There was a pecking noise…on my window.

I opened my eyes. A huge blackbird stood on the sill and pecked at the window with sharp, repetitive taps.

"Go away!" I thumped my fist against the window. It croaked at me before taking off.

I rolled over onto my back and threw my arm over my eyes. Stupid bird. I needed a good night's rest seeings how I was stressing out like nobody's business. My best friend in the whole wide world had just turned into a vamprye. I text him like crazy and we Skype when we can, but its not the same as seeing one another everyday at school. And to top it off of got some narrow minded Barbie dolls tormenting me because I'm friends with a "freak." Honestly, and yet they love Justin Bieber who just so happens to be a fledgling.

I rolled over and saw that it was two in the morning. Ugh.

I reached over for my phone and texted him. I had nothing better to do.

"Can't sleep?" He asked.

"Yep, a stupid bird woke me up." I texted back.

"Nice. You want to meet up somewhere later today?" He asked.

"Maybe." I texted back. My mother didn't want me to be involved with 'his' crowd. So sneaking off to see him required cunning and my super secret spy abilities.

My phone buzzed in my hand. I jerked at the noise. I frowned. Why was he calling me? I hit the send button.

"Hey, Raven."

"Dear God, Robert." I moaned. "You are entirely too loud."

"Give it back." I heard Brian grunt.

"Hey everyone, say hi to Brian's girlfriend."

I heard hi's and 'can I have your number's from a bunch of random guys. He must be in the lounge. I've never been inside the House of Night, but he said that in his dorm there was a lounge on the first floor where the guys could hang out. It sounded like fun.

"Hi random people I've never met!" I said into my phone. I've only met his roommate, Robert who, I might add, is a very boyish looking guy with sandy blonde hair and big blue eyes.

"Dammit Robert I'm going to slit your throat while you're sleeping." Brian growled.

"You want to know what he says about you here?" Robert asked.

Brian growled and there was a sound of flesh hitting flesh.

"Ow!" Robert said.

I smiled.

"Sorry about that." Brian said. He sounded breathless.

"No problem." I said. "Personally I'd love to chat with Robert."

"Not while I'm alive." He muttered.

"Why Brian, you don't like me do you?" I teased.

He was quiet. I wonder why?

"Do you think I could see later tonight?" He asked.

"How late are we talking?" I asked a suggestive tone in my voice. I loved teasing this guy to death.

"Eight, nine-ish." He said.

"I'll see what I can do." I said.

"I'll wait for you outside the House of Night." He said.

"Kay. Bye." I said.

"Bye sweetheart."

I hit the end button and put my phone back on my nightstand. I rolled around for a bit trying to find a comfortable position.

There was pecking noise on my window. I looked up and the bird was back.

I groaned. What was this bird's problem? Was I not allowed to sleep? If so, why the heck not? Sleep is very vital you know.

It pecked at my window and croaked.

I shoved my head under my pillow and groaned. He pecked at the window.

I thumped the window again. I was going to have blackbird pie if it pecked my window again.

Peck! Peck! Peck-peck-peck!

"Argh!" I sat up and glared at the bird. "I'm up are you happy?"

It croaked at me again. Its black eyes stared right into mine. They looked strangely human. A strange stupor took hold. I felt light headed and detached from my body. I swayed.

It opened its beak, but instead of croaking it hissed at me: "Remember your past."

A question mark framed itself in my mind before I sunk into the rich darkness.

XOXOXXOXOX

"Me-ow? Me-ow!"

I blinked. My neck felt incredibly stiff. I blinked again and realized I had fallen diagonally across my bed and my head was tucked in between my pillow and the wall.

Huh, I didn't remember falling. It might be because I can't remember dreaming. After all, when I don't dream or don't remember it feels like I didn't really fall asleep.

"Me-OW!" Standing on my chest was an ink black cat with bright green eyes who was currently demanding that I feed her.

"All right, all right." I pushed her off of me.

"Mer-row!"

I sighed and swallowed a couple of times. My mouth was really dry like I slept with it wide open.

Snap pranced to the door and sat down in front of it looking up at me.

"Heaven forbid I pee before I feed you." I told her. I hopped off my bed though and opened the door. She whisked herself out. I followed quickly after her.

I raced her down the stairs.

"I win!" I yelled into the empty house. Snap didn't acknowledge my victory, but quickly darted into the kitchen.

I darted over and shut the door to the living because for some reason my mom thought it would be a good idea to get white couches and chairs that a certain black cat enjoys napping on. It's probably because that room gets the best sunlight.

I walked into the kitchen and scooped a cup of dry cat food into her bowl.

"There you are your majesty." I told her as I affectionately scratched her butt.

