Chapter 23

Pogue and Caleb ran to the door. It wouldn't open not even with their powers.

"TYLER!" Caleb cried.

The door suddenly opened and they both fell in. The room was empty except Raven laying on the bed with blood pouring from a wound on her head, and the curtains blowing in the wind. Caleb ran to the window while Pogue went to Raven healing her.

"TYLER!" She screamed coming to looking around frantically. "Oh god no!"

"What happened Raven?" Pogue asked her holding her arms.

"Adam was here!" She sobbed.

Pogue pulled her into his arms as he looked at Caleb with fear in his eyes. They heard someone running into the room. Rade Downing stood there with his eyes already black with his brothers' right behind him.

"What the hell is going on?" Rade cried. "Where's Tyler?"

"Adam took him." Caleb said watching the other Downing boys' eyes going black.

Reid was about ten minutes away when he felt Tyler's pain. Lizette cried out in pain also sitting almost in his lap.

"Raven!" She cried. "Turn around Reid. Raven's in trouble."

"So is Tyler." Reid said very worried.

Reid and Lizette joined the Downings and Caleb and Pogue a few minutes later in the elegant living room.

"Tyler!" Reid cried running into the room.

"Adam took him!" Caleb said angrily.

Reid's eyes turned black. "What the hell are you doing just sitting here then?"

"We have no idea where to look!" Pogue said in despair.

Raven sat in a chair staring into the fire. A memory swept over her. She lay on a stone table bound to it. Shadows were all around her. She could barely make out the three robed figures. Raven tried to shut out the memory, but it kept coming back. She shivered seeing the ceremonial knife. She cried out in pain as it cut into her arm. She watched in horror as blood was taken from her. A lock of her hair was also cut off.

Everyone looked at Raven when she cried out in pain. Rade was beside her in an instant. He saw that she was in a trance. He shivered in fear wondering what her power was making her relive. She screamed making him jump. He knew he couldn't touch her for it would be dangerous while she was in a power trance. He turned white seeing the gash marks on her arms bleeding.

Raven tried to use her powers to break the ropes binding her to the rock, but her power had been bound. Her other arm was cut and she screamed in pain. A hooded figure appeared above her. He pulled his hood back revealing himself.

"Shane!" She cried.

"Your blood will make me more powerful!"

"Why are you doing this Shane?"

"Downing blood!" He said touching her breast.

"NO!" She cried.

Shane laughed backhanding her.

Rade sat on his haunches in front of her helpless. She was thrown back in the chair. He felt the anger seeing her face turn red where she had been hit in her memory.

"Your mine! You know that!" Shane said. "I own you now!"

"Stop Shane! Please!" Raven sobbed. "Let me go please!"

He was pulling her dress up her leg with one hand the other still fondling her breast. She struggled against the ropes. He was climbing on top of her when he was thrown off of her into the stone wall of the chamber.

"Do you enjoy breaking the rules of our covenant little brother?" Sloan Archer roared kicking over a boiling cauldron in his anger.

A ball of power was thrown at Sloan which he easily reflected. "Damn it Adam do I have to hurt you?"

Adam started to say something, but saw Sloan was flanked by his brothers Matthew and Michael. He looked around for the other hooded figure, but he was gone. Adam hadn't ascended yet. He knew even if it had only been Sloan, he wouldn't have stood a chance. Let alone against three who had already ascended.

Michael hurried over to Raven. He cut the ropes binding her and picked her up. He rushed out of the room with her. He took her out to Sloan's jeep, and put her in the back seat. He healed the deep cuts on her arms and her cheek.

"Michael?" She questioned.

That was the last she remembered. Michael had modified her memory so she wouldn't remember it. The power had brought it back to her when she needed it.

She gasped sitting up straight coming out of her trance. Her arms healed and her face instantaneously as in her trance. She was shaking uncontrollably. Rade pulled her into his arms and held her close feeling the mental pain she was in.

"What just happened?" Pogue asked in shock.

"She was in a power trance. She relived a powerful memory that was somehow blocked out." Lizette said.

Raven pulled away a few minutes later back in control of her fear. She got up and walked over to Rayne. Her anger was rising, and he saw her eyes go black.

"Let me have your cell!"

Rayne handed it over with hesitation or questions.

"Michael?" She asked.

"Six." He said wondering why she was calling him.

"Hello?" Michael answered.

"Why?" She asked. He could hear the pain and anger in Raven's voice.

"Raven?"

"Why did you block it out?"

Michael shuddered. Which time he thought? He had blocked her memories numerous times. Every time Shane hurt her. He felt the shame now wishing he had just let his brother been found out by the Downings.

"He was my brother Raven. I'm not proud of the fact, but I did love him."

"He wanted Downing blood." She said.

"He never succeeded. We never let him."

"Where?" She asked.

"What?" He asked confused.

"Where did it happen at?" He heard the pain in her voice.

"I can't tell you that Raven."

"You have to!" She cried.

"Raven I'm sorry but I can't! It's not allowed."

"Not allowed? Damn you! Adam has Tyler now where did he take him?"

Michael almost dropped his phone. He'd made a blood oath as had his brothers to their cousins never to reveal where their coven convened. Just as they had with their own coven. He knew what he had to do.

"I'm so sorry Raven!" He said shutting his phone ending the call.

Raven knew Michael had been her last hope. She collapsed to her knees sobbing, dropping the phone, "NO!" She screamed.

Rayne knew Michael had something to do with his sister's memory she just had and he intended to find out. He heard her say something about Downing blood. He felt the anger rushing through his blood. He felt Raven's power then.

"Shit!" He heard Ryder say. "Where's your sanctuary?"

"Why?" Caleb asked.

"Hurry take me there!" Ryder said sweeping his sobbing sister up in his arms as the Son's of Ipswich started to feel her power being used.

Caleb took off with Ryder on his heels. Ryder laid her inside the room and pushed Caleb out of the door shutting it behind them. Raven's cries of anguish could be heard by them outside the room. Her power erupted from her. It sounded like WW III in there.

"What's happening to her?" Caleb asked.

"She's lost control of her power in her anger and sadness. She can't help Tyler and its killing her inside. The other time this happened was when my parents were murdered, and she received my mother's powers. Raven's more powerful than my brothers and I put together."

Caleb looked at him in shock. He could see the pain in Ryder's' eyes.

"How old was she when it happened?" Caleb asked.

"Seven. She didn't talk for weeks after. I don't think I can go through that again!" Tears were in his eyes for the second time that day.

Caleb didn't know what to say or do. They stood there in awkward silence.

Reid pulled Lizette down on to his lap and held her. He buried his head in her shoulder and let his tears fall hidden from the others. Lizette held him in her arms knowing he was hurting.

Pogue never thought his birthday would turn out this way. It had to be the second worst day of his life. The first being the day his mother died. I'm sorry Tyler. I wasn't there again when you needed me. He didn't even want to think about the horror Tyler was probably going through at this moment.