The rain fell heavily, making it difficult for her to spot anything. The only light came from the constant lightning decorating the stormy night. Raven held the doorknob in her hand, standing in the middle of the doorway, staring up at the sky. Something her mother loved to do. Always claiming that the most power lies in nature. Stepping backward into the warm cabin, she closed the cabin door with her other hand. Heading to the couch, where the journal lay open along with her blanket, all scrunched up from the last time she was reading, she slowly made her way through the journal, hoping for anything that could help her against Dorian Greycrest. Lifting the journal from the blanket, Raven curled under the blanket, warming herself up. Her fingers curled across the edges of the book as her eyes trailed off to where they had once left off.
CRACK
Raven's body jumped up, startled, and stared at her surroundings: the cabin, the once-lit candles, and the thunder cracking violently outside the cabin. The book she was reading closed on top of her.
"GRRR"
The guttural sound was coming from the depths of the darkness lurking outside. A chill crossed her body as she quickly reached out for her phone, turning on the flashlight. Shakily, she stood on the couch, slowly making her way to the door. She reached out for the doorknob but stopped her hand midway. Raven clenched her fists, hesitant.
"You can do this; you are a witch from one of the most powerful families ever; you can handle some noise coming from the woods." She muttered under her breath. Grabbing the cold doorknob in her hands, she twisted it, swinging open the door to be met with pitch blackness greeting her. Her grip tightened on her phone, and instant regret for having a moment of courage sprang up in her.
Her heavy breathing whispered back to the dead of night. The rain had disappeared, but the clouds still covered the night sky.
"Grrrrrrrr," the low growl broke the silence. Raven's head snapped in the direction of the sound. The trees rustled in the distance. Slowly, she began moving in the direction of the sound. The flowers circling the cabin brushed up against her legs, leaving wetness in their wake. Raven shone her phone into the trees, trying to look for the one responsible for the sounds.
Standing in the clearing, something fast bumped into her; her body tumbled over onto the ground, dropping her phone. Covered with rain, she was trying to find her phone, but she could not find it. And somehow, she was her only source of safety. Raven stood small among the looming darkness. A strange odor filled her nose, coming from her. Raven lifted her right hand, slowly brushing her fingers together and whispering the incantation under her breath, until a warm light appeared from her fingers, creating light for her. Lifting her hand, a smile spread across her face. She was relieved and thankful for the light when her eyes landed on something in the distance.
Taking a step closer, she held the flame closer, but she could not do anything. A bright light suddenly appeared, illuminating her surroundings. Raven's hand dropped as she made out a massive wolf leaping through the air, coming right for her.
Raven tipped backward, hitting the cold, wet ground with large paws on the sides of her head as the large animal stood above her, its head pointed down at her, low grumbles coming from it. She looked into its burgundy eyes, only to be met with hate and anger staring back at her.
'It has been a long time coming,' she heard through her mind as it snapped its jaws at her.
There was a reason she did not need to be afraid.
Raven's body shot straight up, and she stared at the surroundings: the flower wallpaper, her books, and plants scattered around the room. She was home. She was okay. Sweat covered every inch of her body, her heart pounding from the nightmare. The guy was always ready to kill her. It was him, Dorian. He was creeping into her nightmares. Maybe she was wrong to believe that what Maura had told her was right and that he was nothing like that. She was even willing to help him. Slamming shut the journal that lay open next to her, Raven threw the covers over her body, getting out of bed. It was early in the morning, and the sky was pitch black with clouds.
Raven quickly rushed along the trail, the wind picking up.
"RAVEN!" the familiar face called to her.
"What are you doing here?" she questioned him, confused, as he rushed to her.
"I needed to warn you; he is here," his body said, frozen as he stared at her strangely. Confused, Raven took a step closer but stopped as blood poured from his mouth. His body dropped to the ground, as his soul left his body. Raven's eyes went to the body that was behind Joel.
"Raven Graverose," he said gruffly, his eyes alive with excitement. His eyes closed as he took a deep breath, his body realizing itself as he exhaled. She stood frozen, watching him carefully. His eyes snapped open, the smile on his face dropped, and it turned into a snarl, and in a flash, he was before her. Her body, flat against the tree behind her, conformed to his closeness. His arms stretched out, caging her between the tree and him.
For "700 years, I have waited, and here you are, where it all began."
Pieces of wood were missing from the tree; the indents of his rage were visible. His hand grabbed her chin, tightly gripping her. He turned her neck to the side, protesting against the force of his strength.
"It has been with you all along," he said, lowly staring at something. Raven stood frozen as he reached out toward her, grabbing the chain in his hand.
"Dorian, there are rangers all across the woods; kill her or do what you must do if anyone sees us; the covenant will force you to step in. If you kill her now, then there is no other witch to do the spell for you," Michael spoke up, appearing out of nowhere.
The strong ache spread through her head, and her eyes blurred as the darkness fought against her strength. Dorian and Michael were oblivious to what was occurring. Raven lifted her hands quickly, pressing them against Dorian's chest, and pushed hard. Unlike the first time she watched them fly through the air, Raven spun her body around the tree, not waiting for a second occurrence.
"It's their territory; she will learn soon enough," the wolves stared at Dorian and Michael on the other side, staring down at the water. The water rushed beside her when the wolf's body collided with her, toppling into the rushing water.
Tumbling into the icy water, Raven struggled and moved her arms and legs, swimming to the edge. Her body was soaked, but there was no sign of Dorian or Michael.
***
Dorian stood still on top of the waterfall, staring down at the rushing water with no sign of the dark-haired witch.
"She is still alive," Dorian said as he could feel the link between him and the witch still being strong.
"You need to be careful; you have not spent time around humans for centuries; they are rather fragile and can die from the littlest things, or she could disappear once again," Michael continued.
"And if she does and does not do the spell, then I will come for her daughter or the next. I will always find the witch, no matter what, no matter in what lifetime. I will come for the witch," he warned her. His eyes caught sight of the witch getting out of the water.
"She may be scared of me now, but she does not know real fear, but she will," Dorian said, turning around and leaving the witch in his wake.
The sounds of loud barking and voices came from the distance as the rangers scoured the woods for the one responsible for the deaths.
Raven trudged through the woods when suddenly a dog rushed past her, along with voices.
"It's a girl." Turning around, she faced the ambiance of people in front of her.
"What happened? Are you okay?" The ranger bombarded her with questions.
"I think I slipped and fell into the stream," she lied to the ranger.
"These parts of the woods can be dangerous, especially now."
A blanket covered her shoulders.
LOUD BARKING
"We found something!" one of the rangers called out from a distance. Everybody walked closer, and Raven told them to walk behind her.
Stepping closer, she realized what the dogs had.
Joel's body lay there, pale.
"This could not have been a bear or a wolf; these claw marks are different," the ranger said with a loud sigh. "This was something else.". Raven could not help but feel that it was all her fault.
"We looked for the traps, but they're gone."