The Raven Series 2

by J. L. Weil

  He wrinkled his nose. “I did, didn’t I?”

  Sitting down alongside him, I stretched out my legs. “Our souls align. We can synchronize them.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Uh, it’s still to be determined. We can merge our souls, which allows us to do all kinds of insane things.”

  “Don’t stop now.”

  “Well, we can share power, communicate without talking, and who knows what else.”

  He adjusted his glasses. “This connection goes deeper though. Your emotions are tangled with his.”

  “It’s messy for sure,” I mumbled, my eyes glancing at the clock. I might be a night owl, but Parker certainly wasn’t. “It’s late. I should let you get some sleep.” I moved to stand up, but he laid his fingers over mine, stopping my movements.

  “Wait. Don’t leave just yet.”

  There was something in his voice that gave me pause, and I think I understood. He didn’t want to be alone. I couldn’t blame him. The idea of going back to my own empty room was unappealing. Death had a way of making you want to appreciate life. “Scoot over,” I said, peeling back a corner of the blankets.

  He moved to his left, and I climbed into the bed next to him. I rested my head on the pillow, turning on my side so we were face-to-face. “How did you save me?” he asked.

  I rested my head on my hands. “In all seriousness, I’m not sure. I have these abilities I don’t quite know how to control. And if it wasn’t for Rose, I wouldn’t have been able to save you.”

  “Looks like I owe Rose a thank-you. Any chance you can arrange that?” He lifted a goofy brow.

  I let out a dry laugh.

  “I was totally kidding,” he assured, staring at the ceiling.

  “The less you know the better, especially for your safety. It’s dangerous.”

  He shook his head. “Oh, no you don’t. You can’t tell me something like that and leave me hanging. It’s pretty clear that danger is imminent.”

  I shifted my head on the pillow, finding a comfortable spot. “Exactly. That’s my point. Danger lurks at every corner.”

  “For who. You? Me?”

  “All of the above. There are malevolent spirits whose souls stay here on Earth for a number of reasons, but mainly because they have unfinished business with someone from when they were alive. The longer they remain here, the greater their destruction. You being in Raven Hallow puts you at risk.”

  His shoulders relaxed. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m not afraid of ghosts.”

  “You should be,” I huffed. “Things are unsettled between the different sectors. There is strife among us, and with the kind of skills reapers possess, things can escalate. It’s why I’m still here and engaged. By joining my bloodline with Zander’s, it offers me protection and a commitment to what I am.”

  “Will you show me how it works?” he asked.

  “I’m still learning.”

  “You seemed to be doing just fine. You did save my soul.”

  True, I had. What was the point of having powers if I couldn’t have a little fun. “I’m sure I’ve broken about a thousand rules tonight. What’s one more?” I closed my eyes and inhaled. In my mind, I pictured the light inside me, flowing from my fingers to my toes until it vibrated and hummed. It was Parker’s gasp that had my eyes fluttering open.

  The white light picked up blond highlights in his sandy hair. “Holy. Shit. At least you never need a nightlight.”

  I laughed, rotating my hand in the air. It shone in the darkened room. Not everything about being a reaper was as gloom and doom as I’d thought.

  ***

  I arrived early for my training the following morning, leaving a sleeping Parker safely inside Raven Manor. Zane was engaged with another reaper, Dean. At least that was what I thought his name was. A quick glimpse of his wrist revealed Dean was a Crow.

  I’d come to be leery of anyone who wasn’t a Crow. As I stepped down off the stairs into the training area, I expected the stares, the questions, and the intrigue on everyone’s faces. It still made me uncomfortable, enough that I thought about walking right back up the stairs and out the door.

  And then Zane caught my eye, daring me to walk out. He was goading me. If I turned and ran with my tail tucked between my legs, he would come after me. That would embarrass me more, so I raised my chin.

  Seeing Zane and feeling his darkness swell into the air made me want to tap into my power and exploit it. It seemed the more I used it, the stronger the pull was. I remembered the dizzying rush of bliss. Zane only intensified the feeling.

