by R. L. Weeks
RAVEN’S GHOST
A Feather Dreams Book
Feather Dreams Press, 83 Ducie Street, Manchester, M1 2JQ
www.btpandimprints.com
Published by Feather Dreams Press 2018
RAVEN’S GHOST
© Copyright R. L. Weeks 2018
All rights reserved.
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events and organisations are purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publisher.
Condition of sale
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Cover design © Copyright Feather Dreams Press 2018
Cover Design by Dark Wish Designs
Editing by Emily Cargile
Praise for Raven’s Shadows
The Bestselling Series by R. L. Weeks
This book is simply amazing! You will love Raven and be right there with her as she goes on her journey in this book. It plays out in your head like you are watching a movie. I was captivated from the beginning
~ Country Girl Reviews.
Raven's Sight is a great start to a YA series. With a mystery to solve, Raven uses her special abilities to learn the truth. With twists and turns along the way, I found myself loving this story
~ Rena Marin, Author of Halloween Nightmare
Another wonderfully spun tale by Author R. L. Weeks! The book had just enough mystery and suspense to keep me wanting more, eagerly turning each page to find out what happens next. The ending was unpredictable and totally came as a surprise to me. Excellent start to a new series. I can’t wait for the next one!
~ Amy Cecil, Author of The Knights of Silence MC Series.
The characters are perfectly flawed. It was so refreshing to read a story and not fall madly in love with the “looks” of the two main male characters, Tom and Emmet. It’s their personalities and little quirks that draw you in and make you fall in love.
Raven is a rare breed, and easy to love from the moment you begin the first page. Each character is built to perfection, each “place” is described in a way that shows you where they are.
The twists and turns are shocking to say the least and just when you think you know what’s going to happen, you’re wrong once again.
~ Magical Pages Book Blog.
Also by R. L. Weeks
Willow Woods Academy for Witches Book One
Willow Woods Academy for Witches Book Two
~
Night Stalker (Dead Loves Life Book One)
Night Wanderers (Dead Loves Life Book Two)
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The Magic that Binds Us
~
Night Night Sleep Tight (An Anthology)
Vampires in Paris (An Anthology)
Fractured Fairytales 1 (An Anthology)
The Unforgiven (An Anthology)
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Taniquelle Tulipano — my publishing partner and friend.
Thank you to Ebony Mcmillan and Sophie Koufes for being incredible PAs and friends.
As always, a huge thank you Emily Cargile for editing Raven’s Ghost. You always do an amazing job.
Donna, thank you for the beautiful poems for both books! You are very talented. Thank you to Ben Nicholls who did a beautiful illustration for Raven’s Ghost.
Daniel Garcia, I love you so much! I would honestly be lost without you.
Thank you to my ARC readers for helping get Raven’s Shadows out into the world and for your feedback on the series. And lastly to all my readers and fan of this series: Without you, I wouldn’t be writing, so thank you.
Quote
Death is not the end. It is just another path that we all must take.
Dedication
For Daniel
The Light of my Life
Poem
Wish I may, wish I might, kill this girl I stalk tonight
Her hair is blonde, her eyes are blue
Oh the things I'll do to you
I want you to run, scream and hide
Because soon I'll will be at your side
My knife will glide swift and true and reach the very heart of you
I will lick your blood-stained lips just as you take your last breath
But you know, my darling, what's scary and true
I am coming after you
By Donna Owens
Author’s note
Thank you all for following the Raven’s Shadows series. While this series started as a realistic fiction with some paranormal elements (ghosts) it has progressed to so much more. I have included vampires in this series as well as seers. Vampires came to light more in the Victorian era thanks to popular vampire fiction being published in that age. As I deal with death a lot in this series, and the gift of sight, it only felt right for me to include other folklore of that age. I have loved vampire and ghost stories since I was a child, and as a result, I have travelled to known places where these stories took place and have done extensive research into the paranormal.
I love seeing Raven mature throughout the series as she learns more lessons and takes on more responsibilities. I want us to see the young girl with childish dreams grow into a strong young woman. Writing young-adult fiction is a passion of mine, which is why I now only write in this genre.
Some parts of this novel stretch the truth of that era, but I must remind that this is a fiction novel, and therefore not everything will be accurate in regard to Jack the Ripper’s killings, but I have done my best to stay true to this beautiful and innovative time in history.
This book is written in British English. If you have any questions or comments, I love getting emails at [email protected]
Thank you and enjoy Raven’s Ghost.
Prologue
It has been two years since I died. My uncle Jack has been looking for me to no avail; you can’t find a dead girl to his annoyance.
