Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

Into the Ravens Nest

A sense of peace overwhelmed me when I woke up before the events of the after-party raced back to me. The Pythons had officially put a hit on me. I sighed deeply before climbing out of bed to get ready for my meeting with Tessa. By the time I was ready I looked over at the clock residing next to my bed- 10:15. I quickly grabbed my purse before rushing out the door. The walk down the street wasn't far but an uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I quickened my pace, it felt like someone was watching me. I glanced over my shoulder but no one was there...

Hurrying on, a large building slowly came into place: The Local Library. I nodded briefly at the librarian before rummaging through the shelves towards the back of the library, narrowly avoiding the other residence. I checked my watch before glancing around through the shelves coming across various different book series such as; Harry Potter, Divergent, Twilight and other teen novels. I could hear the slight clunking of heels as I continued to skim the shelves.

"You're playing a dangerous game" a voice whispered on the other side of the shelf.

I looked up towards the voice, a tall brunette with olive skin and brown eyes was glancing down at a book in her hands, Tessa.

"Did you get what I asked?" I whispered back,

"You need to stop Lucy, this is dangerous" she whispered harshly, her eyes snapping up to meet mine.

"I can't stop now, not after what they did to Rin" I growled, accidently slamming one of the books off the shelf.

I carefully glanced around for any eavesdroppers before picking the book back up and looking back at Tessa.

"You don't even know for sure if it was them, all I found out was that he was shot down in the back of an alleyway" she muttered, turning her back to me but still talking.

"It was them and I'm going to make them pay, so did you get what I asked for or not?" I asked again, putting the copy of Alice in Wonderland back on the shelf.

A brief silence filled the library as I continued looking at her. She fidgeted under my gaze before letting out a deep sigh.

"His name is Logan Winters, age 27, he was a high school graduate with honours. He shares the same father with Rin and Leo however I could find nothing on his mother, records show she disappeared four years ago and hasn't been seen since" she spoke while observing her surroundings.

"And what about the hit" I asked, prying for more information. After all, every detail was crucial.

"I couldn't find anything about that so far which is exactly why you need to get out before this all comes back to bite you" she whispered, desperation in her voice. "Please Ka-...Lucy, you've been my best friend since high school"

"I need you to pass on a message for the gang and to get me a list" I commanded, determination filling my body as I ignored her warning.

She let out a deep sigh before nodding her head, defeat clear in her posture as she took note of what I was asking of her.

"I need you to tell the gang to meet at the nest at midnight and I also need you to get me a list of possible members that Logan would task with taking me out" I whispered as a bunch of children slowly approached us, glancing at the shelves.

She briefly looked over at me before gently nodding and walking off, her heels echoing throughout the library while her posture was stiff. I couldn't help but feel guilty as I watched her walk off, I knew she didn't want anything to do with the Pythons or the Ravens.

'And down the rabbit hole, she fell' I thought bitterly before walking out.

. . .

As I pulled up to the large broken down building, I could feel worry pitted in my stomach. It had been a while since I had last seen my fellow Ravens. I hesitantly stepped out of the car, locking it before pursuing my way inside. I caught sight of the members all loitering around a table in the center, my closest friends and my most trustworthy Ravens.

"What are we here for guys?" Evan asked as they all shifted, unsure of why they were summoned here.

"You are all here because I need your help" I called out, announcing my presence.

Before I managed to walk another two steps, I had four guns aimed at me with their hosts all glaring at me.

"Who the hell are you?" Ruben growled as he eyed me as a threat.

"Oh come on Ruby, you don't recognise me?" I teased, using his nickname that he despised.

At the sound of his nickname, Ruben slowly lowered his gun before letting out a sarcastic chuckle. The others slowly followed, realization crossing their faces.

"Only you Kitty-Kat" he teased back before embracing me in a strong hug.

One by one, each member slowly came and embraced me, welcoming me back. I admired each member present;

Ruben who was my second in command with his auburn hair and forest-green eyes. He was in charge of most of the decisions of the gang while I was absent, he was like an older brother to me and was loyal to the core.

Next to Ruben, stood the twins Evan and Evie. They both had light blonde hair with traditional blue eyes however Evan had a scar that ran across his left eye, he had gained it from protecting his sister from a lower ranking python. My father recruited them into the crew when he found them homeless on the streets, they were highly skilled with thieving and their light personalities.

Lastly, there was Blaze. He had black hair with brown eyes and dark coloured skin. Unfortunately, he couldn't talk. He had a bad run in on the streets and had his tongue removed as a warning. He was our hitman, so far he had never missed a shot.

"Our queen of the flock has officially returned, so what do you need?" Ruben laughed before looking over at me.

"As I'm sure you guys have heard from Tessa, the man I loved was killed by one of his own. I have recently tried recruiting myself into the ranks of The Pythons and in doing so I've had to change a few things..." I explained before being cut off by a soft laugh from Evan.

"A few things? Katrina, you basically changed your whole look" he laughed again before being silenced with a sharp elbow to the ribs by his twin Evie.

"Anyway, in doing so I have discovered that the Pythons were aware of the relationship with Rin. He was reportedly killed off and now I need to avenge him. However, as of last night, I found out that the Pythons have put a hit on me" I muttered before registering their facials.

All laughter had disappeared as each member held a fierce expression.

"I need to know that you guys have my back in all of this?" I asked, hope growing as each member gave a sharp nod.

I carefully lifted up my satchel before pulling out a pile of papers and spreading them out on the table. Each page held a different layout, different names, profiles, locations and images captured from The Pythons. I watched as each member observed the papers, their eyebrows furrowed in concentration while they skimmed over the various names. A gently tap on my arm drew my attention as I looked over at Blaze as he gestured towards the papers, his silent question obvious 'what is all of this?'

"These papers, my friends are my revenge"