Raven and the Rose (4 page)

her. The exchange was warm, exhilarating and greatly needed in her weakened condition.

Releasing her legs, Storm collapsed on top of Rose as she relaxed with him still between her

thighs. She gazed at the stars and closed her eyes to enjoy the warm breeze caressing them both.

“Are you okay?” she asked with concern.

“That’s what I was trying to tell you.” Storm nuzzled her neck and reached up to stroke her

cheek with his finger. “When things return to normal, I want to take you far away to where we are the only two beings and I can have you all to myself. I’ve got enough energy for the both of us, Rose.”

“I’d like that. To go far away with you,” she whispered as the energy sparked and

heightened throughout her body, strengthening her beyond measure. “Do you promise?”

He nodded and smiled. “I do.”

They lay, gazing into each other’s eyes for another half an hour or so, then rose to prepare to leave for the police station.

* * *

As agreed, Rose and Storm met Niall at the police station around the crack of dawn. She felt

the muscles at the back of her neck tighten at the smug look on the vampire’s face as they strode toward him through the almost empty building.

Dressed in a loose fitting stylish suit, Niall stood and shoved his hands in the pockets. His

stringy blond hair looked moussed up.

A sad assed attempt to fit in with the latest styles, she thought to herself.

“Well, if it isn’t the rose and the raven,” Niall taunted, holding his hand out. “You have

something of mine?”

“After you’ve obtained the information we need from the blood of the wolves,” she

reminded him firmly.

“Don’t play games with me, Rose. In the next twenty minutes or so when the sun rises, I will

be toast. Should I survive that brutally painful moment, I’ll come and take it out on you.”

Storm rushed forward, shoving his face right up into Niall’s despite her protests. “Don’t you

ever threaten her! Should you survive the sun, I’ll be the one to take you down before the thought crosses your mind.” With that, he pushed the vampire, hurtling him against the wall. The vampire snarled before charging back toward the raven.

“Enough!” Rose raised her hands in the air. “Storm. Niall. Stand down!” she commanded,

gazing at Storm angrily, but it wasn’t enough to make him back off. She loved how he was

protective of her, but often worried about that temper of his getting him into trouble.

“Trickster, you’ll pay dearly for that.” Niall snarled.

“I’ve been hearing that line for years now. And you haven’t so much as lifted a hand to back

the threat up,” Storm sneered.

“That’s it.” Closing her eyes, Rose concentrated until neither man could move.

“Release me woman,” the raven warned.

She opened her eyes to find a storm brewing in her mate’s eyes. “Will you two leave each

other alone? I’m tired of playing referee.”

“He started it,” Niall hissed.

Storm curled his lips.

“Seriously, Storm?”

“All right,” the raven said with a hiss. “Free me now Rose, or else.”

“Or…else what?”

“We’ll have our talk much later,” he told her.

“Yes, we will,” she vowed with a wave of her hand

Both men floated up and fell hard to the floor. They both then climbed to their feet with their eyes fixated upon the other.

“Vial now,” Niall warned in a huff. “Or, you’ll receive
nothing
from me.”

With her eyes never leaving Storm’s, she handed the vial to the vampire. “See what you just

did?”

Storm shrugged. “He provoked me by threatening you.”

“You’re impossible.” Rose rolled her eyes and watched Niall throw back the entire contents

of the vial.

“Tasty.” Retrieving a handkerchief from the pocket of his suit, the vampire dabbed at his

lips. “Refreshingly fruity.” He winked at them, handed Rose the vial and put his handkerchief

away. Rubbing his hands together, he smiled. “Now, lead me to the wolves.”

Luke greeted them as they walked to the cells in the back of the police station. “Rose, Storm

—Niall
.”
Luke’s voice wavered. “…Follow me.”

Once inside Louis’ cell, Rose immobilized him, so Niall could retrieve the information. She

and Storm watched several minutes as the vampire fed on the wolf. Then, they moved to the other cell across from Louis’ and repeated the same thing with Nelson.

Eagerly anticipating the outcome, she wrung her hands. “Well, what did you see?”

