The Girl and The Raven (21 page)

“Because I died.” He shrugs. “This is my funeral.”

I stare at him and have a sudden case of the heebee jeebies. How could it be his funeral if I’m sitting right next to him? He cranes his neck and takes another look around.

“Who are you looking for?”

“My father,” he says. “I want to laugh in the bastard’s face, tell him I won.”

* * * *

The very second I wake up the next morning, I lay still and try to hold onto the dream. Something about it seems important. I focus as hard as I can…but it’s gone. I punch my pillow.

As I strip off my clothes in the bathroom, something drifts to the floor. A feather. I feel as light as one as I recall snuggling in Marcus’ arms last night. I pick it up and spin it between my fingers, hold it to my nose. It doesn’t smell like anything, just tickles. Marcus is a gargoyle. He’s a kick-ass supernatural. I tuck the feather into my medicine cabinet, then climb into the shower. All the while I’m humming my favorite song from Marcus’ music mix.

* * * *

“Hey.” I take the empty seat next to Katie at our lunch table. The other girls continue with their animated conversation.

“How are the men in your life?” Katie grins. She’s changed her braces to maroon and gold, our school colors

I frown at her, keeping my voice low. “You make it sound like I have multiple boyfriends.”

“I know Marcus is your main squeeze. It’s just that you and Dylan seem pretty tight, too.”

I don’t like the teasing gleam in her eye.

“I’m worried about him.” I don’t tell her how freaked out I am, that I’ve called him several times and he hasn’t called me back. “That’s all.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” She rubs my back briefly. “I don’t mean to sound like a gossip. How’s he doing anyway?”

I focus on my veggie burger. “I don’t know. I haven’t heard from him.”

“Katie and Lucy, we’re going over some important stuff here,” Caroline says excitedly. “We could use your input.”

“Sure. What’s up?” Katie asks.

“Homecoming!” Ella rolls her eyes like we should somehow know this already. “Are you going to sign up for the planning committee with us?”

Katie turns to me, her eyebrows raised. “What do you think?”

I hesitate. “I don’t know. I need to focus on homework since I work on Saturdays.”

“And Marcus. Can’t forget about him,” Ella teases. Her bizarre colored contact lenses look even more alien as she flutters her eyelashes at me.

“Meetings are after school on Mondays and Wednesdays,” Caroline announces as she smooths the blue flyer on the table. “Ella, Suzy, Cloe and I are signing up. The dance is coming up fast.”

“When is it?” I ask, trying to read the blue sheet upside down.

“In eight weeks,” Suzy says. “Are you going to bring Marcus?”

I bet Marcus looks great in a suit. “I haven’t thought about it.” I turn to Katie. “Are you going?”

“Hopefully Trevor will ask me.” Oh right. The guy she met at the pool over the summer.

“We can always go stag,” Suzy suggests. “We’ll still have a good time.”

I’ve never been to a dance. I could never have afforded a dress, so it was good that no one ever asked me. Besides, there was no way I’d have let a boy pick me up at home.

I wonder what it would be like going with Marcus. I can dip into my savings and buy a dress. Would we spend the entire night in each other’s arms? Would Ella stare at us, jealous? Or would she flirt with him, try to steal him away?

The rest of lunch is spent talking about the dance. Fortunately, no one notices I’m not paying attention. I keep thinking about Jude and Dylan and Lola.

My next two class periods, gym and art, last forever. I’m the first person out of art class when the final bell rings. As I make my way down the hall, someone calls my name. Shawn races to catch up to me.

“Where’s the fire?” he asks, out of breath. Shawn is one of those super smart, quirky guys. He also happens to be president of the chess club. I liked him the first day we met. Today he wears a black beret over his blonde curls. With his wicked smile, he’s totally able to pull it off. “What do you think of St. Aquinas now that you’ve made it through your first week?”

