by Aliya DalRae
“I think it would be best if you finished your sandwich first,” Rachel said as Harrier answered his chirping phone.
“Shit,” he muttered, and was out the door in a flash. Rachel moved to stand between me and the door, as all hell broke loose on the other side. I could hear Harrier yelling, and nearly laughed, recognizing Raven’s voice immediately.
“Out of my way, birdbrain, or I’ll gut you where you stand.” That was Raven, of course.
“Stay the hell away, Raven, she’s not ready for you yet.” What the hell was he talking about? I thought Raven was in an induced coma. Of course I wanted to see him.
“You lie,” Raven yelled, followed by the sound of two large predators rumbling in the hallway.
“Let him in,” I said to Rachel, and she glanced over her shoulder at me, then back at the door. “Please,” I said. “I promise I’ll tell him I need to rest if that’s what you want, but he won’t go away, and I would really like to see for myself that he’s okay.” Although if the noise in the hall was any indication, I didn’t need to worry.
Rachel gave me a nod, and opened the door. She must have one of those looks that leave men feeling foolish, because without a word from her, the fighting ceased.
“She wants to see him,” she said, obviously to Harrier.
“No,” he stated emphatically, but Raven was already on the move and I could see him push past Rachel and into the room.
“Hey,” she shouted, but he was in, and only had eyes, and ears I suppose, for me.
He stopped midway to my bed, hesitating to close the space between us. No doubt he was remembering our last real conversation. Recent circumstances notwithstanding, he had to be wondering where we stood.
“Come in,” I said and motioned to the chair that Rachel had pulled next to my bed. He walked more slowly than usual, seemed to be limping, and was still a bit pale, but otherwise appeared to be in good health. “I’m so glad to see you,” I said.
Rachel peeked her head in the door. I nodded and she smiled. “Leave them be,” I heard her say to Harrier as she closed the door again. Those two had an unusual dynamic, but I enjoyed seeing someone who could put my friend, Scarier, in his place.
I returned my attention to Raven, who had taken a seat and was studying me from head to foot.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “Really, I am.”
And silence…
“I’m so sorry,” we said it simultaneously, then laughed, and looked away.
“Go ahead,” he said, and suddenly I didn’t know what to say. What was I sorry for? Cripes, what wasn’t I sorry for. For cheating on him with Malcolm? For lying to him? For leaving him? For letting myself get us both captured? There were so many ways that I had screwed up.
“That itches,” I smiled at him, knowing he was trying to cheat, to get inside my head. I wasn’t worried though. My days practicing with Nox had made me pretty adept at protecting my thoughts, and I’d thrown my shields up the minute Raven walked in the door. He gave me an odd look, but said nothing.
“There’s so much, Raven, I don’t know where to start.”
“Are you still angry with me?” He was looking at the floor, at the walls, everywhere but at me.
I sighed. “No, Raven, I’m not angry with you. I was angry when I came here and ended things between us, but I made a lot of assumptions about what I thought you knew. Looking back, I think I was angry with myself for being so damn gullible, for getting sucked into all the drama with Malcolm, my birth parents. It was all too much. When I figured out you had to know at least some of it? I convinced myself that I could walk away from the lot of you without a backward glance. Boy was I wrong about that.”
“For the record…” It was a minute before Raven continued, but when he did, he looked me right in the eye. “I did know about Malcolm, and I should have told you. As much as I hate that fucking cat…well, I should have said something.” I nodded, and he went on.
“I did not, however, know that the wolves were your parents. I knew they were reluctant for you to know who they were, or to thank you properly for saving their daughter, but I was never told why. Of course, Mason has known since the aftermath of the Sorcerer incident. Yet another subject he needs to answer for.” Raven muttered that last bit, but went on before I could ask him to elaborate.
“I love you Jessica. I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you.”
“I know that,” I said, and reached for his hand. He took it and held on for a moment, his thumb brushing the IV needle sticking out of the back of my hand. He looked from there to the IV bags hanging on the pole next to my bed, the empty one that had contained blood hanging next to another one half-full of fluids. His hand tightened on mine, and I got the distinct feeling that he had not been filled in on my course of treatment.
“What in the hell did they do to you?” He looked horrified, but I failed to see the problem.
“They replaced the blood I donated to you. No big deal.”
“Jessica, I nearly drained you, and they used human medicine to treat you? Allon told me they gave you blood, but I thought he meant Vampire blood. Christ, Jessica, you could have died.” Purple bits were sparking in his eyes, and when he went to stand up, I gripped his hand and pulled him down again, ignoring his snarly look.
“It’s okay,” I said trying to calm the situation. “Raven, it’s what I would have wanted.”
“No,” he stated firmly. “That was not our deal. If you were unable to make the decision you were to take my blood. Period.” His hand was shaking, so I added my other hand to the pile and held on.
“Things changed though, Raven. You can’t have forgotten my reaction after the feral attack, and you know I wouldn’t have wanted to go through that again. Besides, you were in no condition to be giving me blood. It took nearly every drop I had to bring you back. Taking your blood would have been counterproductive.
