The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  CHAPTER 8

  OH, SWEET TEMPTATION

  I had just come from Melinda and Gavin’s suite and was headed back to ours when I heard the laughter. If not for the sound, I might have walked right past the library without a second thought. But I recognized my husband’s deep voice… and then Veronica’s.

  What the flaming hell?

  My gut reaction was to run into the room, rip her head off, and ask questions later. I took a deep breath, turned back, and walked in as though nothing bothered me in the least, and just stood there smiling.

  Emrys sat in one of the large over-stuffed chairs that faced the doorway, and Veronica casually perched on the corner of an end table - one of her knees hugged to her chest. When Emrys jumped up, she looked startled and quickly put her leg down, apparently trying not to look quite so relaxed. Emrys gave me a huge smile, ignoring my indignation. I didn’t see her at first, but after Emrys came toward the doorway, I spotted Amrita, half-hidden behind the back of another huge chair.

  “Hello, Sister!” Amrita called, leaning her head around the arm of the chair. I called out a meek hello after realizing she was there. Once again, I’d let my imagination get the better of me, and before Emrys reached me, I’d given him a silent apology for my negative thoughts.

  “Hello, my wife,” he said, sweet as ever. “Are the three angels fast asleep?” He took my hands in his, bent forward, and planted a kiss on my mouth.

  I nodded, still feeling quite ridiculous. “Yep, sound asleep. What are you three up to?” I asked, trying to sound casual. I could only hope that Amrita hadn’t detected my stupid jealousies. It was bad enough that my dear husband already knew, but I didn’t want to spread the news about my insecurities. I had to admit, I had nothing to fear with him. It was Miss Bimbo; her actions had set me off from the beginning. She was the one who had been all flirty with my husband, and if not for the fact that she knew I could take her out without batting an eye, she’d probably continue her seductive behavior. I wondered what would happen once she was turned. Would she try harder then, believing that we’d somehow be equals in the field of battle?

  “We have been discussing the future,” Emrys began, interrupting my thoughts. “Amrita and I have explained some of our rules to Veronica, and what will be expected of her during her stay with us. She is willing to make herself available in any way we deem fit.”

  I just bet she is! The little floozy…

  Emrys gave me a quick frown and then led me back to his chair. “Have a seat, my dear, and tell us what you think.”

  I glared at him, wondering why he wanted my input, when he knew damn well that if it were up to me, she’d be sent on her merry way. I glanced over at Amrita. The look on her face told me she understood exactly what I’d been thinking. I wondered if Emrys had mentioned Veronica’s earlier intentions.

  “Well,” I said, licking my lips.

  Veronica slid off the table and stood before me, not moving a muscle. Heather must have already told her of our near catastrophe. She folded her hands together, nervously waiting.

  I sighed, glanced up at Emrys and then over to Amrita. Then studying Veronica, I remembered an old saying I’d heard ages ago. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer still.

  “Well,” I started again, peering into her eyes. “I don’t know. A part of me says yes, we can always use another donor, and yet another part of me feels quite apprehensive. After all, Veronica, you certainly didn’t hide the fact that you were interested in Emrys. I mean, really interested; and not just in our lifestyle here, but I have the feeling you thought of him as a potential mate.” I wanted to say potential conquest, but I bit my tongue.

  Emrys didn’t even flinch, which surprised me a bit. Amrita grinned. Veronica’s eyes bugged out and her cheeks flushed. It was obvious she didn’t know me at all. I would never be the type to mince my words. And if it meant embarrassing her into admitting that her actions were wrong, so be it.

  “Elizabeth,” she began. “May I call you that? Or do you prefer Mrs. Bertrand?”

  “My friends call me Lizzy. If we can get a few things straight between us, right here and right now, I see no reason why we can’t be friends.”

  Her whole demeanor changed then, and as my words sank in, her relief became more visible.

  “I planned to apologize to you…Lizzy…really I did. There were so many things I was unaware of…” she sighed, leaned back against the table, and continued. “I didn’t realize that Emrys was even married at first. And… the way he looked at me back in the holding room of the airport, I just thought…I mean…” She shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t want to get him in trouble with you. I realize now, he was only using me to escape. And it worked.”

