by V Domino
Roxy comes back in the room with a full duffle and we all hug Darren.
"We'll make her pay, Dare Bear. She will suffer for her crimes against you," Roxy says with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Darren. I wish we could have met her." Rory's whisper is heartfelt and makes Darren rub at his eyes.
I hate seeing him broken like this. He's been our father for so long and he's been so good to us, loving us like we're his blood.
"I'm going to find a Necromancer, Dar. You'll have your love back."
My sisters look at me with furrowed brows. Maybe I seem like I'm handing out false hope because Necromancers have become somewhat of a myth but they're not. I will find one and I will heal Darren's heart.
Darren nods like a parent would to a child, like he doesn't want to tell me I'm dreaming of what can never be but I vow it.
With a kiss to Darren's cheek, I turn to Drug and grab his hand.
"Where to first?"
Drug looks to his brothers and nods before answering.
"Driskill Mountain."
Teleporting with Ronny's hand in mine is an odd sensation. It's like we're on a spinning top with our vertigo off balance and our sight blinded for the duration of the travel. When we land, however, there's no lasting effects and the time it took to get here was mere seconds.
Looking around the area in which we landed, I see there are hikers and joggers. Not many but enough that they should be panicking at the six people who just popped into existence.
"Do they not see us standing here?" My question is answered by a female jogger running through our bodies without a second glance.
"I have us cloaked because this place has been a public park for ages. No mortal can see or feel us."
Once the humans leave the area, Ronny and her sisters drop the cloaks.
We make our way to the scattered picnic tables and sit at one to figure out where to go next.
Everything looks so different here. In our time there were far less people and the land was wilder. The late seventeenth century was such a new beginning for the people of what was then called Louisiane. We lived in simple homes made of flat stones, logs and mud.
Looking at the visitor's building I see even that looks modern to what I grew up in.
I follow the trails with my eyes and in my mind I can picture chasing my hound as he ran through the trees after rabbits. The trees look bigger and much older but I can still see young Drac and Draven racing up the trees to see who can reach the highest.
"Drug? You okay?" Ronny asks quietly as her sisters separate items in their bags.
Her eyes are bright blue and concerned. Why?
"You were growling like a weirdo, dude." Roxy says without looking up from the pages I know she can't read. I swear, that little pink monster is Drac's doppelganger.
Ignoring her, I answer Ronny, "Yeah, I'm good. This place just brings back a shit ton of memories, things I haven't thought of for centuries."
A hiker passes by and stares at us as he passes. He stumbles when Drac barks like a rabid dog and Roxy falls into a peal of laughter. Yeah, and I'm the weirdo.
"Things certainly have changed around here but as I look around, memories start to come back to me." Draven says as he looks up at the treetops, probably remembering how many hours we spent in them waiting for small prey to wander close enough for our bows.
"Remember when we planned to hang Merelda from a branch?" Drac asks with a laugh. The memory comes back to me like a flash.
Merelda was jealous that Father helped Drac carve a bird for our mother. She took the bird and threw it into the flames of the hearth and slapped our mother.
While mother cried, Merelda screamed, 'Your worthless runts should be learning magic, not playing with toys for their craftless mother.'
Father threw her out of the house for it but it was as if a spell kept him from completely disowning her. Merelda always came back.
We planned to hang her from the tree used to carve the bird from.
"Too bad you didn't. I'd take not existing than having that horrible woman alive." Ronny's voice cuts through the dark memory.
As much as I hate Merelda and her wickedness, looking at Ronny and knowing her more and more, I can't picture life without her now. I can easily see Drac and Draven have yet to reach the same conclusion for Roxy and Rory. More so Draven.
He's never been one to want love or a partner. He took the brunt of Merelda's cruelty and perhaps it has made him the hard hearted man he is. Rory has a long road, if any, ahead of her with him.
"Were you guys born here?" Rory questions Dray.
"Yes. I can't remember the dates but it was during the French Colonial Empire in the seventeenth century. A very different time."
"Hmm, that's where the sexy accent comes from." Ronny says with an elbow to my ribs.
I chuckle at that and throw my arm over her shoulder, grabbing the book she was looking at. It feels so natural to banter with her. I can see what kind of human couple we would have made had we met long ago. Although, I can't quite picture this gothic girl in colonial clothing washing linens on a washboard. Still, she feels right by my side.
"The writer of these books was French." I bring the topic back to more important matters.
"Have you any idea what the talisman could be?"
I look through the pages and reread what Darren told us earlier but it all seems like a riddle. No real starting point aside from the fact that the items will be in a place that meant something to Merelda.
"The only passion Merelda showed was her hatred of our mother and us. She loved Elsie... or at least she was in love with the power Elsie possessed." Dray says while going over the book in his hands. His knuckles are white as he grips the old leather and I'm pretty sure he's going to destroy it. He must hear my thoughts because he loosens his fingers and passes the book to Rory.
"You're right. The places have to be significant to Elsie. Merelda midwifed for mother, perhaps that is the place we should look first." I look between everyone and see their agreement.
