The Raven Series 2

by J. L. Weil

  My sigh was audible. “I’m trying to stop you from going commando. It was no big deal.” Or so I kept telling myself. “He was looking for his sister.”

  “Estelle?” The doubt in his voice went up like a red flare.

  I nodded. “I guess he hasn’t seen or heard from her in days and is worried. He came to the manor looking for information. I didn’t have any.”

  He stared at me like I’d grown two heads. “And he just left…without trying to hurt you?”

  I crossed my arms. “I’m still here.”

  “That’s the point. It makes me wonder what he’s up to.”

  “Does everyone have to have an objective?” I countered. “Could it be possible he is just worried about his sister?”

  “He’s a reaper.” Zane’s voice, grim and dark, made my blood freeze. “Not to mention a Hawk.”

  It seemed the phantom reapers had bad reps, but so did someone else… “And what makes him less of a threat than you?”

  “I’m far more dangerous, princess. But, his father is the sector overlord, an elder, and very vocal in his aspiration for change.”

  My stomach pitted in tight coils. “Oh.”

  In this situation, it paid to know who your enemies were. I needed to learn who was who within the sectors, who abided by the laws of life and death, and who wanted to rip my heart out. I needed to fully immerse myself in this world. I needed to push myself harder.

  “The bastard’s lucky he’s not here,” Zane seethed. I thought I detected disappointment.

  Suddenly, Crash was the least of my worries. “Forget about Crash. I’m here to be a ninja or some crap. So, what are we waiting for? Teach me. Everything.”

  Zane leaned a hip against the nearest wall, eyeing me. “Everything, huh? Where did this urgency and eagerness come from? Yesterday, I had to all but drag you in here.”

  I shrugged. “You reminded me how much I have yet to understand.” And lose.

  Dressed from head to toe in black, he took a step forward, shoulders squared and feet planted. “Then let’s do this, princess.” His tongue rolled over the irritating nickname, goading me as the shadows trailing on the walls closed in around us.

  “Oh, for the love of God. Please tell me I’m not going to spend the day dodging your sadistic methods of combat. I don’t think my body can handle the torture, and so help me, if you tell me not to get hit, I’ll cut off your balls.”

  He pinned me with a look that made me want to roll my eyes. “Lack of sleep makes you feisty. Good. You’ll need it.” He was suddenly in front of me, his fingers lifting up the end of my shirt, exposing my back.

  I smacked at his hand. “This is not the time or place to cop a feel, comrade.”

  His hand dropped back to his side, eyes twinkling. “No marks. Your skin is as creamy as a newborn baby’s ass.”

  “Oh, ’cause you’ve seen so many babies’ butts.”

  “You heal. No harm done, except your pride.”

  “That’s what you think,” I mumbled. “My pride’s just fine, but you could use a few blows to the ego. Then maybe you’d be less of a jerkface.”

  A black brow curved. “Let’s refocus your energy. And you’ll be happy to know I thought we’d try something different.”

  I squirmed in my workout gear, wondering why this sports bra was so constricting. My boobs couldn’t breathe. “Right, because I did so exceptional before.”

  His lips twitched, watching me fidget. “We need to figure out what supernatural abilities you have…other than being a smartass.”

  I kept my eyes on his and saw the laughing sparkle a serene blue. “Well, that’s easy. I’m not sure there’s much I can do, except get myself in trouble,” I mumbled.

  “Not entirely true,” he said. “You managed to take down a hallow on your own, absorb a reaper’s soul, and you have no problem summoning me.”

  Yep. I had done all of that. “You’re forgetting one key factor. I didn’t do any of those on purpose.”

  He gently grabbed my arm, turning me toward him. “Whether you consciously meant to or not, some part of you knows what to do. We just need to get your mind to tap into that part.”

  I raised my head. “I’m trusting you.”

  Zane’s eyes burned bright. “I’m the only one you can trust.”

  “As much as it hurts me to say it, you’re right. Okay, Zaney, tell me what to do.”

  He blinked once. Then twice. I swear I saw him counting in his head before he spoke. “So, we know you have random bursts of power usually driven by strong emotion.”

