13. Eldon

THIRTEEN

ELDON

Darkness melds around me as I drift. Terror, panic, and uncertainty war inside of me as I fail to ground myself. Short, sharp bursts of cries echo in my ears, coming and going too quickly for me to pinpoint the direction or cause behind them. All I know is it’s not good. Not good at all.

A familiar bird flies in the distance, slowly nearing with every flap of its broad wings.

A pink-feathered raven.

It circles above me as the cries turn into screams, and the world is no longer black. Dripping in blood, my feet filthy in the boggy ground beneath me, I stare at the horrors.

Death. Death. And more death.

A battle cry roars from above as the raven darts toward us. Instinctively, I reach my hand out toward the bright pink feathers, but it doesn’t reach my palm before the bellow becomes too much and the world goes black once more.

Panting, a small flicker of fire burns in my hand, trying to light the space around me. A flash of stone, a blink of onyx, and the breeze from an invisible move confirm my brothers are around me. But where is my love? My heart? My raven?

My body strains, my magic weak as I try to expand the ember in my palm, but the effort produces very little result. I’m already at my limit, strung tight, but I need to find her.

“Raven!” My voice is hoarse, clogged with pain and heartache I know is coming. “Little Bird!”

Silence rings in my ears, offering me no solace as a hand lands on my shoulder. I turn to see Zane at my side, but it’s Brax who speaks.

“That’s enough, El.”

I frown, confused by whatever the hell is going on, when Creed waves me closer. I don’t know where I’m stepping or where we are, but that’s not my concern. My priority is Raven.

As I near Creed, he crouches on the ground and my heart stops.

Gone is the familiar pink hair I’ve tangled around my fist so many times, and in its place are sheer black locks from root to tip. That’s not the problem, though. No. It’s the way it all cascades around her face as she lies completely still on the dried grass. It’s the way her eyelids are closed, and I know in my soul they’re not going to open.

Not now.

Not in a minute.

Not in an hour.

Not ever.

Dropping to my knees, my life ends there with hers.

I gasp awake, sweat clinging to my chest as I scramble to sit up. My feet hit the floor and my face falls into my hands as I try to calm my erratic breathing. Nausea swirls in my gut as my pulse pounds in my ears.

“Nightmare or a vision?”

I startle at Creed’s voice, quickly remembering where I am, and I turn to see him sitting on the other sofa across from me. Sighing, I wipe a hand down my face. “Both.”

“Want to talk about it?” he offers as I scrub a hand through my hair.

Do I want to talk about it? Fuck no, that feels like I’m going manifest the vision to reality if I speak it into the world, but shit, do I need to tell him about it? Fuck, yeah.

“She was dead, Creed. Dead,” I croak, my palms pressing into my eye sockets as I will the words not to be true. Fuck manifesting, I’ll do everything I can to make sure that isn’t the case.

“We won’t let it happen, Eldon,” Zane murmurs, appearing in the open doorway. He likely hasn’t slept, not that I’m surprised, and after seeing what I just saw, I don’t think I ever will again.

“It felt so real. It always does,” I admit, prying my eyes open to stop the repeat from happening on the back of my eyelids again. “It started as the raven vision always does,” I add, leaning back in my seat and rubbing my hands together. I need to get it all off my chest before I bottle it all up, which won’t be useful to anyone.

“But the ending was different?” Creed summarizes, and I shake my head.

“There wasn’t ever really an ending before. This time, there were screams of pain, visions of bloodshed, horror coating my limbs, and then her, Raven, with jet-black hair sprawled out on the ground.”

“Fuck,” the pair of them murmur in unison.

My chest grows tight. That can’t be our end. It can’t be. My lips part, but no words come out as I try to find the right thing to say. Thankfully, the alarm echoes through the house, just as it did last night and the night before, and the telltale sound of Marieta and Peta rushing down the stairs follows a moment later.

“They should be here soon,” Marieta says with a tired smile as she peeks her head around the doorframe. I nod in agreement as I push up onto my feet.

