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“Look up,” Eldon whispers, and I tilt my head back and gape in surprise.
Another magical creature from folklore and fairytales. Pixies line the branches of the huge tree we’re under. They’re not paying us any attention as they go about their lives.
Wow. Just wow.
“Let’s keep going before Ari comes to hunt Raven down, otherwise we’ll never hear the end of it,” Brax breathes, and I take an extra second to admire their little wings as they flutter so fast they’re barely visible.
Continuing around the brambles, a thud halts us once more. Slowly turning to our right, my eyes widen at the sight of at least a dozen griffins.
“Holy shit,” Zane mutters, and I look over each of them in search of someone special.
I know it’s her instantly. I may have been at a distance last time, but her eyes are locked on mine as she takes two steps toward us. I’m moving toward her in the next breath, not stopping until I’m a few feet away.
“Raven,” Brax warns, worrying for me, but I know I’m safe.
“It’s her,” I explain, like that’s enough, and before I can do anything else, I watch in awe as she extends a claw forward and bows her head. A beat passes before the remaining griffins do the same, and my heart starts to pound in my chest.
“What’s happening?” Zane asks, but I don’t have the answer. Instead, I take the remaining steps to Gia and stroke a hand between her eyes, resting my palm at the small dip just before her beak.
“Ari has told me much about you.”
I gasp at her soft and sultry voice in my head before I find my voice.
“I dread to think.” A chuckle echoes in my mind as she peers up at me.
“Help us, Raven. We believe in you,”she says with a hum, leaving me breathless. There’s pain in her eyes, sorrow in her heart, and a helplessness draped over her like I’ve never felt before.
“I will try my best,” I promise.
“And we will try our best for you.”
“For me? That’s not necessary,” I insist, and she shakes her head.
“It will be. The darkness is coming.”
THIRTY-ONE
CREED
Adull ache runs through my body from top to bottom and I turn over onto my back with a sigh. Another night, another training exercise. Last night, the weapon of choice was the staff. It’s almost impressive, the damage you can do with a wooden stick. But I guess that’s the whole point, using anything and everything we can get our hands on.
It’s the reasoning behind it all that continues to elude us.
There’s something in the air. I can sense it and it leaves me dreading the thought of what the future holds. I’m not the only student at the academy with a parent whose life was lost in a battle for the greater good, but that doesn’t stop the thought from weighing heavily on my shoulders.
Whatever may come, I have a reason to fight. A reason to not give up, no matter what.
Raven.
I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason. Even at a young age, my brain twisted the loss of my father into a reason to be strong, determined, and now, I know everything in my life was meant to prepare me for this crazy ass woman who consumes me.
I’ll do anything and everything in my power, including investigating a compound no one else on campus seems to care about. Raven does, though, and that’s all that matters.
Laughter echoes from the lounge, the high-pitched melody from Raven has me shaking the covers off and rushing to get ready so I can join them. We’ve been passing on workouts some mornings if our nighttime activities with the Guild have been enough, but it’s still not like me to be one of the last up.
Showering, I get my uniform and shoes on. I’m fixing my tie as I step out of my room into the lounge to find Raven and Zane at the dining table, chuckling amongst themselves. I have no idea what he said to make her smile like that, but the contentment on her face as he leans close and presses a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth warms my heart.
She’s lowering her walls and letting us in a little deeper every day, and it only solidifies that this was all supposed to happen. We’ve all felt loss, hope, and now love. It will overcome everything.
