A Shadow of Crows

by Yasmine Galenorn

  “Not a problem,” Yutani said, closing his laptop and gathering up his gear. “By then my aunt will be gone. But, if you’re in the mood, she asked if we could have a barbecue with everybody. She’d like to say hi to you a bit more.” He rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to tell you that I’m going to have to ask for some help, given I don’t have an outdoor space right now.”

  Yutani lived on a three-acre parcel of land, in a mobile home. But the county had recently slapped him with several fines for not being up to code on a number of his jury-rigged systems, so he was renting an apartment while having a house built. Luckily, he had saved enough money over the years to actually create something pretty spectacular. When I had asked him why he hadn’t hired contractors earlier, he just shrugged and said that it had seemed like way too much trouble.

  Herne cleared his throat. “I’d invite you over to my place, but I don’t know if Danielle is ready to meet everybody.”

  “Okay, we get the message.” I glanced at Angel and she returned my grin. “We can have the barbecue at our place. We have plenty of space, although we don’t have a good grill. You’ll have to bring that equipment yourself.”

  Herne laughed. “I can bring the grill. Yutani, you bring the meat. Say six o’clock?”

  “Why not make it four-thirty?” I asked. “It gets dark early and that way we can be inside tucked away with our hamburgers and corn on the cob before it gets too dark.”

  After we agreed to meet at four-thirty at our house, Angel and I waved the others out. Herne hung back, waiting with us. Angel called Raven to make sure she was home and told her we were coming over. When everybody was gone, we gathered our things.

  “I suppose we better get this over with.” Herne looked like he wanted to do anything but that.

  “Well, let’s get a move on.” I slipped into my jacket, having changed back into my silver top. The other one was covered with gunk from the woods, and I didn’t want Raven to see it. “Make sure all the space heaters are turned off so that we don’t start a fire in here.”

  Angel made one more round, making sure all of the space heaters were unplugged, and then we headed down the elevator after locking our floor. Herne held my hand as the car descended, and I gave him a long look, missing him dreadfully. I wanted to go home with him, to make love to him, to stretch out in bed and snuggle. But that wasn’t possible. Reluctantly, I let go of his fingers as we stepped out of the elevator.

  Angel headed toward the door but Herne reached out, grabbing my hand again. He pulled me to him and gave me a long kiss, wrapping his arms around me.

  “I want more than anything to take you home with me.” He stared into my eyes, his gaze piercing my heart. “But with Danielle there, I just…” His expression said everything there was to say. He was torn, wanting to do the right thing for his daughter and wanting to do the right thing for me.

  “I’ll make it easy for you,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow for brunch. We’ll find some time this weekend. Maybe we can sneak away while Yutani is grilling the hamburgers. I love you, Herne. I’m not happy about all this, I’ll be honest. But I love you, and I’ll make this as easy as I can.”

  He kissed me again and then, with Angel calling us from the front door, we headed out into the night, off to Raven’s.

  RAJ WAS WAITING out front when we got there. Herne was in the front and Raj’s leathery shoulders stiffened the moment he saw us. He hunkered down, his eyes glowing. Herne stopped, holding out his hand, but I stepped around him. When Raj saw me, the gargoyle straightened up, padding over to me with a happy look on his face. He held up his paw, or hand—I wasn’t sure what a gargoyle’s front appendages were called—waiting for me to shake it. I knelt, a smile forming on my lips. I had never had much to do with gargoyles, but if Raj was typical of them, then I was glad we had met.

  “How are you doing, Raj?” I reached out to hesitantly stroke his ears. He let out a satisfied moan, ducking his head and blinking at me.

  “I’ve never seen a wingless gargoyle before,” Herne said.

  “I wasn’t sure if they had wings or not. I didn’t think to ask last time I was here.” I motioned for Angel to join me and Raj gave her a suspicious look, but at my coaxing, he let her stroke his head.

  “His skin feels like hardened leather,” Angel said. “I thought he’d be smooth, but it’s bumpy.”

  At that moment, the door opened and Raven came out. She smiled when she saw Angel stroking Raj’s head.

