This obnoxious tone gave out a shrill cry. I bolted straight up with Skye flying from my chest to the end of bed and giving a surprised chirp and looked around for the source.
My purse next to my desk chair had a light glowing from it and the obnoxious tone finally made sense, sorta.
I climbed out of bed and padded over to pull it out of my purse.
I frowned. My calendar was giving off its 'fifteen minutes to appointment' screen. What appointment?
"Shit!" I yanked off my sundress. I began digging through my wardrobe. I pulled on a pair of nice jeans and then a sweater. I gave a mentally nudge for darkness to slice slits into the sweater's weave for my wings. I shoved my feet into nice little ballet flats and then raked a brush through the tangled mess of hair on my head.
Skye warbled at me.
"I forgot about the meeting with my parents' lawyer." I told her filling my purse with stuff I think I might need. What do you bring to a will reading?
Skye hopped down and started heading for the stairs.
"I can't take you."
She turned and glared at me.
"I'm going to a human nest." I said. "You can't come."
She squalled at me.
Okay, so there was one part of me that really didn't want to leave Skye alone.
"You can't make any noise." I said in a stern voice.
She wriggled and chirped at me. I gave a huge sigh and picked her up before charging down the stairs.
I went into the kitchen and scribbled a quick note telling the others where I was going to be. I did add that I completely forgot about it and that's why they didn't know before now so hopefully they wouldn't pester me about my "reckless" behavior.
I stuck it under a thick glass bowl on the table and stalked through the tunnels to the outside.
The late evening sun greeted me as I walked over to my car. I quickly summoned darkness and light to shield my wings and my hatchling.
I put her into the passenger's seat and sat down. I sighed and turned the key.
My thoughts drifted towards Dominic. Why in the hell did I tell him I loved him? I mean, was this actually going to work out?
"I'm stupid." I said. "Really fucking stupid."
The entire reason I was mad at him was more of the fact I was angry that Damascus had such a hold over him that not even my dorkishly cute love could save him from and that reason wasn't resolved. So, why in the hell did I melt like putty in his arms?
"Again, you're stupid." I reminded myself. Skye chittered. "I know. He doesn't even do anything that really seduces me. He's just…nice." He hugs me and I'm a melted Raven and he could probably get away with anything.
I chewed my lip. I wanted that oath that Damascus made him swore (I kinda get the vibe Dominic was forced, somehow, to take up this oath) to break. I don't believe it was completely unbreakable. There had to be a way to free him from Damascus.
I jerked on my brakes when I realized the street I was supposed to turn on popped up. I turned and pulled into a parking space.
"You are going to stay in this bag and won't come out, all right?" I told Skye.
She eagerly climbed into my bag.
"And you need to be quite." I said.
She chirped at me and buried herself into my bag. I pushed my door open and got out.
"Wow, you're heavy." I said shifting her weight. I never really noticed since her weight was more spread out when I had to carry it along with my own.
I walked into the office. It smelled like office. I don't know what combinations of things that give you this smell, but it was a distinct smell that always bombards me in industrialize office.
"Can I help you?" A pretty blonde with bright green eyes asked.
"Hi, I'm Raven Williams. I'm here to see my parents' lawyer, Melissa Everhart." I said.
A look passed over her face. I had no idea if my parents' murder had made huge headlines since their death did coincide with the "Mocker Massacre" that plagued the city, but I guess since Melissa was a family friend the office may be more affected.
"Melissa mentioned you would be coming. I'll go make sure she's not in the middle of something." She got up and walked down the hall with a slight swish of her hips. Do woman just do that normally or only in heels?
I glanced at my wings and saw the sparkles nestled on the feathers. I tugged my white sweater down more and hoped I didn't look like I had rolled out of bed and into clothes. Why didn't this place have a mirror? Maybe I should carry a mirror around in my purse for this reason.
I heard the thump of her heels and she came into the little waiting room.
"She's ready for you." She said.
