Exaltation (Insight #11)(75)
All at once the twins and Soren were around her, telling her to breath, laying her out flat on the floor. Ash had reached for the mint leaves that always rested on their dresser and was telling Raven to breath in. Soren was swearing, saying he was going to get Thelma Ray as Ash shouted for him to stay in place.
River leaned down to Raven and calmly spoke to her in a hushed whisper. “Raven BellaRose, you do not freak out—ever. This is janked, I know, but you’re better than this, stronger than this. Nothing is going to hurt you. I won’t let it. None of us will.”
Raven kept her rapid breaths in sync with her mind.
“Close your eyes,” River demanded. “Now you think, you push this BS out of your mind and you think of the last time you had peace, you pull that to you, Raven—those moments are weapons. Ones you have to use now. Think, breathe.”
Peace, Raven thought over and over and as she did she saw those eyes, deep, flaming blue eyes, surrounded by darkness. She felt the wave of devotion and protection, one far stronger than her family had given her, her friends, one that was complete.
A hum, a deep, warm, soothing hum eased through her body. Her breaths slowed but her heart kept its rhythm.
“What are you thinking about?” Ash asked as Soren caressed her brow.
Raven didn’t answer for a moment, had no idea how to explain to them she was losing her mind. Twice she’d seen a house her father told her wasn’t there. That in the Veil of death she had found the peace she was feeling then.
“A guardian angel…”
“The warrior?” Soren asked.
Since their memories had been unlocked he’d been trying to figure out who the person was who helped them during the hurricanes, taught them how to kill.
Soren knew they needed any and all help they could get. His gut told him as much. He wouldn’t survive it if anything happened to these girls.
His grandmother told him the man with honey eyes was a Witness, warrior of light. She’d told him that though he may emerge again, this fate was Soren’s and the girls’ to walk. Soren was good with that. He didn’t need anyone babysitting him. But still, learning how to kill faster, how to protect would do nothing but help him live out his fate.
“Not him,” Raven said under her breath, reaching her fingertips to her lips. Feeling a hunger, a hunger to feel that ghost boy’s lips once more. Feel the peace at its core.
“Who then?” Soren demanded, hoping she didn’t say Rydell. He didn’t have an issue with him, not really. But he knew something was off about him, that he was out of place at the very least.
Soren’s only comfort in this chaotic flip of events came from his grandmother, a direct descendant of the originals in the coven. She told him whatever they endured now was nothing more than a tremor, the war was on the horizon but not close enough to fear. She told him to enjoy his youth, his carefree days before they vanished.
Their conversation came on the drive to the twins’ house this afternoon. His grandmother was waiting for him outside the school when the battle was over. Soren was shaking. Once again he’d killed, fought those men in black, and pulled their very soul from their vessel. The smell of sulfur clung to him, the shock of his last moments apparent in his eyes. His grandmother took him home, made him shower, fed him, and spoke cleansing words over him before taking him to the girls.
“Our blood is rich my son, we are great protectors and you will not fail, none of my boys will. Those girls need you to be calm, to listen, to be a balance. And you will be.”
Soren breathed in her words, trying to read through the mystery of them. My boys. She had always said those words when she spoke of him and his cousin.
He’d hesitated outside of the twins’ room, staring at his phone. He wanted to call his cousin, someone who had been his best friend at one time, who seemed to understand the wicked as simply as Soren had. But it had been a while since he’d actually talked to Mason outside of text. Mason had long ago moved states away, up north. And apparently was hooking up with some girl called Indie now, one that was taking all his attention.
Talking to Mason would ease Soren, but he knew it would tick off the twins, maybe even Raven. They were not his biggest fans, not after what he did. Betrayal was rarely forgiven in this coven. Breaking River’s heart was the one lethal mistake Mason had made.
Instead, Soren told himself to just listen, follow his gut. Right now his gut was telling him this Rydell dude was not a threat, not after how his boy Dagen fought today. It told him his grandmother was right, this wasn’t the war, this was nothing more than destiny aligning the souls needed for the predicted fate.
Soren had known Raven his whole life. He’d never seen her panic, and he had never seen that look she had in her eye now, one that was marveling in a memory of peace.
“Who, Raven?” Soren pressed.
She met his gaze, bit her lip, “I don’t know. I don’t know anything right now.” Raven sat up. “I want to know what this books says, every word.”
“It’s going to be a long night,” Ash said as she and River moved back to the books they were studying.
Soren stood, pulled Raven up with him. “Let’s get some water.”
In the kitchen Soren watched as Raven slowly drank her glass of water and stared outside. There were several members of the coven lingering out there, talking.
“They know something,” Raven said, wondering where her father and her aunt were.