  Yeah, like my life being threatened. “That’s helpful. I still have no idea what I’m doing.”

  “Fear and rage seem to be triggers.”

  “I’ve no shortage of either emotion.”

  “That’s what we’re counting on,” he said.

  This time I rolled my eyes.

  “As much as I would love to get in the ring with you, we need a guinea pig. Another reaper for you to spar with and test out your control.” He scanned the room, searching for an idiot dumb enough to let a novice like me experiment with possibly life-threatening powers.

  But it was a logical idea, considering under no circumstances were we supposed to use our abilities together. Things happened, kind of like when they crossed streams in Ghostbusters.

  Tension flitted through Zane, his eyes turned to slits, glinting with anger, and I knew something bad was about to go down. My body braced for God only knows what, I turned around and the pressure that had been building in my chest deflated. A whoosh of air expelled from my lungs.

  It was only Crash.

  I’d been expecting…who knows, but bad habit guy wasn’t it. “You gave me a heart attack,” I said to Zane, whose eyes were zeroed in on Crash like he wanted to cause him severe bodily harm.

  “Did I hear you’re looking for—?”

  Crash went from standing in front of us to being flat on his back in a span of two seconds. Zane was looming over him, ice crackling in his eyes. “I should kill you.”

  “What is your deal, mate?” Crash croaked.

  “My deal?” Zane roared, teeth ground together.

  Crash was on his feet again with Zane in his face. So much for flying under the radar, we now had the attention of the room, and my first response was to crawl under the mat or lock myself in a locker. I tucked my hair under my ear, uncomfortable with all the eyes staring at me…as if I needed any more attention.

  I wasn’t looking for trouble, but trouble had a way of finding me. “Zane.” I sighed. “We don’t have time for this. We need to get to the important stuff.”

  I didn’t know a whole lot about Crash other than he was rough around the edges and Zane disliked him—immensely. It was enough, however, to know those two traits didn’t mix well, like oil and vinegar.

  Zane spun around and fixed me with a glare that would have made most people shrink. “Piper, mind your own business.”

  “How is this not my business?” I barked.

  “I’ll deal with you in a minute.” Eyes snapping in restrained anger, he gave Crash a humorless smile. “I warned you once to stay away from her. And you know I don’t give second chances.”

  Crash backed up a step or two, but there was nowhere to go as he hit a wall. “So am I to assume you won’t give me two seconds to explain?”

  “You got that right.” Zane sidestepped me as his hand curled into a fist and sunk into Crash’s gut.

  Groaning, Crash doubled over. “Is it necessary to hit me with such a glacier punch?”

  Zane had this chill to his powers that froze the blood. I shivered, thinking how cold he could be.

  “I’m the son of Death. What were you expecting? Warmth and fuzzies?”

  “I can see you’re in a mood, but I can help you,” he rasped. “You need me.”

  I held my breath, slightly afraid of what Zane might do next.

  “Not you,” he replied without hiding his distaste.

  Oh snap.


  Crash’s smirk didn’t budge as he straightened up, obviously aware Zane wanted to wipe his scruffy face across the floor. His gaze swept the room. “I’m the only one available.”

  There was something in his tone that suggested he knew more than Zane was comfortable with. I blinked, and Zane loomed over Crash, his back jammed to the wall. “Let’s get one thing straight. I. Will. Never. Need. You.”

  In my school, if a fight was about to break out, everyone stopped and gawked. Nothing happened here. The volume didn’t change, and no one batted an eye.

  I cleared my throat, cutting through the heightened tension as the two meatheads glared in an epic stare down. “Guys, I’m not going to learn jack shit if you can’t go two minutes without puffing out your chests and having macho moments.”

  Neither one of them reacted at first, and after what felt like a lifetime, Zane poked his finger into Crash’s chest. “Good thing this isn’t about you.”

  I assumed that was his way of saying we would accept Crash’s offer to help, although I wasn’t entirely sure there wasn’t something in it for him.

  Crash’s green lantern eyes twinkled. “If it makes you feel better, I won’t hurt her…much.”

  Zane cursed and I moved, blocking him from decapitating Crash. Standing between them probably wasn’t the safest place, but in the heat of the moment I didn’t see how I had a choice. Someone had to keep these two from tearing into each other.