"Thanks."
"Third door on the left."
She didn't really need to tell me since the names of the lawyers where on the walls and most of them were shut. The only open door was the third door on the left.
She was sitting behind her desk looking all professional, but her professional face fell apart when she saw me.
"You've gotten so big." She got up and hugged me tightly with a big smile on her face.
"That kinda of happens during puberty." I said.
She didn't change too much, although all I remembered from when I was five was her brown hair that was kinda of red, but not and her pale blue eyes. I was pretty sure she had freckles, but make-up does do wonders.
She squeezed my arms and gave me a sad smile. "Here, take a seat." She patted the seat in front of her desk.
I plunked down and set my bag by foot. Skye immediately popped her head out of the bag. I pushed her head down.
Melissa picked up a piece of paper. "Normally, there would be an issue of caretakers, but I've received a letter from the House of Night stating that you have joined their school." She glanced at me.
"Yes." I really hoped she couldn't see my wings. I shifted nervously.
"Your parents had a college fund set up for you that can be only used for the school of your choice, but you also have the insurance money to help you while you complete high school"
"All right." I could kinda of care less. Things were going all screwy and I don't care too much about money. As far as I know, Damascus is planning on magically nuking the entire realm.
"The house has been given to you and all your parents' possessions."
"I don't want to live in that house." I said.
She looked up. "I understand that you will not be able to live there-"
"I can't live in that house." I said.
"The police will catch the murderer. He will pay." She reassured me.
I swallowed a snort. Mortal, human police against Damascus? I wouldn't be comfortable if the Sons of Erebus went after him.
"It won't matter." I said. "I won't be able to stay in that house without…" I trailed off and swallowed. I could feel tears starting to sting my eyes. "It won't matter if he's caught. That house isn't my home anymore and it never will be again. I want to sell it as soon as I can."
"All right." She said. "I'll see what I can do about getting a realtor to sell the house for you."
"Thank you." I said.
"I guess we're done here."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. You are your parents' only beneficiary. Everything they own is yours now."
I felt really empty. This for some reason was even more official than seeing their bodies. They were really dead.
"Thank you. I better return to school." I said picking my bag.
"If you need anything, call me." She said.
"Thank you, again." I said.
She gave me a soft smile before I walked out of the office. I smiled at the secretary before pushing my way outside. I walked a little ways and then paused, creeper like to stare at a group of teenagers giggling as they ran across the street.
I hate them. They get to spend whatever time this world has left in complete, blissful ignorance. They'll don't know or sense the horror that was hiding just below the surface, waiting to pounce on this world and destroy it. They got to be stupid teenagers and do stupid teenage things without gut clenching bad feelings making them pause to look around for some invisible danger.
Why me? Why was I burdened like this? Why was someone so young chosen to save the world?
"The youth possess a strength and courage the old do not."
I jumped.
The woman beside me was remarkably pretty and way too prefect looking. My defenses immediately shot up and I clenched my bag tightly.
She smiled and her gray eyes shone. She looked familiar, but I wasn't sure how. She had curly black hair that pulled back into a thick braid with small, spirals that managed to escape dangling around her small ears. She looked fierce in a very feminine way.
"Relax, dear Mediator." She said. "I wouldn't harm anyone my sister Goddess has decided to mentor."
"Whoa, wait." I studied her and it clicked. She looked a lot like Artemis, but her gray eyes were deep and steely. "You're Athena!"
She smiled broadly. "I'm glad you are so knowledgeable about Greek myths."
I blinked. "But why are you here?"
She looked up at the sky. "I'm not sure if I should be glad or worried that we Pagan gods can walk among this world again."
"Okay, wait, I'm confused. How can, I mean, do all gods exist? Like, you guys, Hindu gods, Native American gods?"
"Why couldn't they?" She asked. "The universe is vast and no one creature could possibly manage all the realms and each of its people especially when the people themselves are so different from one another. Or we all could be different interpretations of the same divine beings."
