eisheth gave me a warning. He told me how the future is murky and unpredictable, that there are multiple paths.” Emily used her hand to explain, spreading all her fingers. “Some paths have already been prevented, so they’re no longer viable, but others.”
Five fingers became three, and then her other hand showed multiple offshoots of those three as well.
“You were Witch Queen in a lot of them, but the war was lost or never begun, and that entire realm fell into an apocalypse.” Emily dropped her hands and stared at Mika. “Some realms Kenzie didn’t survive, and Selene tore you to shreds, others you never fought back and something else came to smite the rest of us.”
Mika could barely breathe as she tried to absorb everything. “Why are you telling me all this?”
Emily looked away then. “I like this plane more than most of them. I don’t want to watch it fall like I’ve seen in others. I’m here, because I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen. Warning you seemed like the first step to prevent that.”
Mika wished she had the others with her, but it wasn’t like they could help. Somehow, she knew this was something only she could know, or they would all second guess every choice, every path, every step. It was why Emily had agreed to speak to Mika alone.
