A stiff wind whistled up the narrow street driving the heavy rain through the small chinks in the armor that was her cloak.\u00a0 She turned her back to the storm, and used the thick leather hood to shield her hands. Fingers trembling from the cold, she re-read the single line printed on the rain-soaked slip of paper.\u00a0 Peeking around the edge of her hood she noted the four metal numbers mounted diagonally beside the door of the blue-grey structure. A cottage, she recalled the type.\u00a0 It was small, not even a young dragon\u2019s wingspan, with white trim and a reddish brown layer of tiles covering the low peaked roof.
\n\u2018Yes,\u2019 she thought, \u2018this is it.\u2019
\nAround her the intensity of the storm increased.\u00a0 Lightning split the sky, practically on top of her, yet she was unphased by either the sudden thunder clap or the driving rain.\u00a0 She moved so smoothly over sand, concrete and puddles that an observer would have sworn she glided.\u00a0 A small hand balled into a fist emerged from the folds of leather and rapped firmly on the door.
\nEven over the chaos of the storm her ears picked up the sound of steps followed by a metallic click.\u00a0 The portal opened and a giant of a young man more than two feet taller than her diminutive five feet froze in surprise, his blue eyes widening in recognition.
\n\u201cMiss Raven!\u201d he said as he pushed open the screen door for her.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u00a0 Is Jay okay?\u201d\u00a0 She could hear the worry in his voice.
\nThunder cracked as she crossed the threshold.\u00a0 She\u00a0pushed back the hood of her cloak and took in the small, neat room filled with an oversized couch and matching armchairs.\u00a0 A trio of brilliantly colored and oddly shaped boards hung on a rack to her left and from beyond the aroma of fresh brewed tea tickled her nose.
\nThough she shivered beneath the heavy leather she managed to keep any quaver out of her mellifluous voice when she spoke.\u00a0 \u201cAre you Nat Ryan?\u201d
\nHe appeared to be a handsome young human in his early thirties with a shock of white blonde hair worn short and spiked.\u00a0 He was also possibly the most powerfully build male she\u2019d ever encountered.\u00a0 All he wore was short pants and a tight shirt that did nothing to hide his massive chest.
\n\u201cMiss Raven?\u00a0 Are you okay?\u201d
\nShe withdrew a hand from within her personal shelter and offered him a pair of stiff cards which he took.\u00a0 The cards were tastefully colorful and gold embossed with elegant script that announced the deaths of Jessie Fireoak Ramirez and Diego Ramirez.\u00a0 Beneath each name was a short prayer she could not place.
\n\u201cForgive me,\u201d she said softly.\u00a0 \u201cMy mind\u2019s eye is clouded and memories return slowly yet urgency is required.\u201d\u00a0 A spark of memory touched her and she rummaged through the various pouches and pockets hidden within the cloak.\u00a0 She found the object of her search and unfolded a sheet of paper.\u00a0 She read it aloud.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry about Jay, she took a trip but is very much alive.\u201d
\nA series of small shelves that began about two feet from the floor and progressed up to about six feet caught her eye.\u00a0 On each was a figurine of a girl beginning at infancy and aging to her teens.\u00a0 Without invitation she crossed slowly to the display and gently touched the face of the one at eye level.\u00a0 She knew that face and the memories flooded back.\u00a0 She collapsed to her knees in pain.
\nPowerful but gentle arms enfolded her as she sobbed and what the chill of the storm had not done, the memory of the lost of her child did.\u00a0 With a tremor in her voice looked up at the huge man she only now recognized and said\u00a0 \u201cI must return to find and fight the hunters of my bloodline.\u00a0 You may come or you may stay but you are welcome to stand with us.\u00a0 You have always been welcomed and will always be.\u00a0 You are family.\u201d\u00a0 She brushed away a tear and forced herself to her feet though the world pressed her down.\u00a0 \u201cWill you come with me?\u201d
\n\u201cGive me five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDaddy?\u201d Raven turned at the soft voice.\u00a0 A girl child of
\nperhaps six stood in the hall wearing a long pink nightgown and clutching a
\nstuffed dragon.<\/p>\n
\u201cKatie,\u201d Nat scooped the child up and
\nrested her on one hip.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s all the banging?\u201d
\n\u201cThunder, honey, clouds bumping,
\nthat\u2019s all.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s loud, make it go away.\u201d
\nThe girl caught sight of Raven and stared at her through the same blue eyes as her father.
