The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

I sat back and leaned my head on the back of the couch, too upset to speak, just thinking over the things Fiona and I had discussed. He knew I was upset with him. His deep sigh and the way he looked at me while waiting for me to say something, gave him away. A troubled silence filled the room.

  I finally took a deep breath and said, “So, are you above the rules, then?”

  “Can we discuss this at dinner? I would love a shower. As a matter of fact, perhaps you might like to join me. We should both get cleaned up and then go out on the town.”

  He pulled me to my feet, and unwilling as I was to put off my questions, I let him maneuver me into the bathroom. Of course, we took much longer in there than we had planned. I couldn’t believe how good he was at making me forget all that bothered me, all my questions, all my fears, all my accusations. For more than an hour, nothing was on my mind save for his gentle touches, his warm wet kisses, his electrified skin touching mine. And then, the bliss of joining together again became my sanctuary; the diversion so intense that nothing else in the whole world seemed even remotely tangible.

  * * *

  Of course, once our lovemaking was over, while I prepared for our night out, my thoughts again returned to my anger and all the things Fiona had mentioned. I sat at my vanity and brushed my hair, trying not to think of that conversation. I reached into the drawer in search of my red lipstick, but couldn’t seem to find it. I pulled the drawer out farther, and while reaching all the way to the back, something sliced into my finger.

  Damn!

  I pulled out an old yellowed envelope, licked my paper cut, and swore quietly to myself. I didn’t remember seeing this when I first filled the drawers with my cosmetics, and assumed it had been left by Amrita. Thinking that perhaps she’d left me a little note, I opened the envelope up and pulled out a piece of unlined paper.

  Scrawled in huge perfect letters was written:

  True fortune told and quite profound -

  Your fate shall send you underground.

  Though on that eve ‘tis not your fault,

  You’ll bear the blame for this assault.

  Half insane, with shrieking breath -

  Ferocious battle to the death.

  One is conquered and beheaded,

  And one mind is all but shredded.

  No longer living as a wife -

  A babe is born within the strife,

  Just three short months to be a mother,

  A daughter raised by elder brother.

  I gasped, stopped reading, and folded the paper back up, realizing this had to have been a prophecy for Emrys’ mother, Phoebe, and wondered if Amrita knew it was there all these years.

  I heard the shower shut off, and quickly stuffed the paper back into the envelope and pushed it back into the drawer, feeling like a snoop. Surely this was a private prophecy from Sibelle, and immediately I felt guilty. This meant that Phoebe knew ahead of time and still was unable to stop her attack! Quickly turning my mind back to my conversation with Fiona, I had to hope that Emrys didn’t pick up this bit of information. Then I wondered if he even knew about this prophecy.

  I went to my closet and began to rummage through the dresses, trying to decide what to wear. I managed to empty my mind, and concentrated on Fiona and all her stories.

  “Come on, my love,” Emrys said as he entered the closet and grabbed his clothes without a second thought. “I am looking forward to taking you out, and I am starving.”

  I had a hard time deciding what to wear and finally in exasperation, Emrys pulled out a red dress and placed it on the bed.

  “Here, you will look lovely in this.” Without another word or thought, it seemed the easiest thing to do was simply put it on, and so I did. When I looked into the mirror I realized he was right: it was a beautiful dress. I touched up my hair and once again was in awe of this new effortless shimmer that never seemed to fade. Being a Raven had a lot more benefits than just immortality. I finished applying my makeup and slipped into my black dress shoes. The excitement of going out on the arm of the most gorgeous man in the world began to outweigh the heaviness I had been feeling. I glanced at him as he finished up with his long hair. Handsome as ever. He wore black pants and a dark gray dress shirt with a red tie. He stood beside me in the mirror and said, “There, we even match.”

  I smiled at him and was amazed at how good we looked together. For a few brief moments nothing else seemed to matter - until we drove past the gatehouse, which reminded me once again of Fiona’s stories and my unresolved anger.