  “Welcome to my home,” she said, but behind her smile, I could see the worry. She knelt beside Raj. “Angel and Herne are friends, just like Ember. They’re okay, Raj. You understand?”

  Raj let out a grunt, and nodded. Then he turned, padding back into the shadows, where he settled down beside what looked like a very large food dish. Raven stood and led us into the house.

  “Please, take a seat. Would you like a drink? I have some wine, if you like. I also have sparkling water.”

  Herne shook his head. “Perhaps in a little while, thank you.” He paused, glancing at me, but before I could say anything, Raven interrupted.

  “It’s about Ulstair, isn’t it? Did you find him? Is he alive?” By the quiver in her voice, I had the feeling she knew he wasn’t.

  “We found him, yes. Viktor and I also found the three others who were missing.” I wasn’t sure how to tell her—or how much to tell her.

  Raven stared at her hands, sitting still on the sofa. Her back was straight, so straight she looked like a statue. Her hands were on her knees, clutching at the velvet of her skirt. She sat frozen, barely breathing.

  “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

  I remembered that moment. That single moment when you know something is coming, and you know it’s going to be bad, but it hasn’t quite hit you yet. It’s that moment when you prayed for something to interrupt, to turn the clock back ten minutes, or make time stop altogether, or for someone to wake you out of a nightmare. I had felt it when I found my parents’ bodies. I felt it when I saw the back door was open and pushed it wide just enough to see the trail of blood. I had stood there, staring at the drops on the floor, wanting to step back outside, to return to five minutes before, when everything was normal.

  I let her breathe another moment. I let her freeze time for just a little longer. Then I reached out and put my hand on top of hers.

  “Yes, he’s dead. Viktor and I found his body.”

  She clutched my fingers. Angel sat on the other side, putting her arms around Raven’s shoulders. We sat there for a moment, the three of us, in silence as the tears slowly began to trail down Raven’s face. I glanced up to find Herne watching the three of us, a sadness in his eyes that I seldom saw from him. It occurred to me that in his world, death of a loved one didn’t happen very often. The gods were essentially immortal, removed from loss. And yet, were they? Gods could die, although it was rare. And when they formed attachments with mortals, surely then, death touched them.

  After a moment, Raven shuddered. “I knew he was dead. I knew it in my heart, but I didn’t want to believe it. How did he die?”

  “We’re not sure,” I said. “The police took away the bodies.”

  “Where did you find him?”

  I hesitated, not wanting her to traipse out into the woods in hopes of speaking with his spirit. But then, I decided that she wouldn’t be able to find the place if I spoke in generalities.

  “We found him in UnderLake Park, well back in the woods. He was in a hole that had been dug into the side of the ravine. There were three other bodies with him.”

  She squeezed my hand even tighter, then taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and let go of our hands. Angel and I sat back a little ways, giving her space. After a few minutes she looked up, reaching up to dry her eyes. I poked through my purse and came up with some tissues, handing them to her.

  “So,” she said, her voice shaky. “What happens next? Do you think the police are going to inves
tigate?”

  Herne cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, I don’t think so. Did you know that Ulstair was on Saílle’s shit list, so to speak?”

  Raven blinked, then gave a half shrug. “I had the feeling that something was wrong between him and the Court. He never mentioned it, though, and every time I approached the subject, he dodged my questions. I just assumed it was a touchy area and let it go. It didn’t seem to matter, given I’m Ante-Fae. I have no real ties to either court.”

  “Apparently his family ticked off Saílle at some point, and she put the entire line on her list,” Herne said. “The other missing Fae were also on her list, and the police were given explicit instructions to ignore any calls concerning them. Since the Dark and the Light Fae both own a good share of the cops, for lack of a better word, any calls about people on their pariah lists are pretty much ignored. Which leads me to believe that these deaths will be swept under the rug.”

  Raven’s eyes flashed, and for the first time, anger replaced the sorrow. The look on her face was terrifying and I shrank back as she straightened her shoulders and pressed her hands against the seat cushion.

