Okay, this is going to be a long one and it's not fully connected to the actual story, so you can skip it if you want. But if you want to get some info about Raven and Alex, then this is where to get it. I actually started to write this a while ago, even before I started to write the Outcasts so you'll see I developed Raven's (and to some extent Alex's) character a lot since then. Also you get to see another part of Raven's personality that isn't really shown in the rest of the chapters. To be honest, this is kind of a filler chapter while I'm working on the actual next chapter but I think background stories like these can help people get some insight into the characters. I'm going to post at least one more chapter like this and it will almost definitely be Noise's because her's is so connected to Raven and Alex. So I hope you enjoy!

Another Fairy Tale

Ever since I was little, I knew I was cursed.

It wasn't because I had the worse luck of anyone I knew or that I felt like an outsider anywhere I went. Nor was it because I was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. I just knew. My dad also knew, so he tried to prepare me for whatever was wrong with me.

My dad also tried to prepare my sister for her curse but she just laughed and thought they were playing or got scared when he read her a bedtime story. Then Mom came in and discussed (yelled) at him for filling our heads with make-believe. She heard the stories from Grandpa, Dad's dad, and thought they were a load of crap. Mom couldn't possibly understand the meaning behind them.

I should explain a little bit. I'm a Grimm. The Grimms have been cursed generations, even before Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Our curses have been varied throughout each generation, one never like another, that is until the Grimm Brothers. Their curse was to write down our curses. You may have heard of Grimm fairytales, they're our curses. My dad's and his sister's story was Hansel and Gretel. Thankfully they both lived through that.

I should also tell you something else, Grimms are technically, what do you say, witches. Yes, we have magic, we just haven't used it in a very long time. The curse probably left a sour taste in my ancestors' mouths. Now we just use magic to help end our curses for a little while and never look at it or use it again. Today, we just pretend we're just like everyone else: boring. You could say there is nothing wrong with being boring but I would beg to differ. Why be boring when you could be something amazing? But what do I know, I'm just a kid.

I was about to head out when the front door banged open. Jumping back to avoid a broken nose, I glared at my sister before I could take in her appearance. Her nearly perfect look was replaced by a frazzled and scared one. Switching immediately into my overprotective sister mode, I pulled her inside.

"What happened? Are you ok?" I asked worriedly.

"Ms. Klein's-" she cut off as an emerald tumbled from her lips and onto the floor. My blood ran cold as I looked at it.

"Tell me what happened. Now."

Through a lot of sniffles and sobs, and some astonished yelling when Mom came out of the kitchen and saw the gems and the flowers, this is what I could make out: Eve went over to Ms. Klein's, a cranky old lady that Eve was helping out around the house for. When Ms. Klein went upstairs for a nap a man appeared in the kitchen, saying he was Ms. Klein's son. After some small talk, he ended up attacking her and almost… raped her. Thankfully, Ms. Klein stepped in before things got too out of hand. Unthankfully, she made Eve agree to not say anything about the incident before saying she was a nice girl and sent her on her way home.

The story had me furious on several different levels. The biggest one, and the most obvious, was that my little sister almost got raped! Then she promised she wouldn't say anything about it! That alone justified me going over to the Klein's residence to punch both of them in their faces before having them arrested.

Storming over to their house, only a block away, I don't even bother knocking on the door. No one should expect me to do anything remotely polite when I'm mad, it's just a common fact. It's also a common fact that I express my anger physically. That is why when a middle-aged guy with dark hair came down the stairs, no doubt to yell at me for charging into his house, I just soccer punched him in the nose. Hard.

I think it broke.

The man let out a shout, stumbling back into the wall. I followed him, about to let loose another one, when Ms. Klein charged around the corner. Ms. Klein was a stout old woman that barely reached my shoulder with a face that made it look like she sucked on one to many lemons. She also despised me with a passion.

"Young lady, what in the world do you think you're doing?" She spat at me.

I sneered at her. "I think I'm doing what my sister should have done and showing your son that it is not okay for him to attack young girls! Or anyone for that matter!"

Ms. Klein stilled for a second before raising a finger at me. Oh no, she found my greatest fear, old women fingers (note the sarcasm). "Your sister and I came to an agreement, missy. It was just a big misunderstanding."

"Big misunderstanding my ass," I shouted. "Tell me how your son shoving his hand down my thirteen-year-old sister's shirt a fucking misunderstanding?!"

