Six For Gold (Black Crow Chronicles Book 6)

by Jen Pretty

  Six for gold

  The Black Crow Chronicles book 6

  Jen Pretty

  Always do what’s right. That will gratify some and surprise the rest.

  —Mark Twain

  CHAPTER ONE

  A small girl with pigtails raced through the forest below, her hair bouncing as she giggled and dodged trees.

  A little boy with stark white hair raced after her. His voice calling to her, frantic, and in sharp contrast to her care-free enthusiasm.

  "You can't catch me, Colvin!" she yelled as she scaled over a fallen log and tumbled to the soft mossy earth beyond. She jumped to her feet quickly and was running before the boy could even catch up.

  The soft sound of water rushing grew as she continued through the forest.

  But the boy raced on too. His feet thumping on the earth as his arms pumped, trying to make his legs go faster.

  "Gracie! You have to stop!" he yelled as he threw himself over the log.

  Gracie was still laughing as she ran toward the edge of the ravine. Fear sparked through me like electricity, and I wanted to swoop down and scoop her up, but the wind picked up so fast and strong I was nearly blown off my perch.

  She raced closer and closer—the boy screaming at her to stop.

  I leapt from my perch and fought against an air current that tried to shove me back. My wings were tossed backward by the force of the wind, but I tucked them in and dove straight toward the earth. Determined to stop the inevitable.

  Determined to stop Gracie from falling over the edge. I raced the boy, his legs small and weak, but I wasn't much faster. The distance seemed to stretch out before me as every step Gracie took got her closer to the edge.

  I opened my mouth to call out a warning, but my caw was lost in the wind.

  "Stop!" Colvin yelled.

  Then Gracie disappeared, and her scream echoed through the forest like a foghorn, warning of the end of the world.

  ***

  I startled awake, throwing myself nearly clear off the bed.

  "You okay?"

  Nick's voice grounded me instantly, and I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

  "I assumed it was a nightmare but wasn't sure if I should wake you."

  I licked my parched lips and collapsed back on the bed before turning my head to look at Nick. He was sitting in his chair in the corner of the room, a newspaper folded in his hand as if he was about to jump up and save me from the invisible monster in my mind.

  I wished he could save me from the nightmares that were becoming nightly. They used to be more about how ineffective I was, but now that they had focused on how ineffective I was at saving Colvin's friend Gracie, I would give anything to get rid of them. I was always Crow in my nightmares. I was sure that a good therapist would have something to say about that. Not that I could talk to a therapist about all the things I knew or saw or did. I mean, becoming a crow was hardly something a sane person would talk about.

  "Next time, wake me up," I said, tugging the blanket up to my chin and wishing I could hide in bed forever.

  "You can't stay in the Sanctuary, you know."

  I scoffed. Nick was the only person who was even close to reading my mind. I liked it that way. "Has anyone found the witch yet?" I knew no one had. How could they when we didn't even know the witch's name or what she looked like? It was pointless.

  "I'm sorry, Selena." Nick pushed out of his seat and crossed to the bed. I lifted the blanket to encourage him to lay beside me. I had been working hard to keep Nick close and include him in my life in a more profound way. I could have kept him at arm's length forever, but that wasn't what I wanted.

  He slipped beneath the covers and lay on his side, facing me. "We'll find her. Crow probably knows where she is already."

  "You are probably right. That jerk." I hadn't seen Crow in the weeks since I had lost my knife and scurried home with my tail between my legs. "Can we try it? Please?"

  "No." He replied softly. I was sure if he bit me, I would bleed. I had tried everything short of chopping my head off; even large wounds healed before a drop of blood welled. It was as if I had no blood left in my body, and power sizzled beneath my skin, eager to stitch me back together. It was annoying as fuck.

  "Come on," I begged, turning my head to bear my delicious throat.