“Good so far. Everyone’s been really nice and I’m finally learning my way around. The one-way staircases really threw me.”

He nods. “I know, right? It took me a while to get them straight my freshman year.”

We both laugh. “And I like the fact that I don’t have a ton of homework.”

“Yeah, well, that’ll change by next week.” He grins and I notice his eyeteeth are pointy and jut forward over the rest of his teeth. Vampire teeth.
Cool
. “They’re always light on us the first week and then the reprieve is over. Let’s just say ‘overwhelmed’ is a term you’ll be hearing a lot next week.”

“Thanks for the heads up.” Now I’m positive I don’t want to sign up for the homecoming committee.

Shawn and I compare class schedules as we head to our lockers. His last name is Wheeler, so his locker’s near mine. I don’t notice Marcus until I catch Shawn staring past me, a curious expression on his face. My heart nearly leaps out of my chest and a huge smile spreads across my face as I turn around. I forget about Shawn until he coughs.

“Um, Shawn, I’d like you to meet Marcus. Marcus this is Shawn. We’re in English and art together.” My introduction is clumsy and I feel my cheeks grow warm. It doesn’t help that Marcus is watching me, the corners of his mouth twitching. Why does he think it’s funny every time I do something awkward?

Marcus and Shawn trade nods, then Shawn turns to me. “I guess I’ll see you next week.”

I wave goodbye to Shawn before turning back to Marcus.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my smile growing wider.

“I’ve come to offer you a ride home, save you from your horrendous commute.” He leans against my locker. The easy way he carries himself…his confidence…is so freaking hot. “My final period is study hall and I didn’t have any homework to do, so I left.”

“You’re allowed to do that?”

“Not really, but Mrs. Ring loves me.” He winks.

“Of course she does,” I elbow him aside, open my locker, and switch the books in my backpack for two others. I don’t have any homework, but I want to work ahead in a couple of classes. “I don’t have study hall.”

“Plan your schedule better next year.” A thrill races through me as he slings his arm around my shoulders and steers me down the hall.

“Wait!” I stop. “I forgot about Katie. We need to give her a ride home. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all,” he says innocently. “It just means I won’t kiss you in the car. I’m not into PDA.”

“Oh?” I stare at him for a moment, my gaze fixed on his lips. Katie is my best friend…right? I shake my head, clearing the daze. I won’t abandon her. Kiss postponed.

Marcus laughs at my pout. I shoot him a dirty look as I text Katie. Five minutes later, the three of us are walking to the parking lot.

“Marcus, you’re the bomb!” Katie gives him a high five as we approach his car. “Anytime I can skip the bus and the train is a great day.”

Once inside his car, Marcus grabs hold of my hand, and I forgive him for withholding his kiss.

I glance over my shoulder at Katie. “I was thinking about inviting Shawn Wheeler to join us for lunch sometime. See if he and Suzy hit it off. Maybe they could go to Homecoming together.”

“That’s a great idea!” Katie gushes. “Did you know that Cloe is probably going with Darick, that guy from her AP Chemistry class?”

Something black slams into the windshield with a horrible crunching sound. Katie and I both scream.

“What the hell!” Marcus peels my fingers from his hand and climbs out of the car.

My skin tingles as I stare open mouthed at the dead bird plastered against the glass.

“Lucy…” Katie whispers from the back. “Why does that bird have red eyes?”

A sudden coldness hits my stomach like a brick. It’s one of Jude’s crows. Has it come to spy on me? Marcus?

“I don’t know,” I lie.

The stereo continues to play while we sit frozen in our seats, our eyes glued to the windshield. Blood oozes down the glass while Marcus digs in the trunk, looking for something to clean up the mess. The crow hit the glass so hard its body is crushed. How is that possible? Marcus uses an old newspaper and a roll of paper towels to remove the bird. And everything else. I try not to gag. 