  Turning my head, I glared at Crash. “Gee. Thanks, douchecanoe.”

  A spark of humor winked in Zane’s eyes.

  Crash’s lips pursed. “Do you make that stuff up on your own?”

  I sighed, my patience being tested. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s get started doing…whatever it is I’m supposed to do.”

  The muscle below Zane’s jaw throbbed. “Fine. Crash, you know what to do.”

  Before I even had a chance to respond, Crash moved, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Zane flinch. This wasn’t going to test just me—it was going to test us both.

  My blood pressure rose as my eyes fought to follow Crash’s movements, but I was no match for his speed. As he bound over the mat, white smoke swirled, blue light shimmered, and Crash became an animal.

  A roguish-looking brown wolf with gold eyes threw back his head and howled. The ground shook under my feet, tipping over the water bottle I’d placed next to me on the floor. There was no denying the tremble of magic that shimmered in the air.

  My mind was saying this was ridiculous. I’d never seen a wolf outside of a zoo, let alone a human turn into one. He bared his teeth. They looked very real. And very sharp. My heart flew in my throat. I didn’t think Crash was going to hurt me, but the point of this exercise was to force my powers to the surface, and I guess we were going with fear as the trigger.

  I gave Crash props for his commitment.

  As the wolf stalked toward me, my instincts were screaming for me to run, fast and hard, but I kept my feet planted. I rolled my neck, loosening the tight muscles. This should be fun.

  Half a scream escaped my mouth before the beast barreled me down, my back slapping hard against the mat, enough to stun me, knocking the wind from my lungs. Ignoring the pain pulsing throughout my body, I twisted and kicked. My reflexes sharpened. I stiff-armed the wolf in the muzzle as he snapped his jaw at my face.

  An agonizing screech ripped from my throat.

  “Use your inner strength, Piper, to stop him,” Zane instructed.

  No matter how much I bucked, the beast wasn’t going anywhere. He was too big, too muscular. He had a paw on either side of my head, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth onto my neck, and the heat of his pants lapped over my face. I couldn’t see a way out of this predicament. But that was my first problem. I was thinking like a human, not like a banshee.

  And that was the moment I ceased my struggles. My poor body was spent anyway and welcomed the release. I used what energy I had left to lift my hand. Fear coated the back of my throat, but my wits slowly returned. My hand outstretched, locking onto the center of the wolf’s underbelly. I was sweating and whimpering, but I held steady.

  My whole body tensed with shock as prickling white tendrils of power radiated down my arm and past my fingertips. The wolf threw its head back, a mangled howl unleashing from its mouth. I watched enthralled as the white ribbons wove from my skin onto the wolf’s, swarming his heart. Crash’s animal form went stiff.

  “Piper,” Zane warned in the background.

  I heard him, but his voice was as distant as if he was on the other end of an alley, but I understood what he was cautioning. If I weren’t careful, I could take Crash’s soul. That was a sobering thought.

  With more effort than it had taken to paralyze the wolf, I disengaged my fingers from the wolf’s silky fur, but even as I let go, something was building inside me. It scared me. His head lobbed to one side, and the weight of his lifeless body crushed mine. Unable to take the pressure building inside me, I screamed. Long and loud. Whoosh. Air expelled from my lungs in a force I didn’t know was possible and hit the wolf in the chest.

  His body went flying backward and landed several feet away. I scooted up, inhaling a shaky breath and staring at the unmoving animal form of Crash. My hands were trembling, not because I was afraid the wolf might wake, but of myself, of what I’d been able to conjure. I wasn’t even sure what I’d done, but the magic of being a banshee sang in my blood.

  I watched as the wolf’s lean yet robust body wavered and slowly turned back into a man. “Holy crap,” I whispered, stumbling to my feet. Several other curses were let loose.

  Zane’s smile was infectious, the little specks of blue in his eyes vibrant and alive. “Like a dull knife sitting in a drawer, you just needed to be sharpened up.”

  I didn’t know whether to hate him or thank him.

  Crash sat on the floor, appearing to have been knocked into a stupor.

  Clap. Clap. Clap.