"No, we need to split up. Darren said three separate places. Your wicked grandma is no doubt standing around her cauldron burning sacred wood and conjuring the worms of hell to kill us." Ronny's sarcasm is funny but it's got me thinking.
"What if the talisman are the wooden carvings we did for mother? She loathed them enough. Our devotion to mother was strong enough that the wood could have absorbed the energy." I'm not sure if I'm heading in the right direction but it's the best place to start. Nature's materials like stones, crystals and wood soak up spiritual energy like sponges that's why witches use them.
"Okay, you two go search at the place Elsie was born. Drac, you and princess go to the place Elsie was... killed." Dray's hatred shows in that last word. "Pigeon and I will go search for the place Merelda cast the curse."
Ronny shoots up from her seat and jumps across the tabletop with her hand outstretched. She grips a surprised Draven by the throat and slams his back to the graveled ground.
"I don't know what your fucking problem is with my sister but I meant what I said, I will rip your fucking throat out if you continue acting like a stubborn old mule with her."
Draven begins to snarl but I do nothing. He is acting like an asshole and I've seen nothing but concern and kindness coming from Rory.
"Drug, get your female before I break her."
"Try it, dickface." Ronny hisses and I smile at Dray with a shrug.
"Enough! Let's go, we're wasting time." Rory says passively. She's too soft for Dray. I don't think they're going to ever work unless she can tame the beast in him.
I wrap my arm around Ronny's waist and yank her back before tossing her over my shoulder. I grab the book we were reading and shove it in the bag before pulling the strap over my other shoulder.
"Check in as often as possible. If you can't reach us telepathically use the necklaces to teleport. Any trouble during your searches,
get out of there and get back to Ronny and I immediately."
Everyone nods, even the snarling Draven. He can't see her face since her head is hanging near my ass so he's staring at her ass with nothing but anger.
Cut the shit Dray. You may hate Rory but I don't hate Ronny, turn your fucking eyes now or I break your pretty face. My mental words are growled out
I don't hate Rory, shithead and your Crow's ass means fuck-all to me. Still, Draven turns nonetheless and grabs Rory's bag from her hand like he's suddenly a gentleman.
My brothers and I don't stay mad at each other long but we do fight often. Centuries together will do that. No matter what though, we'll always have each other's backs.
Be careful, Drac. Don't do anything stupid and don't let Pinky go nuts on a nun. Draven says in our heads as we all head our separate ways.
I'm not promising on that last one but we'll be alright. Dray, if you don't want Rory, I'll take her.
Draven's loud growl probably freaked out any nearby humans but at least we know he feels something for her.
"Fuck you too, dog!" Ronny shouts thinking his growl was directed at her, I guess my block is beginning to work on her.
I slap her on the ass and slide her down my body so she can walk. The sun is dropping quickly and the last thing we need is some park ranger thinking I'm dragging a helpless girl into the woods.
I look into her eyes and see the pupil is bleeding outward slowly like a deformity in her irises. I move her hair over her shoulder and see her punctures are still there loud and proud but the veins around it are blackened.
"How do you feel? Your eyes are looking a little crazy."
"I need to feed but it can wait until we get where we need to go." Ronny turns ahead and starts to walk up the trail. I shake off the worry and immediately get annoyed with myself as I walk after her. The path we're on is uneven and the trees line the path tightly so I stay behind her.
Why the fuck do I care about her fucking health? I'm for the sex and the bond but I don't want or need anything further than that. Emotions just fuck with your head and can easily get you killed. Why get tangled in its sticky ass web?
"Tell me more about yourself." Ronny's voice cuts through my thoughts and I hear the slight confusion in her words. Hating her interest in me no doubt.
That's the thing with Black and me, we're on the same page and it's relieving yet annoying as fuck.
What does a guy gotta do to just have a fucking relationship without the relationship? Okay, that made absolutely no sense and I'm sure Drac would even be confused by it.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, I answer her, "You need to be specific with your inquiries. What do you want to know?"
Ronny is quiet for a while, only the sounds of our feet on the gravel can be heard. Just when I think I've hurt her feelings with my assholery, which I don't care if I did, Ronny looks over her shoulder as she walks.
"What was Elsie like?"
Having my sister's name on her lips should be heartwarming. Her question should be seen as genuine curiosity and shows that she truly wants to know me... but I'm not a normal person and my sister's name on her lips sets something off inside me.
I drop the bag off my shoulder and grab her by the nape of her neck, intending to shove her chest to the nearest tree but Ronny is no weak little hummingbird.
Before I can do as I planned, she uses my hold on her as she runs up the base of the tree before kicking off and backflipping over my hand.
She lands against the trunk of the tree across the path with her feet bracing her weight and her hands gripping it behind her back. She lets out a feral hiss followed by a low groan like the fucking exorcist. Her eyes are fully black but along with the anger in her eyes there's... hurt?
"Don't speak her name!" I yell instead of allowing her to worm her way into my little bitch of a heart.
Ronny stares at me, completely still like a creepy gargoyle guarding a castle. She looks frozen as if time suddenly stopped but when I move backwards, keeping my eyes on her at all times, her head moves slowly, tracking my movements.
