The Raven Series 2

by J. L. Weil

My chest was heavy and filled with uncertainty and a loneliness I’d never felt as TJ hauled his bag and trudged onto the ferry. Each step he took brought him closer to safety and farther from me.

  I sent a text to Dad, letting him know TJ was on the ferry, waiting to sail.

  Pigs must have learned to fly, because he actually responded. You’re doing the right thing. He’ll be safe.

  Well, that confirmed two things. My father was waiting for TJ on the main island, and he knew what I was. I didn’t bother to send back a reply. In an hour or so I would text TJ and make sure he’d made it home.

  I lifted my face to the sky, seeking inner strength to get me through the next chapter in my life. Alone. But never really alone, I reminded myself.

  To calm myself, I breathed in slowly. Salt air. Water. And death.

  He will be okay. He will be safe.

  The ferry swayed from side to side, plugging out of the harbor and into the bay. I had planned to stay until the boat was no longer in sight, but the crowd became too much. Too much laughter. Too many happy faces.

  I spun around, and in the shadows of the dock emerged Zane. Like a switch, seeing his face, the floodgates opened, tears-streaming-down-my-face kind of emotion overwhelmed me. I sniffed, my feet automatically moving from a walk to a run, and I leaped into his arms, burying my face into the space between his neck and collarbone. The feeling I’d suppressed came pouring out of me.

  He caught me in one swoop, arms winding around me as he kept me secured against him. A coolness that always surrounded him splashed over my face. After I finished bumbling all over his shirt and wiped the snot from my nose, I tilted my head back and took a deep breath. I felt a little dizzy staring into his eyes. “Thanks.”

  “Anytime you want to soak my shirt, princess, I’m your guy.”

  There was something warmhearted and right about being in his arms. And even though it was probably a bad idea for us to be seen together, especially with me draped all over him, I didn’t care. Not at this moment when I needed him most. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “It’s for the best,” he said, brushing the backs of his fingers over a teardrop trailing down my cheek.

  My skin tingled from contact. I nodded. “I know it in my head, but my heart…”

  “I get it. I feel it too,” he said, reminding me we shared emotions, except he was way better at hiding them from me.

  I grabbed a handful of his shirt and held on, not ready to break contact. It was then I realized… “You cloaked us in shadows?”

  “Don’t worry. I was smooth about it. No one noticed.”

  I didn’t doubt his skills. Not for a second. Taking advantage of the concealment, I lifted up on tiptoes, brought my lips to his, and kissed him. It was a quick and innocent kiss, well maybe not all that innocent. I felt the zing of it throughout my body, breathing life back into me. “Whether anyone can see it, you do have a sweet side, Zane Hunter.”

  His lashes lowered. “And you better keep that to yourself. I have a reputation to keep.”

  The corners of my mouth turned up. “I don’t know whether to laugh or snort, but your secret is safe with me.”

  A single brow arched. “I think you’re going to be okay.”

  I would. But Zane was a big part of my surviving on this island. I moved out of his arms and slowly felt the sun warm my skin as he dropped the veil of darkness. The bustle of the pier came rushing back around me. My eyes went to the water, searching for the ferry. It was nothing more than a pinpoint on the horizon.

  Satisfied that I had done the right thing and all was well for the moment, I faced Zane and hesitated. “Do you have to go?” I asked.

  His gaze dropped to my lips.

  I swallowed, mesmerized by the darkening hue that leaped into his eyes.

  “Piper?” someone called from behind me.

  I knew that voice, but… It couldn’t be. No way. It wasn’t possible. Not in a freaking million years. My ears must be playing tricks on me, because my luck couldn’t be that bad. Could it?

  Zane’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to me.

  I swallowed the large lump in my throat and spun on my heel. Glancing up, I shielded the sun from my eyes, and my tummy coiled tightly. Holy shitballs.

  “Parker?” I squeaked.

  Chapter 12

  Inside my head, a string of inventive curse words went off, and my jaw dropped to the ground. He wasn’t really here. Not in Raven Hallow. Tell me I had not sent my brother to safety only to have by best friend in the line of fire. What had he been thinking, coming here?

