The Black Raven

Temptations

The smell is unlike anything I've ever smelt before. It smells sweet and bitter at the same time. I whip my head around and scan the room for the source of the smell. My eyes fly past it but they dart back quickly. There is a young girl clutching her arm in the dagger section. Beautiful red blood flows from between her fingers as a couple of people come to her to bandage the wound. Not far from the side of her lies a small silver dagger coated in a thin layer of fresh blood. Injuriesaren't uncommon but they normally consist of smaller cuts and bruises maybe abroken bone or cracked rib, which I'm normally called in to fix with a quickspell. But her cut was larger than most running down almost theft length of her upper arm. My eyes stay fixed on her unable to tear myself away from the source of the beautiful source. Every muscle in my body tenses and a creature awakens in me desperate to quench itself. I'm shaking but I can't snap out of it. My eyes widen and my breathing gets harsh and ragged, ready to fight for what I want.

"Raven." Two voices say at the same time.

I feel a warm hand wrap around my arm and the person says my name again. Half of me wants to go to the girl but the other half of me wants to turn to the person behind me.

"Raven," they say again, "Raven!"

I snap my head to the side and see Eric standing behind me I look down at his hand resting on my arm and then back up at his eyes. He carefully removes his arm and then begins to speak.

"Can we talk?" He asks me.

My eyes are still wide, the creature within me still longing to quench its thirst only now I'm holding my breath trying not to smell the blood.

"Outside." I respond briefly and I rush out the door trusting that he will follow me.

*

"What are you doing?" He asks.

I stand with my back to him; I'm looking out the window trying to stop my body from shaking as the breeze blows against my skin. I don't turn around; I don't want him to see me struggling.

"What do you mean?" I say through clenched teeth.

I feel him place his hand on my arm again and I stop shaking. I take a breath and turn around to face him.

"Why are you changing? You're using magic, you're distant. What's different?"

I bite my lip and look down at the ground; I can't bear to look at him.

"I...I can't-" I struggle to get the sentence out.

"Can't what, Raven?" He takes his hand of my arm and places it under my chin. He tilts my head up and looks into my eyes. "You can tell me, I wont tell anyone else, you know that."

I bite my lip harder, don't do it Raven.

I close my eyes even tighter and my head goes to the right, Eric's hand falling away from my chin. I hear him sigh and then the sound of fabric moving as he turns to leave.

"Wait." I open my eyes and reach my hand out catching at his sleeve. "On the day that Izzy was found guilty, I..."

He looks at me wanting to hear what I have to say. Raven, don't!

Shut up! Leave me alone! I shout at Jessie.

"I went to the park and I-"

The door to the gym swings open and I look over to see the girl who cut herself being walked to the infirmary. The smell of her blood fills the hall way as she walks past and my eyes widen again. Eric looks at the girl to before turning back to me.

"You were saying?"

"I...um" I try an turn back to Eric but my eyes follow the girl as she walks down the hall. "Um...Tonight, I'll meet you."

Get out Raven.

For once I listen to Jessie, and I turn my back on Eric and run down the hall, turning right down the hall to the courtyard.

*

I run through the gravel courtyard and out the gate not even giving the guards a glance as I run past them.

"parcis." Is all I say as I go past.

The wind blows my hair back as I run, I start off at a human pace but I become desperate to get away and before I know it I'm running faster than I ever have, as fast as Jessie. The forest is on my left now and I turn into it. For the first time I feel free, I can hear every little creature moving through the under brush and see every speck of pollen floating through the air. I let my spells melt, feeling the pressure inside me being released. I look down at my body and see my white skin; for once I'm not disgusted. The sun doesn't reach down to the floor because of the many leaves above me and I let my shield slip away to. I keep running until I come to a small river of clear water, the babbling of the water running over stones filling my ears. I close my eyes and just listen for a second before something grabs my arm. I react immediately, I grab their arm with the hand they didn't grab and pull my hand out. I twirl to face them and see Jessie standing there looking at me, a smirk playing on his face. I look at him and then reach out to grab his waist pulling him towards me. I don't wait for his response before I push my lips against his. He is still for a second before he wraps his arm around my back and holds me against his lips. My hands reach up and feel his face. Wanting to explore very inch of him. We stand like that for what feels like forever. When we pull apart, I stand there his hand on my back and just look at him. Eventually he moves and grabs my arm, he turns and leads me away from the stream to the edge of the forest. I can see a road in the distance and the orange light of the setting sun. On the other side of the road is a small village, where people are hustling and bustling.

"What are we doing?" I ask him as we crouch down in the bushes waiting until the last bit sun disappears from the sky.

"Well, if you're going to go back to the academy, we can't have you killing all your supposed team mates."

"You mean...I have to..." I can't finish the thought.

He looks at me as if he had expected a completely different answer.

"Well what do you want to do? You can't eat human food, nor can you survive on any other substance. And deep down you want it, there's no denying it, your very being wants to be quenched."

I know he's right, I had wanted it at the academy.

"What's the difference now, Raven? It's just one tiny life, it doesn't even have to be one of significance." He's standing behind me now, whispering in my ear.

I close my eyes as the last bit of light fadesfrom the landscape and when I open them I know something has changed, the creature in me has won.