  I took a quick glance at Emrys. His expression hadn’t changed at all, and I figured she was being truthful. His only goal was to get back to me.

  “I understand, Veronica. Emrys isn’t in trouble. Our love is impenetrable and eternal. Nothing can ever change that. Not even a pretty girl like you.”

  Veronica seemed taken aback, as though I’d slapped her in the face.

  “I don’t mean to sound condescending, but it’s the truth. You are very pretty, and other men might be tempted to stray, especially if you showed yourself to be available. But not my Emrys, he’s different. I trust him completely.” I gazed up at him and smiled.

  Amrita added, “She’s right, Veronica. My brother’s integrity is above reproach. He would never do anything to hurt Elizabeth - or our Raven society. And, if you wish to be turned, my advice to you would be to make note of which males are already taken - so there is no chance of anyone getting hurt. Our family sticks together and we watch out for one another.”

  Veronica nodded. “I understand. I’ll be careful who I…socialize with. I really do appreciate you all being honest with me and giving me this opportunity.”

  I couldn’t tell if she was being truthful, or sucking up to us. But regardless, I knew I wouldn’t be the only Raven keeping my eye on her. And if one Raven knew anything going on around here, chances were, within mere hours, everyone would know. Close-knit, or gossipy, it didn’t matter to me. Miss Bimbo’s daily activities would be on high alert.

  Emrys took my hand in his and said, “Alright then, now that this is settled, let us retire to our suite.” He gently pulled me to my feet, put his arm around me, and faced our new donor. “Have a good evening, Veronica.”

  Before he could turn to his sister, Amrita jumped up and said, “Good night my dears. I too think I’ll retire for the evening and see what my loving husband is up to.” She glanced back at Veronica and added, “I hope we weren’t too rough on you. I’m sure you’ll be happy here, as long as you continue to follow the rules. We’re hoping you learn to fit in and get along with everyone, and before you know it, it’ll be time for you to be turned!”

  “Thank-you, Amrita. I’m sure I’ll be happy too, and I can’t wait!” It was the first time she smiled since I came into the library. She twisted back to Emrys and me and said, “Good-night, and thanks again.” And then she scampered out of the room and headed down the hallway.

  Nodding, Amrita said, “I think that went well. And I don’t think we’ll have any more trouble with her, Lizzy. And even if we do, I’ll displace her memory and drop her off at the nearest airport!”

  I gave a short chuckle, hoping it wouldn’t ever come to that. As we all strolled to the doorway, a feeling of happiness came over me. It was good to be in a real family. Even if we were a family of vampires, we knew how to stick together. I gave Amrita a hug before we went our separate ways. And I hoped that one day, I’d be able to repay her kindness, and show her that she now had a real sister too.

  Emrys didn’t say much as we went back to our suite. He squeezed my hand and whispered, “I love you, my wife.”

  I squeezed back saying, “I know…and you would love to kiss me!”

  CHAPTER 9

  WALTZ OF THE FLOWERS

  Melinda and Ga
vin seemed to be settling in quite well with the triplets. For the first few weeks the new parents ate most of their meals up in their suite, but once in a while, Priscilla managed to talk them into letting her babysit, and they’d have a meal with the rest of the family. The day we announced our trip to Scotland, they just happened to be eating with us, and I felt Lindy’s sadness as soon as Emrys mentioned it.

  I turned to assure her; our trip would only be a few days this time. We’d already put it off longer than we should have. Sibelle had left the message weeks ago, but I didn’t want to leave until I knew Lindy felt comfortable enough to let me go. Not that I even helped her all that much, but I did make a point of stopping in at least once a day to check on her and the babies. Gavin had hired one of the kitchen girls to be Lindy’s right hand helper, and more often than not, I felt like I was in the way. They seemed to have a great schedule and worked quite well together. I enjoyed seeing Melinda whenever she interacted with the triplets, though. She impressed me beyond measure. She was such a great mom. I wasn’t even sure why it bugged her so much that we were leaving.

