Raven by Shelly Pratt Page A

she did kind of feel like maybe I was using her friendship in order to get what I want, but honestly that wasn’t the case. I’m half raven, Aiyana, I believe in free will and allowing a person to make their own choices without me having to force them. I think your sister was scared as well. She knew all about the whole thing – the spell and the curse, and look how things turned out for your grandmother and your parents. I think she thought that even if she could help then she may have been doing more harm than good. Even if she were the one then I still think she would have still declined to help. I didn’t realise that there were two daughters born to the witch – but only one was a direct blood lineage – that person was you. If your sister hadn’t stormed off and hadn’t screamed at me to ‘stay the hell away from my sister too’ then I never would have known about you. Yes I came looking for your help, but I never expected to fall in love with you. I have never had the behaviours that I am having now with you with anyone else. If you choose to help me break the curse and free the others from this life than we would be grateful, but the thing I want most out of all of this is you. Just you, and nothing more,” he said as he lowered his lips to hers.
     
    She let him take her mouth in his then and kissed him till she had to come up for air. He kissed his way down her jaw and her collarbone until his mouth found her naked breast and he cupped it in his mouth, sucking it and making her ache for him. She had completely forgotten to be prude about her nakedness and she stood there wanton for this creature – suddenly needing to explore every inch of him.
     
    She lifted his lips back to meet hers and pressed herself against him firmly, his smell and taste purely intoxicating. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, he lifted her effortlessly to straddle his waist and he walked with her to the back wall of her apartment.
     
    With her backside pressed up hard against the cold plasterboard she was momentarily brought back to reality. She knew he was ready, as was she, but as her glazed eyes refocused over his shoulder, the outside world was suddenly glaringly obvious from the glass doors of her balcony.
     
    There was nothing amiss about the dark sky, or the moonless night, or even the fog that seemed to be eating up the landscape.
     
    No, the problem was with the dark figures she saw hovering above her balcony, dark beady eyes glinting with anticipation and watching every move she and Eilam made with an intense interest.
     
    She screamed loudly now, for the sight scared her like no other. For the first time, she had seen evil in the species and she knew she might very well have to consider the unthinkable.
     
     

 
     
Chapter Seven
     
     
     
    Her scream had sent the ravens flapping off into the night, but as much as Eilam tried to comfort her, she still felt rattled at their presence so close to her home. Any further romantic interludes had completely gone out the window so to speak, and Aiyana had hurried to drag some clothes on her naked body, suddenly embarrassed at her reckless behaviour and still feeling a little sheepish about it.
     
    There was so much running through her mind, even the fact as to whether she could completely trust Eilam, despite her apparent lust for him. She couldn’t help feeling though that he was genuine with her, and she could tell that from the glaring differences in seeing him in his raven form versus the dark creatures she had seen tonight.
     
    With this in mind she allowed Eilam to stay with her, wrapping his arms protectively around her as she slept on the fold out bed in the middle of the living room. His arms were strong, powerful and safe, and Aiyana soon drifted off into a deep slumber. It was only as morning neared she awoke with a crick in her neck from being twisted at a funny angle on Eilam’s bicep half the night. She let her eyes open slowly and groaned as she