Call of the Raven (13 page)

Lifting off the branch Nixon rose up on the
air current, and then circled back in the direction of the cabin
just as Kennedy spotted Ari, shifted and threw her arms around him.
Nixon landed and shifted back just as Ari handed off Casin to
her.

“Nixon.” Ari embraced him. “I’m glad you’re
safe. You okay buddy?” he asked.

“Am I okay?” Nixon looked Ari over. He
couldn’t see any physical signs of injury, just the blood on his
shirt and a little on his hairline. “What about you?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” In a hurry, Ari pulled Cade
around in front of him and then pushed his body forward. Nixon
circled the boy with his arms since he was shivering. “We’ll talk
about this later,” Ari said. “Just get the twins out of here. Call
Linn, Kennedy,” he told her.

“She doesn’t have a phone,” Nixon was quick
to interject.

“Yes I do,” Kennedy stuck her hand in her
coat pocket. “I found an old one tucked away in my dresser. I
thought it might come in handy.”

“Good girl.” Ari patted her on the arm,
causing Kennedy’s face to beam with his praise. “Tell Linn to meet
up with you somewhere so she can take Casin to Doc Garrett, and
then once you see to her go directly to the manor. If we’re not
there, come look for us. I need to get back to Asher.”

Before Nixon could say anything else Ari
hurried away back in the direction of the cabin. Kennedy eyed him
suspiciously when he stepped in front of her and took Casin from
her hands so she could make the call. While she punched in Linn’s
numbers, Nixon pretended not to notice the fact that she continued
to stare, and instead worked the scarf from around her neck. When
he had it freed, he wound the fuzzy material around Casin’s small
rat body to keep her warm. He could make out blood on her front
paw, but nothing else. Cade stood quietly staring at his sister and
Nixon figured the two twins were having some sort of rat chat.

“Is she badly hurt?” He lowered so he could
see Cade’s expression, knowing he wouldn’t answer verbally. Just as
he assumed he would, Cade shook his head, but Nixon could tell that
he was still worried.

“Linn said to take the road that leads back
to the cemetery and she’ll be waiting at the entrance,” Kennedy
announced returning her phone to her pocket. “She said there’s a
trail that leads to Doc Garrett’s cabin from there, and that she
can manage the rest of the way on foot, but that leaves the problem
of how we’re going to get there. I can’t carry her on my back in my
tiger-form if she can’t hold on.”

Kennedy unzipped her coat and reached for
Casin, and then zipped her up inside when he carefully handed her
over. “She wasn’t very happy with Asher, Nixon,” she said.

“We’ll deal with that obstacle later.” At the
sight of the snowmobiles he gestured toward them. “Lucky for us,
hotwiring cars is one of my many talents. Stay here with the twins
until I check things out.”

Moving around to the front of the cabin Nixon
saw Asher kick a body across the room inside the cabin, and knew
that his arrogance must be getting in the way if he was fighting
instead of using his magic. Struggling whether to go inside and
assist him or doing what he was told, Nixon noticed Ari in the
doorway wave him on. The twins needed out of the weather and
Kennedy needed his help. With the outcasts fleeing, there was no
clue what she might face in the woods alone, and she had a wounded
child to tend to. He let that be his motivation to move on.

Hurrying to the first snowmobile, he was
relieved to see that fate had fallen into their hands. Not only
were the keys dangling from the ignition, he recognized the blue
tags hanging from them that sported the name of Gruber’s Fun Place.
In his high school days, it was a happening weekend hangout.
Gesturing for the others to hurry and join him, Nixon climbed on a
snowmobile, and started the ignition. Kennedy got on behind him.
She told Cade to shift and picking up his rat body off the snow,
she placed him inside her coat with Casin to keep them both
warm.

Once they were settled, Nixon looked back at
the cabin and caught a glimpse of the man that Asher was fighting
with, and a wave of recognition washed over him. The Asian had been
the one that took the first punch at him in the pub. Not only was
he with the outcasts that had started the fight, he was the one
that along with his buddy threw him out onto the snow
afterwards.