  “What’s the problem, Sis?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. “I guess it’s the dreams.”

  “Now what?” I hadn’t felt fearful at all since we’d returned from the States, and I couldn’t imagine why Lindy was so worried. While she told me about her dreams, Emrys received a phone call, but I didn’t catch any of his conversation.

  After Emrys finished his call, I noticed that everyone around the table seemed agitated; all of their eyes were on their Regent as he paced back and forth. I stopped Lindy, wondering what on earth I had missed.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, glancing at Fiona.

  “Apparently, someone left some flowers at the gate for Melinda and Gavin. I guess to congratulate them, but I’m not sure.” She shrugged, looking quite uninterested.

  I observed Kelsey, thinking perhaps that she knew more than Fiona had. She shook her head, and a strange uneasiness shadowed her eyes. “This isn’t good, Lizzy. No one ever leaves flowers at our gate. Ever!”

  What’s the big deal, what’s wrong with flowers?

  The look of concern on Kelsey’s face gave me an unpleasant chill.

  Unless…

  A sudden flashback from our trip to the States, reminded me that while in Jerome, Emrys had explained how dangerous the Sacred Datura plant was to the Ravens. And when I had reached out to touch one of the beautiful white blossoms, his quick reflexes stopped me before it was too late. “Poisonous to any Raven,” he’d said, and he told me to consider it our Kryptonite.

  Did this mean that the Venators had found us? Did they know Emrys had killed one of their own? Are the flowers a warning…or a threat?

  I shivered at the thought, and then immediately grew angry. I didn’t want to feel this type of fear ever again, and here I was, filled with dread and anxiousness.

  Emrys sat back down and had everyone’s attention without a word. After a silent moment, he finally said, “It appears that we are being threatened.”

  What surprised me the most was that he didn’t even seem upset or worried. He put a hand on my arm and said, “We will be fine, Elizabeth. Just fine.” He glanced around the table and after making eye contact with Gavin and Rufus, said, “We shall need a few humans to help dispose of the plants, if they are, indeed, what I think they are.”

  Veronica jumped up and said, “I’ll help!”

  My first impression was that she was almost too accommodating.

  Emrys nodded, glanced my way, and I could tell he’d noted my quick observation. “Bring Heather and Matthew along, and tell them to bring shovels.”

  “Can I come?” I asked. He knew it wasn’t only because I distrusted Veronica. It was because my curiosity got the better of me.

  “Certainly, my dear. But if they are Sacred Datura, you must wait in the vehicle. Is that clear?”

  I nodded, but was already up on my feet and followed everyone to the foyer. Just before we shut the door, I saw Melinda running up the stairs. She’d be busy protecting her kids. I’d expect nothing less of her.

  While we made our way down the driveway, I whispered to Emrys. “I guess it’s a lucky thing that our daytime gatekeeper is a human.”

  He put a hand on my thigh, but was deep in thought and didn’t say a word. And then as we drove under the archway, another memory from my quickening hit me as soon as I spotted the raven sculpture. I remembered Tansy, the woman who cared for both Ambrose and then Emrys when they were children. Her first view of the raven left such a huge impression on her, that her memory of it came through first to Emrys during his transition, and then to me, during mine. I wondered why it struck her so strongly, but then my thoughts were diverted when the gatehouse came into view.

  “Stop the vehicle!” Emrys shouted to Royal. The car lurched to a stop, and I heard several gasps. Looking forward through the length of the limo, I craned my head to see what the problem was. When they said some flowers had been delivered, they weren’t kidding. The gatehouse was a narrow, one story building made of the same type of brick as the giant archway. All along the side nearest the driveway there were rows of boxes that contained white flowers. Hundreds of them. Sacred Datura: our kryptonite.

  Emrys shook his head and said, “It appears we need more help.”

  Gavin was already on his phone. He called for all the humans to join us, instructing them to bring gloves and more shovels.