My death was covered up by those who loved me, so a scandal could be avoided. You see, I was a serial killer, or at least, the demon living inside of me was.
My parents, well my birth parents, were more messed up than me. My birth father was a serial killer. When he finally decided to do the right thing, it was too late. He had gotten my birth mother, Alice Pride, pregnant with me. He killed himself hoping the demons he attracted with his darkness would disappear, that his debt would be paid with his death, but that wasn’t the case.
For my safety, I was adopted by Alice’s sister and husband. Alice had died in childbirth, and I was brought up by them.
However, Alice had a secret. She had the gift of Sight, which was passed down to me, as was my birth father’s darkness.
After my birth mother and father died, my adopted parents died within a couple years of each other. That’s when my grandmother became my guardian. It was just after my adopted father died when my grandmother realised my gift. I had fallen into a memory of hers and saw my father’s ghost. Not only could I see ghosts and access old memories, I could also go between the veil of the living and the dead and see auras.
Grandmother locked me up inside her mansion away from the cruelties of Victorian society. She wanted to keep me safe. My gift was a curse, one that could get me killed by those who despise psychics and the black arts.
When Grandmother died, my uncle moved in.
That’s when he saw the demon living inside of me. I didn’t even know it was there. I thought I was on the trail of a female serial killer. Little did I know that it was me! I would pass out and that thing would control my body. It killed people and made my uncle, who was my father’s adopted brother, fall in love with me. Then, when things got messy, my uncle was framed for all my killings, and it broke his heart. That’s why he hates me so much. His birth mother was cruel to him, and his ex-fiancée had an affair with his friend, so he has never had much luck with woman. Now, he really hates them — me especially.
Then there was Tom, the red-haired goofball that I had come to adore. He found me after he died and helped me when I was most alone. I had mistaken his friendship for love at the time.
What I didn’t know was that I had been responsible for his death — well, the demon living inside of me was.
We had blamed Emmett, who wanted to clear his father’s name of my father’s crimes. We thought him to be guilty, but he wasn’t. He ended up sacrificing everything for me. He is the most loyal, strong man I know. He is still trying to make contact with me, even after all this time. I had killed him too, unknowingly, which resulted in my final plan.
I needed to die. In doing so, I could open the veil enough so they could come back to life and I could right some of the wrongs done.
I did exactly that. I took my last breath, banished the demon living inside of me, and brought back the two men I cared about.
Now, I am fated to roam this earth, still trying to right my wrongs from beyond the grave because Uncle Jack is angry. I see a bloodlust in his eyes that will not easily be tamed, and I must be the one to stop him.
Then there is Emmett, being led down a dangerous path by his devotion to me. He will do anything to bring me back, even if it means killing innocents.
One
“There’s unrest in the city. Civilians are lining the streets. They’re angry,” Emmett says to Jameson, the man who helps manage his vast businesses. “I have had death threats!”
Jameson runs his hand through his untamed golden hair. His speckled green-blue eyes focus on the papers between them. “Perhaps if you were here managing your affairs instead of being off God knows where...”
Emmett slams his fist down on the desk, making Jameson and me jump.
“I have been attending to important matters.”
Jameson clasps his hands together. “I just mean that they want to see you.”
“Our investors you mean? They need us. They won’t dip out just because I’m not around.” Emmett’s lips form a hard line. He looks at Jameson coldly. “You are my top man because I trust you and your particular skills to be able to manage my affairs without me.” He lets out a long breath. “I have heard that you have been charging our customers triple the interest on loans.”
“Times are hard,” Jameson says, jumping quickly to the investor's defence. “We made a loss last quarter. We need to make it up.”
Emmett clenches his fist. “Not like this. We will have an uprising if we keep bleeding them out of every shilling. Not to mention the inflation of forged notes just so the shops can keep their heads above water.”
Jameson shakes his head. “A forged note, if accepted at the bank, is still payment.”
I see Emmett’s frustration growing. I want to reach out to him, to comfort him, but alas, I cannot.
His grip tightens on the handle of his cane until his knuckles turn white. “Bring the current interest down by half.”
“But—”
“Stop,” Emmett says, interrupting. “You will not challenge my decisions. This is my business, and you have clearly forgotten who is in charge here.” He slows his breathing and picks up the papers. “As it happens, I looked over our numbers this morning. We can withstand a loss for the next five years if needed. We have more than enough money and assets we can seize. Pushing the interest up by only three percent is enough to make sure we make a profit, but you already knew that.” He leans forward. “Do not cause an unrest just because you want to line your pockets with more coin. Have you not been given enough, or does your whore of a wife require more money for her trips?”
