Call of the Raven (39 page)

“Come on Elle, don’t you wanna stay here a
little while, long enough to find out?” Nixon had stopped stroking
her hair, and sat with his head against the back of the couch.
After placing a pillow under her head, he seemed content to just
let her lie on his lap. When he spoke again, his voice was soft and
far away. “At least just for a little while, till you know…till you
know.”

“I guess I’m used to being unloved, so maybe
it won’t be so bad.”

***

Ari woke with
a start. He couldn’t
breathe. He was a dog; night vision and his nose were his best
attributes but not only could he not see a thing, something smelled
oddly of onions, pretzels and beer.

“He’s just a dog right?” A voice loomed over
him, pounding beat for beat with a painful throbbing tempo in his
head. Just seconds before as Ari stirred on the brink of waking, he
had recalled the argument with Asher, dinner and his reason for
drinking.

Worst, he remembered his behavior. He had
gotten drunk. He had stormed out because of Asher’s intensions to
ruin yet another life, and he couldn’t stand the sight of those
intensions as they distorted her pretty face. Nothing should make
her look so unhappy.

“But he can’t shift right as long as I’m
holding onto him? It’s a dead moon right?”

“Yes Kurt it’s a dead moon which means he
can’t shift at all, and neither can you, you idiot. Even if he
could, he’s a lab!”

The pressure left his eyes, and Ari looked up
at Kurt. He would know his round scrunched face anywhere, and his
football size hands, which explained the smell. The last time Ari
spotted him in Steve’s pub, Kurt was cramming a triple decker
cheeseburger into his fat face.

One glance in the direction of the light
coming in through the balcony door, he found his brother Steve
sitting in the winged leather chair. Ari’s body jerked upwards with
such force he had little time to react. The ogre of a brother had
him by the front of his shirt and he didn’t care much if he was
strangling him in the process.

“So what do you want me to do with him?” Kurt
asked.

“I want you to put him back down so I can
talk to him properly.” Steve sounded angry as he rubbed his eyes
with his thumb and forefinger. Once Ari was back on the bed again,
he looked around. The last thing he remembered was Felix opening
the door for him.

But after leaving Asher behind, he wasn’t
sure where he went or what he did. Now he lied fully dressed on the
top of his bed and there was no sign of Elle, except for the light
blue shirt, Steve had draped across his right thigh.

“Ari, Ari, Ari,” he said, “just when I think
you can’t stoop lower you go and hook up with my wife.”

Ari looked at Asher’s door and found it open.
He could make out the sound of soft snoring but Asher didn’t snore.
Nixon on the other hand did so he knew he was in there watching
over him, and more than likely had all night.

“How did you get in here Steve?” He turned
back.

“That’s not the question you should be asking
Ari. The question you should be asking is what I’m planning to do
to you.”

Ari threw his legs over the side of the bed.
“Fine let’s get on with it then and save us both some time. I’m
tired of playing your game!”

Again Kurt was in front of him. All it took
was one meaty handed swipe to his chest and Ari crashed backward
onto the bed again. As the bed moved and swayed, Ari clinched his
eyes closed. His brain felt sloshy, and now to compound things,
Kurt had successfully knocked the wind out of him.

“Leave him alone Kurt. Trisha’s little
indiscretions aren’t important now. Not when there are other
matters far more pressing,” Steve loomed over Ari. “While you take
the time to suck life back into your lungs Ari, maybe you will lend
me your ear.”

Without thinking Ari cast another look in the
direction of Asher’s room. This time, Steve looked too. “I know
he’s in there, along with that falcon and the girl, but I have no
intentions of taking advantage of her. I do fear you have
misunderstood my intentions Arimus Lake, and I’m here to set
matters straight, that’s all.”

“What do you want Steve?”

Chapter
Twenty-Two

Fire and
Ice

“
Wake up!”

Asher tried to make sense of things but his
brain would not allow him to acknowledge anything let alone leave
the comfort of his warm bed. He couldn’t recall the last time he
had slept so sound. All he wanted was to rest a little while
longer, let his tired sore body appreciate the pleasure of the cool
sheets against his skin, and listen to the soothing properties of
her voice. When he listened, truly listened, he didn’t feel so
tense inside.