  All the while we rode in the car I forced myself to concentrate on positive things. Each comment I made was deliberate and expressed truthfully, but perhaps a tad over the top. I noted every single thing we passed on the road to London: The hills were so green... the trees so colorful...the sky so blue. The cottages along the way appeared so quaint and picturesque. The streets in London were so different from at home...the buildings so old-fashioned looking, and on and on until Emrys, in all his otherworldly patience and self-control, finally could contain himself no longer.

  “Enough!” he boomed, startling me out of my inane and unending observations.

  I stared at him blankly waiting for him to say something.

  “I would much prefer it if you tried to enjoy yourself, Elizabeth, rather than go on and on without end regarding our lovely views. If you wish to talk about what troubles you, then please do. Do not pretend for my sake.”

  “Oh, by all means!” I made no attempt to hide my snippiness. “I’m simply trying to not think about the obvious things bothering me. And trust me; I’m in no way pretending for your sake. If it’s for anyone’s sake, it’s my own.” I took a deep breath and flipped my hair back. “This was your idea, Emrys. If you think going out on the town will make me stop worrying about Rohan, well, maybe you’re right, and maybe you’re wrong. But in the meantime, you must know: that isn’t the only thing bothering me. Don’t you remember our conversation earlier? You know, just before you seduced me?”

  “Oh, is that what you call it?” He reached over and stroked my bare thigh causing the hair on the back of my neck to prickle.

  I glanced forward trying to ignore him, but as usual he was on to me. “Yes. And furthermore, I wish you hadn’t talked me into this dress. It’s kind of chilly for a sleeveless outfit.” I rubbed my arms and then glancing at my lap, tried to pull the dress down farther. It was at least three inches above my knees. This little red dress was Lindy’s. I wasn’t even sure how it ended up in my closet and decided I’d have to talk to Kelsey about it in the morning - Kelsey, my assistant, who was at one time madly in love with the rogue vampire who wanted me dead. Or, at the very least, he wanted to take me away from Emrys. I wasn’t sure which fate would be worse, but then decided on the latter…yes, death would be easier. I shivered at the dismal idea.

  Emrys caught wind of my thoughts, ignoring all but the beginning, and he asked sweetly, “I see you forgot your wrap; would you like me to turn up the heat, love?”

  I rolled my eyes at him and mumbled, “Sure.”

  “I am not above the rules, as you suggested earlier. It was brought to my attention that after Steven was invited to the gathering, he neglected to ask another, and as time was running out, I simply had to take control. I merely suggested to him that he ask Fiona, that she seemed like an interesting person. I suppose one could say I bent the rules a bit by interfering, but I knew she would ask you, and I simply could not - no, I would not wait another ten years for you!” He ended his sentence with a sharp drop in tone, with a deep intense rumble. Once I knew you, I had to have you.”

  How could I argue with that? Fate may have sealed us for all eternity, but what if good old Random Steve had forced us to wait another ten years for our eternity to begin? I suppose I was glad for the slight interference after all. My mouth became quite dry as I worked through that thought. I would’ve been over thirty-two the next time the gathering took place, older than Emrys! All I could say was, “Oh.”

 
; “Now can we get on with our evening?” he asked wryly.

  We drove in silence for a few more minutes, and then he cleared his throat. “It would not matter to me.”

  I was confused and turned to him, “What wouldn’t matter?” My insecurities started to boil. “Are you saying you should’ve followed the rules and let things happen in their own time? Even if it had to be another ten years?”

  He turned his head slightly and smiled, “No, Elizabeth. You have jumped to the wrong conclusion. It would not matter to me if you were older. It would have only been a few years difference anyway. It was the decade of waiting that I dreaded.”

  “I see. Well, I’m glad everything turned out as it did. I’m sorry I questioned your integrity, Emrys. I suppose, as Regent you are allowed to manipulate some things anyway, aren’t you? Maybe that’s not the right word. You’re allowed some sort of leeway, right?” I began to wish I had just dropped the subject. My mouth seemed to be getting away from me again.

  “There are some rules the Regents get away with bending, yes. I will not go into any details right now, but just trust me on this.

