The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  “Emrys! This has not changed anything between us! We had The Veinvedia. No rule changes can alter that, right?” I had come to appreciate the secure feeling I’d been enjoying all these months, and couldn’t imagine it any other way.

  He didn’t hesitate for a second, but quickly said, “Of course not. The Veinvedia can never be changed. Not that it would matter. My love for you is without end. There are some things that can never change, no matter what.”

  “Good. That’s what I thought,” I said, feeling relieved.

  We sat down on the edge of the bed together and I removed the gauze from my legs. After tossing the curly white fabric to the side, I took his hand in mine and cleared my throat.

  Knowing the topic was now absolutely moot, I still had to know his answer. I tried not to sound too bothersome. I looked into his eyes and said, “I know you don’t want to keep going over this, but I just have to know, for my own peace of mind.”

  He knew what I was about to ask before I could form the words. I could see it in his ever-patient expression. With a small grin and a twinkle in his eye, he let me go on anyway.

  “If I had been violated, through no fault of my own, would you...could you have sent me away? And tell me the truth.” Our eyes locked in a moment of complete honesty.

  He didn’t blink or look away. He squeezed my hand tightly and said, “I have thought about this many times, and that was the main reason I fought so hard to change the rules.” A slight frown creased his brows and he shook his head saying, “I will never understand how my father did it. Perhaps being Regent meant more to him than it does to me. Or maybe he felt more responsible for the well-being of our society. It all made sense to me before you came into my life. But,” he said, now shaking his head, “my answer is no. I could never send you away. I would have had to put another in my place and step down as Regent.”

  Relief swept over me like a flood. Sweet relief - knowing I was more important to him than anything else was – even the damn rules. “Thank you, Emrys. Your words mean the world to me. And that’s exactly why I pushed you so hard to change things. I knew that it would have been such a terrible decision for you to make. You are so responsible, so good for this society. And everyone loves and respects you so much. I’m really glad we don’t need to worry about this any longer.” I sighed. “I am so happy.”

  “So am I, my sweet wife. So am I.” He covered his mouth with his hand as a huge yawn silenced him. He fell back onto the bed drawing me with him, saying, “I need a little nap. I am so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open.” He yawned again. “You must be tired too. Do you mind terribly?”

  Before I even had a chance to answer, his eyes closed and his breathing became heavy and noisy, not quite snoring. His hair looked black as night on the white pillow, and he still had hold of my hand. I didn’t want to wake him, so I curled up around his warm body and closed my eyes. It took a while before sleep came to me though. My mind kept playing over and over the scene of chaos that had taken place. Then, I had spurts of dreams with red rivers and lakes, dark clouds, wind and rain, lost keys and rings and puppies and clowns. None of them made any sense, and I awoke several times only to lie there and think about the life I had ended. For one brief moment, I felt a shadow of doubt, but then Rohan’s evil laugh came back to me, echoing in my mind. I could almost feel his fingers digging deep into my arm and his hot rancid breath in my face. These vivid memories convinced me that I had done the right thing, and I knew it was just a matter of time before he would have attempted to kill Emrys. Rohan knew that he could never win an honest duel. He would have played dirty, and attacked without warning. The minute he showed up in my room, he had given me no other choice. It was him or I. His was a life that was wicked and bent on evil, and I took it fair and square. After reasoning with myself between bouts of fitful sleep and confused dreams, I finally slept peacefully.

  We might have slept the whole afternoon away had it not been for the incessant knocking at the door. Emrys was already headed toward the hallway when I woke up and realized what the pounding noise was. And whoever knocked, was relentless. Even as Emrys opened the door, the rapping continued.

  “I am so sorry to bother you sir, but is Elizabeth available?” It was Royal’s voice and he sounded extremely upset. I bounded out of bed and ran to the doorway before Emrys answered him.

  “It’s okay. What’s wrong?” I pulled my robe tight and brushed the hair out of my eyes.