  “Oh, how lovely they are. This doesn’t surprise me. Petty warring bitches.” Her nostrils flared. “Would you continue to look into his death? I want to know who killed him. I want revenge. The Dark Fae can suck balls for all I care. If they won’t find his killer, then I will.”

  Herne simply nodded. “We’ll do everything we can. I’m so sorry we didn’t have better news.”

  “It’s not your fault. But I want to know who did this. They will learn what it is to fear the Ante-Fae.”

  As Herne stood, Raven cringed. I knew what she was thinking.

  “Raven, would you like Angel and me to stay for a while? Herne has to get home, but we can stay and keep you company for a while.”

  As quickly as the rage had crossed her face, it fled, and she gave me a grateful look. “Thank you. I’d like that. I’d like both of you to stay.”

  I walked Herne to the door while Angel stayed behind.

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea? She is Ante-Fae, and they’re highly unpredictable,” Herne said in a low voice.

  I glanced over my shoulder, then back at him. “I know what it’s like when someone you love dies. I know what it’s like to feel alone. Angel and I like Raven, and I don’t think she’ll do anything to us. Trust me, my gut tells me that she needs us right now.”

  “All right, but call me if you need me. Otherwise, I’ll see you tomorrow morning around eleven?”

  I nodded. “Love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Herne gave me a soft kiss, then headed out to his car. Raj watched him leave, growling softly, but keeping his place in the undergrowth. As I shut the door against the night, I wondered if we would be able to find out who killed Ulstair and the other men. Who was out there, hunting the Dark Fae. And why?

  Chapter 12

  BY THE TIME Angel and I were ready to go, we had met Raven’s ferrets. Templeton was black and he was hot to trot and quite a handful. Elise was a beautiful sable brown, and she was quite amenable to being petted. Gordon was white, and he seemed to be the broody one of the bunch.

  “Where did you get Raj? I thought all gargoyles had wings,” Angel said as she snuggled Elise and then handed her back to Raven.

  Raven smiled for the first time that night. “I won him in a poker game with a demon. Poor Raj had been tortured. The demon had cut off his wings when he was a baby, a little like docking a Doberman’s ears, only worse. Most gargoyles have flight as an innate power, but they are taught when they’re babies. I don’t know where the demon found Raj, but he hadn’t learned to fly by the time that freakshow got hold of him. He didn’t want Raj running away, so he cut off his wings.”

  That made me sick to my stomach. I bit my lip. While gargoyles weren’t animals, the thought of some sadist docking Raj’s wings so he wouldn’t run away made me spitting mad.

  “What did you do?”

  “The stupid demon got drunk during the game and I decided to get even. I’m a really good poker player, and I had two friends with me who were more than willing to help. We fleeced that demon till he was broke. He was drunk enough to demand a chance to get his money back, I offered double or nothing. If he lost, he’d give me Raj. If he won, I’d give him double his money. We made certain he lost.” She laughed, her eyes darkening.

  “So he gave you Raj?”

  “Yeah. I brought Raj home and he’s been with me ever since. I called in some favors and they healed his scars so you can’t really see where his wings were. I also asked another friend to mind-wipe his memory. Raj has no memory of the time he spent before he came to me, or of the pain he endured. The only thing he knows is that he’s always been with me, and that’s all he’ll ever know.”

  It was my turn to catch my breath. “That’s quite a story. Where did you run into the demon? I’d like to steer clear of there. I thought it was bad enough dealing with goblins and other creatures from the sub-Fae.”

  Angel tapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t forget, you’ve dealt with demons before. Wasn’t Kuveo a demon?”

  “Sort of. And then, of course…” I stopped, suddenly realizing it might not be wise to talk about the King of Thorns to another one of the Ante-Fae. I had no clue whether she had heard about Blackthorn and his son, but now was not the time.

  Raven appeared not to notice the interplay between Angel and me. She seemed lost in her thoughts. “Where did I run into the demon? It was in a charnel house.” She pressed her hand against her lips then, and gave a little cry. “Ulstair’s really dead, isn’t he?”