  "Not gonna happen," he replied, threading his fingers through my hair, and straightening my head, so his green eyes locked on mine. He had dyed his hair purple, and it was shocking every time I looked at him. But he was DJing in the cities near home every weekend since we were sticking around. Well, since I was sticking around. The wraiths couldn't seem to get past the new barriers on the Sanctuary, and that was just fine with me. I had developed a bit of a following in the weeks since my power went away with my knife. His look fit the part, and when he got dressed in tight jeans and hip, colourful shirts and weird glasses, he was probably the hottest DJ I’d ever seen. I would have loved to go to clubs with him, but everywhere I went, a trail of dead people followed. All of them invisible to everyone around me. A new twist that was only making me feel crazier than before. At least before everyone else could see the wraiths around me.

  "Why don't you stay here, and I'll go get you some breakfast." Nick leaned forward and kissed my temple.

  "No, I have to check on Colvin."

  "He stopped by. He seemed fine."

  I crinkled my nose. "You should have woken me." Colvin needed me more than I needed my knife. He was losing his magic, but when he raised Niri, the wraith of the old warlock said it was probably just in his head. I believed it. Colvin hadn't been the same since he'd found out that he had killed Falcor's father, the king of the witches and warlocks. Colvin's guilt had been eating at him to the point he rarely smiled anymore. The only time I saw a spark of the old Colvin was when he was around Gracie. But if my dreams were more like premonitions, I was worried he wouldn't have her much longer either.

  I flung the blankets back at that thought and rolled out of bed. The floor was cold since winter was on its way. The sanctuary had a furnace to heat the place, but it didn't seem to work on the floor. So, I tip-toed quickly to the bathroom and flicked on the shower before returning to the room to find some clean clothes.

  Nick had returned to his chair in the corner, his newspaper unfolded and gripped in his fingers, blocking my view of his face.

  I snatched up some clean clothes and returned to find the hot water fogging up the mirror in the bathroom.

  Glorious heat washed away the last dredges of sleep, and I felt whole again. I was thankful for the Sanctuary's effect on my magic. It pulled magic out of me at a slow dripping pace, so I was never overwhelmed by it here. Not that I was overwhelmed by it often anymore. But the Sanctuary was finally living up to its name for me. I was safe there. And didn't have to face the world outside if I didn't want to.

  I walked out of the bathroom after showering and getting into clean clothes to find Nick had left, so I went off in search of Colvin.

  I didn't find him as I strolled through the halls and made my way to the cafeteria. It was also nearly empty, and I assumed Colvin had gone off to class, but my magic pressed me forward into the cafeteria, and I knew who I would find as I turned the corner.

  Alar was sitting at a table with a few vampires. They seemed deep in discussion, so I continued to the table where some food was still piled in heated metal dishes. I scraped out some spongy eggs and snatched up the last of the bacon and sausages, then turned to find a place to sit just as the vampires at Alar's table rose and exited. They appeared agitated, and I worried that tensions were rising again.

  Falcor had left the Sanctuary to take his place
as king in Boston, where the witches and warlocks maintained the seat of power for their kind. His absence hadn't calmed anyone down, though. His actions while under the power of the old White Crow had lingered, rising slowly to more than a low grumble. It wasn't at the point yet where I was worried, but I could see the pinched look on Nick's face when the subject was brought up.

  "Mind if I join you?" I asked, pulling Alar from his quiet contemplation.

  He grinned and waved to the seat across from him, so I slid in and set down my tray of food. I would have to hunt down coffee at some point, but I could eat first and feed my caffeine addiction after.

  "How are things?" I asked with a tip of my head toward the exit that the vampires had left through.

  Alar sighed as if the weight of the world lay on his shoulders. And it kind of did. He was the intermediary between the factions, and the school was the only thing bridging the gap. "They want a settlement. Something that will show his guilt."

  "Like what," I asked, stuffing another sausage in my mouth.

  "Like the king's head."

  I coughed and choked, finally dislodging the meat from my lungs, and then stared at Alar. "There is no way."

