B.O.E.- Chapter 15: Raven

 

    Raven watched the yellow-eyed giant walk away to the door but she hadn’t heard a knock. She guessed he could hear something she couldn’t. She tried to stay relaxed but felt her muscles involuntarily tense up when she saw the doctor at the door.

    Isaac let him in and the Doc made his way up to her left side.

    “Good evening, Ms. Raven,” he greeted with a small smile. “How are you feeling?”

    Raven was about to answer but thought better of it; her throat was still impossibly dry despite the water. So she typed out a message on the phone’s notepad app. “You didn’t mention I could’ve died during the procedure.”

    She tried to angle the phone to him but her arm refused to cooperate enough. She turned to Isaac as he returned to her right side and he read her message aloud. She noticed him frown at the Doc and wondered if he was directing her anger because she couldn’t… or it was his own.

    “Ah, yes,” Dr. O fidgeted a little. “Considering the toxin had a few days to truly grip onto your system, it would take a bit of effort to release it. I had high hopes for your survival, however, based on the results from the tests prior.”

    Raven pursed her lips as she typed out another message for Isaac to read, “Why can’t I talk?”

    “I believe the toxin centered in your throat was highly affected by the treatment. It may take longer for your throat to recover than the rest of your body,” Dr. O stated thoughtfully.

    Raven watched him carefully move aside her old cell phone and her necklace to place a rolled-up kit on the bedside table. Before she could type out the message, Isaac spoke,

    “Pass me the necklace, Doc,”

    She stared as the necklace was passed along over her. Then Isaac set it beside her on the bed.

    “It looks delicate,” he muttered, seeing her watching him.

    Raven was about to type out a question when she felt the Doc’s cold hand move her left arm toward him. She watched him sanitize the inside of her elbow and typed out, “Do you need so much blood? I feel like a pin cushion.”

    The Doc chuckled and picked up a needle. “I do apologize, Ms. Raven. As this is a very interesting case, I would like to be as thorough as possible. We must learn as much as we can about your condition and that does call for constant tests.”

    Raven sighed heavily and stared up at the canopy as he pricked her skin. She felt the jiggle as he attached the tube to collect her blood flow but refused to look. She focused inward and checked her own recovery. Her muscles were basically liquid and waking up slower than she would have liked. She could move her fingers and hands but not her arms. Hell, if she tried to make a fist, her muscles practically rioted against her until she relaxed again.

    I hate this, she grumbled in her mind. I can’t fight. I have to rely on Muscles. I can’t even walk!

    As if to underline this, she tried to wiggle her toes again but they refused.

    “What’s wrong, Raven?” Isaac’s voice asked and she noticed his intense stare.

    This guy takes his promises too seriously, she thought before typing out, “My legs won’t move now and I feel like passing out again.”

    “I do recommend plenty of rest,” the Doc answered when Isaac read her message aloud. “You may have random instances of unconsciousness but with time, you will adjust to the side effects.”

    Raven felt him remove the needle and quickly bandage her up. She watched him carefully cork the vial of her blood and slide it into a pouch. She couldn’t help but wonder if he seriously needed so much blood.

    Suddenly, she felt the phone in her hand vibrate. She opened the messages app and opened Anise’s recent text.

    “Hey, Raven.”

    This was odd. Usually, Anise called her by her nickname. Raven frowned slightly and replied,

    “What’s up, sis?”

    “Well, Ms. Raven, I will ask that you contact me tomorrow to report your progress,” the Doc said. “I am sure you will be up and moving again.”

    Raven switched to the notes app to type out: “Sure, Doc. We’ll see.”

    “If you do not experience any nausea within the next two hours, I suggest eating a light soup,” the Doc recommended.

    “I’ll walk you out,” Isaac growled as the Doc chuckled.

    Raven felt the phone vibrate again as both vampires moved away from her. She opened Anise’s message and felt her blood run cold. She forced her heart to relax before the vamps could pick up on her sudden change. She reread the message and quickly ran through a list of possible actions.

    “There’s someone here asking for you. Says he’s a friend of yours? A client?”

    Raven figured she shouldn’t worry her sister just yet so she sent. “At the college?”

    She distantly heard Isaac shut the door to her room and begin to move back to her side when she got Anise’s reply,

    “Yeah… he says you didn’t check in for an appointment? His name is Kurt.”

    Raven couldn’t hide her eyes from widening and knew Isaac must have noticed. She sent back a quick, “Hold on.”

    “Raven?” Isaac frowned curiously.

    Raven opened the notes app and typed, “Could you pass me my old phone?”

    Isaac nodded once and was on the other side of the bed in an instant. He moved back around and set the old phone in her right hand. “What’s going on?”

    Raven didn’t try to answer him. She was busy typing in a phone number she’d memorized to send a quick text message. “I got your message. Not tomorrow. I need a favor.”

    She waited, feeling Isaac’s stare heavy on her skin.

    “What favor?”

    “Extra surveillance during daylight. I’ve got full hands.”

    “It’ll cost you,” came the reply. “In two days, for 72hrs. From now on.”

    Raven pushed down the sudden wave of nerves and replied, “See you then.”

    She deleted the messages, locked the phone and grabbed the other one to send Anise a text next, “Sorry, he’s a client and a friend. Guess he got worried lol.”

    She waited for a reply, forcing herself to relax. I can’t believe that asshole made contact, she thought to herself with a sigh. I need to fix this.

    “Raven,” Isaac interrupted suddenly, eyeing her hand. “What’s going on?”

    Raven opened the notes app and typed out, “Just something I forgot to do. I handled it.”

    He frowned but gave her a quick nod. He busied himself with pouring her another glass of water and she typed out another message,

    ‘Remember those days I told you that need to head out? I need to be gone the day after tomorrow for a few days.’

    Isaac’s frown deepened. “You did mention that.”

    Raven waited as his mind worked. She erased the message and prepared to type again.

    “You still don’t want Luther to drive you?” he asked and she typed out, “No.”

    “So, you’ll need one of the cars,” he pointed out.

    'Preferably a small one. I’m not sure I wanna drive an SUV' Raven typed out.

    “You’re not gonna tell me where you’re going, are you?” he asked but he didn’t even glance at her answer.

    Guess he’s not completely stupid, Raven thought.

    “You’re asking for a lot of trust, Raven,” he muttered, his hands fisting at his sides. “We cannot allow our existence to be compromised.”

    Raven wished she could ask the multitude of questions she felt like asking but resorted to typing out, ‘You asked how you could earn my trust. What better way to earn yours?’

    He crossed those massive arms and stared down at her, hard. “Perhaps sharing some details about yourself would help. You raise a lot of questions.”

    Raven sighed and felt her eyes roll. She typed out, ‘When I get back, I’ll answer a few.’

    She watched him think about it for a few long seconds. He sighed suddenly and moved away. Confused, Raven watched him go back to the plush chairs and pick up a book. He sat down and began to read.

    What the fuck?! She would have frowned if she could.

    He didn’t speak to her and she wasn’t going to wait forever.

    Eventually, her eyes grew heavy and she was out cold again…

 

    Raven raced across the grassy yard, heading to the familiar white wooden fence that lined the property. The grass was drying out in places because of the drought or at least that’s what Dad would say. She could hear the little girl behind her giggling as she clumsily followed. She let out a giggle herself and stopped for a second to let the girl catch up. Then she took off and heard the girl shriek with laughter behind her. She ran straight for the fence and pretended to hit it, falling back onto the grass heavily and closing her eyes.

    She heard the little footsteps rushing to her; the laughter had stopped.

    “Ray?” she squeaked and her soft, small hands touched her face.

    “AH!” Raven suddenly reached up and pulled the little girl into a bear hug, making her shriek in surprise. She buried her face into the little neck and blew a wet raspberry as the tiny creature struggled in her arms.

