Call of the Raven (21 page)

“The Blackbirds, I should have known they
would have a part in this,” Ari moaned.

Landing on the hood of the truck a blackbird
shifted into a man. Ari took in the trademark leather jacket, the
lifeless blue eyes and the blonde head of Steve Barton. Lowering
down and looking in the window, he leered at them. Ari had noticed
it before, Steve’s odd resemblance to the actor Kieffer
Sutherland.

“Ari, you see him?”

“Hard not to Nix,” he answered.

Shifting back, Steve flew away.

Kennedy sucked in a breath. “You want to
explain what that was all about?”

“That was Steve Barton. His inborn is a
blackbird but he’s a fowler, the leader of the Blackbirds.”

“Well, it looked like Steve, the leader of
the Blackbirds, wanted to send some sort of message, any ideas?”
Kennedy’s eyes darted between him and Nixon as though she wasn’t
sure which one should explain. Ari could see Nixon in the side
mirror looking out the window, and knew that he at least didn’t
have any plans to answer.

“The Blackbirds were outcasted,” Ari replied,
“for their constant rebellion. They don’t believe that one such
person, such as a wolf, should be in control of the Union. The
Gothi believe that too, but they’re a bunch of cultic freaks that
rely on religion and forbidden magic apparently to get their point
across. The Blackbirds don’t exactly oppose the Union, they just
think others should have a chance to lead based on democracy. I
can’t say I blame them none for that but what’s a man gonna do when
he lives under a curse, and is told what to do by ancient outdated
archives and spirits.”

“Well it’s not like Asher’s held a whip over
them during his leadership. They should be thankful he’s ignored
them so much,” Kennedy retorted. Ari started the truck and pulled
forward bouncing off the curb and into the street. “You along with
the Pillar Council are the only thing that’s held the Union
together,” she quickly added.

“That may hold some truth since Asher’s been
a pinhead the majority of the time,” Ari explained, “and it is true
he banned some fowlers for reasons of his own, but he wasn’t the
one that kicked Steve Barton and his merry men out of the Union,
Grant did. I’m not sure of his reasons though, but whatever it was,
it’s still a matter of bad blood, and Steve and I haven’t exactly
been best of friends either.”

“Dude you’re sleeping with his wife,” Nixon
boldly stated.

“Ari! Trisha’s married!” Kennedy gasped and
then quickly redirected. “He was talking about Trisha right?”

“Yes, he was talking about Trisha,” Ari
snapped. “I don’t typically date more than one woman at a time.”
Kennedy and Nixon chose not to reply and Ari let the subject matter
pass. After some awkward silence Kennedy focused her attention on
Nixon in the backseat.

“Wait…he’s the older brother, isn’t he?” she
asked. Ari glanced in the side mirror just in time to see Nixon
nod. Other than that he didn’t budge. Instead he kept looking out
the window, eyes distant and vacant.

Kennedy turned back around and
contemplatively watched the road. After a few moments she twisted
her body so that she was facing him. “I guess if Nixon won’t tell
you then I should. The reason we know about Grant’s kid is because
the night you were taken, Nixon got into a bar fight at Steve’s
pub. The place was full of outcasts and they started a fight with
Nixon. They told him then that Grant had a kid and they planned to
find him.”

Ari looked in the rearview as Nixon angrily
sent an elbow backward into the leather seat. “You were planning on
telling me, eventually right?” he asked.

Nixon sent another elbow backward. “I didn’t
know that Grant even knew Steve.”

“Nixon, whether that is true or not, you
still should have told me about the fight and being in Steve’s
pub.”

Nixon shook his head defiantly. “Why didn’t
Grant ever shoot straight with me, I mean about the kid?”

“I don’t know Nixon, maybe it was because you
were just nine-years-old,” Ari reminded him. “Even I didn’t know he
had a kid. I knew he had a girlfriend that was all.”

“I didn’t even know that.”

“I was older and I took up a lot of slack for
Asher. I served them both and Grant trusted me. Whenever he went on
a date he left me to look after you guys, and that was the only
reason I knew about her. I have always looked after you, but I
guess I really messed up because you should have never been in
Steve’s Pub. I told you the last time I found you there that I
didn’t want you to go back. Why do you constantly do this? Do you
hate me that much?”