  "I know. Falcor is yours now. It's not like they can do anything to him without your blessing. They know that. And I think that is the only thing keeping us from war."

  "I explained to them that Falcor wasn't of his own mind."

  Alar nodded. "They hear you. They just also need closure."

  I could understand their side. People had died. But it wasn't intentional on Falcor's part, and it wasn't like I could turn back time and undo it.

  "I'm sorry, " Alar said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  I shot him a grin and went back to my food. It tasted like sand now, though, so I abandoned it and leaned back in my chair.

  "There must be something we could do."

  "Falcor could allow the witches to limit his power."

  "He is the king," I replied, shocked.

  "That doesn't mean, if he allowed it, they couldn't limit him. It just means that they can't do it against his will."

  "Oh hell," I said. I didn't want to have Falcor's power restrained, but I also didn't want more tension between the factions. And I didn't want a war. "I'll talk to him."

  "I think you should go to him."

  "No," I replied immediately.

  "Selena."

  "I can't. You don't understand what it's like."

  "I know this is hard for you, but you can do it. I'm sure we will find the witch eventually, but for now, you might have to learn to live with the entourage."

  "Easy for you to say."

  Alar leaned forward and took my hand in his. Our power mingled at the place where we touched, and I sighed at the warm and soft feel of it.

  "It's not easy for me to say. I would much rather that you stay here. I'm sure Colvin would too. But this is bigger than he or I. This is about keeping the peace."

  I shook my head but took a minute to think about it, and he was right. I couldn't just hide out here forever. Besides, I would need to be out in the world if I hoped to find the witch. The team that was sent out to look for her was probably never going to find her. She was a ghost.

  "Alright," I said finally. "I'll go see Falcor."

  "Great," Alar said, releasing my hand. "Maybe you could go see Francis too and see if he has anything to help you until we get your blade back."

  The vampire librarian in Canada was a constant source of random information that was sometimes useful.

  I nodded and then went off in search of coffee. I would need a lot of it if I were going to have to go to Boston in the winter. And even more, if I was going to Calgary. I hadn't experienced Canada in the winter yet, but I was about to.

  CHAPTER TWO

  "Selena, what are you doing here?" Mrs. Carmichael asked after she pulled the classroom door open.

  "I just wanted to talk to Colvin for a second if I could."

  The class erupted into whispers, and Mrs. Carmichael pressed her lips together with a look of disappointment on her face. It pulled me back to my youth when the nuns of the orphanage used to make that same face anytime I would disappoint them, which was often.

  "Just for a few moments, we are in the middle of a lesson," she said before waving Colvin over.

  "Sorry, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." I gave her my most trustworthy grin and grabbed Colvin by the arm as he scooted past his teacher.

  I turned and walked down the hall, Colvin's arm still clutched in my hand, until I heard the door click closed behind me. "Run," I whispered.

  We burst into a dead sprint, his shorter legs taking twice as many steps as mine as we beat down the hall, and a giggle burst out of both of us. We careened around the corner and nearly slammed right into Alar, who was so surprised by our sudden appearance, he nearly dropped the mug of coffee in his hand.

  "Sorry!" I called over my shoulder as we continued toward my room.

  We didn't stop until we were safely behind the door and had collapsed on the floor to wait for our breathing to return to normal.

  Seeing the smile on Colvin's face had been worth the lies and nearly taking out the school principal in the process. I didn't need to see Colvin; I just wanted to. Plus, I had promised I wouldn't leave without telling him anymore. It was a small promise to make. He was my brother and deserved to know when I left.

  "How was class going?" I asked.

  "Boring. Until some crazy lady knocked on the door." He replied.

  I laughed but then feigned indignation. "Crazy lady?" I asked. "I got you out of class. You should be happy." I poked Colvin in the ribs, and he giggled and rolled onto his side to look at me. His smile fell, and I knew that he already knew.

  "You're leaving?"