I disappeared into the first floor powder room and I caught my reflection in the mirror. My amber eyes stared back at me and my black hair was so dark that it had a blue sheen to it.

I stuck my tongue out at my reflection and grinned because I was such a dork. I walked out and began hunting for a decent cereal. I was tied between Lucky Charms or Frosted Flakes.

"What do you think?" I turned to my black cat.

She looked up from the bowl and licked her mouth before sticking her nose back into her bowl.

"Well, you're no help." I told her. I sighed and grabbed the Frosted Flakes.

As I poured the bowl of cereal I caught a picture of my family on the fridge. My dad's dark hair was peppered with silver and my mom's ash blonde hair was also streaked with silver. At school they were the oldest parental couple.

Oh, did I mention I was adopted? I never knew my birth mother or father only these guys.

I blinked. Why was I thinking about Them anyway?

"Remember your past."

I almost dropped my spoon.

Oh, fudge nuggets! How could I forget that that stupid Raven spoke to me!

"I'm going crazy." I told Snap. "I think that stupid bird from last talked to me."

She began grooming her face.

"Where were you anyway? You could have chased that stupid bird off." I told her shoveling a spoonful of cereal into my mouth.

She stuck up her leg and began licking her private parts. I pushed her foot down.

"Not while I'm eating."

She gave me the kitty glare and turned to lick her backside.

I slurped the rest of the milk and dropped the bowl into the sink. I sighed.

"Now what?" I asked her. I had absolutely nothing to do. Not even homework.

I stuck out my tongue, was it nighttime yet?

I went up into my room and curled up in my chair. Snap came up and hopped into my lap. She purred happily as I stroked her back and opened my book.

XOXOXOX

I skipped down the stairs and grabbed my purse from the purse/coat rack near the door. I slid on my heavy coat and my Eeyore hat.

"Where are you going?"

I turned and saw my mom sitting in the living room.

"Out." I said.

"I can see that." She said.

"I'll be back before curfew." I said.

"Are you going out with some boy?" She asked.

"Yes. Bye Mom!" I threw myself out of the front door before she could ask who.

I ran over to my car and put my key into the door.

"Croak!"

I turned and saw the raven perched on the lamp at the end of our driveway.

"Shoo!" I told it.

"You must remember your mother." It said. "Before you meet your father."

I blinked and shook my head. "Shouldn't you be saying 'Nevermore' instead of riddles?"

It croaked again.

I sighed. "I can't remember my mother. She gave me up when I was a baby."

"You must remember! Lest you become a monster like him and your brothers."

I ignored it, it wasn't making any sense and I probably shouldn't be listening to it anyway: birds aren't supposed to be able to talk, or at least none parrot birds, and slid into my car. I turned the key and cranked up the heat before pulling out of the driveway.

What the hell did that stupid bird mean? I had no idea who my mother was or my father. I had no memories of her, just my adoptive mother. And what was the whole thing with the monster bit?

I shook my head. Clearly I should never function with less than twelve hours of sleep.

I pulled up the front gate and it opened for me. I pulled through the gate and parked my car in the parking space that Brain was standing beside.

But instead of coming to the passenger's side, he walked over to the driver's side.

I turned off the car and stepped out. "What?"

"I completely forgot about this New Moon ceremony that we're doing tonight." He said.

"Oh." I said.

He bit his lip. "If you want, you could come with me to that."

I blinked. "But I'm human."

"No one will notice." He said. He looked over and must of seen someone he knew. "Come here." He took my hand and led me up to a girl.

I knew in an instant she wasn't your average fledgling or even vamprye. Her Mark was filled in and lacey symbols decorated her face and down her shoulders. What shocked me more was how she was kinda of built like me. High cheekbones and thick dark hair.

"Merry meet Zoey." Brian said, bending over slightly with his fist over his heart.

"Merry meet Brian." She said. She looked at me.

"Um, merry meet. I'm Raven." I said. I copied Brian's bow.

"I asked her out tonight and I completely forgot about the ceremony tonight." He said. "Do you think she could come and see it?"

"I promise I won't speak out or interrupt anything." I said.

She bit her lip. "I've never heard about a human who wasn't a consort being invited to a ceremony before." She glanced over toward a huge oak where bunches of people were gathering. "I guess she could come."

"Thank you." He bowed to her again.

"Thanks." I bowed to her as well. Brian began pulling me to the gathering.

"Are you Cherokee?" She asked.

I paused. "I don't know. I was adopted."

She nodded. "I hope you enjoy the ceremony."

"Thanks." I suddenly got a very solid feeling in my gut. Something big was going to happen here tonight. I could feel it.