  Turning away before I did something foolish, I spotted Aspyn sitting with a group of girls, and since it looked like Zane was going to be tied up awhile longer, I headed in their direction. Normally, I’d steered clear of clicks. Giggle fests and hair braiding parties weren’t my thing, but I got the impression reaper girls were quite different than high school girls. So I hoped.

  “Well, look who the cat dragged in,” Aspyn said, grinning. Her long hair was tied high on the crown of her head, emphasizing her cheekbones. “That was quite the spectacle last night. I’m glad to see you’re not hiding out at the manor.”

  I wrinkled my nose, slightly terrified of being bombarded with questions. “Not my style.”

  “Girls, this is Piper, the new White Raven.” With a smile that said she was up to no good, she eyed me. “Piper, this is Kourtney, Calista, and Taby—the bitches.”

  I smiled.

  “You’re so lucky to have Zane as your mentor,” the little pixie said. Calista, I think. I had a hard time seeing her as a reaper. She didn’t look like she could hurt a fly.

  It was a relief that the first question out of the gate was about Zane and not about how Rose had died. “He’s definitely intense. And surprisingly, when he’s not being an asshat, he’s a pretty good teacher.”

  The table erupted in giggles. “Zane is one of the toughest—”

  “Roughest,” Aspyn added.

  “Baddest,” Taby chimed in.

  “Hottest.” Kourtney’s lips curled.

  Calista’s hands wrapped around a Gatorade bottle. “Swoon-inducing—”

  Good God. “I got it. Every female on the island has a hard-on for Zane.” And that earned me another round of giggles.

  “Except you,” Aspyn provoked.

  What game was she playing at? She knew I had a thing for Zane, but that was all she knew. “I’m impervious to jagoffs.”

  Aspyn twitched her little nose. “What a sasshole you’ve become.”

  “Trust me, this is nothing new,” I mumbled.

  “You’re so much cooler than I’d thought you’d be,” Kourtney said.

  “Thanks, I think.”

  Aspyn’s red lips twitched. “Don’t look now, but a six foot two hunk of yumminess is coming this way.” Of course everyone at the table went on high alert. I swear there was a uniform sigh from the table as all eyes glanced behind me.

  “Are you done slacking off?” His voice was dark and husky.

  I put my hands on the table and slowly turned around. Zane loomed over me, wearing jogging pants and a sweaty T-shirt plastered to his chest. His expression was an impatient one, but by God, his sweat smelled like it should be bottled and sold as cologne. It was doing ridiculous things to my brain. “What did you say?” I asked, shaking the haze of hormones from my head.

  His eyes were pinned to mine. “Let’s get out of here.” He more or less growled and grabbed my hand, tugging me to my feet.

  Aspyn laughed. I glared over my shoulder at her. She winked, and the other girls’ mouths were gaping. I whipped my head back to Zane, his hands still twined tightly with mine. “Where are we going?”

  We’d reached the top of the stairs. “Out. I can’t work with you trapped inside that room.”

  “Oookay. What did I miss?” I struggled to keep up with his long strides.

  “It’s hot as Hades in here,” Zane rumbled. “And I need air before I do some
thing reckless.”

  “Reckless?” I squawked. “Like singlehandedly slay a dragon or merge our souls in front of a room full of reapers?”

  He frowned, in a sexy, brooding way. “Does it matter?”

  I jerked my hand out of his as soon as we were outside. The sharp July sunlight was warm. “Will you stop pulling me around?” I crossed my arms, feet planted. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

  “Somewhere with lots of space. The beach. We need the privacy.”

  “I’m not going to lie. You’re sort of making me nervous. Did Craig beat the big bad Death Scythe?”

  “Piper,” he said in low, chilling voice. “We need to talk. I figured you’d prefer privacy, unless of course you want to freely talk about what happened last night with a room full of reapers.”

  I didn’t know what happened or what was unfolding between us, but things were mounting. And knowing us, this conversation was going to get loud. Although I didn’t want a crowd, being alone with him at this point made me nervous…and a bit excited. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “Get on the bike, Piper.” He handed me a helmet.