    “EW!” she cried out giggling.

    Raven laughed with her and held her until they finally relaxed.

    “You’re silly,” Anise giggled.

    Raven laid back down to stare up at the cloudy sky. It was probably going to rain soon and she hoped so. The grass needed it.

    “Excuse me,”

    Raven bolted back up as her eyes landed on a pair of strangers just outside the fence. She quickly grabbed Anise and held her hand but didn’t answer them.

    “Is there a Ms. Grace here?” the man continued; his voice friendly.

    “Uh, do you mean Mrs.?” Raven asked in a small voice.

    “Not to us,” the man’s voice had hardened before his expression relaxed again. His grey eyes had flashed but were back to normal as he examined her hair. “You’re her daughter, aren’t you?”

    “Both—” Anise began but Raven was already moving backward toward the house shouting,

    “DAD!”

    A woman with long black hair was the first out of the house and at Raven’s side before their father finally came outside, gripping a serrated hunting knife. Raven felt her mother’s gentle hand on her back, edging her softly toward the house.

    “Take your sister inside, darling,” she instructed calmly, her eyes on the men.

    Raven nodded and continued to the house, gripping her sister’s hand.

    “Don’t turn back,” her father muttered to her as he passed to stand beside his wife.

    Raven kept her eyes forward but could feel Anise struggling to turn. Inwardly, she struggled not to turn around too. She wondered about the men and why they were there. How could eyes do that? Did she imagine it? What did he mean mom wasn’t a Mrs.? She’s married!

    That’s how that works, right?

    Raven took quicker steps and stopped only when she felt her hold on Anise slip a little. She turned back to see that Anise had fallen to her knees. Quickly helping her back up, Raven continued pulling her along. She made it into the house before she heard her father harshly speak to the men. She pushed Anise back so she could shut the door, blocking out any further sounds.

    Should I lock the door? She wondered, staring at it.

    “Ow,” Anise whimpered behind her with a sob. “Eww… red…”

    Raven spun around and saw the red pouring out of Anise’s knee.

    With a gasp, she grabbed her sister and took her to the nearest bathroom by the stairs. She sat her on the unopened toilet lid and dove under the sink for the first aid. She began trying to dress the wound but the blood wouldn’t stop.

    Raven pressed onto the wound with a fresh gauze as she undid her small tennis shoe. She tore off the sock that had soaked up a lot of the blood. She heard Anise whimper and froze.

    “Ow!” she whined and reached down to where she was pressing.

    “Sorry, too hard?” Raven asked and looked at her hand with a gasp. The gauze was soaked through already.

    Raven looked back up into Anise’s face to see her eyes a little droopy and her skin a little paler. She didn’t know what to do. Tears welled up and made the blood shimmer like rubies.

    “Mom! Dad!” she screamed when she heard the door to the yard close.

    Their footsteps came rushing and she looked up into their blurry faces.

    “Anise? Honey?” their mom rushed in and crouched in front of her while Raven moved out of the way. “We have to go to the hospital. She’s lost a lot of blood already,” she said after a second.

    Raven stepped out of the bathroom as her father wrapped a long bandage tightly around Anise’s thigh just above her knee.

    Then the three of them were rushing out of the house to the car and speeding to the hospital.

    After the doctors took Anise and they were sitting around the waiting room, Raven watched her father walk up to her.

    “How did she get hurt?” her father demanded; his equally green eyes trained on her.

    “We were walking to the house and she fell,” Raven answered softly.

    “We’ve told you to be careful with her,” he continued with a huff. “You can’t be so rough. She’s only two.”

    “I didn’t mean to…” Raven felt a tear escape and reached up to brush it when she saw the blood on her palms.

    “We have to let the doctors do what they can,” her mother sighed, walking to them from speaking to the nurses.

    He turned to her now. “I told you something like this would happen.”

    She faced him and met his frown. “Yes, we knew the possibility and I regret nothing. You’ve lived a long life and so will they. Raven’s almost six and healthy,” she reached up and cupped his cheek. “I love you… and your imperfections.”

    With a deep breath, her father’s expression relaxed and he turned his head to kiss her mother’s palm. Then he sat down next to Raven with a sigh.

    “C’mon, honey,” her mother reached for her. “Let’s give your father some space and we’ll wash your hands.”

    Raven followed her mother.

 

    “Raven?”

    Raven forced her consciousness back and eyed the dimmed room until she noticed the behemoth half-shadow standing beside her.

    “How are you feeling today?” he asked.

    “It’s morning?” Raven asked, her voice stronger than before.

    “Around eleven,” he nodded. “Can you move?”

    Raven tested this by moving her arm out to the side, bumping into the phones that hadn’t been moved. She brought her arm back in and raised it to look at her palm as she fisted her hand. “I’m better than before.”

    Isaac smirked. “You’re not throwing punches yet but it’s a start.”

    Raven eyed him as she schooled her expression a little, remembering her promise to answer his questions. She wiggled her legs a bit before bringing her elbows back to lift herself a bit. She scooted herself back to sit against the pillow behind her and relaxed with a sigh. “Thanks for keeping an eye on me while I was… out.”

    He nodded before he shifted slightly. “You think you can stomach some food?”

    Raven thought of food and felt her body’s reactions to the idea; her belly rumbling. “I think I can manage.”

    “I’ll bring you something,” Isaac promised and paused by the door. “And I’ve been thinking over what you said. You’re right. I’ll trust you to go out and do what you need to. In turn, I hope you’ll trust me enough to be honest with your answers later.”

    Raven met his eyes when he turned back to her. She still couldn’t believe someone would have golden eyes; even vampires. “This is only a temporary arrangement. If this treatment works, I’m leaving and would prefer to have some things kept secret. I promise to answer what I can, honestly.”

    He didn’t reply as he left the room.

    What questions is he going to ask me? What the hell could he want to know? I’m not here to make friends, she wondered.

B.O.E.- Chapter 14: Isaac

 

    I would recommend leaving her on the stretcher, Master Isaac,” the Doc’s eyes were wide with worry.

    “She wished to return to her room,” Isaac answered tightly. He glanced down at the woman in his arms. Her sharp green eyes were closed but her expression was so relaxed. She looked so delicate and yet he knew otherwise. The fact that this warrior woman was reduced to such a helpless state gave him a chill. He’d made her a promise to protect her and he could think of nothing else.

    “Perhaps that is not the most—”

    Isaac eyed the Doc and watched the thin vampire sigh in defeat.

    “Very well,” he picked up a plastic bag and slid her belongings into it. “The treatment worked well, given the circumstances.”

    Isaac could hear himself growl and the Doctor spun back to look at him. “She barely survived.”

    The Doc handed him the bag, extending his arm as far as he could to keep his distance. “An unfortunate possibility due to her humanity. She is quite resilient, however. By tomorrow, we will run another test to see how the treatment is affecting the toxin.”

    “You said it was promising,”

    “Tomorrow we shall see exactly how promising, I’m afraid,” the Doc held his hands behind him. “As for now, I recommend observing her temperature. Should she spike a fever, it must be dealt with given her weakened state. When she wakes, she may experience the side effects mentioned earlier and I recommend plenty of water and light foods until she feels stronger. She must not exert herself for a full twenty-four hours after the procedures.”

    “Got it,” Isaac gave him a nod. “Anything else?”

    “I suppose not,”

    Isaac began to turn away and remembered to move gently, “If you think of anything else, call me.”

    He walked away from the Doc as fluidly as he could and used his back to push open the swing door. He carefully moved down the hallway and up the first flight of stairs.

    A small sound had him frozen with his foot on the last step before locating the source of the sound.

    It came from Raven.

  He watched as her expression scrunched up for a brief moment before her weakness dragged her under again. She sighed and further relaxed in his arms.