I felt like my mind was blown. All the gods ever mentioned by humans could exist?! Whoa. I feel like that would be such a weird trip to be in the presence of the heads of all god families, I guess that's how you would refer the groups of gods as, just chilling or eating dinner together.
"Can I ask why exactly you are here?" I asked.
"Why do you think I'm here?"
"Do you have to answer my question with a question?"
"Perhaps." She said with a mysterious smile.
I sighed. "Well, you're the goddess of just war, so, are you hear to give me battle advice?"
"There is a war coming. You know it and many Immortals have felt it too." She said. "The veil between this realm and the realm of Immortals is failing and there will be conflict no matter how the veil is disposed of."
"Quick question, what is the Immortal realm or who inhabit it?"
"Immortals who have no other realm." She softly. "Some of survivors of another realm came to this Earth realm to have a new life after a catastrophe in their own realm. Children of gods who are not…divine enough to stay in the realms of the gods. Children of fallen angels. The list goes on."
"And, Immortal beasts from this realm?" I asked.
She nodded. "Not all of them, but enough of them were enraged that the mortals of this realm banished them away to another realm that some of them did not want to inhabit."
"I bet there is a certain Immortal flaming those rage flames." I muttered.
She nodded. She tilted her head. "I'm afraid I have to go."
"No advice?" I asked.
"Believe in yourself." Then she was gone.
"I'm not sure I'm too happy that they can walk this realm again." I mumbled as I walked back to my car. I unlocked the door and put Skye into the passenger's seat. She peered out and cooed.
"I think…we're going to make a quick detour." I told her as I started up the car.
XOXOXOXOX
The ice had finally completely melted so their car wasn't melded to the driveway. I stared at it as I pulled up into what had been my usual spot. I put the car into park and stared at the house.
The flower beds Mom and I had labored on for years were completely bare. The peach tree Dad got Mom for mother's day clawed at the now night sky. I stared at the rosebushes that they planted for their tenth wedding anniversary. Maybe I would dig them up and transfer them back to the depot were I could continue to care for them. I didn't want whoever bough this house to leave them to fend for themselves or dig them up to replace them with some stupid bush or whatever.
I turned off the car and got out.
Skye hopped out and scampered after me. I tucked my hands into my pockets and looked at the two story home. I walked up onto the porch and paused.
There was a small red square taped to the door at the seam. It Warning printed boldly across it and a notice to call this number before entering.
I dialed the number and got a rather cheerful lady on the other end who quickly explained it was there so the police could tell if someone came in to tamper with evidence. She said that the police did have some questions for me and if I could just wait there for a bit a detective would be over shortly to allow me inside.
"Thank you." I hit the end button. I wondered off the front porch and into the backyard. I plunked down into one of the swings of the swing set I got for some birthday or it might have even been Christmas. Funny how those years have blurred together into one lump of blissfulness.
I snorted. "If someone had told me then I was a daughter of an Immortal destined to save the world, I would have punched them."
"Raven?"
I looked up and saw a relatively young man walk over.
"Hi, I'm Detective Marx." He flashed me his badge.
"Oh, you were the one Zoey called." I said carefully.
He nodded. "I heard you were accepted into the Tulsa House of Night not long after this incident and we have been having problems reaching you."
"I'm sorry. Something happened to Zoey and it was a life or death scenario and…" I shrugged. "This kinda got pushed to the back of my head for a bit."
"Do you have any idea who would do this?"
"A monster." It was true.
"We will catch them and they will pay."
"I sincerely hope so." I said. I stood up. "What…I mean, what did you guys learn when…" I waved my hand.
"Nothing was stolen." He said. "But will need you to go through their things and report if anything is missing even if it is insignificant."
"I can do that. I just talked to their lawyer and so I'll need to decide what I'm keeping and what I'll sell."
He gave me a sad look. "Come on, I'll let you into the house."
