The Girl and The Raven (35 page)

My body twitches and I’m hyper alert as adrenaline courses through me. I run to the right, passing the hallway that leads to Jude’s office. “We need to try every door until we find the one that leads downstairs.”

“Got it,” Dylan confirms, close on my heels.

I race down a hallway. It’s dark, like the rest of the house. I try every door, but none lead where I need to go. I swallow a whimper, desperate to find Marcus, and fearing the worst. We pass a massive dining room and kitchen. I pause at a door to the left of the pantry. I glance at Dylan as I swing the door open. Bingo.

Feeling along the wall, I find the light switch and flip it on. I sprint down the stairs, Dylan’s footsteps matching my own, as we maneuver around the bend and down more stairs. We reach the bottom and find ourselves in a large room designed like a movie theater.

Dylan nudges me. “What? No concession stand?”

Leave it to Dylan to add levity to the situation. I love him for it. I mean…I’m grateful for it.

Where’s Jude? We’ve been in his house for this long…why hasn’t he confronted us?

“We need to hurry,” I tell Dylan nervously. I close my eyes and listen, trying to pick up the sound again.

I catch it. A faint rhythmic sound. A heartbeat.

“This way!” I rush to the left, my stomach barbed with fear.

Another hallway, with another zillion doors.

Behind the last door on the left. There’s a strange sound. A low, repetitive humming. Some kind of machine?

“Let me go in first.” Dylan pushes me aside.

“Not a chance.” I slip around him and shove the door open.

“Oh, my God…”
My eyes grow wide in horror.

Lola and Serenity.

The air whooshes from my lungs. Two cages sit side by side, wires run between each of the birds and some kind of medical equipment. Tiny metal shackles and chains restrain the ravens. They huddle on the floor of their cages, barely alive. Tears blur my vision.

“Help me shut off these machines,” I choke.

“Sick bastard,” Dylan mutters under his breath. He finds the power switch and shuts it off, then unplugs the machine for good measure.

I make little cooing noises to the birds as I unlatch their cages.

“Lola, Serenity, it’s me, Lucy,” I approach them slowly, slipping a hand into each cage to stroke their heads. “We’re taking you home.”

I turn back to Lola, my anger growing at the sight of her mangled, dirty feathers. I want to kill Jude. My power flares but I force it down and keep up a steady quiet chatter in an effort to soothe the ravens.

“Do you want me to disconnect the other one?”

“No, I’ll do it,” I say softly. “They know me. We need to do this slowly.”

I stroke Lola’s head and gently lift her so I can remove the wires. A wave of nausea rocks my body as I pull the needles from her delicate, trembling body. With my thumb on her breast, I pick up her dull heartbeat. Tears fill my eyes. She’s alive and soon she’ll be home.

I pull her from the cage and hold her to my chest, blinking back tears as I stroke her head. She wiggles suddenly. I raise her up to eye level, so I can see what’s got her so fussy.

“It’s okay Lola-Bean, we’re going to keep you safe.”

Lola starts to jerk violently. Her eyes close as her head twitches back and her beak opens wide.

“Lola!” I gasp. Did I hurt her when I removed the needle? Is she having a seizure?

Dylan wraps his arms around my waist. “Lucy, what’s going on?”

My knees grow weak and I’m thankful for Dylan’s support as a bright light appears in Lola’s open bill and moves toward me.

Tears spill onto my cheeks.

“Lucy…”

I realize he’s practically holding me up and I should probably do something about that but all I can do is stare at Gram’s beloved raven. Her familiar. The guardian of her powers.

Persephone’s words replay in my head.
Your grandmother entrusted them to Lola until you turned sixteen and are ready to receive them. This is your birthright, Lucy.

The light radiates toward me, growing brighter, warmer. As the light reaches me, I inhale. A beautiful, euphoric feeling spreads throughout my body. I open my eyes. Lola’s eyes are open now, too. She huddles in my hand, trembling violently.