Nixon met his gaze in the rearview. “Why
would you even think that?’

“Because it was Asher you followed around
like a lovesick pup. Grant and I tried to be nice to you but even
when he was the cruelest to you, you still would do anything for
him and you still do. You run his errands, you buy his clothes, and
when he beats you to a pulp you let him.”

“He doesn’t beat me,” Nixon uttered, “he
teaches me.”

Ari pulled over in front of the Plaza and
slammed the truck in park. Turning around in the seat he allowed
his eyes to fall hard on Nixon. “He teaches you what, to beg?”

Nixon scooted toward the door. He put his
hand on the handle and acted as though he would get out but instead
he looked back, and Ari saw the emotion in his eyes, just as he had
in the studio.

“Each time Asher knocks me to the mat he
stands over me and asks me, are you strong now? I never knew how to
answer him because I didn’t know what he meant until now. He
doesn’t beat me to punish me. He’s teaching me how to be strong so
the next time I face my dad, I won’t be afraid anymore. And as far
as Steve goes, he wasn’t one of the fowlers in the bar that caused
the fight. He wasn’t anywhere near your car. He wasn’t even with my
dad at the cabin. I don’t know how he fits into all of this, but I
do intend on finding out.”

Nixon jumped out and slammed the door so
violently, the truck swayed from side to side. Moaning, Ari leaned
over and braced his forehead on the steering wheel and instantly
felt Kennedy’s hand on his head smoothing his hair back from his
face.

“You shouldn’t have gotten on him like that,”
she said. “He would have told you eventually.”

“I know, but I just don’t understand it. The
nicer I am to him the farther away from me he gets.”

“Then stop being jealous of Asher.”

Ari sat back and rolled his head so that he
was looking at her, and Kennedy was looking back at him. “I’m sorry
I didn’t know I was jealous of Asher.”

“Ari you took care of us even before Grant
died, and it’s only natural for you to want us to respect you
more.”

Ari saw the valet had finally gotten around
to noticing them but he couldn’t blame him since it wasn’t everyday
someone pulled up in front of the Plaza in a fourteen-year-old
four-wheel drive.

“Mr. Lake, I apologize,” the older man said,
opening the door. “I’m not used to seeing you in this—”

“It’s a truck Felix. I crashed my car a few
days ago. So you probably ought to get used to seeing it
around.”

Ari got out and pulled his duffel bag from
the back, along with Kennedy and Nixon’s totes. After handing them
over to the bellboy, he led Kennedy inside the warm lobby. A Celine
Dion song was playing over the lobby’s stereo system. The song was
familiar and comforting. Holly the night clerk was a big fan and
she often played Celine’s music to help her get through her nine
hour shift.

Ari thought about that. The fact that he
could tell by the music which employee was working testified to the
fact he spent far too much time at the hotel. He quickly glanced
around for Nixon, but except for an Asian woman sitting in front of
the fireplace sipping on a Starbuck’s cup, no one else was
present.

“Do you think he’ll be all right?” Kennedy
asked. The elevator doors shut in front of them and Ari shrugged
his answer. “That’s not much help,” she said.

“I’m sorry Kennedy. My minds just a little
distracted.”

“Are you still thinking about what I
said?”

Ari took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
He took the keys from his jean pocket and after finding the right
one, put it in the lock on the floor panel. The hotel had
twenty-five floors, but the top floor belonged to the Lake’s alone,
and the only way of getting there was with a key. He didn’t feel
like talking but he answered anyway. “You use to do it to, follow
him around. I bet you don’t even realize you do it now.”

“You’re a fool,” she exhaled. When the
elevator door opened she quickly left him behind and walked to her
room and went inside.

After he heard her slide the lock in place,
he crossed the hall and did the same, and went straight to his bed.
The room was spacious with two large bedrooms, a dining area,
stocked bar and two large bathrooms. Ari shared his with Asher but
his bedroom was seldom used. Kennedy shared hers with Casin, and
Nixon was with Cade. Ari couldn’t recall the last time the twins
had left Lake Manor. Ari however had spent plenty of nights in his
and most of the time he wasn’t alone. He plopped down on the bed.
This night he wished he wasn’t alone.