  After a second, he continued up the stairs and down another hallway to the last flight that would lead to her door. He moved as smoothly as he could to not bother her again, hating his limp for the first time in a hundred years. He pushed the thought of how light she was from his mind as he moved.

    At her door, he adjusted his grip carefully to reach for the knob. He then pushed the door open with is foot and moved into the room. He moved up to the bed and carefully laid her on it, dropping the bag to maneuver her form better. He slid the bed covers out from under her and covered her with it. He stood still for a moment to listen to her rhythmic heartbeat and steady breathing before moving away from the bed.

    Isaac froze when his foot hit the bag, wincing as it rustled. With a quick glance to make sure she hadn’t stirred, he picked up the bag and took out her shoes. There was something shiny in one of the shoes. He plucked out a small oval locket from her right shoe and held it up.

    The silver chain matched the silver pendant as it glinted in the dim light from the surrounding lamps. He set her shoes down and moved to set the locket on the table beside the bed.

    This must be an heirloom, he thought, eyeing the necklace. It was small and delicate but quite ornate. Maybe it has a picture?

    Isaac frowned and held the locket out, almost placing it on the table. He really shouldn’t open it. He could already imagine Raven’s glare in the car when she suspected he’d listened to her conversation with her sister. Granted, he was guilty.

    She just granted me a way to earn her trust, he glanced at her sleeping form on the bed. This would surely make her backtrack. What’s one quick peek?

    Isaac grit his teeth and eyed her for a while longer, making sure she was still out cold. Then he opened the locket.

    Inside was a picture of a woman with long flowing black hair, holding a baby. Despite how small the picture was, he could tell the baby had green eyes. The woman wore a long elegant dress and a soft smile. She had a far look as if looking at whomever was holding the camera.

    This might be Raven’s mother! His mind yelled as he glanced back at the woman who gave him headaches. Except for her hair, Raven did not look like this woman. They shared a similar widow’s peak but Raven’s features were sharper compared to the woman’s. The baby, however, was strikingly similar to Raven… and she was smiling.

    Isaac stared at the baby. He wondered how such a pure, small thing could grow up to be a secretive, hardened killer.

    He closed the locket and quietly set it on the table. Then he fished out both the cell phones and set them on the table too. Just as he was making his way to the little sitting area, there was a knock on the door. The knock was soft enough that only his ears picked it up so he moved to it without checking on Raven.

    Isaac opened the door to see Luther holding up a tray with a pitcher, a glass and a straw.

    “The good doctor suggested I bring up some water for Ms. Raven,” he explained.

    Isaac took the tray and noticed the small brass bucket full of ice.

    “Ah, yes,” Luther noticed where his eyes had fallen. “The doctor had mentioned her side effects and I took it upon myself to include the ice and a few extra towels should they be necessary.”

    Isaac eyed the servant for a second. “Thanks, Luther.”

    The servant bowed and made his way back down the stairs.

    Isaac closed the door and locked it. He carried the tray to Raven’s other bedside table and then took a seat in one of the sofas. He suddenly noticed he’d taken her seat when he’d first shown her the room. He realized that he had a clear sight of the windows that faced the grounds and of both the exit door and bathroom door.

    Of course, she would choose this seat, he chuckled to himself.

    For the next few hours, he sat there and periodically paced the room. He had wished he’d brought a book to read to pass the time. Or perhaps a smoke. Would the smell bother her? He had sworn to protect her but… protect her from what?

    The Brotherhood of Eternity lived here and very few were privy to that information. Hence, the shock of her ability to find this place. This was the safest place for her.

    All he could do was wait for her to wake up and make sure she wasn’t heating up.

    Oh, right… he made his way back to her and eyed her. She hadn’t moved a muscle for hours except to breathe. She didn’t seem to be perspiring either. Yet, he figured he’d be remiss if he didn’t at least check.

    He raised his hand and pressed the back of his hand softly onto her forehead.

    He could feel how soft her skin felt against his own as her natural heat seeped into his cold hand. He kept his hand there for a second before moving on to the side of her face. Against his icy skin, he could only guess that she was at her normal temperature. She didn’t feel drastically hot against him so he began to move his hand away when she stirred.

    He froze.

    Raven sighed and he swore she had leaned ever so slightly into his hand.

    There was another knock on the door and he quickly snatched his hand back. He kept still to make sure she wouldn’t stir again before practically speeding toward the door.

    That didn’t just happen, he thought as he reached for the doorknob.

    “Good afternoon, Master Isaac,” Luther was back.

    “Luther,” he greeted automatically, his mind still on what happened.

    “I brought you a few reading materials should you need them,” he held up two books.

    Isaac took them and eyed the servant, “Luther, be honest with me.”

    “Of course, Master Isaac,” Luther bowed.

   “You can read minds, can’t you?” Isaac asked for the hundredth time since he’d known the servant.

    Luther fisted his hand over his chest, “It would be an honor to hear your thoughts, Master Isaac, but I would never accede having such a burden.”

    Isaac stared as the servant bowed again and left swiftly. He closed the door again to go back to his seat. Luther was a crafty one. He always seemed to have a different answer. He wondered over the man’s words as he took his seat and set a heavy booted foot on the little table before him. He forced himself to relax as he opened a book but could still feel Raven’s warmth on his skin.

    He sighed. Being basically dead, he was accustomed to being cold. He always figured it a poetic way of being frozen in time. He had seen many lives come and go; always doing his duty since his transition into a full vampire. Hollywood was misinformed in that vampires are made. Fact was, they were born. Born of both human and vampire or two vampires; as his niece was. Dead yet alive and ageless.

    He glanced over to Raven again. Human born yet somehow had transitioned into a killer.

    Goddess, watch over Leela, he prayed suddenly. When Leela turned twenty-two, she would transition into full vampire, and he hoped all went well. He knew his niece to be a sweet, intelligent, little child who already demonstrated a physical strength akin to his kind. He hoped that even with her father and uncle being warriors that she would live a life away from their war. He couldn’t imagine her taking up a sword against the Disciples.

    Soon, he got lost in his book and managed to finish it. When he looked up, the blinds automatically opened to let in the moonlight and the dim lights began to brighten a bit. He set the book down just as he heard a grumble on the bed.

    Crap, I should have turned those things off, he cursed and stood up.

    Raven groaned softly as she forced her eyelids open before wincing them shut again.

    Isaac quickly grabbed the remote and dimmed the lights. He guessed his quick movement was a mistake as Raven suddenly turned to him. She let out a strange, raspy shout before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she was out cold again.

    With a curse, Isaac pressed a hand into her throat. He relaxed when her heartbeat felt like it was growing steady again. He kept the lights dim and kept his position in case her condition declined.

    After a few minutes, he heard her breathing change and she was forcing her eyes open again.

  “Easy, Raven,” he muttered before she stressed herself again. “You’re back in your room, as you asked, and it’s just us. You’re safe.”

    Raven’s muscles visibly relaxed and he wondered if she was aware of it. Her eyes slowly opened this time and stared up at the ceiling for a second. Then she found his eyes.

    “How do you feel?” he asked carefully.

    He watched her throat work before she moved her lips. Her voice was a raspy burst of air but he could make out, “Like… train wreck…”

   Isaac moved to the tray and poured some water into the glass before adding the straw. He held it so the straw would tickle her lip. “Here,” he offered and he could make out the gleam in her eye. “The Doc recommended water,” he added innocently.

    He watched as she took in the straw and drank half the glass of water. Then he set it back on the tray.

    “Doc wants to run another blood test to see how the treatment affected the toxin,” he reported and heard her sigh heavily.

    “How… long… asleep?” her raspy voice asked.

   “About twelve hours,” he watched her eyes widen before she looked him over curiously. “I read a book,” he lied casually.

    Her expression practically screamed, ‘for twelve hours?’. He gave her a tight smile. “I’ve had practice sitting around for hours.”