  I had no sooner stuck out my chin when his hands snaked around my waist. The moment my back hit his chest, I went still in his arms. Oh-so-familiar tingles radiated on the base of my neck, but times a hundred. I wasn’t prepared for the intensity.

  As soon as the helmet hit my head, I started breathing again. His arms released me, and he threw a leg over the motorcycle, tilting his head to the side. “Don’t make me chase you.”

  I wouldn’t give him the pleasure. Annoyed, I yanked myself onto the bike behind him. I barely had time to secure my arms around his waist when the bike took off like a bullet.

  I buried my face in his shirt as we went flying down the road. The trailing wind hinted of the sea, growing stronger as we approached a secluded section of the island. My legs vibrated under the roar of the engine, and I tried not to think about how good it was to be holding onto him.

  The beach was remote and I could see nothing but surf and sand, annoying seagulls, and the occasional sailboat. It was beautiful, but not even the beauty of Mother Nature changed my sour mood.

  Swinging my leg off the bike, I strutted onto the beach and planted my butt into the toasty sand. “Well, you got me here. Talk,” I said as his shadow fell over me.

  Easing his weight down beside me, he squinted against the sun’s beams. “What did you tell him?”

  He meant Parker. No clarification was needed. I bit my lip, hesitating. “I told Parker everything.”

  “Dammit, Piper!” he cursed, his ragged voice sending the seagulls flying away.

  I wasn’t going to let him make me regret my choice. “There’s no need to yell. Let’s tone it down a notch—or ten.”

  He tensed. “That’s not how this works. You’re making it nearly impossible for me to keep you alive.”

  I had a feeling this was only going to escalate, but it didn’t stop me from speaking my mind. “I never asked you to be my bodyguard.”

  “Trust me, if I could undo the vow, I would.” The words exploded from him.

  And for a second, I was afraid he’d broken the vow by just wishing for it. A pang hit me in the chest, but I kept my face blank. “What crawled up your ass?”

  His gaze turned to the endless ocean, projecting guilt and pain. “Forget it. Let’s just get this out of the way.”

  “Screw that.” I pushed his chest, craning my neck to look up at him. “You’re not going to shut down on me. If you have something on your mind, say it. I am not going to train with you while you have a chip the size of Pluto on your shoulder.”

  “Have it your way.”

  Finally, we were going to get somewhere.

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “My problem is your irresponsibility with your boy toy.”

  Boy toy?

  “Zander was right,” he continued. “You endanger us by flapping your yap.”

  Here comes crazytown Piper. “Whoa. First, I don’t flap my yap. Second, what was I supposed to do? Make him think he’s losing his mind?” I was two seconds from throwing sand in his face.

  “Why not?” he barked. “It’s not the worst thing.”

  I began to lose my grip on reality, anger ruling my tongue. “Do you have any regard for anyone other than yourself, you tenacious prick?”

  “Just you.”

  I was pissed. Annoyed. And insulted, yet he managed to make me feel honored to be part of the very select people Zane cared about. He didn’t give out his affections liberally. “You have a funny way of showing it.”

  His expression was full of agony. “I’ve never been denied something I wanted.”

  Holy. Smokes. Batman. My mind was reeling, but I was pretty sure Zane admitted he wanted me. It was one thing to know it and another to hear it from the reaper’s mouth. “Then why are you shouting at me?”

  A heavy sigh left his lips. “Because Parker gives your soul a sense of harmony. I felt it last night.”

  Uh? Do I detect bits of jealousy? “We’ve been friends a long time. He’s the one person who’s always been there for me. And I confide in him. I’m tired of the secrets and the lies, Zane. I’m tired of everyone around me ending up dead.”

  Unruly dark hair fell over his forehead as he leaned forward. “I know. And I’m sorry. This isn’t an easy life, especially since you haven’t lived it long. It threw me for a loop, seeing you with him. I wasn’t prepared for how it made me feel. I don’t like it.”

  “Are you jealous?” My heart skipped a beat.

  “Jealous doesn’t even begin to cover it.” His gaze dropped to my lips.