“Besides, isn’t the important thing that I’m alive? That we both are? It shouldn’t matter what means were used to heal us. What matters is we’re both here, and whole again.”
Raven absently placed his free hand on his t-shirt clad chest, and lowered his forehead to where our hands were joined. He kissed my knuckles, and turned his head to look up at me.
“You’re right,” he said, with a small smile, the one that made my heart melt. “You are always right.”
Chapter
One Hundred Twenty-Two
L ooking into those ice blue eyes, it was impossible for Raven to remain angry with her. None of this was her fault. It was his brother who had come between them. Nox was responsible for poisoning her mind against Raven in the first place. If not for his actions, there would never have been this uncertainty between them.
Raven raised his head and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. She tasted of hamburger and diet pop, of honeysuckle and wine. She tasted like Jessica. When she didn’t pull away, Raven stood and moved his free hand to the back of her head, holding her to him, deepening the kiss. With her responding so sweetly, he could have held her to him for eternity.
However, much too soon, she leaned back and looked him square in the eye.
“I love you, Raven,” she said. “I think I’ve always loved you.”
Raven placed his forehead against hers and sighed. “I waited centuries to love you, Jessica. There has only ever been you. There will only ever be you.” Raven kissed her eyelids, her nose, her lips before returning his ass to that gods awful hospital chair. You would think the Legion would spring for something better in their infirmary than this naugahyde shit.
“I still feel like I need to apologize for my brother,” Raven said, his thoughts returning to his twin, and all the damage he had done.
“Nox!” Jessica sat up quick, and Raven looked at her, his eyebrow raised in question. “Have they found him?”
“No,” Raven said, “but the bastard can’t hide forever, and when he is found, you may rest easy knowing that Vampire justice is swift and permanen
t.” Raven put as much emphasis on the last as he could, letting Jessica know she would always be safe with him.
“What?”
“What what?”
“No, Raven, you can’t! You have to tell Mason not to hurt him. Bring him in for questioning, whatever you have to do, but please don’t let them kill him.”
“Jessica, I think you’re still a bit delirious. He kidnapped you, amante, held you captive for the better part of a week, and was prepared to torture you, murder you right in front of my eyes.”
“That wasn’t him! I swear, Raven, Fuhrmann had him spelled or something, was controlling him somehow. He never would have hurt anyone otherwise.”
Raven shook his head. “Jessica,” he said, struggling for a calm he didn’t feel, “did he do something to you? My brother’s powers are so far beyond any our kind has ever known. Has he compelled you?”
“No!” She pulled her hand from his and leaned toward him, bunching the thin hospital blanket in her fist. “Raven, you have to listen to me. This isn’t compulsion, it’s the truth. Nox is not the enemy. Fuhrmann was. If it weren’t for Nox, we would both be dead right now. Or worse!”
Raven stood and paced the length of the small room.
“Raven, look at me.” But he couldn’t, afraid his thoughts would be reflected in his eyes. Instead he chose to continue with the pacing.
“He saved our lives, Raven. He killed Fuhrmann to save us. And not only did he free us from the Sorcerer, he helped me save your life. He’s the reason we’re both here. Don’t you think we owe him at least the benefit of the doubt? He’s your brother,” she cried.
“No,” Raven snapped, “he’s a murderer!”
“Well, so are you!”
Raven stopped in his tracks. He turned around with brows furrowed, and glared at the woman before him, certain he had misheard her.
Based on the wide-eyes and hands over her mouth, it was obvious he hadn’t misunderstood at all. She really had gone there.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “Oh, Raven, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
He pivoted on damaged limbs, the pain of her words eclipsing any lasting effects from his injuries, and he faced her fully.
“Really,” he sneered. “Exactly how did you mean it?” He was shaking again, needed to sit down, but he would not show weakness. Not to her, not now.
“I only meant, that the two of you aren’t so different. You’ve both suffered tremendous loss, and endured so much suffering. Don’t you see, it could easily have been you who was raised by the Primeval? I don’t know what all they did to him, but you have to know that his life wasn’t all sunshine and unicorns.
“Please, Raven, at least talk to him. Don’t let them assassinate him before we know for sure he was acting of his own free will.”
“Why?” he asked, his voice tight with restrained emotion. “Don’t you see what he’s done to us? It’s not just about the murders and the kidnapping, though that should be enough. He nearly destroyed us, Jessica. Because of your visions of him, I nearly lost you forever.”
“But you haven’t lost me, have you? He didn’t succeed because we’re still here, and I still love you. I always will.”
Convinced, but not wanting to give in so easily, Raven continued to balk.
“I love you, too, Jessica, that will never change. But that doesn’t explain why I need to give this asshole the kind of chance you think he deserves.”
“Well, that’s easy.” She smiled that magnificent smile, the one that never failed to entrap him. “He’s family.”
Chapter
One Hundred Twenty-Three
A t my urging, Raven hurried off to stop the Legion from killing his twin on sight. As promised, I asked him to let me rest a bit, but assured him he could come back in a few hours so we could rest together.