\n\u201cHullo,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cWho are you?\u201d
\n\u201cHoney, this is Miss Raven, she\u2019s Jay\u2019s grandmother.\u201d
\nThe girl shook her head, her long blonde curls bouncing. \u201cNah uh, grandmas are old like Grandma Cassie,\u201d the girl proclaimed.
\n\u201cNot Jay\u2019s grandma,\u201d a boy of about ten wearing cutoffs and a tee shirt
\ncame up behind his father.\u00a0 \u201c\u2019Member, she\u2019s an elf and never gets old
\nlike Jay\u2019s momma.\u201d
\nThe soft melodious voice sweetly spoke as Raven found a steady tone, “You are correct\u00a0 young master Ryan, I am an elf,” she forced a smile for the children, “as is my beloved.”\u00a0 She choked on her words, “as was Jessy my child, as is your sister Jasmine.” She pushed
\nback her hair for them to see the points of her ears.
\n\u201cMiss Raven, these are our children,\u201d Nat brushed the nearly black hair out of the boy\u2019s dark brown eyes.\u00a0 \u201cConnor and \u2026\u201d He hefted the little girl.\u00a0\u201cCaitlyn.\u201d
\n\u201dTruly they are a blessing of the flame.” She held back her tears, “It is a pleasure to meet you both.” She gave a slight bow of her head to the children. “She has your eyes. He favors his mother. May the flame bless your bloodline.”
\n\u201cWhere\u2019s mommie?\u201d the little girl asked.
\n\u201cShe should be home in a minute.\u201d\u00a0 Nat bent to set
\nthe girl on her feet.\u00a0 \u201cYou guys get back in bed.\u00a0 Mommie will
\ncome in and kiss you good night when she gets home.\u201d
\n\u201cCan mommie stop the booming?\u201d the little girl asked.
\n\u201cMom doesn\u2019t do weather, that\u2019s Aunt Fuji.\u201d\u00a0 Connor took his sister by the hand and
\nled her down the hall.
\n\u201cCall her up and tell her to stop it!\u201d the little girl demanded of her brother.
\nNat looked back at Raven.
\n\u201cOkay, so it might take more than five
\nminutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
“It does not matter the time we take as long as you come when I leave, thus we will
\narrive at the time of my departure.” Raven watched the small ones as they disappeared into their room. “I sent word for my children and my beloved to be found and gathered
\nfrom the road.” Undoing the clasp, she removed her cloak and draped it on her arm. She took stock of her combat gear. To one side was a bag which its strap crossed over her
\nchest.\u00a0 To the other side of her form hung her clawed gauntlets. “Jasmine requested that I should come to you in person.” The tears slipped from her eyes though she held back the best she could. “I fear I am not in any condition for what is needed, my mind is clouded
\nin pain and anger.” She paused and steadied herself.<\/p>\n
The sound of the screen banging brought Raven\u2019s mind eye to open. One mind was entering. The dark hair beauty had aged well she thought as Wren open the door pulling the now damage screen closed.<\/p>\n
Nathaniel stood like a wall between them. Wren smiled as she stepped into his arms.\u00a0 \u201cIf San Diego is going to act like the east coast, we really must consider moving to the South of France.\u201d She stood on tiptoes for his kiss but something in his eyes stopped her.
\nHe stepped back and revealed Raven standing behind him, holding her worn old leather cloak.
\n\u201cRaven,\u201d she said without inflection then turned to Nathaniel.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is wrong?\u201d
\n\u201cJessy and Diego are dead.\u201d
\nA series of emotions flashed through Wren, she was ashamed of more than one but Raven was not here to prey.
\n\u201cJay?\u201d
\n\u201cJay\u2019s fine,\u201d Nathaniel replied.
\nWren faced the smaller woman.
\n\u201cRaven, I am truly sorry for you loss.\u00a0 Is there anything we can do to help?\u201d<\/p>\n
“Yes Mrs Ryan,” she paused trying to keep her self from bawling. Her voice choked out, “that is why I am here.” She pushed the tears from her cheeks. “Jessy and Diego was murdered on live television about an hour before I left to summons family. Jasmine requested I come in person for her father. She told me that all of us are in great danger from something that Jessy was working on, including her father.” Raven could not hold back any longer and she wept softly, “I should not have burden your family with this. Your children need their father more than we do. Forgive me, I should not of came.\u00a0 I should leave.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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