  Royal’s face was a battle zone. “I can’t find Kelsey!” he nearly shouted. His forehead was creased with worry lines and somehow he looked older than his years. “I’ve looked everywhere. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  For a brief moment, I wondered if Rohan’s last lie was that he left Kelsey in one piece. My heart raced as horrible thoughts ran through my mind.

  Emrys told him to come in and sit, and then he asked, “When did you last speak to her?”

  “It was last night, after we heard about - the killing.”

  Immediate relief – she had been seen after Rohan’s death.

  Royal gave me a nervous glance. “I’m sorry, Miss Elizabeth. Do you think she’s upset about it? So much so that she took off? I mean, she’s always acted as if she hated him so much. It doesn’t make any sense, but that’s all I can imagine. Where would she go without telling anyone?” He sounded truly frantic.

  “Calm down, lad. We will figure this all out,” Emrys said as he put a hand on Royal’s shoulder. “Have you spoken to Priscilla yet?”

  “Yes. She said she had not seen or spoken to Kelsey since yesterday morning, just before she went outside with the dog.”

  I thought back to yesterday and remembered the sweltering day we’d had. “Did you look in her garden?”

  “Of course, that’s the first place I thought to look. She always goes out there when she’s feeling emotional.” Royal looked so wounded, so lost and uncertain.

  “The dog! Did you see the puppy anywhere?” I asked. “Kelsey would never leave Frosty alone.”

  He shook his head and answered, “No sign of either of them.” He chewed on his fingernail, and I could not seem to help my fleeting thought, but this look certainly did not fit my mental image of a vampire.

  Emrys picked up the telephone as I excused myself and went to the dressing room. I quickly slipped into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I didn’t know where to begin to look, especially since Royal said he had already searched the entire estate, but something about this whole situation reminded me of a dream or a vision. I wasn’t sure which, but I had such a distinct feeling that I would find her, and I had a general idea of where that would take me.

  I assumed Emrys would gather everyone to start a search party, and I called over my shoulder as I left the living room, “I’m going to start looking now.”

  Still on the phone, Emrys never responded to me, but Royal gave me a quick wave and a nod.

  As I ran down the long hallway, I realized it was the first time in ages that I had been out of our rooms without an escort. Even though my first venture out was not for fun, it felt exhilarating and free. I flew down the stairs, through the dining room and kitchen, out of the back door, and ran down the pathway toward Kelsey’s garden. Something inside of me had clicked, and I knew how to go about finding her, and exactly where she was.

  Just before reaching the trellis, I was reminded of the time I tried to ignore my hulking bodyguard who stood beneath the flowers, keeping an ever-present watch on me, and all the other times since, when he followed me wherever I went. I had to assume he was no longer with us; one of the fallen. I had a moment of deep sadness while realizing I never even knew his name. Flaming hell! Why had I been so indifferent to the poor guy? I supposed I had resented him for always lurking around, always spying on me. But that wasn’t his fault, it was his job.

  Flaming hell!

  These thoughts were distracting me. Bothering me more than I thought possible. But much like my now defunct persona, otherwise known as Scarl
ett, I decided I wouldn’t think about it now, I’d think about it tomorrow. Right now I had to force myself to concentrate on finding Kelsey.

  I jogged through the trellis of purple flowers, followed the pathway lined with beautiful blossoming bushes and green plants, crossed over the stairway and went all the way back to the end of the garden where the stone wall met with the woods, and stopped. The sunshine was bright where I stood, but deep shadows filled the barely visible path ahead of me. I listened intently, but heard nothing but the rustling of small creatures and the call of birds. Edging into the shade I began to walk slowly, step by step, deeper into the woods. The path was ill defined, but I knew I wouldn’t get lost.