There was still whatever matter the Scottish clan felt they needed to discuss with me, and it was clear they didn’t want Raven around to overhear.
No sooner was Raven out the door than Harrier and Rachel came back in. Rachel brought the wheeled tray with my dinner still on it back in front of me and commanded that I finish. I was going to complain that it was cold, but after the first bite, it didn’t matter. My only problem was wondering if she’d brought enough.
With the food polished off, I took a long drink of pop and pushed the tray away. I folded my hands neatly in my lap and I looked to the siblings for some answers.
Harrier remained brooding in a corner, and Rachel came to sit in the chair Raven had so recently vacated. She glanced once at her brother for reassurance. He nodded and she returned her attention to me, taking a deep breath.
“I’m really not sure how to say this.” The crazy way she was laughing, I was getting an idea as to why they insisted I eat first. This sounded like it was going to be something that would have put me off my feed.
“I suppose the beginning would be fine,” I suggested.
“Right,” she said, her accent thickening on that one word. “I suppose it starts with the incident you described to Harrier regarding the last time you took Raven’s blood to heal you.”
“You told her.” I threw an accusing glare at Harrier.
“You wanted answers,” he threw back. “She had them.”
Confused, I turned back to Rachel, who was ringing her hands in her lap. “Rachel?” I asked, and she took another breath, this one deeper than the last.
“Harrier and I haven’t seen each other since I was young. I always loved my brother, though I was too young to understand the politics that were involved in having a half-breed sibling. To me he was handsome and strong, and when he went away, I was devastated, as was our sister, Rebecca. We were both so young, and in truth we only ever saw our brother when he would sneak onto the property to visit with us. We would steal food for him, spend as much time as we could catching up, and then he’d be off. We wouldn’t see him again for weeks.”
Rachel glanced back at her brother, but he didn’t say anything. He just stood there looking like he would rather be anywhere but here.
“Of course as the years passed we grew up, and visits from Harrier became fewer and fewer until eventually he stopped coming at all. We learned much later that our mother had got wind that he’d been coming around, and she’d managed to be rid of him once and for all. Keeping him from Rebecca and me was her ultimate goal, as she didn’t want his presence ruining our chances at Court.
“Unfortunately for Mother, Rebecca and I weren’t exactly popular with the Royals. Oh, it was our own fault,” she said with a laugh when I gasped. “We had a tendency to get into mischief, much to our mother’s horror. When we became of an age to be formally presented, the purpose of course being to find mates for us, our mother was sorely disappointed. It was discovered that only a very few of the lesser nobles had any interest at all in either of us joining their family line.
“This was fine with Rebecca and me, of course, but Mother was livid. She had fought very hard to be accepted back in Court after her self-described ‘dalliance in insanity.’ The fact that her pure bred daughters were being ostracized was not something she took lightly. She brought the matter before the Primeval, but what did he care? As long as she was doing her job at Court, he couldn’t care less what happened to us.”
“What was her job?” I asked, forgetting my apprehension and engrossed now in learning about the Court, and about Harrier as a young boy. For Harrier’s part, other than an occasional derisive snort, he seemed completely bored.
“Our mother was the Court Seer,” Rachel said, her cautious tone not lost on me.
“You mean, she could tell the future?” I asked. “Like, visions and stuff?” I didn’t mention my own talent, but had a feeling Harrier had probably already filled her in.
“Yes, visions. You see, it was our mother who foretold of Raven’s imminent arrival, and the destruction he would cause. Our mother was the reason twin brothers were separated at birth. Because of her vision, or at leas
t the version she told, so many mistakes were made. It is my belief that she withheld information. I think she knew that if the brothers were left alone to be raised by their parents, no harm would come to, or be caused by, either of them.
“However, she was so upset about her daughters’ treatment by the nobles, I think she told the Primeval only the results which would occur if the brothers were separated. She eliminated one brother’s existence entirely, then placed the fate of the race solely on the back of the other.
“She knew they would be born, her visions were never wrong. But with limited information, she also knew that the Primeval would insist on having the child delivered to him, if not destroyed outright. The boys would be separated, leaving the race to its doom. She was determined that she would have her revenge on the race that had turned its back on her not once, but twice now. And she cared nothing of the people she would hurt in exacting that revenge.”
Chapter
One Hundred Twenty-Four
M aybe it was an after effect of the blood loss, but I was having trouble processing Rachel’s story. I knew from my vision of Harrier as a boy that his mother was a royal bitch. But was she really so awful that she would condemn an unborn child to death or imprisonment simply to unleash a punishment on an establishment that had shunned her? How could anyone be so cruel?
“Does Raven know this?” I asked. Did Nox?
“I doubt it,” Rachel said. “I have no proof that any of this is true, but the fact that there were twins born rather than one child speaks so much. She would have seen this. I’m certain of it.”
I wasn’t. My visions could be wonky sometimes, but of course I wasn’t an ages old Vampire Seer.
“Do you think he should be told?” I asked. I wasn’t so sure.
“That’s up to you, Jessica. If you think it could help him then by all means, share. As I say, it is only a theory.”