"Young lady, I will not tolerate such crude words," she said, emphasizing each word with a jab of her finger.

This just got me even angrier. "I really don't give a damn about what you think right now!"

Ms. Klein's posture went rigid, her face telling me I crossed a line. Her next words are what really stopped me though. "You are cross and ill-bred. From now on toads and snakes will leap out of your mouth whenever you speak."

She said them. She said those words. Words that I had memorized in preparation years ago and read a thousand time. Words that filled me with anxiety and made me pull my hair out. Now I finally heard them out loud.

My yelling choked off and I look at Ms. Klein with wide eyes. Bile rose up in my throat as I stumbled back. Getting my bearings, I spun around and ran out of the house. I kicked dirt up behind me as I sprinted across her yard and onto the street.

She said the words.

My lungs were on fire before I was back home but I pushed myself to keep going. I skidded to a halt before I slammed into the door. I looked at the aged wood and tried to control my breathing before gently pushing it open.

Eve's sobs reached my ears as I close the door. I pictured her baby blue eyes sparkling with tears and a pile of gems and blossoms by her feet. Mom would be wearing out the carpet with her pacing and her face would still be starch white. I didn't want to face them right then and there but it's not like I had any other choice.

Their matching blue eyes looked up at me as I entered the living room and I saw that I was right. Sometimes I hate being right. Eve jumped up from the couch and hugged me. I rubbed her back as she sobbed into my shoulder but I didn't say anything. My gut twisted and I clenched my eyes shut, forcing back any of my own tears.

"What happened?" My mom asked nervously.

Forcing my sister away, I carefully stared at her. Sighing, I replied, "You should've listened to Dad more. He was right."

It didn't feel as weird as I thought it would. The sliminess only lasted for a second before the snake dropped to the carpeted floor. My mom and my sister looked at it horrified while I bent down to scoop it up. After the shock wore off, I knew Mom would flip about having a snake loose in the house. Not even if was as adorable and as harmless as this one.

"No, no, no, no, no," Eve whimpered hoarsely. "Not you too!"

Uncut rubies and diamonds tumbled from her lips with each word. One of the sharper corners of one of the diamonds scratched her bottom lip and I couldn't help but wince when I saw blood start to bead. Guilt curled inside me. This should've been my curse and my curse alone, Eve was too innocent to be wrapped up in this.

"Its fine, I can fix this," I promised, trying to soothe her. This time a toad hopped out and I quickly grabbed it before it could hop away.

My mom disgusted face soon turned into one of anger. "How are you going to fix this Delilah? With that ridiculous story book? Don't fill her head with hope, we have to come up with a logical plan."

I narrowed my eyes at her for calling Dad's family heirloom a silly book. The book was way more than that, it was our history, our present, and most likely, our future. It was also the key to fixing this.

"A logical plan? For this? Do you not remember anything Dad said?" I asked her, growling.

"It was just gibberish," she replied. "I didn't think he was actually serious about any of that."

As I opened my mouth to yell at her more, I heard whimpering. Snapping my mouth shut, I looked at Eve. She was a mess. Her blonde hair was falling out of her ponytail, her cheeks were flush and stained with tears, and her lip was still bleeding. She was absently plucking at the daisy she was holding.

"Can you really fix it?" She asked quietly. Doubt started to creep out again. I knew if there was a way to fix it, it would be in the book but there was also a slim chance that it wouldn't be. There was also a chance that I couldn't perform whatever task I had to do.

No. I scolded myself. Nothing is too much to fix this for her. Gathering my confidence, I gave her a nod. She gave me the most hopeful look that I'd ever seen, and my heart started to break. I had to fix this.

The house was quiet, save for a few leftover sniffles and sobs from my sister, by the time I shoveled my way to the back of my father's study. My eyes scanned the dusty books before landing on a familiar thick book on the top shelf. I pulled it off before dropping it onto the desk.

Running my hand over the cover, I let the familiar feeling of cracked leather calm me before I flipped it open. The Grimoire was stuffed with fairy tales, potions, and spells. I frantically scanned each page, looking for something that would help with this damned curse. I let out a shout in frustration as the words started to rearrange themselves. Yet another frog jumped from my lips and I moved quickly to pick it up and place it the trashcan by my feet. That would hold it until I could let it loose outside. Annoyed, I looked back at the page and almost let out a curse in surprise.