  I wanted to put my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulder, but I just stood there, staring into his cool blue eyes. “You have no reason to be jealous. Parker knows how I feel about you.”

  His hand reached out, tugging the ends of my hair. “A part of me, a huge part of me wants to hear you say it, but I know once you do, there’s no going back. I won’t be able to let you go. Do you understand?”

  “I do. More than I can say.”

  A slow grin materialized. “You ready to make your muscles burn?”

  I curled my finger in the air. “Bring it.”

  Chapter 19

  “This isn’t working.” The frustration I was feeling leaked into my tone. I was utterly off my game. Not that I actually ever had game, but for me, my whole equilibrium was off.

  And I had sand in places sand shouldn’t be.

  “Since when did you become a whiner?” He had taken off his shirt ten minutes into our sparring.

  I started to get all kinds of crazy ideas as his grin turned wicked. Not a single one had anything to do with my fighting or reaper skills. “When did you become a drill sergeant hardass?”

  His brows shot up. “So, you’re giving up?”

  “Did I say that? I can’t concentrate when all I’m thinking about is jumping your bones.”

  “Oh really,” he replied.

  Exactly. How was I to think about anything with Zane shirtless, sweaty, and giving me come-get-me glances every other minute. My hormones were out of control. “Look. I’m tired. I’m spewing shit I don’t mean.”

  His body brushed up against mine and smugness crept over his expression. “Nice try, princess. You can’t take that back. Not letting you,” he murmured. “How about we try something different that I think will do us both a world of good?”

  “You want to have sex? On the beach?”

  His laugh was loud and throaty. “Oh God, Piper. What am I going to do with you? As tempting as the offer is, I was thinking of something less physical.”

  My cheeks stained pink. Someone hit me with a facepalm. “What did you have in mind?”

  His lips quirked at the corners. “We’re going to merge our souls.”

  The anticipation made my blood sing. I wanted to rub up against him like a kitty cat with a new scratch post. “I thought that
was forbidden.” My hands lifted in the air, doing scary spirit fingers.

  “I said we shouldn’t sync our souls, not that we couldn’t. The thing with synchronized souls is it’s natural to align our souls. And we’re denying ourselves all the benefits. We have all this energy inside us, but no outlet, and it’s starting to take its toll. I’m short-tempered and moody.”

  “Wait. You’re not usually short-tempered and moody?”

  He ignored me. “And you’re sarcastic and hormonal.”

  “So you’re saying if we do a quick wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am, we’ll be less edgy?”

  “Uh…yeah that about sums it up.”

  My hand wrestled with my windblown hair. It was going to take me a month to get out the knots. “Honestly, this whole soul symmetry confuses the hell out of me.”

  “I could say the same about you.”

  “Yeah, if you wanted a bloody lip.”

  “Cocky. About time. I only know what I’ve been told about this connection between us. It would be easier to show you than tell you.” He held out a hand.

  I put mine in his. “Enlighten me.” Energy surged. My veins began to glow in a lightning race down my arm. Zane had a similar effect.

  Dark shadows came out of nowhere, blanketing us from the sun. “Our power springs from within, and for us, from our hearts. The power we have together isn’t a crutch to be used when convenient. It’s dynamic and irrevocable.” His palm was cool against mine, the veins under our skin illuminating. Such a contrast, Zane was the yin to my yang. And I knew what he meant. As soon as we touched, I instantly felt his power stream into me, cool, fluid, and strong. With it came the rush of joy.

  I glanced down at my own hand, fascinated by the silver-edged spurts of light that spun down my arm. Zane’s shadows lined my light. “It’s so beautiful,” I said quietly.

  “So are you.”

  I was fighting a lovestruck grin. Oh God. I was so close, right there, teetering on the edge of falling hopelessly, crazily in love with Zane Hunter.

  His mouth descended upon mine.

  And that was it. I was sunk.

  Neither one of us intended for this to happen, but in the back of our minds it had always been there. We’d been suppressing more than our abilities, and now our emotions were through with being silenced.