Raven by Shelly Pratt Page B

tried to move. His huge hands instinctively moved to her neck and started to rub out the tension knot that ached. After sleeping away her fears last night, she had decided that she had spent enough time in denial and was ready to face the dilemma she was in head on.
     
    “Eilam,” she started.
     
    “Hmmm,” was his reply from next to her.
     
    “Why were there ravens outside of my apartment last night? Are we in danger?” she asked. She felt him tense next to her and then relax once more.
     
    “Maybe,” he said. At this comment she sat up so suddenly that she startled Eilam so much he fell out of the bed.
     
    “Maybe? Maybe!!” she screeched. “If we’re in any kind of danger than what are we doing just sitting here, they could be back any minute,” she exclaimed.
     
    His face took on a lopsided grin right then, which she of course wanted to knock right off his lips. Seeing her mood darken though, he decided to take a more serious approach.     
     
    “You don’t need to worry, I already snuck out after you nodded off and followed them,” he said.
     
    “You did? What happened?” she asked.
     
    “I think they were doing a bit of reconnaissance. They’ve obviously been watching you for a while and are on to the fact that we have made a connection. It’s only natural they would be nervous about you wanting to help me break the curse,” he said.
     
    “Well, why me? They could have been watching you, you know,” she said glumly.
     
    “Possible, but unlikely,” he said.
     
    “And why is that?” she asked.
     
    “Because I would have seen or sensed them coming a mile off, and they know where you live,” he said with confidence.
     
    “Well you certainly didn’t see them coming last night, did you?” she retorted.
     
    “That was because I was a little distracted,” he said smugly.
     
    “Oh,” she blushed. Clearly he had been just as caught up in the moment as she had. The fact that they hadn’t got to make love made her a little wishful. “So are we in danger?” she asked again.
     
    “Probably not; I think they are very keen to see what kind of relationship it is that we have. If we look at it from their point of view, it would be better for us to be connecting in a romantic way, it makes it less likely for you to want to kill me,” he joked.
     
    “That’s not funny. I’m not going to kill you anyway,” she said.
     
    He walked over to where she now stood and caressed the side of her face with his hand. Her legs instantly felt like jelly and she felt a current pass between them.
     
    “I wish you would,” he said in all seriousness, his jaw clenched and his head bent towards hers, his voice thick with emotion.
     
    “Well I can’t, even if you are seducing me just so it will have an opposite effect on the choices I make,” she said. He dropped his hand abruptly and a look of pain came over his face. She could see instantly that what she had said had been a mistake and she’d clearly hurt his feelings with such a remark.
     
    “Look, Eilam, I’m sorry okay – I just don’t know what to think at the moment,” she said, almost as if offering a truce.
     
    “I understand. Look, I think I had better go. Just promise me you’ll be careful when you go outdoors,” he said abruptly and made his way to the balcony. She wanted to say something more, something that would make everything okay between them again but she bit her tongue. She thought it was best if they had a break from each other so they could both clear their heads. She watched on in silence as he spread his muscular arms outwards right before he morphed into the raven she was so used to seeing now. He flapped his wings hard and headed off into the morning sky. The minute he left a drizzle of rain came in from the south which seemed to be set in for the day. Great, she thought, just what I need with the mood I’m in. She closed and locked the balcony door and closed the curtains too. Today she wanted to