But someone had told him to wake up. Blinking
his eyes open, Asher saw that it was Ari. He stood in front of the
closet, with wrinkled clothes and tousled hair, pulling clothing
from a drawer.

Nothing made sense.

Why was Ari in his room?

Why did he look so blurry?

“You gotta get up
both
of you!” Ari
brought clothes back and threw them down. They landed on Asher’s
bare chest. Asher moaned and started to turn back over but Ari
grabbed his shoulder and shook him hard. With each jolt Asher felt
his brain bash back and forth against his skull. “Get up fool and
get dressed. You have to get back!”

The words took meaning causing Asher to jolt
upright, nearly hitting Ari in the head in the process. Ari
frowned, grabbed hold of his arm and forcibly pulled him over to
the side of the bed. Asher wanted to resist but, humbly knew, he
didn’t have the aptitude at the current time.

“You left the balcony door open. Steve got in
and opened up my door to let his pig brother inside. We had a
conversation, it was nice,” Ari said.

Asher was confused. He looked down at his
body. He was in his briefs and nothing else. How was it he didn’t
remember undressing? How was it he didn’t remember leaving the door
open or anything after he poured…

He mentally caught a glimpse of her face on
the balcony, and closed his eyes. Simultaneously as vague pictures
began to form in his head, both he and Ari glanced in the direction
of the couch where her pillowed head, still rested on Nixon’s lap.
There was a look in Ari’s eyes that only complicated matters, but
even though seeing them like that, close and comfortable with each
other had bothered him more than he wished to admit, Asher
understood. Nixon was just a few years younger than Elle, and he
knew all too well Elle’s pain.

“Wait…”Asher paused as Ari’s words struck
home, “what do I have to do?”

“You have to get home, back to the manor.”
Ari pushed a shirt over his head. Looking down, Asher saw that it
was green and it had a big clover on the front. He took hold of the
hem and pulled it off and threw it across the floor. “Why are you
dressing me?”

Ari threw his hands up. “Fine, you find
something to wear but just
get up
. Seriously Asher find the
strength and move.”

***

A voice loud
and shrill rudely woke
Elle from her sleep. Kennedy stood in the doorway fully dressed in
jeans and a cute green hooded sweater with matching green sneakers.
She had her orange hair twisted in two single braids that fell
cutely behind her shoulders. She appeared as though she were in
mid-text, and had been caught completely off guard. She was the
archetypal image of a teenage girl, Elle had witnessed many times
at the library.

Asher, shirtless stood before the closet with
his muscular back facing her. He had on the same jeans from the
night before but when he faced her, Elle saw that he hadn’t taken
the time to zip them yet. He looked to be in a hurry. He inspected
a white tee-shirt and pulled it on over his head, flattening his
wild hair against his face in the process. Shaking the black
strands out of his eyes he noticed them, her and Nixon stirring
awake.

Pushing her gently up, Nixon excused himself
and immediately headed straight to the bathroom, leaving Elle alone
to deal with Kennedy’s wrath on her own. The younger girl’s glare
was unmistakable.

“What’s going on?” She spun toward Asher.
“Asher get rid of her.
I
want her
gone
!”

His expression turned violent, as she rushed
at him. “And what gives you the right to demand anything of me!”
With each step that Kennedy moved closer, the volume of his voice
increased. In the end, his red glowering eyes caused her to come to
an sudden stop, and then take a step back.

At that point she set her angry glare on
Elle. “Well I’m not giving her anymore of my clothes. I don’t want
anything to do with her.” With that Kennedy hurried out the
door.

Asher exhaled deep and heavy, and put a hand
to his head as Ari appeared in the doorway behind him in nothing
but a towel. He ran a hand through his brown hair.

Ari and Asher both had impressive bodies but
in this particular case, it wasn’t his sculpted stomach that she
was noticing but instead the tattoo like Asher’s just to the right
of his belly button.

“Since when do you yell at her like that?”
Ari asked.