    Raven glanced away from him and began wiggling her fingers.

    “The doc says to take it easy for a while,” he continued, watching as she rotated her arms experimentally. “Which means your fight with the cop will have to wait a few days.”

    Raven sighed and stopped moving. “Not… set… yet…”

    Isaac chuckled. “That’s good, then,” movement made him glance toward the end of the bed. She was wiggling her toes. “You don’t need to get up, you know.”

    Raven met his eye and he could practically see her waging war with herself.

    The wiggling stopped.

    “Awake…” she rasped. “Relieving… you…”

    Isaac stared at her. Seriously? He felt his face muscles frown at her as his insides began to boil over. He wanted to snap at her. Wanted to curse and yell so loud at her stubbornness that the windows would shatter. It took most of his effort to stop his growl. If he let loose, this infuriating woman would shut down again and he would get no answers. His duty to the Brotherhood relied upon determining if this woman was a threat to them. All he could determine now was that she was a giant pile of questions and, by God, he was going to get some damn answers.

    Not even a deep breath could erase all of the frown as he spoke, “My agreement was to watch over you after the treatments. As I understand it, there will be more. Unless you plan to ask me every time, I think my agreement still stands.”

    He watched her eyes widen indignantly but continued anyway, “Besides, you couldn’t defend yourself against attacks right now anyway. Until you’ve fully recovered, you’ll have to rely on my vampy strength.”

    At this point, she wasn’t glaring at him but her eyes were narrowed into slits. If she could move, he was sure she’d have thrown a punch.

    Hoping to ease the tension, he raised his arms, “Hey, Doctor’s orders say you can’t stress yourself for at least a day or two. Take it up with him… if you can speak loud enough.”

    Raven’s expression darkened for a second before she relaxed and the tension left her muscles. She let out a long hissing breath and seemed to consider his words. Then she looked up at him again, a spark of panic in her eyes. “Anise…?”

    “We’re doing shifts at night and the cop has four of those days covered,” he could see her question and continued, “He’s randomizing the day watch and Luther’s covering the last three days.”

    Raven’s jaw worked like she wanted to say something.

  “I know he doesn’t look like it but Luther can hold his own,” he defended the servant and she shook her head.

    “Not… that…” she rasped and tried again. “Feel… bad…”

    Immediately, he felt himself tense up. “Why? Do you feel a fever? Or do you have to throw up?”

    Raven grimaced and spoke again, “No… never mind…”

   Isaac relaxed but knew she wanted to say more. He sped around the bed to the other bedside table and picked up her new phone. He reached over and set it into her left hand as she turned to him. “Try texting?”

  Raven’s muscles shook with effort as she lifted the phone and tossed it toward her right hand before collapsing. Then she weakly moved that hand. She unlocked the phone screen and opened a notepad app. Then her thumb slid over the keyboard.

    Isaac moved back to the other side as she worked and looked at the screen when she tilted the phone his way.

    I feel bad Luther is part Anise’s detail. I know you giants have your own business but that dude does so much already.

   Strangely, he felt his chest expand as she looked back into her green eyes. “He’s happy to do it. I think he has a soft spot for you.”

    Raven began typing beneath her first message, Is he human?

    Isaac shook his head. “He’s not a vampire if that’s what you wanted to ask. He’s immortal but none of us are exactly sure what he is. He’s been with the Brotherhood since before I joined. I suspect he’s been here even longer. We trust him.”

   Raven seemed to accepted this and typed again, Is the Doc coming or do I have to go meet him?

  “I think he’s coming here,” his phone starting ringing at that moment. “Hold on.”

    He checked the ID and answered on the second ring, “Hey, Doc.”

    “Master Isaac, how is my patient?”

    “Losing her patience but she’s conscious,” Isaac reported.

    “Excellent. I will be there soon to collect a bit more blood and ask some questions,” the Doctor said. “Have her drink some water and we’ll see if she can stomach food after my visit.”

    “See you then,” Isaac hung up and turned to her. “Doc’s headed up.”

    Raven sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

    “He said to give you more water,” Isaac picked up the glass with the straw again and this time, she drank without issue.

    “Thanks,” she croaked, her voice a little stronger.

    “No problem,” he set the empty glass on the tray. Silently, he hoped he’d been able to get through to her at least a little bit. Those were some high walls she had (for good reason) but even the slightest budge would ease some of the tension in his shoulders.

     Before they could say more, there was a knock on the door and he went to answer it.

B.O.E.- Chapter 13: Raven

 Raven?”

Raven heard his voice but didn’t respond. She didn’t move. She was staring at the dash but not really seeing it.

The ride back to the mansion was quiet and only took a few minutes but her mind had raced with enough thoughts and questions to last the rest of the month.

*What are the chances the Doc found a solution? What if it doesn’t work? What if it kills me?*

Raven felt them stop moving as he killed the engine. Damn ‘what if’s were going to kill her before any of her father’s enemies could.

“Raven?” His voice finally broke through the cacophony and she turned to him, face still under control. “Are you ready?”

She could hear the caution in his voice as if he was trying not to worry her. As if he could help with that. She quickly checked her heart rate to make sure it was slow and steady. Her face was still relaxed and she was sure she looked bored. She could tell they had made it back and reached for the door without answering him.

Raven got out of the car and closed it as his massive form moved to her. She mentally sighed that he was sticking to her side as they moved through a door to the rest of the house.

“Shall I take that for you, miss?” Luther quickly moved to them.

Raven was about to say no but the servant continued,

“The Doctor awaits you in his wing if you would like to meet him,”

Raven felt her muscles move automatically and handed the servant her backpack. “Thanks,” she muttered and he smiled at her warmly.

The servant moved away and Raven stared down the hall, suddenly feeling the air heavy.

“Lead the way,” she glanced toward Isaac, who was staring at her.

He nodded once and began to move forward. She followed as he led her through the hallways… or were they corridors? She tried to pay attention to anything else except where they were headed. She watched Isaac move in her periphery and noticed the knives he had strapped to him. She made out a few throwing stars and could see a gun holster. He was armed tonight but he wasn’t armed yesterday… was he? She should have been paying attention.

*He probably doesn’t trust me after yesterday’s conversation,* she thought.

Raven frowned slightly. Why did that bother her?

*I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to get cured and get the hell out,* she reminded herself. *I need to get back out there. For Anise.*

They got to the Doctor’s door and he held it open for her.

Repeating her last thought, Raven moved passed him to the brightly lit room.

“Ah, greetings again, Ms. Raven,” the Doc moved to them quickly.

“Hey,” she gave him a quick nod, her eyes sliding over a few sharp medical instruments. “Will it work?”

The Doc shifted uncomfortably and his eyes glanced over to Isaac. “After extensive testing, the results seem promising. I would like to conduct one final quick exam by taking a bit more blood.”

Raven sighed and held out her arm. “Go ahead.”

The Doc chuckled and bent her arm back in, holding her hand. “Just a pinprick this time is sufficient.”

Raven let him extend her finger as he lifted the little device. She recognized it but couldn’t steel herself against the quick prick. She gasped and jerked softly. “Sorry,” she forced herself to relax and kept still.

“Be back in a moment,” the Doc quickly collected a drop of her blood and gave her a cotton ball to press onto the wound. He moved away quickly to a microscope.

*I hate those damn things,* Raven growled to herself as she looked anywhere but at the giant beside her. She stared at her quivering finger uneasily. Her hand would be useless for her Quick Points method and she’d have to rely mostly on her right. For now. *Why’d he have to use that finger anyway?*

“You seem nervous about something,” Isaac noted beside her and she instinctively pushed down her thoughts and controlled her body.

“Do I?” she asked back and heard him sigh.

“Raven, you don’t have to pretend. I know this isn’t easy but it’d get better if you’d begin trusting me. Even if just a little.”