I lean over and pick up the bag and walk past her as she continues to perch on the tree but her sad voice creates a series of cracks in my armor and her words stab at my heart.
"I'm not William Crow, Drug but you certainly are Merelda's grandson. Let's find this fucking talisman and be rid of each other."
I ignore her, trying to act as if her words didn't beat the shit out of me. Didn't we tell Draven the same shit? Yet here I am, acting like the same barbarian. Asshole!
I'm about to turn back and apologize like a man but I hear the flap of her wings before she flies over my head. It would be well deserved if her crow took a shit on my head but she doesn't. She's a classy bird.
We walk for hours but my mind doesn't seem to notice the time passing until the temperature drops. Memories flood my mind even as I look for a place to stop.
Why am I hot then cold? Granted, I've never once had any type of connection with anyone and throughout my three hundred years of existence, I've accepted that it wasn't in the cards for me to find a mate. It's been okay with me for centuries. Now that I've found her... I don't know what the fuck I'm doing and I'm blowing it.
My heart, body and mind are on different pages. Every emotion and reaction is on opposing ends of the spectrum in my being. Every one of my embers, the coals of my soul, burn for her, beg for her. My body reacts to her as if it’s known her since the beginning of life but my mind hasn't quite caught up.
The idea of a mate has never been very appealing to me but the idea of Black Bird as my soul's perfect match? I want it, yet I fear it.
Growing up, I knew my mother and father had a loving bond. Although, at that time, being naive to the supernaturals outside of witches, I didn't know there was such a supernatural bond. I simply thought my mother and father were deeply in love.
They could never stop touching one another in some way. Whether it be father's arm wrapped around mother's waist while walking side by side or mother caressing his face as he slept in his favorite chair.
Looking up at Ronny as she lazily flies, I start talking, speaking the thoughts of my troubled mind. I know she can hear me, "They were madly in love, my parents. I remember wanting that for myself one day thinking that there could be nothing greater than to have someone who knew you inside and out yet loved each and every crack and flaw." We continue on the path, making good headway even with twilight upon us.
"Nothing seemed to ever bother them; jealousy, bitterness, envy... nothing could come between their love for each other. Then grandmother showed up. At first everything was nice, Merelda was kind and attentive towards us and began to tutor us in basic healing potions and wanted to teach us more but mother forbid it."
Ronny continues flying but she speaks into my mind.
Not that I agree with your cunt bag grandma but why did your mother forbid it when it's a part of your culture?
"William Crow was on the hunt. Mother was afraid to even hum while out in the market and be accused of witchcraft. Merelda wasn't hearing it though. We loved our mother so we did as mother said and soon we were hated and loathed. Many times Merelda tried to come between mother and father but their bond was too strong and mother became pregnant with Elsie."
The path becomes engulfed in blackness as the sun kisses the horizon for the final time before dipping low. I turn off and head into the forest, stepping over fallen trees and large stones before finding a small spring. I toss the bag down and cup some of the freshwater and drink deeply. Hmm, not as fresh as it once was.
Ronny swoops low and hops over to the water on the other side as she quenches her thirst. She stays in her crow form and when she's done drinking she flaps up to a branch.
"Why don't you shift back?" I'm fairly certain she's still pissed with me, not that I blame her. Holding someone's sins on your shoulders as if they're yours to bare is unfair and I loaded her back with Wil
liam's like a complete jackass.
I don't particularly like you right now, you're lucky to even be graced with my crow. What happened next?
I sigh and make a very uncomfortable pillow with the duffle at the base of a tree and stare up at the stars peeking through the treetops. The crickets serenade the birds as they fall asleep, forgetting they're the morning snacks for their hatchlings. Momentarily, the prey and hunters are at peace, giving reprieve to their daylight feuds.
"Elsie was only eight months old, Ronny, but she was everything to us. She brought light where Merelda brought darkness. She was also born with extremely strong powers. We had to keep her inside at all times or she'd expose herself and even then it was lucky we lived secluded deep in the woods because she would cause winds and fog to come in without much effort. We had no choice but to have Merelda teach her as best she could to control. Just like you would teach a baby to crawl or roll to their tummies, grandmother taught her to control her gifts."
I change the story abruptly because Elsie's story ends in tragedy and I'm sure Ronny already knows the ending.
"After my brothers and I became the Hellish creatures we are, I gave up on having what my mother and father had. In the underworld, bonds are spoken of and rumored about but no one down there has ever had one. Maybe it's because they're not topside often enough to find their mates. Whatever the case is, it's been centuries since I've thought of that love so forgive me when I fuck things up."
Ronny drops from the tree and shifts as she lands on the bed of dead leaves below.
"It's a good thing we don't have love then."
Ronny jumps over the little stream and slinks over to me like a cat would. She drops down next to me, laying her head beside mine.
I know she doesn't sleep and while I do, I can last about three days without tiring. There’s a lot of things I’ve noticed about our abilities that are similar. Like when I shift from human to Hellhound, I can retain the clothing I had on. Same with Ronny and yet she and her sisters didn’t realize that required inner magic.