He thought about calling Trisha. But the last
night he had spent with her, Trisha had started asking him all
sorts of questions, and Ari got the idea that she thought their
relationship was deeper than it actually was. She was a pretty girl
and her body was out of this world, but Ari didn’t feel anything
when he held her close, at least nothing emotional.

Hearing a noise in the bathroom, Ari quickly
sat up. By the time he got to the edge of the bed, he saw it was
only Nixon.

“Sorry man I had to take a leak,” he
said.

“You have your own bathroom.”

“I needed to talk to you alone.” Nixon
crossed to the window and looked out.

“Umm, Nixon just out of curiosity, just how
did you get in here?” Ari asked. Nixon waved his hand in the air.
At first Ari didn’t understand but as the meaning set in his jaw
automatically dropped. “You’re a member of the Pillar Council you
little rebellious snot. You know apart from using magic to shift
it’s not allowed.”

“I’ve seen you use it before.”

“Technically I’m not a member of the Pillar
Council either,” Ari retorted and then added. “Just don’t let
anyone catch you.”

“Whatever man, sometimes the rules of the
archives are just ridiculous.” For several seconds Nixon continued
to look out the window before he asked, “Did you know you could see
your office from here?”

Ari nodded. The view wasn’t great with the
corporate office, a towering skyscraper of a building just across
the street, but during the holiday season the shop windows below
were decorated and Christmas lights lined the streets. On occasion
a horse drawn buggy would pass by and it was then Ari would
contemplate taking a girl for a ride, but so far though he had
never met one that appealed to his romantic side.

Generally when he started thinking about
something other than a one night stand he began to reflect back on
his relationship with Tess, and that just hurt far too much. With
his feet still planted on the ground, Ari rested back on the bed
and turned his head so that he was looking at Nixon.

“You wanna tell me what’s eating you up
before you bust? If it’s what I said below, I really am sorry. I
shouldn’t let things get to me so much. Kennedy said it’s because
I’m jealous of Asher,” he laughed. Nixon didn’t. “Wait, do you
think I’m jealous of him to?”

“I’m not sure jealously is the right word to
describe how you feel about Asher but that’s not what I wanted to
talk to you about anyway. It’s me being at that bar. I didn’t go to
hang out with my friends. I went because I was invited…to the
meeting in the back.”

“What are you trying to tell me?” Ari
asked.

“I’ve always been mad at Asher without really
knowing why, so sometimes I say things when I’m drinking I don’t
really mean. I said a few things in front of Kurt, Steve’s little
brother so he invited me. But honestly Ari I didn’t have a clue
what it really was about until I got there. I just thought—” Nixon
exhaled. “Truthfully Ari, I wasn’t thinking about anything and
that’s what got me in trouble. That’s what always gets me in
trouble.”

“So what happened?”

“There were fowlers there. I’ve never met any
before so it was the first time in years I didn’t feel so alone.”
After a brief pause Nixon continued. “Steve started off the meeting
and a few guys stood up with the typical complaints against Asher.
You know how the song and dance goes. They didn’t do anything wrong
but because of what they were—meaning fowlers; Asher threw them out
of the Union. And then two other guys stood up. They were together,
they were fowlers but they were different. I could tell from the
moment they took over the meeting that they had their own agenda
for being there. These two guys suddenly turned on me.”

Nixon turned around and put his back to the
window. “They wanted me to use my position on the Pillar Council to
spy for them, but that’s about the time I started swinging. These
guys were tough Ari, real tough. Anyway, I got thrown out so I
headed home. End of story until I picked up one of those two guys
next to your car—the Asian you pulled the badge off of.”

“Yeah,” Ari contemplated. “He was tough. He
gave Asher a real run for his money until he got a taste of his
roundhouse.”

“I’m sorry for being stupid. I should have
never been there like you said.”

“I’ve been young and stupid many times but we
both know you’re not stupid Nixon.” Ari yawned behind his hand.
“Still, from now on maybe you might want to stay clear of places
like that, at least for the time being. You’re not the only one
questioning the rules.”

Nixon walked to a high back chair but instead
of sitting down, he pulled it over the carpet until it was
positioned next to the bed, and to Ari. “Then you’re not mad at me
anymore for not telling you about Steve?”