“You’re asking me to just grant something that has to be earned?” Raven met his yellow eyes questioningly but could find no frustration this time. He was being absolutely sincere.

“What can I do to earn your trust?” he asked softly and Raven felt as if she should trust him on a trial basis at least. She thought about it for a second but couldn’t come up with something he could do to earn her trust. She’d never had this sort of thing happen to her before.

“Oh, dear,” she heard and immediately whirled around to the doctor.

“What?” she was about to ask but Isaac’s voice had asked instead.

“Ah, Raven, do you wish I speak to you in private about the treatment?” Dr. O walked back to her, looking grave. She didn’t hear Isaac say anything so she guessed it was her choice.

“Just tell me,” she sighed.

The doctor blinked before regaining his composure. “The treatment is based on treating the toxin through a type of radiation so our goal is to isolate it and dissolve it for this cannot be surgically removed. The test subjects I used to experiment had already succumbed to the toxin so the results were… messy. Yet the blood sample I took from you showed promising results after being exposed to a lower dose of treatment,” the doctor paused before continuing. “What I also found was that the treatment will need to be consistent and there will be pain involved.”

“Type of radiation,” Raven repeated. “Does that mean you’re putting me through chemo?”

“Almost. You will have to be exposed to radiation to increase the toxin’s effect before the rest of the treatment dissolves it.”

Raven couldn’t speak for a second. She didn’t like this. Unfortunately, she had to try it… for Anise. “What are the side-effects?”

“You will not lose your hair, if that is a concern. You will, however, lose motor functions,” Dr. O said and she felt really cold. “Only for movement, I assure you. The treatment will leave you very weak where you won’t be able to move. You’ll sleep for hours afterwards so it’d be best to do this in the early morning. When you wake, you may experience nausea, dizziness, headaches, vomiting, and feel very sensitive to the touch.”

Raven felt slightly dizzy without the treatment already. She was going to be obsolete due to all this. Curse that night in the park!

“I can set up a hospital bed here, if you wish, so you may rest after the treatments,” the doctor offered.

Raven thought about it for a second. They were just under the first floor. Here, she’d be exposed. Here, she could be attacked if anyone with the same training as herself found a way through the yard. Her enemies could be hunting her now…

“Actually, can you give us a second?” Raven asked and the doctor walked away with a nod. She turned to Isaac, who was watching her with a confused expression. She knew she couldn’t stay here. Not only was there no bathroom for the possible vomiting session but waking up to all those medical instruments at fault for her condition would be an absolute nightmare.

“Look, this is horrible for me to admit but I’m a little nervous about the side-effects,” Raven forced herself to say and took a deep breath to continue before Isaac could respond.  “And I don’t want to wake up with all those knick-knacks being the first thing I see so… I was wondering if… since I’m going to be so weak I can’t move… and considering your vampy strength… if you could…” she couldn’t do it. *God, I’m so pathetic!* “Um, forget it.”

“No, go on. If I could what?” Isaac urged helpfully and Raven avoided eye contact.

“If you could move me to my provided room instead,” she forced on. “And possibly… stand guard.”

“I would be honored to watch over you,” Isaac said with a slight bow that made her feel worse about having ever asked.

“Thanks…” Raven immediately turned away to walk up to the doctor, suddenly eager to get through the treatment to forget this moment. “Ok, doc. Let’s do this.”

“If you are ready, please remove all electronics or metals on your person including your shoes and lie on the stretcher,” the doctor instructed and indicated the stretcher that slid into the machine.

Raven took out her cell phone and the cell phone Isaac gave her. Then she removed her necklace that she always hid under her shirt, feeling very naked. She placed them in a metal container the doctor indicated to. Then she undid her boots and placed them beside the table with the rest of her things. Then she moved, barefoot, to the stretcher and laid down, feeling very uneasy. She felt something hook around her right wrist and tighten.

With a jerk, she raised her head to watch the doctor strap her right wrist,

“Hey, what—”

“I’m sorry, miss. This is to ensure you do not move a muscle while in the machine. Believe me, it will be necessary,” the doctor said and began to move to her right ankle next.

Raven had the sudden urge to kick the doctor away, untie herself and run the hell outta there when she noticed Isaac was now at her side. She met his eyes and found herself feeling calmer about the situation as the doctor continued to strap her down. She stayed still and forced the same control onto her face, masking her turmoil.

Finished, the doctor rolled over a metal table with three needles on it. Raven pushed down her fear of needles and tried not to look. She always hated needles and immediately refused when her father wanted her to apply Botox to her face in order to manipulate her features.

The doctor wiped the side of her neck with a sanitation wipe and then picked up a needle, saying, “This is the first of three stabilizers that you will need because of the level of radiation. This first one I must inject into the main spot of concern.”

Raven knew what he meant and steeled herself, trying to keep relaxed. “Do it,” she ordered.

She could see the doctor near his hands to her and held her breath when she felt the needle push into her throat with a small burn. She felt him inject the stabilizer and inhaled as it burned more. She didn’t feel the needle slip back out so much as see the doctor’s hands move away. The stabilizer was still burning and it was slowly increasing.

“This won’t cause brain damage, will it?” Raven felt herself ask as the burn moved up her jaw and down to her collarbone.

“None whatsoever,” Dr. O said with a soft chuckle she wanted to hit him for. Next, he wiped the inside of her right arm before applying a second needle there.

As the burn continued to spread from her neck, Raven felt another start at her right arm.

“Is this shit supposed to burn?” she asked next as the second burning sensation moved to her fingers and up her arm.

“Normally, I’d say no. Yet, in your circumstance, the toxin is making this burn,” Dr. O said as he moved around her to her left arm and began to wipe it clean for the last needle.

When the two burns met at her shoulder and began to wrap around her right breast, she felt herself start to lose patience with it and nearly fought the restraints so the third needle wouldn’t inject more of this pain into her. But Raven forced herself to hold on as the doctor injected her once more and her left arm started to burn.

Raven had a strong inkling that if she wasn’t strapped down, she’d be clawing at herself to stop this fucking burn spreading through her.

“Now, I would wait a minute before inserting you into the machine but I have a distinct impression that the stabilizer is spreading quickly,” the Doc said to her right.

“What the fuck gave you that clue?” Raven asked as the two burns met in the middle of her chest and began to spread down her body and fill her head.

“You’re sweating and gripping the straps,” he replied calmly and she could hear the whirr of a machine starting up.

“Aren’t you a fucking Sherlock?” she snapped as her temples nearly exploded. Her neck, precisely where she’d cut herself, was the epicenter of the burn. It hurt there the most.

“Raven, you know he’s trying to help you,” Isaac’s voice scolded her. She would have laughed if she wasn’t busy trying not to scream.

“You could’ve fooled me,” she grunted as the burning sensation pooled around her abdomen and slowly spread on.

“Let me know when it gets to your legs,” Dr. O said patiently.

Raven tried to breathe through it as the pain pounded in her temples and the burning sensation attacked both her thighs at the same time. “There,” she panted, straining against the straps holding her. The burning nearly cramped her shin muscles but she pushed a finger deep into her thigh muscles, tripping the nerve to numb her legs. She would not add muscle cramps to this already annoying pain.

“Alright, I’m going to insert you into the machine so try your best not to move while you’re in there,” Dr. O instructed and Raven felt the gurney tremble as he pushed it. Forcing herself to remain still, Raven watched as she entered the machine and listened to it start up again.

*I hate this. I hate this!* She yelled in her mind, realizing the machine was like the one used for CAT scans if a bit tighter. She wouldn’t have been able to move much even if she wasn’t strapped in.

“I’m going to turn on the radiation for thirty seconds,” Dr. O’s voice said. “Don’t move.”

Raven would have yelled at him to stop wasting her time when the lights around her turned on and the burning that filled her turned into an inferno. Forcing herself to stay still, Raven took deep breaths and gripped the straps for all she was worth. The inferno got worse and there was a ball of pure agony at her throat.