  After about five minutes of working my way through the dimly lit woodland, I saw an opening up ahead where the sun shone brightly. I knew I’d find Kelsey there in the hidden meadow. The puppy announced my presence moments before I spotted them. Kelsey was sitting on the ground in the middle of the open area, leaning back on a flattish looking rock, bent over a pad of paper. She turned around to see who had interrupted her solitude and smiled when she saw me. I waved, but didn’t call out, not wanting to disturb the tranquil scene; once the puppy had realized who I was, she quieted and returned to rest her head on Kelsey’s outstretched leg.

  Pausing, I looked up at the deep blue sky, such a stark difference from the shadowy woods that only allowed thin shafts of daylight to filter in. There were purple wildflowers everywhere, darkest green grass and a few large boulders here and there. I wondered who else knew of this secret meadow and exactly how long Kelsey had known about it herself.

  “Hi, Lizzy,” she said quietly, after I’d made my way to them. She smiled as I sat down next to her on the cool grass. I spotted a sketchpad in her lap which contained a drawing of her puppy romping through this very meadow.

  “Hi Kelsey,” I said, leaning in for a closer look. “I didn’t know you could draw.” For some strange reason I was compelled to whisper. “This is lovely. It looks exactly like Frosty!”

  Sitting next to her was a small box of colored pencils and a bag of doggie treats. “I don’t think I’m all that good at it,” she said, shrugging, and then asked, “How did you find me?”

  Her brown curls were pulled back with a ribbon, and she reached up to loosen it, letting her hair fall forward. Replacing the blue pencil back into the box, she closed her sketchpad before I had a chance to ask to see more of her artwork.

  “I’m not sure, but I just knew where to go. I think I had a dream about this place, or maybe it was a vision.” I took a deep breath. “Royal is very worried about you. Are you alright?”

  She shook her head and said, “No. I’m scared.” She let out a long, heavy sigh and gazed up into the blue sky.

  “What are you scared of?” I asked, confused.

  “Well, for starters, everything that has happened appears to be my fault - again.” She looked into my eyes. “Are you even aware of what happened? I mean, how Rohan got the key to your room in the first place?”

  She was no longer whispering, and she paused when I shook my head.

  “Well,” she continued, “it never occurred to me that he figured out how to get into my room either. I guess he was a bit more clever than I gave him credit for. I didn’t even realize it was my fault until I found my chain in your suite.” She rubbed her palms together, looking nervous, and then reached over and scratched the puppy behind the ears.

  “When were you in my room?” I couldn’t imagine her being witness to the bloody mess, but I hoped my voice didn’t sound too alarmed. “They didn’t make you clean, did they?”

  “Oh – no. It was after everything was cleaned and scrubbed. They had just brought out the cleaning supplies and the door was still open. I went in to drop off the laundry…and I saw my chain on your vanity table. I never even knew I had been tricked, not until the moment I saw the keys.” Her words were dull and choppy. She put her face into her hands and said, “God, Lizzy. He was in my room while I showered! I still can’t believe it! And now, he is actually dead!”

  I cleared my throat, suddenly realizing that maybe a small part of her mourned for him. “I’m sorry, Kelsey. He meant something to you at one time, and it’s my fault that he’s gone. Will you ever forgive me?”

  Her head popped up with a look of astonishment, and she said, “Are you serious?” Her eyes were wide and she stared at me with a surprised look on her face. “You think I have to forgive you?”

  “Well, I just thought...”

  “Lizzy! He could have killed you!” she yelled, clearly upset.

  “Or, worse yet, you could have ended up like Emrys’ mother!” She shook her head as her eyes grew sad. “I’m the one who is sorry. I’m afraid no one will ever forgive me for being so irresponsible.”

  “Wow. How you do confound things in that pretty little head of yours,” I said, patting the top of her head.

  She gave a slight wince at my touch, frowned, and asked, “What are you saying?”

