The Raven and the Wraith Book 2 (Completed!)

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 29

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 29

The broken pattern sound was clearly rushing up the steps towards us. I felt more than heard Chan settle into that balanced, calm Warriors place, and was happy he was by my side. I had only just met Luna, but the dangerous readiness in her now made me suspect she was capable of handling herself in battle, also.

Then, from the shadows ahead, a Kahlraugh appeared. It stopped when it saw us, and I met it's gaze.

And I looked into the heart of madness itself.

Luna heard the choked sound I inadvertently made.

"Do not meets its eyes!"

Then it darted forward, its bulk filling the hallway, it's scales hissing along the stones. Luna and Chan struck at the same time, a flash of cold steel, and the Kahlraugh made a rapid, repeating growl. I saw how ineffective their blades were against it's armor, and understood the sound it was making. It was laughing at them!

Then it's long, bony front legs lashed out, the razor claws leading the way, and Chan and Luna were hurled backwards by the force of the blow as they used their blades to block. I was surprised I didn't hear their bones crunch from the power of the impact.

Then it was facing me alone. I ignored Luna's warning. I ignored my own instincts to flee. I stepped forward and locked my eyes to its eyes, even as I let the power of the Cat and the Shadowfall inside of me rise up.

It froze, holding perfectly still, only the seething, mad glitter to its eyes belying its lifeforce. I could almost feel the chaos of its shattered mind trying to pull me apart, and I bared my teeth and snarled.

My own voice shook me. It was a sound unlike any I had ever heard, like a human and a panther and a demon had all just ravaged the air with the audible promise of death.

The Kahlraugh backed up a step. I stepped forward once, still keeping its eyes locked with mine. Inside, I was repeating a mantra. "Bow to me! Bow or die!"

Then, it's head began to lower. But it never took its gaze from mine. I felt the primal ferocity inside of me rise even higher at this refusal to fully submit, and I snarled again, even more horribly than the first time.

The Kahlraugh blinked. It's head settled on the stones at my feet, but it was looking up at me with a new, unrecognizable expression. It confused me as it almost felt like recognition. Then, a voice that was not sound entered my running thoughts. A voice formed of a trillion voices, all slightly out of sync with each other.

"Rahvin. My son."

The voices were so disjointed that it burned like a star of consuming madness inside my mind, threatening to tear apart the order of my sense of self. I blocked it out with a surge of panic, feeling cool relief flood down my spine as it went quiet.

That welcoming flood was followed by a torrent of absolute confusion as it's words registered in my mind.

"Who are you?" My voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, crawling up past my suddenly constricted throat.

Its ears twitched at my voice, and it blinked again.

"I am your mother. I am your father. I am the last pieces of your family."

It's voice, or voices, inside my head were rippling with perfect truth. I understood that this way of talking, from it's mind to mine, was only truth. There would be no way for it to lie to me, it was directly sharing it's very thoughts.

This truth was enough to send me to my knees.

"I...I don't understand." I croaked, feeling like I was viewing the world about me from hundreds of miles away, through windows into my own brain.

"I am Kahlraugh, yet I am not. I exist, yet I do not. I am the Union, yet I am the Disconnected One, the Child Of Two Worlds. I am Hunter, and I am Prey."

Then Kiera stepped up next to me, her hand pulling me to my feet, her other hand held ready to throw a pouch of Razorlash.

"C'mon Rahvin, get up! Get moving, you can't just sit here and stare this thing down!"

The Kahlraugh lifted its head in one, smooth, terrifyingly quick movement, making Kiera gasp and shrink back. But she didn't let go of my hand.

It stared at her intently, the fiery, crackling glow of madness in its gaze seeming to twist and writhe even higher.

"You dare to bring a Healer here? You dare to Choose a Mate?"

The thought that Kiera was in danger sobered me like a bucket of ice water over the head. And it's words instantly angered me. I had heard more than enough about who should or shouldn't be my mate, by those who had zero say in the matter.

"I dare a lot. Whenever I want. And who I choose as my mate is my business alone." I snapped.

The Kahlraugh paused, then made that same, rapid growling I heard when Chan and Luna had attacked it. It was laughing at me.

"You are a bold little Warrior. You carry the spirit of the Wandering Cat and the spirit of your own Kahlraugh inside of you. This is good. It will keep you alive in the days to come. Trust those Voices. Now kill me."

I blinked. That had all made some sort of sense, until that last sentence.

"Kill you?"

"Yes. Now. Do it before the Madness overcomes me again and I destroy you all."

Kiera squeezed my hand so hard it hurt. "Uh Rahvin, I think you should probably do as it says. Right now."

I felt sick, a deep, clawing ache in my heart and stomach. This thing, this broken collection of power and spirit, was all that was left of my family. I was intrinsically connected to it, I was part of it.

And I had to kill it.