Hello.

I stared shocked at the page. Not knowing what to do, I answered back. "Hello?" The word broke apart and more letters shuffled together as a lizard plopped into my hand.

If you're looking for something to break that curse of yours, I would give up now. The letters hesitated for a second as I cursed before reforming again. But I can make you a deal: I'll get rid of you and your sisters' curse if you let me out of this book and start practicing your family trade again.

My eyes narrowed. Crossing my arms, I growled, "You know, this is starting to remind me of Tom Riddle's dairy a little too much to make me feel comfortable."

…I don't know what that means.

"It means," I bit out, catching the snake slithering from my lips. It was a longer one and it decided to get comfortable around my arm. "That I'm getting a feeling that you're trying to screw me over and I don't like it."

Hmm, maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But you don't have many options here and not a lot to lose.

My face scrunched up as I read those words. That didn't comfort me at all…. But it was right. Chewing on my lip, I let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, what do I need to do?"

I could feel whatever was in the book grinning at me. To start with, a couple drops of blood please.

Thirty minutes and a bloody hand later, I was staring at the crow perched on the desk. I faintly recognized that the house got eerily quiet, but I was too busy keeping an eye on the midnight black bird. It hopped closer to me and focused its beady eyes on me. Somehow, I knew it wanted me to hold out my hand but I still didn't trust it. It tilted its neck and gave me a 'really?' look. Huffing, I hesitantly held out my injured hand.

The demon let out a trill of satisfaction before stretching its neck so it could reach my hand. As it rubbed its head against the open cut, I felt a tug on my core. I watched in a mixture of amazement, curiosity, and slight disgust as the skin on my hand stitched itself back together.

"Okay," I whispered, pulling back my hand. "That was kinda wicked."

Its feathers puffed up in pride. Before I could huff out a laugh, a tickle of confusion wormed itself into my brain, one that I knew was not my own. Gasping in surprise, I demanded, "What the hell was that?!"

"That would be me." I let out another shout as a rich voice answered me.

Glaring up at the now amused looking bird, I stabbed my finger at it. "I don't care if you're a demon or not but a raven should not sound like that!"

If he had eyebrows, I knew he would've raised them. "What did you think I would sound like?"

"I don't know?! High pitch and squeaky? Maybe raspy? I don't know, whatever ravens sound like!"

"Well sorry to disappoint but I'm not actually a raven."

"I know that! But you still look like one!"

"I can change my appearance into anything that I want," the demon's feathers started to smooth together and harden while it's shape elongated. "A snake," this time it grew bigger, "a wolf," it's bones cracked as it moved to stand on it's hind legs. A second later, black eyes stared up at me from behind some fringe. "Or even a human child"

Masking my uncomfortableness at the demon's display, I gave him a blank stare. "Cool, that means you can be the ultimate stalker, just what every girl wants."

The little boy's eyes narrowed and his cruel smile slipped into a mean frown. "Can you express anything else other than sarcasm?"

"Nooo," I rolled my eyes at him. This time I felt a flare of annoyance. I tried to distract myself from feeling the other's feelings. "By the way, is there anything I can call you so I don't have to keep on referring to you as 'demon' in my head?"

"I do have a name, but most choose not to use it anymore," the demon replied coolly, crossing his thin arms.

I stared at him before shaking my head. "Okay, that's definitely cool and not creepy at all. What am I supposed to call you then?"

"Anything you want. But I am a male demon, so I'd rather not have you name me 'Sophia' or anything frivolous like that."

Good to know. "Well, you sound snooty enough to be an Alexander. Maybe I'll call you Alex for short."

The newly name Alex tilted his head at me. "Has anyone ever told you that you are an odd child?"

"Oh, man, you don't even know half of it," I barked out a laugh. Scratching the back of my neck, I continued, "Well, I should probably check up on Eve. Can you make yourself into something, I don't know, a little less noticeable?"

Alex gave me a snort. "Of course I can."

When he gave no move to actually transform, or shape-shift, or whatever word it was for that thing he did, I asked slowly, "Will you?"

"Fine."

With one last sigh, he began to shrink. In the next second, a mouse stood where a boy once was. Trying not to coo at him, I bent down and picked him up. This caused the snake still wrapped around my arm to hiss so I had to wrestle Alex into my pocket while I untangled the snake and placed it on the desk. It gave me an unhappy look but still moved to wrap itself around the lamp. I gave it one last pat before leaving the office.