***

In a roar
of fury the Asian came at
him again and Asher was ready. He sent a roundhouse in the exact
same spot as before with the instep of Grant’s ice fishing boot,
and sent him flying back. The youth smacked the wall with a
sickening thud, and as awareness abandoned him, he slowly slipped
to the ground, landing on the man with the thick sideburns.
According to his peripheral vision his brother had returned. Asher
had long outgrown his protection, but he figured there was no point
in arguing. Ari took one look at the bodies sprawled out on the
floor and shook his head.

“Figured you wouldn’t need me,” he said, “but
I’m here anyway.”

Before he could even take up a defensive
posture, Ari was surprised by another youth. This one was shorter
and not as convinced of his abilities as the previously knocked-out
Asian. Asher dare not intervene for the sake of Ari’s dignity.
Besides, he needed to witness the power of his father’s obvious
influence on his followers.

Momentarily knocked off balance, Ari
stumbled, but stronger and skilled, he quickly managed to wrestle
his foe’s hands back, mercy style, in an attempt to snap his wrist.
His opponent let out a pain filled scream with a mouth wide enough
that Asher could clearly see the silver caps in his back molars.
And then, unsuspectingly, threads of light flared from the youth’s
fingertips, and Ari’s wrist began to bend back at an odd angle.
With his eyes clinched, brow furrowed and mouth clamped shut, Ari
fought to regain control.

The sound of music, something old yet
recognizable broke the strange silence that had befallen the room.
Asher’s eyes darted to where his father stood. He winked at Asher
as he removed a cellphone from the pocket of his coat, the source
of the music.

“You know Asher, I’ve always been intrigued
by those eyes of yours,” he said. “The color is such an unusual
shade of blue, but it’s the ring around them that interest me now,
and might I add, right now they are quite red with hate. Hello,”
Ross spoke into the phone irritating Asher with both his words and
casual actions.

Reaching over Asher grabbed the youth away
from Ari by the collar and sent him forward with a whisk of light
which was his equivalent to a kick in the butt. Then with another
zap of magic Asher sent him stumbling toward the two remaining men,
gearing up to make their moves, and forcefully slammed them
together. Their heads clacked loudly, and all three fell to the
ground on top of their fallen brethren.

“I could have taken him,” Ari breathlessly
complained giving Asher a side glance. “You always have to prove
yourself, don’t you?”

Asher ignored him. He had been observing his
father when he just happened to notice one robed man in particular
standing at Ross’s left. There was something odd about him that
Asher couldn’t quite place. Tall, grey headed, sporting a sinewy
build underneath his robe, the man appeared to stare at nothing in
particular, and then Asher noticed his eyes as they started to glow
a bright red. Ari started to say something and then stood with his
mouth opened. Asher knew that he saw him too.

“What?” Ross snapped into the phone startling
both Asher and Ari’s attention back to him. “But it’s got to be
there! Look again, this time harder!”

The words seized hold of Asher and he could
barely move his chest to breath. In Ross’s words, all meaning
sprung to life. He understood now. He understood all too clearly.
Reaching over he took hold of Ari’s elbow and urged him toward the
door. “I think it’s time we go. We’ve out stayed our welcome
here.”

Ari looked confused as he glanced back and
forth between Asher and the men on the other side of the room, of
which none made an attempt to prevent them from leaving.

Pulling the phone away from his ear, Ross
smiled. “Thanks for dropping by son. We’ll talk again soon, real
soon.”

The words only fueled Asher’s rage, but there
was no other choice, they had to go. Asher could feel his magic
fading fast as sudden weakness washed over him. He stepped outside
and caught Ari when he slipped on the ice but Asher wasn’t strong
enough to hold him up, and they nearly went down together.

Using each other as leverage they managed to
regain their footing and headed away from the entrance. Asher
looked to the moon. The waxing crescent was one of the stronger
moons and yet there was no strength there to comfort him. Even with
shifting and the use of magic during the fight, the sudden drain of
his power didn’t make sense.

Ross’s voice filtered out onto the quiet
night as he continued his phone conversation inside. With the
sensation of a million tiny needles pricking his skin awareness
swept through Asher. They were being watched. Turning slowly around
he discovered the strange man staring out a window in their
direction.

