Page 6 of Heart of the Raven
“She doesn’t trust me,” Raven explained. A shadow crossed his face. “I have spent the last two years trying to prove to her I am not the evil monster I used to be. But she won’t relent.”
Evil. Monster. I took a step back. Eyes wide. “Why? What have you done?”
But I thought I already knew. Two years ago, everything had changed in the wildwood.
“I used to serve the Dark Queen. She was wicked, it was easy to cavort with her, but along came Yula, and changed everything. I only survived by flying away, and for a long time I thought she might kill me. But here I am. Still alive.”
Chapter Six
Hesitating,I studied him again. Okay. He had problems, but so did I. If we could assist each other at the end of this, we could part ways, both gaining what we wanted. The fact that he served the Dark Queen gave me qualms, but I couldn’t worry about it right now. My mind was still reeling from what had just happened, I would worry about his dark history later, but if he gave me any cause to doubt him, I’d flee. And go where? I had no idea. I glanced down at my torn and muddied clothes. “We have to go back,” I announced.
He groaned. “No, we are not going back to the scene of the crime.”
“Everything I possess is back there,” I protested. “My clothes, my horse, I can’t travel through the wildwood like this.”
He studied me more closely, taking in the cut of my gown, the scratches on my arms and legs. His eyes narrowed. “You aren’t a mere peasant, traveling with a group of tradesmen, are you?”
I swallowed hard but lifted my chin in defiance, eyes flashing. “It is none of your concern.”
His lips twitched. “Everything about you concerns me, Sasha. I’m the one who appears in your dreams. Our paths have led us to each other. But why?” He cocked his head and the way he studied me very much made me think of a raven.
I frowned. “Why are you wasting time? We will travel together and will have plenty of time to discuss. Now let’s go, before someone else happens upon the scene.”
With a sigh, he brushed his unruly hair out of his face. “Are you always this bossy?” he retorted. Without waiting for an answer, he strode off into the wildwood.
I followed as best I could, pulling my skirts up to keep them from snagging on every bramble and bush that stuck out. The foliage of the forest was thick, as though it did not desire to give anyone safe passage. I sensed it was alive, watching, listening, then reporting back to the queen. A faint hum hovered in the air, and I was relieved when I saw a patch of open forest.
Raven glanced back with a finger over his lips. He pointed, and I crept up beside him, peering over a bush to see what he saw. The wreckage of the caravan lay strew out on the road, bottles of wine were broken and smashed, bolts of silk torn in half and bundles of food and clothes strewn across the road. And then I saw what Raven saw. People dressed in dark leather moved, collecting the bolts of silk that were still intact and the wine. They were men and women, working quickly, effortlessly as though they’d practiced.
“Outlaws,” I hissed. “They have no right.”
I moved forward, but Raven grabbed my wrist. “You can’t fight outlaws.”
“They are taking what’s mine,” I insisted.
“Do you know what they will do to you if you go out there?” he demanded.
I gritted my teeth. But he was right. I blinked back tears as I watched them finish stacking the bodies in the wagon. They set fire to it and then slipped away, taking my war horse with them. My legs gave way. I collapsed on the ground, tucked my knees under my chin, and wrapped my arms around my legs. Burying my head on my knees, I rocked back and forth as I took deep breaths. Trying to stay strong.
Raven cleared his throat awkwardly. “Lady Sasha,” he said, as though a cloud of black magic might roar out of me again.
I lifted my head, brushed tears away, and held out a hand. He pulled me to my feet. His touch was comforting, and even though we’d just met, I stepped closer, until our bodies were aligned.
His eyes widened just the slightest, as though he realized my intent, and opened his mouth to protest. Regardless, I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned into him, resting my cheek against the feathers of his cloak. And then those great arms came around me in a gentle embrace. I heard the rhythmic thud of his heart skip a beat, and then he pulled away, shaking his head.
“Follow me.” He tossed the words over his shoulder and set off into the wood.
I followed, perplexed about his reaction to me. Usually, men craved my attention, but Raven could barely bring himself to embrace me. Why was that? Did it have something to do with his dark past?
As I followed him into the wood, I found myself willing to let go of my grief to unravel the mystery of Raven.
* * *
A terse silencerose between us as I followed him. Brambles and dense vines blocked our way, but somehow the forest seemed to open up in Raven’s wake. I stumbled as quickly as I could behind him, a wave of sorrow washing over me. Why was I the only one who escaped? I should be with them. But the dark magic within me had saved my life, and while I was grateful for it, I wanted nothing to do with magic.
My throat was dry and my belly ached, but rather than complain loudly to my guide, I stumbled on bravely, tears streaking my cheeks until he spoke.
“You shouldn’t want me,” he stated, without turning around.