Sound was filling the machine.

It was horrible and full of pain and she wished it would stop as it rung in her ears.

It took her a second to realize that she was screaming.

Quickly slamming her mouth shut, Raven felt her eyes stream with involuntary tears. She was panting now in pain and getting weaker by the second. She felt tired suddenly and her heart was beating so fast, it might just give up in all this madness. She closed her eyes and the simple action felt amazing. She suddenly didn’t care about her heart stopping. If it did, she’d be calm and relaxed. She’d be at peace away from all this pain. Away from obligations. Away from people trying to kill her. Away from having to always fight.

*Anise*!

Raven snapped her eyes open.

The lights of the machine shut off and she felt herself grow extremely dizzy as the doctor pulled her out of the machine. Her body didn’t feel like it was on fire anymore but she was sure that it was smoking.

*That was not thirty seconds…*

She felt the darkness begin to creep over her but she had to stay awake. If she gave in to sleep, she might never wake up. She felt so close to just giving up.

Distantly, she was aware of two male voices speaking near her and of someone placing a finger on her throat but their words didn’t make sense. She tried to say something but only let out air. The overhead lights were too bright; she couldn’t see anything.

Her eyes had closed again.

Next thing she knew, everything hurt so horribly that she wasn’t sure if she blacked out or just couldn’t concentrate on what was happening. Her head swam like she was moving too fast and she felt her world spin.

Then everything was gone.

B.O.E. - Chapter 12: Isaac

 ***W**HO IS SHE?* Isaac thought as he stood outside her door. He made his way back to his room and paced. *How could a human be such a puzzle? It’s like she’s lived lifetimes in only decades!*

Isaac went over her words, trying to find something off. Everything she said sounded plausible. Connor could attest to her activities even if he couldn’t pin her with evidence.

He remembered her heartbeat upon seeing Connor. It was racing; she was scared. When they got into Damian’s study, her heartbeat was calm and controlled. How could someone control their heart like that? What else could she be capable of?

Isaac thought over her words in Damian’s study.

*Had she really been kept in the dark her whole life? Had she really trained to protect her sister or for other reasons? She was comfortable killing but why would numbing his arm make her uncomfortable? How had she learned to do that?*

The questions continued to assault his mind and he could feel a headache begin to grip his temples. He considered that this many headaches so often were bad for his health as he reached for the box on his bedside table. He should probably get the Doc to check him out as well while he was here.

The doorknob to his room suddenly rattled and was followed by a heavy thump of a knock. With a growl, he moved to it and yanked it open.

Zeke didn’t bother with an invitation and pushed passed him into the room.

“Welcome, brother mine,” Isaac sighed, slamming the door shut.

Zeke paced back and forth, growling and a deep glare on his face. “We should kill her.”

Isaac froze, grateful to be blocking the door but also glancing longingly at the box of smokes he hadn’t indulged in. “Your reasoning?”

Zeke pegged him with a frown. “Are you mental? Did you hear what she said in there?”

Isaac met his gaze, unmoving. “Yes, I did. She trained herself to protect her sister from kidnappers. She has to give her sister blood transfusions every month because of her disease.”

Zeke scoffed. “You honestly believe any of that?”

Isaac shrugged. “She has no reason to lie to us.”

Zeke growled and looked ready to slam him against the wall. “Can you look me in the eyes and say you honestly believe she trained to fight like that by *herself*?”

Isaac didn’t answer for a second, fighting with himself for unknown reasons. “No.”

“She wouldn’t even tell us why her sister is so compromised,” Zeke’s large hands fisted. “If Anise is her sister. She could be lying about that too.”

“She’s her sister. It was the first thing she said to me after accepting our help. Said Anise needed protection,” Isaac rubbed his temple.

“What else did she tell you?” Zeke asked suspiciously.

“In confidence?” Isaac met his darkening eyes and sighed again. “Their father has a lot of debts. Seems like kidnapping Anise is a message about time running out to pay back.”

“And Raven took it upon herself to eliminate their debts,” Zeke growled.

“She is only acting to protect her sister,” Isaac froze. He noticed Zeke’s eyes widen.

“Feeling a kinship, brother?” he asked curiously.

Isaac crossed his own arms now. “The human lives until we know how the Doc’s treatments will affect the toxin. We could use the knowledge against the *disciples*.”

He watched Zeke let out a long sigh before his posture changed completely.

“Brother, I appreciate how you’ve had my back for centuries. I honestly wish I had gotten control over the feeding frenzy a lot sooner and had not hated myself so much after the transition. I wish I had made things easier for you,” Zeke started but Isaac held up a hand.

“I do not resent you, Z. You found your path and you’ve gifted me a beautiful niece for my efforts. I would kill every *disciple* I find for her,” Isaac grinned softly. “My responsibility with Raven is merely to fix a mistake I made and save an innocent from a terrible fate. I feel no kinship for the human nor do I care about her troubles outside of those that may affect us. We have a duty to the realms.”

Zeke eyed him closely before nearing slowly. “I will not lose you, brother. If she becomes a threat to you, I will kill her myself.”

Isaac met his brother’s gaze for a moment before glancing away uncomfortably. “I am not used to your warm sentiments.”

Zeke chuckled then. “I have become a family man. You are my family. I will defend what is mine at all costs.”

Isaac smirked at him.

“I believe I’m due this century,” Zeke continued.

Throwing all caution to the wind, Isaac grabbed his brother’s arm and pulled him into a hug. Zeke returned it before they both let their arms drop. The men cleared their throats and stepped away, glancing at the walls as if the paint were new.

Finally, Isaac moved around his brother to the box of smokes. “If that is all, brother dear,” he grinned at the sound Zeke made at that. “I have an entire day planned.”

Zeke scoffed. “Laying here and hot boxing your bedroom hardly seems productive.”

Isaac picked up a roll and the lighter. “I actually find it very productive.”

Zeke didn’t reply as Isaac lit the roll and took a deep hit. Isaac breathed out a thick puff of smoke and sighed.

“I feel uneasy, brother,” Zeke sighed. “I feel as if a change is coming.”

Isaac side-eyed him. “I thought Liam was the psychic in the house.”

“Do not jest! This feeling of unease didn’t begin until Raven snuck into our lives. Something doesn’t feel right,” Zeke ran his hand through his growing hair. “I fear the worst.”

Isaac took another drag before turning to him. “We will handle it. One human against us? She may be formidable but even she won’t win.”

Zeke sighed heavily. “For our sakes, let’s pray I am wrong about her.”

Isaac watched his brother leave and shut his door.

With a frown, he slid out of his boots and went to lock the door. Then he went to his closet to toss his clothes into the hamper, eyeing himself in the floor length mirror. He’d never really glanced at it unless he had an injury to stitch up. Yet there he was. Tan skin, his muscles prominent as they stretched his skin, thick neck, golden eyes staring back. His hair was pulled back into a low bun but as he released it and let his thick locks cascade over his massive shoulders, he could see why females flocked to him.

Except Raven.

He took another drag from the roll as he moved away from his closet in only his underwear. He threw himself onto his bed and took another drag. His brother’s words joined the swirl of colliding thoughts in his head as the smoke finally began to affect.

*Why am I so invested in Raven?* He thought as he stared up at the ceiling. *What did she lie about? How did she learn to fight like she does? Should I be more careful around her?*

He realized that he hadn’t worn a single weapon on his person today. He’d been alone with Raven twice and hadn’t even kept a safe distance. He was too comfortable around her but… was it because of her?

Isaac frowned. Raven left him more questions than answers and on the rare moment she let down her guard, she immediately closed off again. She was afraid to drop her guard, to not show weakness or emotion. She seemed to only care about one thing: Anise.

He shifted in his bed as he finished off his cigarette.