  Granted, he didn’t know what went on in Raven Hallow. He didn’t know what I was. And I wasn’t sure I wanted Parker to know. I liked being his normal best friend. The girl he’d always known. I didn’t want Parker to look at me any differently. It would kill me to have him scared of me…or worse. Parker was the only real friend I had; losing him would hurt deeply.

  “Piper?” he said again with concern. His coffee-colored eyes ran over my face as if he was checking to see if I’d been bitten by a zombie. Not that I blamed him. I was acting like a moron.

  Somehow I found my tongue, but my brain was slow to catch up with this new turn of events. “Oh. My. God. Parker. What are you doing here?”

  His half-smiling lips turned down, the excitement shining behind his wired frames faded. “That’s what I get? We don’t see each other for almost two months and all I get is a what are you doing here? No hug? No, Parker, I’m so happy to see you? Classic, Pipes. Thanks for making a guy feel special. I did just take a plane and a ferry to see you.”

  “No one asked you to,” I snapped, feeding off his irritation. The moment the words left my mouth, hurt leaped into his eyes. I wanted to slap myself. What kind of friend was I? Parker didn’t have a mean bone in his body, and the fact he’d put up with my random bursts of bitchiness all these years was a miracle. “I’m sorry. It’s not that I’m not happy to see you. It’s just…I’m surprised.” And scared shitless.

  “I can see that.” His feet shuffled on the concrete. “I heard what happened to Rose, and I thought you could use a friend.”

  Boy could I ever, if this island wasn’t the most toxic place on Earth. An awkwardness Parker and I never had before descended. I had to remind myself that Parker was still the same guy. It was I who had changed. Exhaling, I tried to soften my welcome. “You have no idea how good it is to see your face.”

  The smile I loved finally split across his boyish face, so easily forgiven. He engulfed me in a tight hug, squeezing my ribs together. “I’m really sorry, Pipes,” he whispered.

  He was warm, consoling, and smelled of home. I buried my face in his shirt and wrapped my arms around his neck. Parker offered a familiar comfort, so different from Zane.

  Zane!

  He cleared his throat behind me, annoyance spiking through our bond. It was the first time I recognized an emotion being other than mine. I stiffened in Parker’s arms, feeling about ten shades of red color my cheeks. How was I going to introduce Parker to Zane and vice versa? Instinct told me it was highly unlikely these two would like each other. They were polar opposites.

  Parker and I had always been friends, but there had been a brief moment before my mom died that we had been moving toward something more. It never really had the chance to bloom, yet I knew Parker still harbored the hope it would. I knew his feelings for me ran deeper than just friendship.

  Oh, this should be a blast.

  Untangling my arms from Parker’s neck, I stepped back, putting space between us. Parker’s eyes swung up over my head, colliding with Zane’s. I racked my brain, trying to recall my conversations with Parker since I’d been here. Had I ever mentioned Zane?

  It didn’t really matter now. It was evident that Zane was with me. Standing in the middle, I glanced from Parker to Zane and back to Parker. I felt a panic attack rising.

  Zane extended a hand. “You must be Parker. I’m Zane, a…friend of Princess’s.” He said it in a w
ay that implied Zane and I had in-depth conversations about Parker, totally not the case.

  “Princess,” Parker echoed as if he was trying it out for size. “Yeah, that fits Pipes to a T.”

  “What brings you to Raven Hallow?” Zane asked, sizing Parker up.

  Parker shrugged. “Piper. She’s been through hell this year.”

  He had no idea.

  “She’s a tough chick,” Zane added, implying I was stronger than Parker gave me credit for.

  I craned my neck and eyeballed Zane, smiling. “Did you just refer to me as a chick?” Not that I didn’t appreciate he thought I could take care of myself. A lie, but it was kind of endearing, and Zane didn’t have a whole lot of endearing qualities.

  He tilted his head to the side, raising a sinister brow. “There’s nothing wrong with being a chick.”