He shoves the whole mess into a bag and then sets the bag inside his trunk. Yuck. I guess he wants to show it to Persephone and Aiden. Luckily Katie seems too freaked out to ask about it. The ride home is eerily silent.

Was the crow sent as some kind of message? A threat? Is Jude aware that Marcus is trying to keep me from seeing him?

I shudder as I recall Jude’s warning to Marcus that night in front of the three-flat.

If you know who I am, then you know what I’m capable of. And you know what happened the last time someone stood in my way.

Katie hurries inside her house after giving me a quick hug. She’s expecting a call from Trevor. He doesn’t go to St. Aquinas and they’re going through withdrawal. Based on her sidelong looks at Marcus’ trunk, I could tell she just wanted to get far away from the dead crow.

I dump my backpack in my room, kiss my uncles on the cheek and tell them I’ll eat dinner and do the dishes after I’m done working on a school project with Marcus.

I race upstairs as Marcus, Aiden and Persephone are staring at the crow’s corpse. Marcus takes hold of my hand.

“It’s definitely one of Jude’s,” Persephone says. “This is the first time any of them have flown to their deaths.”

“You said that Jude controls them?” Marcus asks, a grim expression on his face.

I think of Lola and Serenity. Gram and Persephone would never send the ravens to their deaths.

Persephone’s hands hover over the dead bird, her eyes closed. Whispery words hiss from between her lips. She opens her eyes. “This bird was under the control of a demon.”

“Jude did this. He’s spying,” I tell her.

“Then it’s a new low, even for him.”

Aiden studies the mess of bloody feathers and bones, but doesn’t say a word.

* * * *

After eating dinner and doing the dishes, I head to my room and check my phone again. No message from Dylan. I text him again.

Haven’t heard anything from you. Text or call me. Please. I need to know if you’re okay.

As I flip open my history book, my gaze trails across my desk to Jude’s business card, tucked beside my lamp. Jude Morgan. JM Holdings. Dylan’s voice fills my head.

Black hair, dark eyes, and absolutely no expression whatsoever. I can’t explain it, but he’s so freaking creepy.

Every time I see him, he’s staring right at me. He doesn’t look away or try to hide the fact he’s watching me.

I shudder as I remember how terrible Dylan looked the last time I saw him. 

I glance at the business card again. Jude Morgan.

Lucy Walker. Lucy Morgan. Which one am I? I grab the business card and throw it inside the top drawer of my desk, then slam the drawer shut. I need to call Jude, confront him about what he’s doing to Dylan. Why am I such a coward?

My energy and motivation to work ahead in my classes has disappeared. It takes super human effort to focus on the few chapters I committed to reading.

As I lay in bed that night, I toss and turn for a long time before I finally fall asleep. It seems I’m only out a short time before I’m woken by a noise. I bolt awake, my heart racing, when I realize it’s only my cell phone vibrating. A text from Dylan asking me to call him. I punch up his number and pace across my room.

“Lucy?” He answers on the first ring, his voice a whisper.

The fear I’ve had stored for days breaks loose. “What the heck, Dylan? I went by two of your classes today and you weren’t there. Why haven’t you returned my messages? And why are you whispering?”

“I’m in the hospital. I don’t know if I’m allowed to be on my cell phone.”

I stop pacing. “What happened?”

“I had a seizure yesterday before dinner. They’re keeping me for a couple of days. ”

I immediately feel bad for going off on him. “Are you in any pain?”

“I bit my tongue pretty hard, so that hurts.” Now that he mentions it, he is talking kind of funny. “But no, having the seizure didn’t hurt. It was almost like…like a haze coming over me. I felt something coming on, but I had no idea what it was.”

My eyes fill with tears. “I’m really scared, Dylan.”

“Don’t be. At least I’m safe here, you know?” Funny. He’s the one in the hospital, but he’s comforting me.

I snap my fingers, a thought suddenly coming to me. “Do you know a guy named Jack from school? A big guy with a buzz cut?”