“What was that?” Dylan’s voice comes out a groan. He shakes his head repeatedly, his gaze locked on Lola. His shoulders curl forward as his eyes roll back and close and we both almost fall to the floor. Now I’m supporting him.

“Dylan!” I slap him.

His eyes fly open and his head jerks back.

“You okay?” I ask, trying to prop him up against my shoulder and cradle Lola at the same time.

“Good. Fine.” His eyes look a little glassy, but he’s alert. “Sorry.”

I return my attention to Lola. My body fills with a comforting sensation.

“We need to get moving.”

I hand Lola to him. He holds her close to his chest to keep her warm as I move to Serenity’s cage. Persephone’s beloved little girl.

After pulling the needles from her body, I hold her close and stroke her head. “Let’s get back upstairs.”

We make it back to the foyer and I turn to Dylan. “I need you to get the birds to your car.”

“Nope.” He shakes his head stubbornly. “I’m not leaving you.”

“Dylan, please. I can’t tell you how important they are.”

He glances at the wood shards strewn on the floor, then at me. “Okay. I’ll come find you.”

I nod quickly. “Wrap them up in your suit coat. Don’t let the crows get them.”

I hold both birds while he slips out of his coat. We conceal them inside.

“I’ll be right back.” He studies me. “Try not to set the house on fire.”

“I’ll try.” I swallow hard as I run my clammy palms down the fabric of my dress. I should go with him, make sure the ravens are delivered safely to the car. But…what about Marcus? What if Jude has already done harm? Divide and conquer. That’s the answer.

He takes several steps toward the door.

“Wait!” Why didn’t I think of this before? I retrieve Persephone’s amulet from my purse. “Wear this.”

Dylan makes a face. “Jewelry? So soon? And here I didn’t even think you cared, Tennessee.”

I blush and pull it over his head. He gives me a wink and walks over the mangled door into the night.

I’m vibrating. It’s mild. An energy that’s been humming deep inside of me from the moment the light entered my body.

I pause and close my eyes for a moment, straining to hear Marcus. Nothing.

Fine. Then I’ll tear Jude’s house apart until I find him.

I stalk down the hall, fire burning in my veins. When I reach the double doors of Jude’s office, they fly off their hinges, splintering into a thousand pieces at the slightest touch of my fingertips. My ears ring from the powerful blast.

Wow. All of a sudden I don’t mind being a freak.

I step over the wood shards into Jude’s office. The panther stops me cold. It’s lithe body—as big as the mutant Rottweilers—slinks across the room, its muscles rippling beneath its shiny black fur. The cat’s ears twitch as its eyes—almond-shaped—fix on me. The cat could take me out in five seconds flat.

The patio curtains behind Jude’s desk ripple in the breeze—the doors are open. Jude parts the filmy fabric as he enters the room. “Well, if I had any doubt about you being my daughter, I certainly don’t now.” He crosses to the bar. “Darcy was right to choose that dress. It suits you beautifully.”

I jerk my head toward the sleek black cat. “I didn’t know house pet was part of Darcy’s job description.”

Jude laughs. “As a deterrent, she is extremely effective.” The ice clinking in his glass grates on my raw nerves. “You’re more powerful than I thought,” Jude says, ignoring my remark. “It makes sense. You’re the only one to survive childbirth with my blood running through your veins.”

“Thanks to my grandmother’s blood running through my veins,” I say icily.

“Ah yes,” Jude acknowledges. “A shame the witch’s power skipped a generation, your mother could have used it.”

I think of all Momma’s letters to Jude, returned unopened. “Leave her out of this.”

“It’s true.” He takes a drink before turning to me, shoving a hand in the pocket of his slacks. “Given her lineage I thought your mother would have been able to give me numerous offspring. Unfortunately, she was as weak as all the others.”

Something shifts inside me. Something dark. It fills my insides like oily, black smoke, overpowering the light from Lola. I consider killing Jude. It would be gratifying. But am I powerful enough? If I fail, Marcus would be lost to me forever.

I whip around as a hand lands on my shoulder. Dylan. His face is flushed and he’s out of breath.