  Whether he did it intentionally or not, the quality in his timber oozed a sexiness that I felt all the way to my toes. “Whatever you say, dude.” I glanced back at Parker who was frowning at my little exchange with Zane. I tucked wisps of hair behind my ear, suddenly feeling guilty.

  I wanted to tell Parker to get back on the ferry and take his butt back home, but as I stared into his eyes, my resolve weakened. He was genuinely excited to see me. I’d give him two days. Max. What could possibly happen in forty-eight hours? After my birthday, I’d figure out a way to get him to leave. No matter what it took. No matter what the cost.

  I was about to suggest we go somewhere quieter when a guy accidently bumped into me and I stumbled, but thanks to Zane’s quick reflexes, I managed to avoid kissing the ground. “Man, there are so many people here. I can’t believe you found me,” I said to Parker as I regained my balance.

  His brows drew together as he glared over my head at Zane for a moment and then back to me. “It’s crazier than Comic Con. I was searching the crowd for you and I swear you were nowhere to be found. And then suddenly you were in front of me. It was so weird.”

  “Jet lag,” I reasoned.

  He rubbed the bottom of his chin. “Must be.”

  Before he could overthink it as Parker always did or question why I’d appeared from thin air, I decided we needed to move this reunion elsewhere. Preferably someplace with security. Raven Manor. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

  Zane’s eyes hardened to glass.

  I did a mental eye roll. Now was not the time to go all He-man. Whatever he had planned for today was going to have to wait. Having Parker and Zane in the same room for more than a few minutes wasn’t a good idea. Not at this point. The air was suddenly clouded with too much testosterone. Especially since the veins around Zane’s eyes were doing the glow thing. It was hard to not be captivated. Up close, they were sort of beautifully striking.

  “Talk to you tomorrow?” I said to Zane, convening with my eyes to lay low on the reaper mojo. Most humans couldn’t see the markings of supernaturals, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

  Zane seemed to get it, because he nodded. “Of course.” He leaned in, brushing a chaste kiss across my cheek, and whispered in my ear, “Be careful.” Then he stepped back and walked away.

  Only when he disappeared into the crowd was I able to relax. “You ready?” I asked, glancing up at Parker.

  He was looking at me funny. “You two seem awfully close.”

  Did I detect bits of jealousy? “We do?” I shrugged and started toward the parking lot. “I guess. His family was close with Rose.”

  “So you’ve been spending a lot of time together?” He tried to sound nonchalant, but I could tell the answer was important to him.

  “I guess. As you’ll soon find out, there’s not much to do on the island.”

  He climbed into the passenger seat and sighed. “Ah, I’ve missed, Josie.” Josie was the name Parker and I had given my Jeep Cherokee.

  I giggled. When was the last time I giggled? “She lives on.”

  “Island life must agree with her.”

  “Probably because I spend more time walking than driving her.”

  Snapping on his seat belt, he stretched out his long legs and settled back. “Show me this ostentatious house you’ve inherited. I still can’t believe it. You’re rich.” He leaned back in the seat, looking relaxed and happy.

  I wish I felt the same. “I’m warning you it’s a bit much.”

  “Everything is bigger than where we live.” Parker came from a single mom household. His dad had split before Parker was even out of diapers, never to show his mug again or send a dime to help support his kid—the definition of a deadbeat dad. And because of it, he was an only child. His mother was afraid to marry again. I wasn’t sure who I felt sorry for more, Parker or his mother.

  My family had kind of adopted Parker. He was always invited to Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner. His mom was a nurse, and her twelve-hour shifts didn’t always allow her to be home. She was an amazing woman and mom, who adored her son, doing her best to make sure he was happy.

  Anyone who stepped into Parker’s room would know immediately what made Parker happy. Superheroes. Graphic Novels. And action figures.

  “Earth to Piper.”

  My fingers gripped the wheel tightly as I snapped back to the present. “Sorry. I was just thinking about your mom. How is she?”

  “The same. Working herself into an early grave.”

  “She wants the best for you, Parks.”

  “I know, but I would like her to meet her grandchildren someday.” His eyes met mine.