Jameson’s face flushes red. “I—”
“Don’t forget what I know about you. I can” — his gaze hardens — “and will destroy you if you continue to cross me and embezzle money.”
Jameson falls to his knees. “I would never steal from you. Please.” He reaches out, gripping Emmett’s leg. “Please don’t.”
Emmett backs away, shrugging Jameson’s hand off him. “Your appetite for power will be the death of you, Jameson.” Emmett looks around. “Clean up your office and put out a notice for the interest to be lowered. I want full reports on everything that happens. Every transaction, every meeting, everything.”
Jameson stands up. His hands are still shaking. “Of course. I will have them delivered to you daily.”
Emmett walks to the door and turns back before opening it. “If I see one discrepancy…”
The look is enough for both Jameson and me to know that it would mean the end of Jameson’s career.
Jameson nods and Emmett leaves. I walk out after him.
The sky is darkened from the smoke of nearby factories. Emmett covers his nose and mouth with a handkerchief.
The lamps hanging from the railings of the houses dance as we walk under them. I look up at one house. All the shutters are closed, and the front is covered with leaves and untouched newspapers. I see the ghost of a little boy peering at me through the window.
I follow Emmett down the gas-lit road. His life is truly exhausting. He is on the go all day — and now all night — because of me.
It’s just a little after midnight when he rounds the corner to the shop where Miss Kaye, the woman he enlisted help from, works. She steps outside. The bell above the door tinkles as she closes it.
Her eyes take shape as she looks up at the moon. Her skin is like porcelain under the white light. Her red hair contrasts starkly. She’s strikingly beautiful, and although she is at least fifty, she doesn’t look her age.
She jerks her head to the left to look at Emmett as he releases a disgruntled sigh. The white slits of Miss Kaye’s eyes shine against the matte violet of her irises. I have never seen eyes like hers before. She licks her lips as her gaze locks with his.
“Did you take care of him?”
He looks behind him as if he is followed by ghosts no one else can see.
“I did what I had to do.” His voice is void of emotion. He looks back at her with a cold grey gaze. His eyes match his aura, which surrounds him like storm clouds. He adjusts his black button-up jacket.
“Now can you give me what I came for?” he asks desperately.
The corners of her dusty-rose lips curve upwards. Her gaze traces over him with a mild curiosity — I can feel it in her aura.
“The girl you are looking for has been with you all along.”
The words almost knock me backwards. She can see me?
Emmett looks at the empty space around us. “She’s here now?” He has a hard time keeping the glee from his expression.
The woman looks directly at me.
“I doubt she ever left.” She looks back at Emmett and tilts her head to the side. “Why would she? Eh, handsome?”
Her flattery is lost on him. His expression is colder than before. “I need to bring her back.”
Miss Kaye turns to me. “Why do you want her back?”
I close my eyes. Her gaze is penetrating and almost intruding. I take a moment to gather my thoughts before reopening my eyes.
“Can you hear me too?” I ask and hear how girly my voice sounds.
The woman smiles broadly now, but with a sini
ster edge. “She talks too.” She looks me up and down. “I didn’t take you as the type to be chasing teenagers.”
I frown. “I am twenty.”
She rolls her expressive eyes. “Again, young.”
I purse my lips and look back at Emmett. The truth is, I am not twenty. Being dead means you stop ageing. I guess I am forever eighteen.
Emmett clears his throat. “I need her back. I need to talk to her.”
Miss Kaye smiles sadistically, but it vanishes as quickly as it surfaced. “I will need another one.”
He shudders. “I have killed enough for you.”
“I need souls,” she says in a deadpan tone. “The ones I send you to kill are bad people. Murderers. Rapists. No one will miss them. Besides, you didn’t have to kill the last one, only get him to lower the interest on all my businesses.”
Emmett’s black hair moves as a gust of wind sweeps over them. “I threatened one of my oldest friends. I used his wife’s disgrace against him.”
“Excellent.”
The drizzle falls heavier now. Drops glisten on their skin. I look on them enviously. I miss the wind, the sun, and even the rain.
The woman turns her back to Emmett. “If you want to know what your girl has to say,” she calls out, “you must bring me another.”
“No!” I scream after her. She pretends not to hear me. “I don’t want him killing anyone. I don’t care if they’re bad. We can’t play God.”
She smirks but says nothing in return. Instead, she gives Emmett one last look. “It’s what the girl would want,” the woman says, which twists my feelings into a knot. “Bring me one more and I will talk to her for you.”
Emmett nods curtly. “I’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back.”
Miss Kaye disappears as quickly as the wind, leaving Emmett alone, standing on the grotty back road behind Fleet Street.