"Is the investigation still going on?" I asked.
"We've hit a dead end." He said. "At first we thought it might have had something to do with the gang the Mockers, but your parents' murder didn't occur in the same neighborhood as the others. We have no DNA or fingerprints to prove otherwise."
Because I didn't live that close to the House of Night. Did the police know nothing of what occurred? Should they be clued in? Or would that just lead to massive panic? I would hate for an innocent human to blamed for the murder, but how do I tell a police officer that my parents were killed by a winged Immortal bent on absolute dominance of this world?
Boy, am I ever in between a rock and a hard place.
He tore off the sticker and I put my key in and unlocked it.
It was still cold in the house. I shivered.
"Your original statement said you walked into the house and notice the back door was open."
I nodded. "It was cold, that's what I really noticed first."
"Did you see anything out of the norm?"
"Just that the door was open." I said. I stared at the stairs. I could do this. I slowly made my way up the stairs. Skye followed after me and so did Detective Marx.
I glanced into my room. I felt like I should mention that some of my bedding was missing. I feel that he was expecting me to comment on my missing bed things.
"I did notice this before, but I thought it was insignificant." I pointed to my bed. "My pillow and bedding are missing. I don't understand why the murderer took them though."
"Was anything else of yours missing?"
"Not that I noticed." I said. I walked past my dad's office and into their bedroom.
The bedding was all going and the mattress too. A big chunk of the carpet had been cut out too. All the fixtures and furniture had a layer of dust on it. My mother's little make-up table had all her perfumes and make-up smushed into the center.
I walked over and glanced into the drawers were she kept her jewelry. I pushed the small trinkets around, but didn't see any missing.
"Is anything missing?"
I shook my head. My throat was beginning to close up and tears were stinging my eyes.
I stroked the smooth wood of the table and then the soft stood seat. My father and I got this make-up table and stool refurbished for Mom after Grandma Puckett died. It had been hers and Great-Grandma's too. I still remember the smile on the furniture repair guy's face when I put a handful of my piggy bank stash onto his counter.
I could my mom was a little disappointed that I never cared much for make-up. Sure, there were times were I allowed her to put the eye shadow and lip gloss that always got stuffed into my Easter basket. It made her smile and there was even a picture of me and her making a kissy face at the camera after one of her make overs. She was always one of those fun moms who cracked jokes at get togethers and could get anyone to smile.
I kicked the stool suddenly and Detective Marx jumped.
"It's not fair!" I whirled around to glare at him. Tears stared to spill down my face and that me even more pissed. "They didn't deserve to die! Not like this! They never did anything to anyone! Why? Why were they taken from me like this? Why!?"
He just stood there looking helpless. This had to be one of the most suckiest things about being an officer. I don't know how he deals with it.
I rubbed the back of my hand across my face and looked around. "Just tell me if you guys need this place anymore for your investigation."
"No. We've gathered all the evidence we could from this place."
"I'm going to sell this place as soon as I can find someplace to store everything I want to keep." I said. I bent down and scooped up Skye not bothering that it probably looked weird to him. "Thank you for trying to track down this guy for me and I hope you guys catch him and make him pay."
I walked out of the room and down the stairs. I walked out of the front door and got into the car before I just burst into loud, obnoxious sobs.
My phone rang and I picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Raven!" Bryan screamed over the phone.
"Bryan?" Rage prickled through me red hot. How dare he call me.
"Raven, you need to come to the House of Night pronto." He shouted.
"Why?" I snapped.
"Raven." Dragon suddenly called across the phone. "There is an Immortal beast rampaging across campus and my Warriors cannot subdue it."
I heard a howl that had my scalp prickling.
"Try to get it away from the dormitories! Drive it towards the old oak!" Dragon shouted. "Hurry Raven!" And the connection went dead.
XOXOXOXOXOX
I do enjoy tormenting you guys with cliff hangers, huh?
As usual, please review if you read.