  Why did I get the feeling he was talking about our possible future children? I rubbed the back of my neck with one hand, the other steering the car. The temperature had suddenly gone up twenty degrees. Thank sweet Heaven Raven Manor came into view. “There it is.” I slowed the car, waiting for the gate to open.

  The house glistened ivory in the sun and shimmered and sparkled through the night. I heard Parks gasp as he got his first eye full. “It looks like a museum,” he said in awe.

  Coasting up the driveway, I replied, “Well, it definitely has history.”

  Parker gaped as the car came to a stop, unable to take his eyes off the grandeur of the house. Unfolding his body from the seat, I meandered around the car to stand beside him and bumped my hip up against his. “You want a tour?”

  “Uh, does Superman wear a cape?”

  Parker had an unusual sense of humor I actually found amusing. “You’re a dork.”

  He grinned lopsidedly at me, laugh lines circling the ridiculous expression.

  We strolled through the front door side by side, and although I’d passed under the entryway countless times, it never ceased to impress. Massive pillar candles flanked the entrance hall. Vases were filled with richly hued flowers from Rose’s personal garden, scenting the air with roses and lilies. The wood along the staircase gleamed under the crystal chandelier.

  It was breathtaking.

  I turned in a circle with my arms out. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

  “Why would you ever want to leave?”

  My face fell, and my voice dropped octaves. “I’d give anything to go home, sleep in my own bed.”

  The creases at the corners of his eyes smoothed out on his face. “You miss it?”

  I nodded. “Desperately.” I didn’t try to hide the sadness.

  He tugged at the ends of my hair. “I’ve missed you too.”

  “Come on. I’ll show you the rest of the house before I turn into a sobbing mess.” We jabbered as we wandered, and I laughed numerous times at the pure astonishment in his eyes as he took it all in. “You can stay in TJ’s room. It’s completely pimped out. You’ll love it.”

  “You okay?” he asked. “You know, after having to send TJ home?”

  “How do you know about that?” I took a second to think about Parker arriving the same day I sent TJ home and how awfully convenient it was. Too convenient. Something was fishy, and it wasn’t the high tide.

  “Your dad,” Parker replied. “It was his suggestion that I come he
re to help you sort through things. He even paid for my travel expenses.”

  “How thoughtful,” I said drolly.

  ***

  Parker and I were sitting on the floor in my room like old times. A furry blanket spread out underneath us. He’d gotten settled in, had a bowl of Gracie’s chili, and now we were catching up.

  “I can’t believe you still wear those,” he said, regarding my Hello Kitty jammies.

  I glanced down, holding the shirt out at the ends. “They’re cute.”

  He gave me a cheeky grin, stretching out his legs. “Try hideous.”

  “Shut up.” I whacked him on the arm. “I bet if they were Supergirl you’d think they were amazing.”

  “Obviously.”

  I leaned back on my palms. “I bet your superhero collection has quadrupled since I’ve been gone.”

  “Sadly, no. The summer job hunting didn’t go so well. But I don’t want to talk about my lack of employment. Tell me about Raven Hallow. I want to hear it all.”

  I picked at the seam on the blanket. “Everything is so…different here,” I said.

  “Good or bad?”

  I felt like we’d had this conversation before. Initially, “bad” was at the tip of my tongue, but I quickly retracted the word and made an inaudible sound.

  He cast me a sideways look. “Are you speaking in tongues now?”

  “Hilarious.” He was the same Parker, and it was a reassuring feeling.

  Warm brown eyes softened. “This place is like paradise. Why so glum?”

  Because living in a house the size of the Taj Mahal blows chunks. Because I never knew if any minute hallows would bum-rush the house. Because none of it felt real. Not even with Parker here. Living in Raven Hallow was a nightmare or a dream, depending on the day.

  Leave it to Parker to see through the fake smiles and laughs. Deep down I was a mess. I let out a shaky breath. “Because no matter how happy I am you’re here, you can’t stay,” I said, sounding like a lunatic and not to mention a shitty friend. Desperation was etched in my expression.

  Light beamed down on his sunny hair, dancing cheerfully around his oval face and emphasizing his bewilderment. “Piper, are you on drugs?”