My shirt clings to me slightly as I put it on, but the hope and excitement to see Raven alive and breathing, even if only in her dream form, has me rushing toward the door.

“How do we know we can trust the shadows?” Zane asks, stepping out onto the porch first.

“We don’t,” I admit, another dose of reality tightening my throat.

“That’s not unnerving or anything,” he remarks with a lifeless chuckle.

“When you’ve lost hope in everything else, you’re willing to believe in anything. It’s a sad and harsh reality that we instinctively doubt anyone’s actions. One day, we can only hope to create a safer realm for everyone to live in,” Peta states, the strength in his words lifting me up, too.

Rolling my shoulders back, I stare at the bleakness that surrounds us until movement ahead comes into view. I would recognize those pretty pink strands anywhere.

I’m rushing toward her before anyone else can move, and no one tries to beat me to her. I silently thank my brothers for giving me this moment as I capture my little bird in my hands, pinning her tight against my chest.

Her arms circle around my neck as her legs coil around my waist. I don’t move for a second, content to stand here and breathe her in.

“Is everything okay?”

I hum into her hair, not ready to let go of her. She must sense it because her hand trails down my back, consoling me with her touch until I’m able to lighten my hold on her.

“I’m good,” I murmur when her eyes reach mine. There’s a hint of worry to her smile, and her eyebrows pinch slightly, but she doesn’t push. “I should let you greet the others, too, huh?”

Lowering her to her feet, she smiles up at me, but the determination in her eyes confirms I’m not completely off the hook; she’s just going to give me a moment to get a handle on myself.

I press a kiss against her forehead before letting her run to embrace Creed and Zane while taking a second to just watch her. Her presence alone is uplifting, and I offer another silent thank you, only this time it’s to the shadows. They brought her here, seemingly without Brax, so they held up their agreement with our shadow-seeing gargoyle even without his presence. That has to count for something… I hope.

“No Brax?” Marieta asks as I follow the others back to the house and Raven glances around to confirm he’s not here, worrying her bottom lip as she does.

“I was actually asleep this time. It was weird as hell for the shadows to infiltrate my dream and pull me here, but I have no clue if Brax was sleeping.”

“Not to worry,” Peta says with a wry smile. “I can’t imagine how disorienting all this is for you.”

I stand tall with a sense of pride. The fact that Marieta and Peta care for Raven as much as Zane’s father seems to step up and shelter her is heartwarming. She deserves this unwavering appreciation from all of us. Even if she is hesitant to accept it.

“Is it safe to say he’s not being an asshole while we’re not there?” Zane questions, diverting the conversation as we take the steps up the porch. Raven pauses at the top, not ready to head inside yet, and I know it’s because she’s hoping he might appear any moment.

“Oh, he’s definitely still an asshole, but he’s also nothing shy of a saint right now,” she admits, tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear as she smiles at Marieta. “This is hard for him, trying to hold down the fort without being able to lean on any of you guys. It’s not easy having to handle me and all the drama that follows me by himself, and he’s trying to be everything for me all at once. He’s trying to understand, not be harsh, and to lighten a souring mood when and wherever necessary. All of it.” Her gaze drifts back out to the bleakness surrounding us. “Maybe he deserves to sleep for a while without having to worry.”

“Am I going to have to fight him when I get back because he suddenly thinks he’s funnier than me?” Zane asks with a smirk, and she grins at him but shakes her head.

“He’s not trying to replace anyone. He’s just…”

My heart aches for the pair of them as much as it does for the three of us stuck here without them. It’s not the norm to be trapped in the Realm of Shadows, but it’s not easy to take on the academy as a duo instead of a five-person team.

“We know what you mean, Little Bird. We can see it too, and we appreciate it,” I finish, reaching out to stroke her arm in comfort.

“Appreciate what?”

Everybody’s head whips around to see Brax standing a few steps away with his arms folded over his chest and his eyebrow raised in question.

“You,” I answer, giving him a challenging look that makes him roll his eyes as he steps around us and casually heads inside.