The red glow emitting from the lifeless eyes
proceeded to burn through a thin layer of frosted ice that had
gathered on the windowpane, melting it into two thin streams of
running water, and it was then Asher truly knew. He was feeding off
his powers and at that point Asher wondered if the strange red aura
had anything to do with that possibility.

Either way, Asher felt it, all the magic he
stored up for the last ten years leaving as quickly as a plug
pulled from a bathtub full of water. Soon he would have nothing
left. Following Asher’s gaze, Ari let out a startled intake of
breath as he noticed the man in the window.

“Wow, what a freak,” Ari took hold of Asher’s
arm. “Let’s go.”

“Well that freak is draining my magic.”

“How is that possible?”

“I don’t know how, but I just know that’s
what he is doing.” Asher was far too weak to shift but he knew he
had to hurry. The weather had dropped considerably and Ari’s coat
was still lying on the passenger’s seat of his car. They needed to
get in out of the cold.

The snowmobiles were still in place and the
strong smell of blood lingered on the wind. Asher scanned the area
but there were no signs of any outcasts. Just like little Casin, if
wounded it would be too dangerous for them to shift back. Those
that remained close by were recovering in the darkened shadows of
the trees with no interest in them.

“Get on the back Ari.” Asher unbuckled and
unzipped his parka while Ari thoughtfully watched.

“Asher, you don’t know how to drive.”

“Yes, so I’ve been reminded but you’re
driving is what got you into this mess.”

“Oh so this is my fault?” Ari protested. “You
stubborn unfeeling…I could have spent the night in a warm bed at
the Plaza with some even warmer female company, but I know you all
too well brother. See, I knew you would cancel the meeting for your
annual appointment with Grant’s ghost, instead of facing reality
and the truth of this rebellion. So I planned to brave hell or high
water, or in this particular case, one hell of a snowstorm just to
get there.” Ari waved his hand at the cabin. “But you can’t deny it
now. It’s not that easy to overlook now, is it?”

“I didn’t overlook the matter Ari, I ignored
the matter. There is a difference.”

“Oh, how could I be so stupid?” Ari scoffed.
“You must forgive my ignorance.”

“No time now.” Asher draped his leg over the
side of the snowmobile. “The owner left the keys behind so I
suggest we leave.”

Ari climbed on in front of Asher, giving him
no choice but to scoot out of the way. The loud roar of the motor
filled the night as Asher wrapped his arms around Ari’s waist and
pulled the coat around him the best he could. He pulled off his
gloves and handed them over knowing that Ari’s hands would be left
exposed on the handles. Ari didn’t refuse them, however with a
worried brow he looked back at Asher.

“Can you hold on?” he asked.

“I’ll be all right. Just go. I fear I’ve made
a horrible mistake.”

Ari thoughtfully looked toward the cabin and
then without another thought, spun around, gunned the motor, and
raced the snowmobile over the snow. An icy blast of wind hit Asher
in the face, momentarily taking his breath away.

They had to get home…and soon.

Chapter Eight

All Fall Down

The long limbs
of a weeping willow,
heavy laden with ice, stretched down to the snow covered ground
directly in front of them. The trees surrounded the east end of the
lake and Nixon thought they resembled large ghosts with grasping
arms. He couldn’t stop the anxiety, the rapid beating of his heart
and breath that told him something was following after them. Out of
the corner of his eye he thought he saw a shadow pass in the trees
and brought the snowmobile to a sudden skidding stop, and then
looked down the snowy embankment to the ice crusted lake below.

“Are you out of your mind?” Kennedy
exclaimed, gripping his waist tighter. “Why are you stopping?”

Barely able to breathe, Nixon placed a hand
over hers and loosened her fingers. Up until the point he nearly
plunged them into the artic water, she had been keeping her hands
in the pockets of his coat. “I sensed something. Can you pick up
anything?” His eyes darted toward the trees. After a few deep
breathes he twisted around to look at Kennedy, and her eyes
automatically besought his.

“There’s nothing there that shouldn’t be
there. What’s wrong Nix?” she asked. Nixon liked to play it tough
but Kennedy knew him well enough to know when something was wrong.
He weakly grinned at her.