The Raven and the Wraith Book 2 (Completed!)

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 57

The Raven and the Wraith 2 Chapter 57

I felt my power flare bright in response to my call. In response to my bone searing panic. There was a dreadful cracking sound, then. It echoed off the buildings, reverberations intermingling like waves crashing onto the shore, shaking the air, shaking the stones under my feet. And then, the air ripped apart next to me.

It was like I could see reality being torn apart, for just a moment. Just long enough to sweep forward, surround Genevieve, and deposit her next to me. Then the cracking sound faded, along with the tear in reality.

Genevieve was looking around with bulging eyes, her mouth stretched into a silent "O". Her power, that vibrant red that matched her flame-red hair, was wreathing her in nearly invisible flames, and flickering deep in her shocked eyes.

"Hi Genevieve." I managed. I was proud of how calmly that came out.

Genevieve twitched in shock at my voice, locking her gaze on me. "Rahvin? What the..."

She fell silent as she spotted the Wererat. The flames surrounding her went from faint, subtle images to a raging inferno in an eye blink.

"That's not good." She whispered.

I agreed. "Definitely not."

I looked back at it. I could see how it was analyzing Genevieve, it's head tilted as it sorted through the fading aftershocks of my power. It was learning how we were interconnected, and it was learning how I had called her here, to me. I could almost see the foul cunning in its mind as it planned how to use her against me.

Genevieve looked between me and the Wererat, her eyes narrowing, her power ratcheting up even higher. "It's connected to you."

I winced at her horrified, accusing tone. There wasn't time to explain.

"Yup. So I'm going to give the Shadowfall back to you. Because it's been using my link to that power my entire life to control me."

Genevieve looked confused but just nodded at me. She still trusted me, even though I had hurt her, even though I didn't trust her. Although part of my mind called me a liar for that, reminding me it had been Genevieve I had called in my panic. I shoved that thought down in irritation, not for the first time thinking I must have a split personality, and that other side was a real jerk.

"I know you. I remember you, Daughter Of The Wind. Have you come to finally join me, to be where you belong?"

Genevieve went white at the Wererats words. I saw her rock back, I saw her pull the entirety of her power into a full body shield. Her eyes were wild when she looked at me for help.

"Rahvin..." She gasped.

I nodded. I knew this creature, the blackness that had become the puppet master of the fallen Werecat, was the king of DrealWar. It was the one who had sent two DraelWar to feast on Genevieve in her garden so long ago. Back when she had begun to lose hope in me. When she had begun to believe I had truly left her.

I remembered that night. I remembered my power flaring bright, searing the cloying darkness like ten thousand blades of rage. Their cutting edges had hurt the DraelWar pulling Genevieve down because they were honed by Hope. My hope that Genevieve still loved me.

The Wererat stepped forward, shimmering tendrils of black flames reaching out towards Genevieve. "Come, my daughter. I can remove the pain. I can heal the hole inside."

Those tendrils of blackness were suddenly beautiful beyond measure, lit by warm, endless possibilities. They were more than just tendrils of power. They were Paths tied directly to every happy dream, every happy opportunity, Genevieve had ever had, held out in clear offering. All she had to do was reach out and take them.

They were the perfect bait.

I saw the spell they cast over Genevieve, I saw her willpower crumble as her eyes filled with tears. And I reacted.

I leapt forward and grabbed her, pulling her tight to me, and I kissed her. I kissed her with my heart laid open, with my walls down, with no reservations, nothing held back. And in that instant, I felt the Shadowfall leap from me, into her.

I felt her own power flood into me. Her power, so similar to those red lines that flowed along the ground like small streams in that other realm, was a torrent that knew no limits. So much uncontrolled, chaotic Life!

It was a final answer to the Hunger. It was the end of it, it severed that Hunger from me in a single, searing flash. And I heard the Wererat scream.

Genevieve and I were knocked back, both of us airborne for a terrifying moment, until a wall brutally stopped us. Black spots swarmed my vision, a silent shroud pressing down on my running thoughts. I gritted my teeth and fought it back, now was not the time to go unconscious!

As the spots cleared I rolled over and looked at Genevieve. She was weakly attempting to get to her hands and knees, her flame-red hair hanging down over her face. She heard me moving, and looked at me, her face a perfect picture of confusion.

I wheezed happily at her.

"Rahvin...?" Her voice was just a whisper.

I let my head relax onto the stones, and just grinned at her. I could feel that the Wererat was gone. It wasn't dead, but we were free of it. I could feel it's foul touch, both here in Possum Hollow, and inside of me and Genevieve, was gone. Severed forever.

Genevieve stood up, wincing, moving cautiously, like she thought any number of her bones might just collapse if she dared try to move normally. She looked down at me as her thoughts cleared.

"Ow."

"Yeah. Ow."

She narrowed her eyes at me, a familiar expression, one that made me grin as I knew what she was thinking.

"How can you just lay there all relaxed and happy? There's like...like bad things going on around us!"

She didn't have my Werecat senses. She didn't yet realize the evil here, and inside of us, was gone.

"Look around. We're safe. Look inside. We're better than safe."

She closed her eyes, and then her face lit up, one of the brightest, happiest smiles I had ever seen. A beautiful smile, reaching into me, pulling me to my feet. Taking over my thoughts, allowing my instincts to move freely.

I pulled her into a kiss. And this time there was no Wererat screaming about it, no flying into walls, no power violently swapping places.