“I’ll deal with her later.” Crossing to the
closet again Asher removed the black leather coat and reached into
the pocket. He removed a small brown book and his phone.

“Why did you bring that with you?” Ari
asked.

“It’s safer with me. Where’s Grant’s
journal?”

“I have it in my briefcase.”

“I need it.” Asher moved across the room and
after hastily sitting the coat, book and phone on the coffee table,
hurried into the bathroom just as quick as Nixon could exit. Ari
caught Nixon up to speed, while Elle quietly sat hunched over
trying not to draw attention to herself. She felt self-conscious
and uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure what was going on, except that
Asher had to leave, and something about another possible break in
at the manor.

Without shutting the door, Asher brushed his
teeth, and ran a brush through his hair. When he returned for his
things, he sat down at the opposite end of the couch. He punched in
numbers into his phone and put it to his ear.

“Come for me,” he said, “quickly.”

Leaving the phone open he placed it on his
thigh. Reaching forward he took the book and started flipping
through the pages. Elle could tell that the book was really old. A
few of the pages even looked as though they were loose and just
kept together by luck alone. He found the page he wanted and sat
the book upside down on his knee, to keep the pages apart. Ari
dressed in a white shirt and black trousers come back with a
briefcase. He sat down with the case on his lap and worked a
combination on the lock.

“What are you planning on doing?” he
asked.

“What I have to.” Asher replied. “I can’t
depend on my own strength. The moon will be dead for the next two
days. I’m exposed and they know it. I can use the firestorm spell
if I need to but I need to amplify things a little.”

Elle watched Ari and Nixon exchange looks.
“You’re taking a great risk. That’s not exactly standard issued
stuff there buddy,” Nixon said.

“Well, since I’ve become a master of breaking
my own rules lately I’d have to say your point is irrelevant.”
Asher took another book from Ari. This one looked the same as the
other, same size and color but this book was much newer.

“So, what about us?” Nixon asked. “What are
we doing? Are we going with you and Bart or heading back in the
truck?”

“Better yet, what’s with Grant’s journal?”
Ari watched him.

“I’ve hidden solution keys throughout his
journal for certain more dangerous spells. They’re meant to be kept
secret just in case the spell book falls into wrong hands. But Elle
can better answer Nixon.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” she said when
Ari and Nixon both looked her way.

“I made myself perfectly clear last night.”
Asher pulled the leather coat toward him and dug in the pockets
till he drew out the black gloves without the fingers. As he pulled
them on, he explained, “You were to give me an answer in regard to
the contract this morning. If you’ve decided to accept my terms
then Nixon will remain behind with you for a few days until you
have completed some necessary errands, and Arimus will return with
me. If you wish to have nothing to do with the contract then I will
make arrangements for you here. So, you see, their plans are
tentative to yours.”

“In other words,” Ari added when he noticed
her confusion. “Have you agreed to play Rapunzel and allow yourself
to be locked away in his tower, and in this manner, I’m referring
to the contract.”

Elle discounted him and looked at Asher
instead. “What errands?”

“You have nothing,” Asher said. “You need
clothing Elle or do you wish to continue wearing my brother’s
shirts.” Her cheeks flushed. She was leaning forward holding the
robe closed. The only way he could know what she was wearing
underneath was by being present at the time she was dressed in the
shirt, by whoever had dressed her, or when his eyes faltered open
the night before. Either was an embarrassing thought. “Answer Elle,
I’m in a hurry.”

“I’ll accept the terms,” she quickly
answered.

“Then…I will prepare the contract.”

Elle noted three entirely different
reactions. Nixon thoughtfully smiled. Ari lowered his pensive stare
from her gaze, and Asher other than a slight hesitation—a slight
flutter of his eyes, closed the phone he had left braced on his
thigh. She wondered if he had left it that way in anticipation of
her answer. She wondered if he had thought her answer would be
different. With that settled, Asher went to work.

The black flame danced on his palms and grew
in intensity as he uttered the words off the page of the old book.
Eyes wide open, Elle watched as the flames moved up his arms. Asher
had pulled on the leather coat, and the leather soon began to give
off a scorched smell.