“Definitely not vampires. I could have simply told you that. Oh, wait. I did, but you didn’t

believe me,” he spat out sarcastically.

“Niall,” Storm bit out. “Just answer the damned question.”

Niall leaned over to Rose and pointed at Storm. “Next time, leave the fucking raven at

home.”

Storm headed for the vampire, but Rose blocked him. “Don’t.” She slipped between the two

of them. “I don’t have time for this. You boys can play in the sandbox, once I’ve obtained the

information.” She snapped her fingers. “Now spill!”

“Okay, are you always this grouchy at sunup?” Niall joked, but his expression quickly

turned serious. “Listen, Rose. You’ve got a real problem on your hands. Have you pissed any

demons off lately?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Storm asked.

“These wolves are controlled by some demonic puppeteer who wants to severely discredit

you, Rose. Ultimately, they plan to destroy you. They know your strengths and your weaknesses.

It can’t be destroyed right now, because it’s been cloaked. So, any kind of magic you perform

against it is basically useless until after your awkward magical state returns to normal. That

explains why you couldn’t read them.” Niall stared at her, then Storm. “I assure you, vampires

play no part in this. The wolves simply mentioned vampires, because that’s what the entity wants everyone to believe.”

“So these demons are just leading us on a wild goose chase?” Storm asked.

Niall nodded. “Correct. Oh, how it sucks to be you right now.”

“Leave now.” Rose dismissed the vampire. When he walked away, she and Storm spoke.

“How could a demon know that information?”

Storm glanced at her with a questionable look. “I saw a shadow in the depths of Niall’s

eyes.”

“We’ll bring this up at tonight’s council meeting and agree on a plan to bring this thing into

plain sight. When we have it in our grasps, we’ll destroy it.”

“What if it can’t be destroyed?” Storm asked.

“We’ll think of something,” Rose promised quietly as they left the station.

Chapter Three

L
ater that evening, the McQueen witches strode into the council chambers on the second

level of the Manor. Viola entered first with Rose in the middle and Storm by her side. Her

mother, Shawn with her husband, Wes brought up the rear, because Shawn was the only witch

whose powers were minimal.

Dressed in silk white robes, the witches took their seats. Rose looked over at her mother,

Shawn, who returned her gaze with a questioning one. Rose wondered why her mother was

seated on the council today of all days?

She felt Storm’s gaze fall over her and she glanced over at him. He nodded, giving her a

reassuring smile that she really needed before everyone took to their seats. Rose often hated

family affairs, but as a McQueen witch, it was unavoidable. Storm was her rock in more ways

than one, just as Micah Ravencloud had been Clara Rose’s strength through their dark years. The Raven and the Rose held a bond that no other relationship could surpass. It was with that power Raven’s Falls had been built in the first place.

To the left of Shawn sat Viola. Viola, the oldest of the McQueen witches, had existed for

over a hundred years. As an Elder, she’d fought alongside her cousin, Clara Rose. The woman

had a regal sense about her and always wore her coiled hair piled high on top of her head. A large strip of gray hair reached from her widow’s peak to the top of her head. Candlelight illuminated her caramel colored skin and her eyes held years of wisdom.

Tobias, Rose’s cousin and ten years her senior, sat to the left of Viola. Then there was

Jasmine. Corey, mayor of Raven’s Falls, Dehlia, Uncle Jesse, and Uncle Walter. In another

hundred years or so, the blood moon would return and weaken Dehlia’s powers in preparation for

The Heightening. She only hoped Dehlia wouldn’t experience the difficulties she’d been

experiencing. Each moon depended on the strength of the witch. It would then be Rose’s turn to

pass her powers on to the young witch, just as Clara Rose had passed hers onto Viola.

Rose glanced over at her mother and felt an incredible amount of resentment emanating from

the woman.

“Are we any closer to discovering the solution to our dilemma?” Viola asked patiently while

leaning back into the gold framed black leather chair and casting her gaze toward Rose.

Rose sighed, then explained the night’s happening at the police station and the discovery in

the woods. “And when Tobias and I spotted the thing in the woods, I struck it with a blow.