  I nodded, not knowing what to do. But Angel moved in, holding her arms open and Raven leaned against her shoulder, weeping. We stayed for another half hour, until Raven fell asleep on the sofa. Angel found a throw and spread it over her, and we headed out, locking the door behind us. Raj watched us go, giving a little grunt as we passed. I knelt to look at him.

  “Your mama needs you. Watch over her. You’re one lucky gargoyle, you know that?”

  He grunted again, and I had the feeling he understood what I said. I wasn’t sure just how intelligent gargoyles were, but Raj seemed to have a semblance of understanding. I patted his head, scratching his ears before Angel and I headed back to our cars.

  As we stood there, on the side of the street, I realized I didn’t feel like going home just yet.

  “I really need a drink. Do you want to go to Medinos?” We had found a bar a couple months before, thanks to Talia. A great number of the SubCult gathered there, and it was usually jumping. It also happened to be the perfect place to grab a drink, sit in the corner, and just relax.

  “I’ll meet you there,” Angel said. “I don’t want to go home yet, either.”

  As we headed out, over to West Seattle, I thought again about Raven. I hadn’t warmed up to somebody that fast in a long time. I had a feeling Angel and I had just made a friend for the long haul.

  MEDINOS WASN’T EXACTLY packed, but there were enough people there to bring the noise level up to a moderate drone. I glanced around, looking for anybody that we might know. In particular, I was looking for Talia, but she didn’t seem to be there. However, just as I was about to head up to the bar, Angel tapped me on the shoulder. She pointed to one of the booths, and I glanced over at the man who was sitting there. He gave us a little wave and motioned for us to join him.

  It was Kipa.

  I glanced at Angel again, grimacing. Leaning in so she could hear me, I said, “Are you sure?”

  Kipa was essentially Herne’s cousin. Which wouldn’t be a problem except that Herne and Kipa weren’t exactly friends. At one point in the past, Herne had discovered Kipa in a compromising position with his girlfriend and that had put an end to any friendly family banter. Kipa was just as gorgeous as Herne, with golden skin and eyes as dark as the dregs of the coffee cup. He was tall and striking, with long rich brown hair and a ful
l beard and mustache. Kipa believed in piercings—his ears were a trail of aquamarine studs, his lower lip sported two silver hoops and a dolphin bite piercing. And he loved women.

  But Kipa had spotted us. It would be rude to ignore him.

  “It will be fine,” Angel said. “Herne knows that you love him and that his cousin isn’t going to get anywhere with you. And Kipa seems to understand that you’re hands off.”

  I let her lead me over to the booth, and as we sat down the waitress swung by.

  “May I take your order?” she said, her eyes firmly glued on Kipa’s face. He just grinned at her and leaned back as Angel and I ordered.

  “I’ll have a goblin blaster,” I said, deciding that I needed at least one stiff drink.

  Angel blinked. “That’s pretty strong, even for you.”

  “I know,” I said, “but I need it right now.”

  Angel glanced up at the woman and said, “I’ll take a beer. Microbrew if you have it. I like dark ale.”

  The waitress meandered off, glancing over her shoulder at Kipa once again.

  “She sure fancies you,” Angel said grinning.

  Kipa shrugged. “Fancy is as fancy does. A lot of women give me those looks but I don’t go home with them.” He gave Angel a long look. “Not that I wouldn’t fancy a little fun with a beautiful and intelligent woman. It’s been a while since I’ve played in the dating scene.”

  Angel snorted. “I rather doubt that, but you do a good job of laying on the charm.” She laughed, leaning back against the seat. “We had a hard day.”

  I let out a sigh, my thoughts returning to Raven. “Hard day doesn’t begin to encompass it.”

  Kipa’s easy smile vanished, and he leaned forward. “What happened?” he asked, a serious note filtering into his voice.

  I shrugged. “We had to tell someone that her fiancé was murdered. And unfortunately, Viktor and I were the ones who found the bodies. Her fiancé, and three other Dark Fae men who looked like him, were killed. We don’t know why, or who did it.”