  I nodded. Wishing I didn't have to tell him where I was going. But it was part of the deal. "I have to go see Falcor."

  All the joy was sucked out of the room. I knew exactly where Colvin's mind had gone, and it made me sit up and grab him, pulling him into my lap. He had grown since the last time I had held him, and he was verging on too big to be held anymore, but I made it work. My arms wrapped around him, pulling him in tight to my chest, then I rested my cheek on top of his head.

  "You know it wasn't your fault," I whispered.

  He hitched, and I thought for sure a sob was going to follow, but instead, he turned his face into my neck took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

  "I know," he replied finally.

  "Accidents happen. Many powerful people have accidentally hurt someone as they gained control of their powers." Alar had told us stories of witches and warlocks causing all kinds of mayhem in the junior classes, turning fellow students into squirrels, and causing indoor storms that fried all the electrical work in the school.

  "They never killed anyone, though."

  He had asked Alar about it and Niri. I was glad neither lied, but part of me had wished they had lied if only to make Colvin feel less like a monster. The only benefit that had come from the whole situation was that Colvin and Jax had become friends. The vampire had been ready to spend his whole life in a magical prison for Colvin, and that instantly gave Jax a million bonus points in my book and in Colvin's too. No matter how unnecessary it ended up being, it was the kind of thing that spoke of someone’s character.

  "It was an accident, Colvin. I guarantee you, if Farand was here, he would forgive you. So, you need to forgive yourself."

  Colvin was silent so long I thought he had gone to sleep. Finally, he spoke. "I'm going to go back to class."

  "Oh, okay," I replied as he pulled away from me. "I'll text you tonight."

  Colvin nodded and brushed the dust off his pants, then turned and headed for the door. He paused as his hand touched the doorknob. "I love you, Selena."

  "Love you too, buddy. See you when I get home."

  He smiled then, but it didn't reach his eyes or curl his features in happiness. It was just a smile to try an
d quell my worry. It didn't work.

  As the door clicked shut behind him, I collapsed back on the floor and covered my face with my arm. I knew that time would help Colvin deal with this. That and his weekly sessions with Alar. He was helping a lot. I was still nervous about Colvin's future.

  I was about to shove myself off the floor and pack some things when the bedroom door opened, and Nick's head peeked around the corner.

  He grinned. "What are you doing on the floor?"

  I settled back again. "I was saying goodbye to Colvin." As if that should have explained everything.

  "How’s he doing?"

  "I don't know. He seems okay sometimes, and other times it's like he isn't even in there anymore."

  Nick hummed and sat down on the floor beside me.

  "I was just getting up," I complained, but he slid his arm under my back and knees and pulled me into his lap like I was a child. I let him. To hell with it. I wasn't the one hurting, but it felt nice to lean on him for a minute.

  "He'll get through this," Nick assured me.

  "I know," I replied, though I really didn't know. I realized that reply wasn't going to help me and Nick get closer, so I changed it. "I don't know, actually. I feel like he is getting worse, not better."

  "It's only been a few weeks."

  I nodded. "I know. I'm just worried."

  We sat there for a few minutes in the quiet of my room. The clock was ticking, though, and it was a reminder that I had a plane to catch.

  "I better get packing."

  Nick rose to his feet with me in his arms. It was the kind of thing that reminded me he wasn't just a normal guy. He was a vampire—the king of the vampires. Our lives had gotten a lot more complicated in the last year, but the one thing that hadn't changed was Nick's confidence in me.

  He let my feet swing down to the floor but didn't let me go completely. His mouth came down on mine, warm and soft. "I'll miss you," he said against my mouth.

  "I'll miss you too," I replied before pushing up onto my tippy toes so I could deepen the kiss. His arms pulled me tight to his chest, making me feel small and protected at the same time. I got lost in his mouth and the feel of his muscles under my fingers, and when I finally came up for air, I was breathing hard. He, of course, wasn't, but the fact I could see the points of his teeth was enough to tell me he was affected by the kiss too.