Unfortunately, it got away.”

“You mean to tell me you’ve created a potion to allow Niall the ability to walk in the day?”

Shawn retorted. “Rose, what were you thinking?”

“Mother, as I’ve explained, only a vampire can revive the wolves’ memories. Last night,

Niall discovered that it was some type of demon controlling the wolves. Not a vampire like we

thought. The wolves were trained to say vampire to throw us all off. Now if you think you can do a better job, by all means, have at it.”

“Mind your tongue,” Viola warned. “This is a council meeting. Family is first and foremost.

We will not disrespect one another.”

Rose detested the fact that her mother had shrugged off inheriting McQueen family magic.

“Is there something you wish to discuss with me, Rose?” Shawn asked.

“Oh, come on. We don’t have time for this now,” Corey argued. “What about the break ins

and the thing Rose and Tobias saw in the woods? Is it possible it’s all connected? Niall says it’s a demon, so what should we do?”

“We’ll discuss how to vanish this thing,” Storm answered Corey.

Shawn shook her head and calmly leaned back in her chair. “You won’t hear another word

from me. But you and I are having a discussion after the meeting,
Rose.”

Rose nodded in agreement. “Looking forward to it,
mother.
As I was saying, we’re

powerless unless we can draw this thing out into plain sight. My power comes in waves. When

I’m at my strongest the next time, I’ll cast a spell forcing it out.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Walter nodded with a smile.

“Whatever issues you two have with one another, keep it outside the meeting walls,” Jesse’s

voice boomed through the meeting hall. “It is up to us all to support Rose until she comes into more power.

The witch’s spoke their agreement at once, nodding their heads.

“But we’re weak within ourselves,” Jasmine interjected, who was only twenty years old.

“Although family, we’re not truly bonded, not like family was in Clara’s time. While she awaited The Heightening, her powers waned, but the rest of the family shielded them all, without fail.”

Viola nodded in agreement. “She’s right. For one so young, Jasmine holds much wisdom.”

Rose bowed. “My apologies to you all. Kezzie is retrieving information from Queensville. I

feel something big from the outside world other than what is happening is going to hit us soon.

By the time Aunt Viola’s power is passed to me through The Heightening, I’ll be strong enough

to deal with it.”

“I think Rose was right to call upon Niall for assistance. At least we know what we’re

dealing with,” Walter spoke candidly, as he floated a pen in the air. “If all hell breaks loose, we’ll need him on our side.”

“I didn’t want to work with Niall, but Clara Rose did. Unfortunately, we don’t know what

type of demon this is,” Rose responded, grateful for at least someone in her family having her

back.

Storm intervened. “I’ve made my rounds here in the woods surrounding Raven’s Falls, yet

I’ve not seen, heard, or sensed anything. The spirits of nature have yet to reveal to me the thing lurking in the woods. Since it’s cloaking itself, I’d have to say it must be an old foe of the

McQueen line.”

Walter frowned. “Our family has dealt with many foes over the centuries, son.”

Storm nodded. “I can tell you…whatever it is? It’s from the farthest depths of the

Netherworld. I caught a glimpse into Niall’s eyes after he retrieved their memories. I saw this shadow being. It can be anything ranging from dark fae, demon, or even—.”

Rose gasped when Storm stopped talking and looked deep into his alarm stricken eyes.

Thanks to their bond, she immediately knew his thoughts. “Go on, Storm. Say what it is you’re

thinking.” The entire room went silent and she tensed when a chill crept down her spine.

“Fleshwalkers.”
Storm’s face was emotionless, yet she knew he possessed a slight hint of fear. As well, as he should.

The entire room seemed to be buzzing as the witches spoke amongst themselves. Rose

witnessed several of her family members shake their heads in disagreement.

“This is about more than vampires being used as scapegoats,” Storm warned them. “When

the spirits of the forests in both worlds and the Book of Whispers cease their communications, it means someone has made a pact and allowed dark spirits to roam, hiding behind all the chaos that has occurred.”

Rose stood up, staring at them all, looking into each pair of eyes. She hated what she was