  “I don’t blame you one bit. It never entered my mind that any of this was your fault. None of it, Kelsey. Rohan was evil.” I shuddered at the thought of the dead guards. “Pure evil. Even if you had never been a part of his life, he fully intended to get even with Emrys’ family. His one goal in life was to be Regent, and only for the power that he seemed to believe he would attain by it. Certainly not to help or guide anyone, to make their lives better. He was a selfish, greedy, power-hungry rogue. He used anyone who got in his way and caused nothing but pain whenever he could. Please believe me, there isn’t anything to forgive you for. And for a minute, I thought you were angry with me!”

  “Angry? You are my friend and my only confidant. I could never be angry with you, Lizzy.” Her face softened into a small smile.

  “Well, then. It appears we’ve both been equally worried for no reason.” I took a deep breath of relief and smiled at my friend. “I’m glad that’s settled!”

  “Me too,” she added.

  “Oh, Kelsey, I have some super-good news! The meeting Emrys attended - the vote went as we had hoped! The rules will be changing and you and Royal...” I didn’t get a chance to finish my sentence.

  Kelsey let out a yelp of happiness, “Oh that’s wonderful! Does Royal know yet?”

  “I think by now everyone probably knows.” I felt so happy for Kelsey, knowing she wouldn’t have to hide her love any longer and she could get on with her life. My smile echoed her huge joyful grin.

  Tilting my head back, I let the warmth of the sunshine settle on my face, feeling laid-back and peaceful for the first time in ages. The birds were chirping and a soft breeze blew overhead. It felt great to feel so relaxed for a change. Kelsey had leaned forward to toss a toy for the puppy to fetch, just as I glanced back at her. What she revealed behind her caused the peace I had been feeling to retreat as rapidly as it had come, and in its place I had a sudden feeling of dread. All this time, she had been casually leaning up against a headstone.

  I found myself on my feet and backing away only to realize that the rest of the scattered boulders were, in fact, more grave markers, so old and weathered that they appeared rounded and pitted with age. It was obvious at one time there were names engraved on each stone, but in fact they were so ancient, not one was legible. I took a slow turn around, surveying the area, keeping my footing steady. I didn’t want to take the chance of stepping on a grave, already feeling somewhat disrespectful of the dead as we had carelessly sat there without regard to our surroundings. There were around fifteen headstones. Some were very rough and covered with lichen, so eroded they really did look more like big rocks strewn about. The clearing I had thought was a hidden meadow was, in fact, an old graveyard. The way the trees surrounded the opening, yet kept their distance - without even a sapling having taken root inside the circle, made you believe it was, indeed, sacred ground. I felt chills run down my spine as I thought about the lives of these long forgotten people, and whom they might have been.

  I�
��m sure the shocked look on my face was what caused Kelsey to stand up, and as she brushed herself off, she reassured me, “Oh, no need to worry, Lizzy. These souls don’t mind the company. I’ve been coming here since Phoebe found my mum and me on the road. At one time you could even read the names on the markers. From what I remember seeing, they were all servants, just like us, not a one had a surname. But if you look real close, you can see some of the stones had cross and bones engraved in them.”

  Amazed that the thought of spending the day in a cemetery didn’t seem to faze her in the least, and regardless of the fact that I was supposed to be a creature of the night myself, it just didn’t seem right to me. After all, for the most part, I still felt like myself. Vampire or not, this place gave me the creeps.

  “We should get back. Royal is quite worried about you.” I glanced around trying to appear casual.

  She nodded as she gathered up her things. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I should have told him where I was going. But I just needed some time alone, and I wasn’t sure how he’d react.”

  “You won’t have to keep anything from Royal. He will never hurt you the way Rohan did. I just know it.”

  “I do believe you’re right, Lizzy. No one could hurt me the way he did.”

  I was more attentive to where I stepped when we made our way back to the pathway, and as we began our trek back through the woods, Kelsey touched my arm lightly and asked, “Was it very hard to do?” She walked close behind me on the narrow path, avoiding the puppy running in circles around the two of us.

  “Was what hard to do?” I asked over my shoulder. I actually felt better in the dimness of the forest than I had in the sunny opening.

  She cleared her throat and said, “Kill him.”