He nearly reached for another one when he remembered he’d promised Raven that they’d go to her apartment to pick up the last of her things. He sighed and relaxed into his pillows. He’d at least be able to get a nap in now that the smoke had relaxed his mind. Now he could focus on sleep and not how her green eyes eyed her surroundings until she looked at every detail. How her hair flowed over her shoulders like ink. How she had to tilt her chin up to make eye contact with him, giving him a closer look at her pink lips.

**I**saac heard his phone alarm go off and reached over to turn it off. It was six p.m. He got up and went to his closet to change. He eyed his weapons and decided on a shoulder gun harness with a magnum on both sides. Then he slid some throwing knives into the slits of his favorite jacket for a stealthier approach- should he need it.

If the *disciples* were still after Raven, he’d have to be extra careful they weren’t walking into an ambush.

He walked out of his room and went straight to Liam’s room. He knocked and waited for the purple eyed vampire.

When he did open up, he gave Isaac a weird look. Like he was looking through his soul. “You want the phone for Raven,” he stated and moved into his room before Isaac could nod.

Isaac watched as Liam returned with the cell phone in hand and handed it to him. “It’s got everything?”

“I have already programmed it with our numbers along with her sister’s. I also hid three trackers on it. We’ll be able to trace it wherever it is,”

“Three?”

“One is within the phone’s own programming. Raven is resourceful but I don’t think she’ll find all of them,” Liam shrugged.

Isaac gave him that one and pocketed the phone. “I’m taking her to her apartment tonight before the Doc calls with news. Are any surprises waiting for us?”

Liam tilted his head, his purple eyes flashing. “Not that I’ve seen. You should speak to Connor. He’s been doing drive-bys since the night she escaped. He’s at the gym. Seems Raven got restless after breakfast.”

Isaac stared and walked away from the psychic, those eyes piercing his back.

He went downstairs and down the very familiar route he usually took to the gym they had on property. As he neared the swing doors, he could hear two people grunting as if sparring. He pushed through the doors and turned to the sound. He watched as Connor threw a very precise punch at his opponent but she ducked and tripped him. He neared the mat slowly as Raven waited for the cop to get up and attack her again. Connor’s moves were full of power, as he obviously put his muscles behind his attacks, but the male was glistening with sweat and panting. Raven was dancing around his attacks, redirecting them, and seemed entirely unbothered.

In fact, she almost looked like she was enjoying herself.

Isaac could see the sparkle in her eyes as she redirected the cop’s strike. When she jumped back to dodge the cop’s sudden kick, he could swear he saw the tiniest smile before she ducked into a sweep. Connor hit the mat on his back again and Raven straightened up to stand over him.

“You’ve improved,” she noted as Connor stayed there on the mat, catching his breath.

“Jesus, woman… you haven’t hit me once,” he sat up with a slight grimace.

Raven smirked softly with a shrug. “Just wanted to see if it was true.”

Connor cursed and struggled to stand up. “What now? Rematch?”

Raven shook her head. Then she pivoted and sharply turned to fully face Isaac.

He could swear it was like she was stabbing him with just her eyes.

“I was about to look for you,” Isaac said in her silence. “Both of you, actually.”

Connor stretched his back and moved forward. “Hey, Isaac. Was just showing her the gym. What’s up?”

Isaac raised his eyebrow at the cop. “You got balls, cop. Sparring with Raven without any of us to back you up?”

Connor waved at Raven. “We’re planning to hash it out, actually.”

Raven neared them and crossed her arms. “I wanted to see his improvement. Not much of a hash out when I have to hold back too much.”

Isaac could tell she was impressed with the cop. Somehow it put a sour taste in his mouth. He cleared his throat to keep the sudden growl down. “I’ve got your new cell phone that has our numbers and Anise’s,” he handed the phone to Raven and turned to Connor. “You’ve been keeping an eye on her apartment, right?”

Connor nodded and Isaac could feel Raven eyeing them. “It’s been quiet. I think the disciples decided to leave it after Raven got away. I haven’t seen anyone in or out.”

Isaac met her eyes. “You still wanna go get some of your things? Luther wouldn’t mind setting you up with a whole closet full of new stuff.”

Raven seemed to think it over before answering. “No, I need my vitamins. They’re prescription so I should continue the routine. In case the treatments work out.”

Isaac figured she’d say that. “If you’re ready, we should go now. Before the Doc comes in later.”

Raven nodded and Connor sighed gratefully.

“I’m hitting the showers,” he picked up a towel and moved away. “We’ll set up a date later.”

Isaac watched Raven smirk softly before closing off again and he quickly turned away to hide his sudden frown. He led her to the garage and chose an SUV. He slipped into the driver’s seat while she settled in beside him.

As soon as her door closed, he caught her scent. The lavender was still there but slightly covered by her own scent. She was perspiring after her match with Connor but very faintly. She smelled amazing. Being trapped in a sealed car with her was going to be torture.

Isaac pulled out of the driveway and practically sped over to her apartment as the sun set behind them.

“Wait, the sun is still out,” Raven muttered, eyeing him.

“This car’s windows are UV resistant. Low level sunlight doesn’t hurt us in here,” Isaac explained as he drove.

Raven didn’t speak again until he drove up to her apartment building.

“Go around the block again,” Raven said.

Isaac turned to her but she was looking around them. He did as she said and began to pull back toward the front.

“Don’t park here. Park around the corner,” she instructed, eyeing something over her shoulder.

Isaac did as told and reached for the keys to turn off the engine.

“Leave it on,” Raven muttered. “I’ll be quick.”

He killed the engine and turned to her with a frown. “You’re not going up alone, Raven.”

Raven shrugged and got out of the car. He followed her as she went to the front and entered the common room. He let her lead the way to the elevator and push her floor’s button. They silently went up but he couldn’t stop focusing on her scent.

As he kept inhaling, he found himself wanting to bury himself in her hair.

*Get a grip*, he scolded himself and schooled his face as the doors opened.

Raven strode to her apartment door where she stopped. She tilted her head as if listening for anything inside. He didn’t need to focus so intently; if he did, he’d be able to hear her heartbeat. He watched as she reached for the doorknob. He knew she figured the intruders hadn’t bothered to lock her door and he agreed with her. Though the thought made him nearly push her aside to go in first. He fought the urge as she opened her apartment and let the door swing wide open.

The air in her apartment was cold but her living room was empty.

Even in the darkness, evidence of the fight was still everywhere; The flipped over coffee table, the sofa cushions thrown around, the broken table near the kitchen. Near the back of the apartment, books and drawers were also thrown about.

Raven entered her apartment without making a sound and eyed every corner, including the rafters overhead. He wondered if they had ambushed her from above. She never mentioned details of that night to him.

“Clear,” she whispered before swiftly moving toward her bedroom.

Isaac followed after closing and locking her front door, equally as quiet. He waited as Raven opened her bedroom door and covered the door as she went in to check her bathroom next. They didn’t bother turning on the lights.

“It’s empty,” she reported a little louder.

“We still shouldn’t stay long,” Isaac looked around at the clutter in her room. Her clothes were lying messily and rumpled on the bed and floor. There wasn’t much and the torn open drawers looked empty. Even the bed’s mattress was thrown aside.

Raven came out of her bathroom, holding a container of pills. “There,” she looked around the room too, her expression hardening. “They’re really thorough.”

Isaac turned to her. “What were they looking for?”

Raven shrugged, eyeing her stuff on the floor. “Probably anything they could use to track me.” She bent down and picked up a backpack. She threw the pills in it and opened her closet.

Isaac watched as she reached to the very back of the wall where he barely made out a box in the shadows before she pulled it out. She opened it and he watched her load her backpack with guns and a few blades. Eyeing the backpack, Isaac could feel his mind threatening to overload with questions he wanted to ask. But he knew she wouldn’t answer so he moved back out of her room and toward the living room.