Calling for Eve, I ran around the house in my excitement. I found her in the living room staring confusedly at her hands. When I jumped in front of her, she let out a surprised squeak but made sure she didn't say anything. Grabbing her hands and hoisting her up, I grinned widely at her.

"Say something, anything."

She looked at me quizzically before her eyes widen comically. "You- you did it?"

Seeing no glittering gems or soft flowers, I felt a grin stretch across my face. Touching her lips in surprise, Eve looked at me with an amazed expression before giggling softly. Soon, we both are a pile of laughs and fast chatter. Eve started to pull me around the room in an awkward dance, both of us singing off pitch to the radio in the kitchen. In the back of my head, I felt Alex's annoyance at the sudden movements.

Muffled clomping of feat reach my ears and I twirled in time to see Mom rush to the doorway. Her steel eyes filled with shock as she looked at us, singing and dancing, before her lips spread out into a warm smile. She rushed over to hug us and, for the first time in what seemed like forever, I melted into her embrace. The moment only lasted for a second before she pulled away and started to rapidly ask me questions.

My smile slowly faded as my stomach clenches. Rubbing the back of my neck, I shifted my weight to one foot then to the other one. Picking up on my uneasiness, my mother's face slowly changed from joyful to suspicious.

"Delilah, what did you do?"

I found that I couldn't look her in the eyes while I answered. "I made a deal."

"You made a deal with what?" She asks slowly. Alex dug his claws into my side in warning but I already knew not to tell my mother the whole truth.

"With the Grimoire." Her hands covered her mouth in shock and I quickly continued. "All I have to do is use it from time to time. That's it Mom, I promise. Nothing evil or cultish, I swear." There's was a little amusement at the last part.

Mom's eyes turned cold. "Delilah can I talk to you alone in your room for a second."

A string of fear wormed its way to my stomach. Nodding, I gave Eve the warmest smile I could muster before following Mom out into the hallway. My fear and nervousness grew with each passing second of silence as we walked up the stairs and the short distance to my room.

I closed the door softly behind me before cautiously taking a seat on the corner of my bed. Mom pulled out my desk chair, a black rolling thing, and sat across from me. More silence. I opened my mouth to say something but Mom closed her eyes and waved her hand, effectively shutting me up.

"What made you think making that deal was a smart idea Delilah?" She started in a low, dangerous tone. Knowing the question was rhetorical, I kept my mouth firmly shut, not wanting my smart-ass mouth to get me in more trouble then I already was.

"Do you know what you just did? You made a deal with the one thing that made your Dad's whole family, including your sister, miserable." She closed her eyes and pressed her hands together like she was praying. "Please, please tell me there is another way."

"I already made the deal," I replied quietly.

Her eyes snapped open and in the next moment, she was pacing around my room. "Then don't fill it. There is no way I'm going to let you practice magic."

I shook my head and replied ruefully, "Unless you want me and Eve to keep spitting things up, then I have to."

My eyes followed Mom for a few minutes. We were both silent for different reasons; she was thinking and I was trying to figure out how mad she was. Finally, she stopped pacing and turned, her eyes fixing on me. I didn't like the look she had, it looked like she came to a decision and was going to stick by it but it also contained a hint of sorrow. I braced myself for the future blow. But it never came.

"Leave."

Gapping at her in confusion, I asked dumbly, "What?

She faltered for a second and I felt a little hope. Hope that was immediately crushed. "If you are going to be practicing magic," she practically spat the word. "Then you aren't going to be doing it in this house. If you are so determined that this is the only way, I want you out."

"Mom, what are y-"

"I want you out by Sunday. That's final." With that, she turned and walked out of the room with the door slamming behind her.

A little nose pushed itself out of my pocket. The rest of Alex's head soon followed. "Well, she's isn't a very pleasant woman, is she?" I couldn't reply. My head was spinning.

Did she just kick me out? I knew she was going to have a bad reaction but I never expected it would be to this extent. Of course, I knew I was a handful sometimes, usually more than a handful, I got hit enough times to prove that, but I never thought she would just throw me out. Surely she would come back in and apologize, saying she overreacted. But the longer I stared at the door the more apparent it became she wasn't coming back. Soon my confusion turns into anger.