“Come on, we have a lot to talk about, and fuck knows how much time I have until I wake up,” he grumbles. Marieta and Peta gape at him as the rest of us grin. At least when the five of us are all here together, he gets to be his usual grizzly self.

Raven beams at the back of his head as she follows after him and Marieta turns to me with wide eyes. “Is he always so…”

“He’s an asshole, Marieta. Your son is a grumpy asshole, but we love him anyway,” I say with a grin, making Peta smirk as Marieta shakes her head in disbelief.

It is a little amusing to see how calm and collected Marieta and Peta are compared to Brax, but I guess they haven’t lived the life he has, endured the pain and heartache of losing his parents, only to find them again. No one can prepare for that, and no one can be mad about how he deals with it. Unless it affects Raven, then I’ll handle the gargoyle myself.

Heading inside with everyone, we find Brax sitting at the dining table, stretching his arms over his head as he yawns. Fucker’s asleep and still has the ability to be tired. Crazy as hell.

“Would you like some cocoa?” Marieta asks, and Raven nods eagerly in response before I take her hand and lead her to the table.

I take a seat, pulling my little bird into my lap, and Brax silently stands to help both Marieta and Peta at the stove. I expect Raven to clamber out of my lap and claim her own seat, but instead, she settles against me, cupping my cheek to stare into my eyes.

“What’s going on? I could feel your heart racing like crazy out there,” she asks, keeping her voice low as I gape at her.

I want to tell her. I know I should. I’ve told her about all my the other visions that have involved her, but how the fuck do I explain this one?

She cocks a brow, the challenge clear in her eyes, and I sigh. “I had a vision.”

Her tongue runs over her bottom lip as she waits as patiently as she can for me to explain more, but the words fail me.

“His vision wasn’t the happiest of dreams,” Zane interjects, a tight smile on his face, which only seems to leave Raven even more curious.

“You died,” Creed mutters, grimacing at Raven. His words were likely harsher than he intended as he tried to take the burden from my shoulders.

“Oh.”

I blink at her and blink again. She remains cozied in my lap, her palm still pressed against my cheek. Oh…

Just, oh?

“Raven, any luck with Ari?” Marieta asks, interrupting the conversation as she places two mugs of hot cocoa down in front of Raven and me while Peta carries his own and one for Zane beside him. Brax takes his seat with a mug in his hands, and Creed glances around to see his still resting by the stove.

“Get it yourself. I’m not your maid,” Brax grunts, earning an eye roll from everyone.

“Everything you said about Ari, about the compound… it all worked,” Raven breathes, circling back to Marieta’s question.

It takes a second for her words to register properly in my mind, but when they do, excitement jolts me in my seat, pulling her in closer to my chest.

“It worked?” I repeat in complete awe, and she smiles wide at me as she nods eagerly.

“The portal was still open in the Gauntlet arena, and it led us straight into the compound. Finding Ari wasn’t too hard. Well, he didn’t hear me, but that’s because he was purposely blocking me from his mind.”

“Why?” Creed asks, distaste and irritation clear on his face.

Raven waves her hand with disregard but Brax catches us up to speed. “Someone, one guess who, showed up in the compound pretending to be her, which instantly sent him into lockdown. Dick move for sure, but I get it.”

It must be genuine for Brax to accept it, but he’s right, that was a dick move.

“Why would they be trying to impersonate Raven to her familiar?” I ask, confused by the attempt, and my little bird shrugs.

“I don’t really know. I may need to speak to Ari about what happened, but we were slightly distracted by other things when dropping the ward to the compound.”

“What does that mean?” Zane questions with a shake of his head. Raven and Brax share a glance before they nod subtly between one another and get into it.

Every new piece of information tossed our way sends me into a spin until I’m gaping between the two of them.

“Wait, okay, let me get this straight. The Drakes, like the one we saw Ari destroy, are all shifters, actual men, from the Torin Realm. Which is apparently a realm that exists beneath Basilica, all of which have pledged an oath to you in exchange for releasing them from the compound. The compound that Erikel lured them into as fake familiars when, in fact, they are indeed men. Men?”