  The sound came from behind me. I lifted my head, turning it over my shoulder to see a grinning Zander saunter down the metal staircase. He looked as if he’d just come from a business meeting, dressed in khakis and a button-down blue shirt, the sleeves rolled below the elbows.

  “Wow. That’s one heck of a sonic boom you got there,” he complimented. “I think that’s a first. I’ve never seen anyone actually force a shifter to change back to their human form.”

  Is that what I did? Compelled Crash out of his wolf form? Huh.

  “She’s a quick learner once she gets her bearings,” Zane said. There was an allusion of pride on his lips.

  Zander’s sky-colored eyes landed on mine. “Death will be pleased to hear you’re progressing.”

  “Are you in charge of giving him my daily report?” I asked, slightly snippier than I’d intended. In my defense, I was kind of shaken up. My hands trembled faintly.

  “Weekly. Not daily.”

  With Zane I could always tell when he was being a smartass. I wasn’t there with Zander. Or maybe I took Zander more seriously. Either way, a puzzling look furrowed my forehead as I sorted out how to respond.

  “I’m kidding,” Zander said before I gave myself a brain aneurism. “You done for the day? Or did you want to wipe Crash’s face with the floor once more?”

  “He’s going to be okay, right?” I asked, glancing down again at Crash, who was staring off into la-la land. My fingers and arms were still tingling with a power that both frightened and thrilled me.

  Zane gave a halfhearted shrug. “He’ll live, if that’s what you mean. And if he doesn’t, no one will miss him.”

  My eyes tapered to a glare.

  “He’s joking,” Zander assured.

  “Is he?” I mumbled, unconvinced.

  “We can’t really be sure, can we?” Zander winked.

  “You’ll want to do him in yourself, Brother, once Piper tells you what Crash was up to last night,” Zane blabbed.

  I clenched my jaw. What a narc. “People in prison
get shanked for less.”

  Amused, Zander started walking backward toward the stairs. “Then for Crash’s sake, she better fill me in on the way.”

  The mysterious Irish lilt in his tone piqued my interest. “On the way where?” I asked.

  “You’ll see,” he said.

  Any place would be better than here. I was done with the training yard. “Now might be a good time to tell you I hate surprises.” I glanced over my shoulder at Zane before we left. He was looming over Crash. Shadows surrounded him, so I couldn’t see his face. As much as I wanted to get out of here, I thought twice about leaving him alone with a dazed Crash.

  Chapter 10

  “How’s it going? The training?” Zander asked when we were comfortably sitting in his car, a convertible of sorts.

  “Just peachy,” I answered, hanging my arm on the window ledge. “My butt has become quite acquainted with the mats.”

  Zander laughed softly. The balmy breeze played with the curls at the nape of his neck. “We’ve all been there.”

  Reaching behind my head, I tugged the hair tie from my ponytail and shook out my hair, letting the wind whip through it. “I find that hard to believe.”

  “Are you kidding? When we were growing up, Zane made it his personal mission to best me at everything.”

  That I could believe. “He does seem like a try-hard.”

  Zander laughed, and it was a nice sound. Just nice. No tingles. No heart palpitations. No blood rushing. Those were only reserved for the rare times Zane truly let go.

  He pulled up to Inside Scoop, a local ice cream shop. Nothing fancy, only a walk-up window with outdoor seating, but the lack of bells and whistles had no impact on the taste or the local joint popularity. TJ and I had come once for a nighttime treat. My little brother had a weakness for ice cream. I had a weakness for anything sweet. I wasn’t picky.

  “This is a nice surprise,” I said, smiling.

  His gaze flicked to the left, meeting mine. “I figured you deserved a treat. And it gives us a few minutes alone.”

  For more than a moment, I’d forgotten that Zander and I were supposed to be seen together. The smile on my lips lost some of its luster, but I kept it firmly in place. Then I saw the buckets of creamy goodness and my stomach rumbled. Any feelings I had about Zander and me took a back seat to ice cream. There were so many choices. Mountain berry, coffee and donuts, and my personal favorite, ooey gooey butter cake. I settled for a cherry vanilla waffle cone dipped in chocolate sprinkles. What was ice cream without sprinkles?