  Everyone on the board knows exactly what happens, when it happens, and why it happens. Nothing is hidden; all is revealed. They also know my vote is the tiebreaker. I can veto matters that they decide on, and for the most part, they will choose to stay on my good side! It is a rare thing for a Regent to have his authority challenged or usurped.”

  I bristled at the unintended reference to what Rohan had in mind, but before I could open my mouth to make my thoughts known, Emrys reached across the seat and touched my thigh gently, whispering, “Shh, let us not talk about this any longer. We are here, let us go eat dinner, have a drink, and relax a little, shall we?”

  His calming voice, coupled with his electrifying touch immediately soothed my ruffled feathers, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, let’s.”

  When we entered the restaurant, we were treated like royalty and whisked immediately to our table. It was situated away from the rest of the guests and was very romantic and private. I was quite impressed and figured Emrys was highly regarded as a special guest, since I knew he hadn’t had time to make a proper reservation.

  We had a delicious four-course meal starting off with jellied ham hock and then a glazed leek and mushroom tart that was out of this world. Our main course was rack of lamb with a crispy herb crust, the center – pink, and melt-in-your-mouth tender, Boulangère potatoes, and butternut squash. We drank a lovely bottle of Chablis during our meal, and for dessert we had hot fudge sundaes smothered in rich chocolate and warm toffee. I enjoyed every single bite, thankful that whoever had come up with the notion that vampires didn’t eat real food - was so wrong. And I cherished every moment of time - sitting across from Emrys, watching him intently while he spoke. He kept me entertained, telling stories of famous restaurants throughout London and some of his favorite dishes at each one. There were so many things I had never even heard of before, living my sheltered, quiet life in Rhode Island.

  He promised to take me to each place and to try each new dish. After all, we had all the time in the world. And the most amazing thing happened: not once did I think of Rohan.

  It wasn’t until we started walking hand in hand back to our parked car that it occurred to me. Emrys had succeeded in keeping my mind so totally off any fearful thoughts that, when I saw someone in the shadows jump out at us, I didn’t even scream.

  A deep, thick accented voice boomed out, “Give me your wallet or I shall shoot you between the eyes, bloke!”

  “Blimey!” Emrys started laughing after he feigned surprise.

  The man was taller than Emrys, thin and wiry. He had a thick crop of dark hair, a tightly trimmed beard, and mustache to match and wore a long white apron tied in the back. I noticed then he had in one hand a chef hat and in the other a half-smoked cigarette. He placed the cigarette in his mouth in order to reach out and shake Emrys’ hand. “Jolly good to see you, my friend! It’s been a long while since you’ve honored us with your presence.”

  As they shook hands, Emrys chuckled and said, “Yes, I believe it has been a long while. Graham, I would like to introduce you to my wife, Elizabeth.”

  Graham turned to face me and nodded as he took the cigarette out of his mouth, dropping it to the ground. His hand was warm and rough and as he shook mine gently, he said with a wink, “Ah! No wonder you’ve been long away, mate. You’ve found yourself a true beauty to keep yourself occupied! It is a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth. A true pleasure.”

  “Hello, Graham,” I said.

  “Graham is one of the best chefs in London,” Emrys explained with a smile, “And as you can see, quite a prankster.” He paused a second, turned his eyes back to Graham and said, “I see you are on a smoke break.”

  “Indeed I am. But surely you jest. One of the best chefs?” He kept his eyes on me the entire time he spoke. His gaze and his lingering handshake began to feel more of an intrusion than a courteous gesture.

  Who does this guy think he is?

  “I believe you are most likely the best chef in all of London, quite frankly. But,” Emrys continued in a playful, warning tone,

  “Until you let loose of my wife I shall never acknowledge that as fact. And furthermore, if you wish the continued use of both of your hands, I suggest you take my advice in haste.” Emrys cleared his throat.

  “I completely understand the reasoning behind your words, kind sir.” Graham let my hand go and finally released me from his stare as well. Under the streetlight, his smile shone brightly revealing a large gap between his two front teeth, and he said, “I would be hard pressed to admit anything myself, should a stranger be so taken with my wife, considering a beauty so rare - notwithstanding, and so rudely grasping her hand in earnest, for longer than necessary. Please forgive me.” He bowed his head toward me one last time and turned to face Emrys. “Now will you acknowledge I’m the best, sir?” he asked, with a chuckle.