Did I mention that lethal thing in the woods was a man? Damn.

“That pretty much sums it up, yeah,” Raven says with a nod, biting back a smile.

“Can we trust them? Now that they’re not in the compound?” Creed’s words echo my own thoughts, and Brax is quick to answer.

“They pledged an oath to her, without prompt, their only hope in doing so being their freedom. They’re not going to bring harm to someone they pledged an oath to, right?” He turns to look at his mother, who is nodding in agreement.

“Pledging an oath not only offers yourself as a resource to that person but also confirms loyalty and safety. They cannot and will not attack or undermine Raven in any way. By proxy, that protects everyone she cares about too, as it is known that any harm to those she cares for would cause her unnecessary pain.”

“And if they were to break their pledge?” I don’t want to ask, but somebody has to.

Peta shakes his head. “Death. Breaking their oath will have them succumb to their own magical abilities, and death will follow.”

His words are still a little cryptic for my mind right now, but I accept it.

“So we’ve overcome the first hurdle; what do we address next?” Brax ponders, tapping his fingertips on the table. “More specifically, how do we bring Erikel, or Burton, down? What the fuck are we calling them now?” He scrubs at the back of his neck, and as much as I want to chuckle at the fact that we don’t know what to call the ruthless, conniving fucker wreaking havoc on our lives, it’s a valid question.

“I think we stick with Erikel. Then we don’t slip up in front of him,” Raven offers, and I happily agree. We have to remain logical and make sure we don’t fuck up any of the facts we have that we’re not supposed to know.

“Erikel it is. How do we take him down?” Brax repeats, looking between his parents, but it’s Creed who answers.

“I think we need to consider the other things we’re facing as well. Like my father, Sebastian, Fitch, and The Monarchy.”

Peta’s head sags slightly as he nods in agreement. “I think he’s right. We need to break down everything we’re facing here, both out there and in the Realm of Shadows, before we have a complete view of the war we’re on the brink of.”

He’s right. It’s overwhelming as hell, but not wrong.

“You’re going to have to talk us through some of the issues we’re unaware of. We will offer any insight we may have without question,” Marieta adds as the rest of us glance around the table at one another. Where to begin? I feel like I’ve asked myself that same question one hundred times already. As if sensing the uncertainty in all of us, Marieta continues. “Sebastian, who is that?”

“That would be my brother,” Raven explains, eyes downcast as she looks at her hands.

“Tell me about him. Why is he a concern?”

Raven takes a moment to gather herself before looking at Marieta. A warm smile curves her lips, breaking down all of the barriers keeping Raven trapped in her head as she spills everything to her.

“I don’t have many memories of my brother from when I was a child. I remember him being the big brother who never wanted me around, and then when my mother took me away, I didn’t think much of him. Arriving at Silvercrest Academy, though, I was startled when he was the first person I met, and he was just as horrid as I remembered. If not worse.” I stroke a hand down her back, offering her the same level of comfort she gave me as she pushes on. “He’s made attempts on my life since I arrived, worked his way up the hit list we seem to have created, and I believed he was a willing accomplice of Erikel’s. He assisted him getting onto campus and has proceeded to do his dirty work as and when called upon.” Although, if Erikel has always been Burton then that doesn’t really make sense, so I really don’t know anything.

“You say you believed?” Peta asks, tilting his head at Raven, and she nods in response.

“The day we learned the golden table in the Nightmare’s Guild had magical abilities was also the same day we saw Erikel shift to Burton or the other way around,” she rambles, waving her hand. “During that snippet, we also had to watch Sebastian receive lashings to an already marked back, and since then, I don’t know what to think.”

“I vaguely remember you as a child. I wasn’t as close with your mother and father as I was with others, but I still remember. The reality is, there’s only one direction we should take next because, whether we like it or not, family is important,” Marieta declares, taking a deep breath. “The next step is for you to speak with your mother.”