“Don’t let him bait you.” His voice is low.

“Ah…Dylan!” Jude booms. “Glad you’re here. The more I learn about you, the more impressed I become!”

Dylan gives me a reassuring squeeze and I edge back, closer to him.

“Football star, popular with the guys, a stud with the girls, excellent grades, although you really must apply yourself more, son.” Jude approaches, a gleam in his eye.

I feel Dylan’s nervousness. It’s no wonder after everything Jude did to him. I shouldn’t have brought him.

“Your taste in girls up until now has been, let’s just say, less than discretionary.” Jude’s eyes flick to me. “But you have redeemed yourself by falling in love with my daughter.”

Dylan flushes but refuses to lower his gaze.

“Enough! Where’s Marcus?” I demand.

Jude’s shock zaps through me. I bump into Dylan.

Jude and I were separated by several feet.

“Patience, my dear Lucy.” Jude’s eyes narrow and he takes a step toward me. “What happened to your head? You’re bleeding.”

“Like you don’t know.” My throat clenches, my voice sounds strangled. “You sic your crazy crows on us and now you act all concerned?” I blink away angry tears. I can’t control my emotions or my mouth. “And to think I actually defended you.”

Jude’s gaze lingers on my wound. “I warned him I wouldn’t tolerate his interference.”

I glare at Jude. “I should’ve listened to Marcus.” My vision blurs as tears threaten to spill.

Jude shoves his hands in his pockets and paces to the other side of the room. Then he whips around, his gaze shifting from me to Dylan. “Let’s try this again. First off, Dylan, I never tried to kill you. Although it was tempting.” He mutters this last part under his breath.

My eyes grow wide. “What do you call—?”

“Don’t interrupt me!” Jude points his finger at me. I get a quick zap which I’ve decided is the demon-parent equivalent to a spanking. I shut my mouth while he downs the rest of his drink. “Dylan’s sickness was merely the beginning of his transformation. He has my blood running through his veins.”

Dylan’s breath hitches and his hand falls away from my shoulders.

“You’re lying…” I whisper.

Jude raises his finger and I snap my mouth shut. Darcy slinks by and sprawls herself at Jude’s feet.

“He’s a demon. Well, half-demon, like you.” There is a gleam in Jude’s eyes, a hint of a smile on his face. “And the demon genes have awakened.”

Oh God, no…
I reach for Dylan. He’s bent over and panting, like a runner after sprints with his hands braced on his knees. I put my hand on his strong, broad back and rub circles trying to give what little comfort I can offer.

Jude sits on the edge of his desk. “All those years ago when your father and I negotiated a deal, he drank a goblet of my blood.”

Did he just say…? Ewwww.
I wrinkle my nose. Mr. Douglas told me about a knife. Palms being cut. A handshake.

“The genes passed to his first born—you—and laid dormant until I called them forth.”

“Then why did he get better after I made a deal with you?”

“I helped the transformation along.”

“Unbelievable.” Jude knew Dylan was going to be all right and didn’t bother to tell me.

“So now Lucy has a suitable mate. You’re welcome.”

Dylan slowly straightens. The look on his face is painful to see. He looks…crushed. I grab his hand and give it a squeeze. He looks down at me. His jaw sets and the cocky, self confident quarterback almost makes a comeback. He nods at me and returns the squeeze, with a look that says:
we’ll figure this out together
. I turn to Jude. “Where’s Marcus?”

“The gargoyle?” Jude crosses his arms over his chest, and plants his legs wide.

I’m the creature who spends his nights on the rooftop, protecting you from evil.

“Very clever of Vera,” he muses, rubbing his chin as a grin creeps across his face. “I was a fool to underestimate that woman.”

“Where is he, Jude?” I ask again.

“I’ve eliminated the problem.”

“Marcus is not a problem! I want to see him now!” I let go of Dylan and pound my fists down against the air. A blast of energy rips through the room. Papers and books fly off Jude’s desk and the bookshelves.