The Bird & The Beast

Chapter 17

Raven touched her fingers to her lips, remembering the feel of Damien's lips on them.

Two voices clashed in her head, creating an internal war.

No! Remember Chase!

More. . .I need more. . .he can free me. . .

You killed him. Murderer. Demon. You killed him, just like you killed your mother.

I need to be free.

Raven was pulled out of her thoughts when someone above her cleared their throat. She looked up to see Kevin Yven, looking worried. It was then she remembered she had been gone around the time Kevin always stopped to talk to her.

"Where were you?" he asked.

Raven decided he sounded like a father might, after his daughter had gone missing. But what did she know? Her father probably didn't even know he had a daughter, much less cared.

She opened her mouth, struggling to come up with a suitable lie. She didn't have to try, because he said, "I was so worried. I thought something. . ." Then he knelt down, hugging her tightly.

It was the first time he had ever done anything of the sort, and she froze for a moment. Slowly, she hugged him back.

He leaned back on his heels, his forehead lined with worry. "I just about had a heart attack when you weren't here."

Many times, Raven had suspected Kevin had had a soft spot for her mother—hence why he tended to look out for her. When she was younger, she used to fantasize the four of them living as a family. Kevin, her mother, Chase, and herself.

Chase.

"You were with him, weren't you?" Kevin asked softly.

Sensing it was pointless to lie, she nodded. But she didn't divulge that he had kissed her—multiple times. She didn't divulge that she left when he had abruptly walked out of the water and pulled his clothes on, stating he wanted too much of her too soon.

"Oh, my dear girl." He touched her cheek gently, smiling. "I'm losing you to him, aren't I? Just like I lost your mother. I just hope. . ." He cleared his throat. "I just hope it doesn't end in death for you."

Kevin knew what Damien was, then.

"If I warned you about him, would you listen?" he asked with a sad smile.

"No. No, I would not. Because he. . .he is a good person. I know he is. But sometimes our demons are too close to us, and we suffer because of it. We cannot help it, try as we might. But that does not mean we are bad for it."

Murderer. You killed Chase.

I'm almost free.

Her eyes searched Kevin's. "Does it?" she whispered.

Kevin's smile slipped and he patted her head. "My dear, you are not a bad person. Don't ever think you are."

But I killed him.

"But that man you've gotten involved with. . ." Kevin shook his head. "Do you know what he is?"

"Yes."

"Do you really?"

"He is half-demon. Like me."

"He's more than that, unfortunately."

Raven picked her next words carefully. "What do you think he is?"

"Have you heard of the experiments the gods started years ago? Searching for the perfect combination of their four races?"