  They both started laughing like old army buddies, slapping one another on the shoulders. By this time I was convinced they both had had too much to drink, and I began to feel a little awkward. Standing there in the semi-darkness, chilled to the bone, and watching them laugh at nothing so amusing to me, I became quite antsy. I rubbed my exposed arms, hoping to get a bit of circulation to warm myself up, but to no avail.

  “Very well then, you are definitely the best chef,” Emrys said clearly, although with all the backslapping and laughter, I had missed Graham’s last comment.

  Shivering from the chill, I interrupted their idle chatter when I finally found a moment to break in, saying, “Can I please have the keys, Emrys. I’m cold.” I held out my hand.

  Emrys reached into his pocket, laughing still. In what I had at first perceived as an absentminded manner, he dropped the keys into my waiting hand, and then turned toward Graham and said, “I really should be going, my friend. My wife is cold.”

  I chuckled to myself silently, and thought:

  He is so lucky he said that.

  Graham cleared his throat and said, “Of course. I won’t keep you long, but I do have a bit of information you may need to hear.” His voice was lower, and for the first time, more serious.

  “Elizabeth...” Emrys started to say, turning back to me.

  I shook my head, and said, “That’s okay, Emrys. I’ll be fine.” I didn’t want to be a burden just because I was chilled.

  “I shall be but a minute, my love. My coat is on the seat. Or better yet, turn the motor on to warm yourself.”

  “It was very nice to meet you, Graham,” I said, uncrossing my folded arms to shake his hand again. I began easing closer to the parking lot. “I’m sure I’ll see you again. I really enjoyed our meal tonight. Everything was fantastic.”

  “Thank you, it was grand to have met you as well. The pleasure was entirely mine.” As I walked away, I heard Graham say to Emrys, “You’ve certainly hit the jackpot on that one; I’ll tell you what, sir!”
>
  As they bantered back and forth, I found the lock and opened the door, threw myself into the passenger seat and turned on the engine. The car was parked in the shadows but I could see the men as they stood under the street light not more than twenty feet from where I sat. I could no longer make out what they were saying, but by his posture, I could see that Emrys kept trying to ease himself away. His back was to me, and every now and then he’d take a short step backwards.

  I heard them when they laughed out loud and I saw Graham light another cigarette. As he exhaled, the bluish gray smoke rose up and disappeared into the night. I hoped Emrys didn’t come back to the car reeking like a smelly old ashtray. That could ruin the whole ride home.

  After I turned up the blower on the heater, I grabbed Emrys’ coat, draped it over my arms, and relaxed. The warm air on my legs felt wonderful, and my goose bumps finally subsided.

  I leaned back into the seat, sighed, and closed my eyes, thinking about how fortunate I truly was. I had a wonderful husband who loved me more than life itself. My stomach was pleasantly full, I was toasty warm, and soon we’d be on our way back home to Ravenswynd. I already loved my new home, and more than anything, I was so happy that both my best friend and my sister were able to share this new life with me. We had so much to look forward to; so many new adventures…

  Suddenly, and without any noise or warning, a brutal hand clamped over my mouth - yanking me back hard against the headrest, cranked my head to the side, and pressed a cold, metal object against my neck.

  CHAPTER 10

  MIDNIGHT SHIFT

  “Don’t make a move or I’ll slit your throat.” The harsh, raspy demand snarled from the back seat. The abrasive hand over my mouth gripped painfully tighter; the icy metal on my neck pressed hazardously deeper. “This knife is very sharp,” he added. The razor-edge bit into my skin as a warning and seconds later, a small, warm trickle of blood slithered all the way down between my breasts. I froze solid, unable to move, scream, or breathe; once again reminded of the glaring truth: becoming a vampire didn’t mean there was nothing to fear anymore. And sharp objects were the one thing we all dreaded, especially when wielded anywhere near our necks.