Rayven
Chapter 2

         Rayven made it to the coven house just as the sun was rising. “Cutting it pretty close…” Devon commented drily. “I made it, didn’t I?” Rayven answered haughtily. “Don’t be so damn flip about it…We were just worried is all.” Dracos murmured. “Him, more than most.” He indicated Devon standing in the shadows. Devon stepped from the shadows, “I’ll go summon the others.” Avoiding Rayven’s eyes he, “Then she can fill us all in…”

         Rayven knew how Devon felt about her and to some extent she felt the same. But she would let no man rule over her, again. Ever, again. If he didn’t understand that; then they definitely needed to find out before it was too late. It seemed at first that she and Devon were the most alike. He was tall, black hair, usually tied back with a strap of leather, green glittering eyes that missed nothing. He was an excellent fighter, as honorable as they came. But lately, he seemed to be more possessive of Rayven than she was confortable with.

         “He’s in love with you, you dolt!” Dracos muttered. “For all your wits and courage in battle, you …young one…know nothing about personal relationships.”

         Rayven swung around, “How can you say that? You know that I was married once.” Dracos sighed as if having to explain to a dim-witted child, “He was an abomination. How can you truly, in your heart, think that you’ve experienced true love?” Rayven snorted, “True love is over-rated.” Dracos sighed, “Remember this conversation when he weds another…” And with his parting words…he left.

         She was alone in the huge drawing room. She walked to the piano and started to play. Nothing written, just whatever notes she thought would sound pleasing together. Angelica walked in. No, other people walked, Angel glided. She glided up to the piano and listened quietly for a while.

         Finally Rayven looked up, a half-grin on her face. “You’ve shown marvelous restraint. I know he sent you here to talk some “sense” into me. You’ve broken your old record of holding your tongue without bitting it in two.” Rayven grinned mischievously.

         “You are a brat!” Angelica tells her friend. “On of these days he is going to throw his hands up into the air and refuse to help you anymore. Then what will you do?” Angelica glowered, hands on her hips.

         “I will have you, my friend, to help me get my butt out of the sling.” Rayven replied.

         That just made Angel madder. “Sent ME in here….talk some sense into her, he says….she’ll listen to you….remind her of our oath and our goal….tell her she’s disrupting our plans…tell her she must not do anything to destroy the plans we’ve made………but you don’t care do you? This is all some big cosmic joke to you, right? Well, let me tell you something….I WANT to be human again. I WANT to have a house with a picket fence and lots of babies running around. Well, if you can’t dream the dream, Angelica looks pleadingly, tears shimmering in her eyes imploring Rayven’s dark enigmatic ones, "…please I’m begging you…don’t ruin it for me!” Angelica turns with a sob and runs out of the room.

         “I see you’re being your regular charming self.” Dracos smirked. He was among the oldest of them. Rayven walked to ward him and sat at the foot of his chair to rest her head against his knee. “Ah, my precious Rayven, why must you make things so hard on yourself? You know you love these brothers and sisters in darkness…why do you torment them so?

         Or yourself? You are a worthy person Rayven. I still haven’t figured out why you refuse to believe that. Are you so afraid, my child…that you would rather spend eternity alone than to open up your heart and allow it to love again?” Rayven didn’t answer him. But Dracos knew her answer by the evidence of which were rolling unheeded down her cheeks soaking into his slacks. His hand idly continued to caress her long silken strands of ebony. Trying to soothe an ache that had begun many centuries before.

         So thus they sat. Dracos in the wing back chair by the fireplace and Rayven at his feet, her head resting on his legs. He made no move to leave, nor did she. It seemed they both needed comfort and solace this night. It seemed as though they sat for hours and in fact thy did. Each lost in their own thoughts. And somewhere between the sunrise and the beginning of dusk, they began to stir….

         “Dracos?” Rayven asked carefully. “What is it my child? I will help if I may.” He watched her eyes run through a gauntlet of emotions, terror, fear, despair, disgust, excitement, confusion, hope…all within seconds. “I stopped a…a feeding last night.” Dracos’ face flushed a bright shade of red. “You WHAT?” Rayven turned imploring eyes to him, I think she is what you and Markus are looking for. This vampire was evil, but touching it’s mind…it had a purpose…to use her to some end. I couldn’t let that happen. I just couldn’t. Please tell me you understand.” Dracos’ face lost some of it’s weariness and he asked, “Do you think she’d let me run a few tests?” Rayven looked skeptical…“I don’t know…she was pretty shook up. I can try. Some more of her friends may have been attacked. If I get her to agree to this…no scaring the girl. She’s in a very vulnerable state."
A good night’s sleep and things will look brighter tomorrow. At least we can hope so. With every new day comes a new chance to make a better start. Rayven’s mother used to tell her that…how very much she wanted to believe in it now…