She wanted me out by Sunday, which gave me two days to get my stuff together. I could do her one better and be out by the next morning.

Jumping off my bed, I pull out my duffle bag, my suitcase, and my backpack. The duffle bag was starting to fall apart but it wasn't something a little duct tape couldn't fix. Shuffling through my closet, I made sure to only pack the things that I used my own money to buy which apparently is most of my stuff. Thankfully, Alex let me pack in peace, silently observing me from where he perched on the desk. With my bags mostly stuffed, I threw in my extra blanket and pillow and a few pictures of Eve and I and one of us with Dad before I flipped my mattress. Finding the hidden tear in the bottom, I reached in there and grabbed a thick bundle: my rainy-day money. And boy, wasn't today the rainiest of days.

After dumping out all the school supplies, I put the money in the backpack before going up to the door and putting my ear to it. Hearing nothing, I quickly slid outside and down the stairs. Laughter and small chatter floated down the hall from the kitchen, making my heart clench, but I ignored the feeling and turned the opposite way to the office. I gently grabbed the Grimoire off the desk, thanking my lucky stars that Mom didn't come in here and throw it away, and was about to leave when I heard a ribbit. Glancing down, I saw the toad was still in the waste basket and the snake was still coiled around the lamp.

I carefully turn over the basket and watched as the toad hopped out. Mom could deal with it. The snake was another issue. Holding my hand out towards it, I waited until it unwound itself before picking it up and placing itself around my shoulders. I let out a little laugh as it soon made itself comfortable. I tried to make my way out again before something out of the corner of my eye caused me to freeze.

Weaving my way through the haphazardly stacked boxes, I reached the far wall of the room. Hanging on the blue walls was a family picture I barely remember being taken. I was five when the picture was taken, Eve was almost two, and Dad was still alive. In the picture, we looked like a big happy family and we were, back then. It would be a couple years before things took a turn for the worse and one more till Dad died. In the picture, I was sitting on his lap, both of our brown hair looking crazy and green eyes filled with laughter, and Mom was holding Eve, who was practically a miniature version of her, still is, and a wide smile adorned her face. It's been a really long time since I saw her smile like that.

Forcing my eyes away from the picture and my mind from the past I looked down. Our old coat rack, a cool black iron one, stood underneath the picture with a lone coat hanging from it. The coat was made from cracked black leather but it had a thick lining and when I picked it up, I could faintly still smell Dad on it. It was a couple sizes too large for me but I found myself slipping it on any way.

With Dad now wrapped around me, I took the Grimoire and made my way upstairs again.

I wait an hour after I hear both Eve and Mom go to bed to drag my things downstairs to the garage. It's not surprising that I had to pay for my own car, Mom was too cheap. So just before I turned sixteen, I bought an old blue truck from someone who was just about to sell it for scrap metal. I brought it home and started to fix it up so it was not a complete eye sore and that it could go over ten miles again. I poured my blood, sweat and tears (figuratively and metaphorically) into my baby. It saw me through some tough situations before and I hope it was going to see me through this one.

Alex hopped his way into the front seat while I stuffed the duffle and the suitcase into the trunk along with my tools and stowed the backpack under the passenger seat. Getting in the driver's seat, I started the car and got halfway down the driveway before I stopped. It felt like I was forgetting something very important. Or someone.

Growling at my emotions, I put the car into park and climbed out. Making sure my feet were as light as a cat, I slipped into the house again and to my room. Excuse me, my old room. Pulling out a piece of notebook paper, I jot down a quick note saying I was leaving. I contemplated saying why I was leaving but decided against it, thinking Mom would make something up to tell her about my absence. Folding the paper up and slipping it under Eve's door, I raced back outside and into the car.

"Got everything taken care of?" Ignoring the demon, I pulled out into the road.

There was only one place in the city that I could go that I knew I would be taken care of, Mick's. Mick was a middle-age man with laugh lines on the corner of his eyes and graying hair. He owned a restaurant in downtown but had a couple other shadier businesses in his pocket too. Mick was the guy any poor kid went to to make money quick and he looked after his people. In the past, I fixed up his cars and ran messages for him. He would let me stay in the Loft.

The Loft was located above the restaurant and was usually packed with kids who either didn't want to go home or didn't have a home to go back too. It was cozy but it was crowded and I wouldn't have a lot of privacy while I was there. Which could prove to be a problem with Alex but I had to make it work.

I always did.