  Only those Ravens who wore gloves were allowed to assist. I watched helplessly through the window since Emrys refused to let me even step outside of the vehicle. The men dug a deep pit and tossed all the plants in. Then they cut up the boxes and threw them on top of the flowers and lit them on fire. The plume of smoke drifted high and wide. After the fire died down, they covered the burnt embers with the dirt from the pit, and a few of the men stayed to make sure there were no lingering sparks that could light the adjoining forest on fire. All we’d need to top off this horrible day was to have the local fire department descend upon our private lands.

  * * *

  “So do you think this was just a warning? Telling us they know where we are? Or do you think this could be the beginning of a bigger problem?” I had to shout to be heard over the shower.

  Emrys didn’t answer at first, but then said he hoped it was just a warning and nothing more.

  After all, part of the agreement was that not only would the vampires stay away from America, the Venators were supposed to stay away from the UK. As I leaned against the bathroom sink, I wondered if there wasn’t someone we could call, to explain why we had been in the States in the first place, perhaps that might help.

  “If I thought it would help, I would have called right away, Elizabeth.” The water shut off, and Emrys opened the door letting a plume of hot steam out as he grabbed a towel and began to dry off. Lowering his voice, he added, “But since I killed one of their own, I do not believe any amount of explaining would matter.” He sounded frustrated at first, but immediately changed his tone. “It could be that they want to seek revenge, or perhaps, just give us a scare. But one thing is for certain. If they continue to harass us, they may wish they had not started this war dance.”

  I followed him into our bedroom, already too distracted by the view to actually pay attention. He had flung the towel onto the chair and turned around to face me. And apparently, by the looks of it, just hearing my thoughts on the matter was enough to rouse him.

  He swept me up in his arms and whispered, “And what would you like to do for the rest of the evening, my lovely one?”

  I couldn’t respond. His kisses overwhelmed me before I had a chance to say a thing. My mind still ran in circles at first with revenge-seeking Venators. And with the delivery of the flowers, I thought there probably was more to come. But by the time Emrys had flung me down onto the bed, the Hunters were the absolute farthest thing from my mind.

  A good time later, as we lay together in a t
angled web of residual electricity, I put a hand on Emrys’ chest and said, “I didn’t get a chance to tell you…but my sister’s been dreaming again. One of them had to do with Veronica. There’s just something about her and I…”

  “You do not trust her.” Emrys finished my sentence with a sigh, and added, “Do you?”

  “Well, if you let me tell you Lindy’s dream, perhaps you won’t either.”

  “Alright, tell me.”

  “Melinda told me that in her dream, Veronica was friends with the Venators. She may have even been one of them. It was all very cloak and dagger, and Lindy is now convinced that we need to watch her closely.”

  “That is all quite interesting. Perhaps her real goal was to lead them here all along. Before our flower delivery, I was convinced they had no idea where we were.”

  I sat straight up and said, “Oh that’s just great! I should turn her now…that would sure change the way she looks at the Hunters, wouldn’t it?” I stifled an evil grin, but Emrys certainly didn’t miss my mean-spirited intention. After all, if one of her Hunter friends found out that she was a vampire, maybe they’d do away with her and I’d be free of her once and for all.

  Emrys pulled me back down beside him and snuggled up tight. “Elizabeth, come now. We do not know if any of this is true. Please let me do some investigating before you jump to any conclusions. Melinda could be confusing things. Veronica did work quite closely with two of the Hunters, but at no time did it ever occur to me that she was one of them. Remember, she helped us escape.”

  “Right, but perhaps she only did that to find out where the rest of us are located. That way, they could take us all out at once.” I shivered thinking of the possibilities. There was a slew of ways they could infiltrate us and…

  Emrys interrupted my thoughts saying, “Perhaps your imagination is running away with you, my lovely wife. Go to sleep now. Tomorrow is another day, and I promise I will get to the bottom of this.” He yawned as he pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around me, and kissed my cheek. He was quiet for a few moments and then added, “I love you, Elizabeth.” A minute later, he started breathing deeper.