After a few seconds, Raven followed and moved toward the kitchen. She opened her refrigerator and took out an oat milk carton, fitting it into her bag. Then she went through a few cupboards to pack a few snacks and returned to his side.

That’s when he noticed why the apartment was cold; through the kitchen was a broken window. There was no glass on the inside so he guessed something was thrown out.

“Ready,” Raven moved back to him.

“That’s all?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“I don’t need much,” Raven shrugged.

“You don’t have anything that could spoil in there?”

Raven shook her head. “I usually ordered take out. The rest is canned food.”

“What about the apartment?” he asked.

Raven seemed to think about that for a second. Then she motioned toward the window, “Well, my deposit is gone and I’ve been paying in cash. I will send an email to the landlord to end my contract.”

Isaac stared. “You don’t plan to return?”

Raven met his eyes with a frown. “If I survive the treatments and don’t become a *disciple*, I can find a new one.”

He could feel his jaw clenching at how casually she talked about just uprooting and moving on. He forced his yap shut and only gave her a curt nod. Then he let her lead the way out of her apartment. He locked the door after himself and they made their way to the elevator.

“I noticed you didn’t pack much clothes,” he pointed out and watched her reaction as they stood a foot apart.

“You said Luther could set me up with more,” she shrugged.

He could tell she was uncomfortable but couldn’t figure out why. “What happened to your window?”

Raven’s lips stretched in a small smirk. “It’s how I got away from the *disciples*.”

Isaac stared at her. “You jumped out of the window?”

Raven nodded and actually looked a little proud. “It was the only exit they weren’t ready for. It hurt less than I thought it would.”

Isaac let her walk ahead of him when the elevator opened and followed. He shook his head to snap out of his surprise at learning of her escape route. Except, he was more surprised that he felt oddly proud of her. He unlocked the car and got back into the driver’s side. “Any other stops before heading back?”

Raven eyed the clock on his dash before thinking over something. She winced and shook her head, glancing away as if not wanting to answer.

Isaac turned on the engine and tried again, “Where to?”

Raven met his eyes with a blank expression. “Shouldn’t we get back to get the Doc’s prognosis?”

“He’ll call me and we can head back,” he watched something flare to life in the depths of her green irises. “Where did you want to go?”

Raven eyed the dash again. “I wanted to see Anise. She’s probably not in bed yet.”

Isaac nodded once and drove toward the college. He pulled out his cell and dialed Ruben, who had watch that night.

“Before you ask, yes I am at the college,” Ruben answered quietly.

“Good, we’re coming in for a visit,” Isaac answered.

“We switching shifts?” Ruben asked curiously.

“No, the Doc should have news tonight so we gotta head back. We’ll be there for fifteen,” he looked to Raven who nodded.

“The kid’s at her desk with headphones on,” Ruben reported.

Isaac hung up. “You should call her or something. She’s got headphones on.”

Raven pulled out her old cell phone and quickly sent a text. She received a reply just as they arrived and he pulled into the parking lot closest to the girl’s dorm.

“She can’t see you,” Raven said when he’d unbuckled his seat belt.

Isaac killed the engine and turned to her stern gaze. “She won’t.”

“I don’t need a sitter,” Raven frowned, opening her door.

Isaac used his speed to get out of the car and around to her just as she slammed her own door shut and turned. He watched her shoulders tense before immediately relaxing when she met his eyes. “Deal with it. I cannot allow you to be compromised.”

Raven frowned up at him. “You my handler or something?”

He could tell she didn’t like the idea but wasn’t about to explain the situation here. “Or something.”

Raven sighed and masked her expression again. “Just don’t be seen.”

He bit back his retort as he followed her to her sister’s dormitory and stayed around the corner while she knocked on the door.

“Hey, Ray,” a soft voice welcomed her.

“Surprised?” Raven asked, her voice sweet and nothing like he’d ever heard from her.

“A little but you have weird hours,” the soft voice replied.

“You gonna let me in or is Susan gonna have a fit?” Raven asked.

“She’s not back yet. Went to some party across campus,”

The door shut and he moved closer to it.

Anise’s room was at the end of the hallway on the first floor. The hallway was lit by the moonlight from the giant window right by the door. He understood Raven’s urgency to get surveillance on the girl; this was a very exposed setting.

He leaned on the wall beside the door, trying not to eavesdrop but he could hardly help it. When would he get another chance to learn about the woman who gave him migraines?

He picked up on their laughter and focused.

“How are you?” Raven asked before he heard her gasp. “What happened??”

“Relax!” Anise grumbled. “Just a paper cut. I’m fine.”

He could hear a rapid heartbeat before it slowed. It was Raven’s.

“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice betraying her worry. “How long was the bleeding this time?”

“Only a few hours,” Anise answered with a sigh. “Relax. I’m fine.”

Isaac heard the heartbeat slow back to normal as Anise continued,

“We went to the café like three days ago, why the sudden visit?”

“I missed you,” Raven’s voice replied softly and Isaac froze.

“Gross!” Anise giggled and he heard Raven join in.

“Fine, the truth?” Raven sighed. “I found work as a masseuse at a hotel.”

“Seriously?” Anise squealed.

“Yeah but downside is, they want me to transfer between hotels in shifts,” Raven continued. “So I won’t be in my apartment often. You’ll need to call me so I can tell you if I’m home or not.”

“Are they providing you a room if you stay over?”

“Yup,” Raven confirmed.

“Wow, that sounds so great,” Anise sighed. “Does that mean I won’t see you this weekend?”

Isaac could hear the disappointment in the girl’s voice.

“No,” Raven sounded equally disappointed. “We’ll have a movie night soon though.”

“That’s fine. Midterms are in like three weeks so I should study my ass off,” Anise answered. “Oh, wait… the appointment.”

He felt the heartbeat pick up again.

“You did set it up, right?” Raven asked, her voice a bit stern.

“Yeah but…”

“Hey,” he heard Raven’s voice suddenly turn gentle; as if she was talking to the most precious thing in the world. “I know needles freak you out. I know you hate doing this alone. If I can make it, I’ll be there with you. If not, we can talk on the phone like that one time.”

God, if he had a beating heart, he was sure it’d break.

“Deal?” she asked and he heard the girl’s muffled reply. “Okay. I should go. I don’t wanna keep you up. What time is your first class tomorrow?”

Anise sighed heavily. “Ugh at seven in the morning.”

“Quit whining,” Raven scolded playfully. “You only have this and next year. Then you get to graduate and fail at being an adult.”

He heard a soft slap before he felt the air leave his lungs. *Sweet Goddess!* Raven was laughing; loudly and sincerely laughing.

“I’m so not gonna miss you,” Anise grumbled as Raven settled.

“I still love you, Ani,” she replied sincerely.

Their footsteps moved closer and Isaac used his speed to quietly make it around the corner again just as the door opened.

“Yeah, yeah,” Anise mumbled.

“What, you’re not gonna say it?” Raven teased, sounding slightly hurt.

“No,” Anise replied definitively.

Next, he heard the girl squeal again and peeked around to see Raven’s arms around the girl’s middle, hugging tightly.

“You’d better or you’re gonna have an early bedtime,” she warned.

Anise grunted as she struggled in her sister’s hold. “Get off!”

“That doesn’t sound correct,” Raven answered. “Try again.”

“I hate you,” Anise gasped.

“Guess you’re going to bed sooner than you thought,” Raven’s arms tightened.

“Fine!” Anise gasped in air. “I love you too!”

Raven still didn’t let go but her arms relaxed. “I’m not gonna see you for a while so you’d better make sure I remember it.”

Isaac felt himself grin. He’d done this same thing to Zeke centuries ago. Before they had transitioned… when they were kids. Zeke wouldn’t give up his favorite toy so he’d forced him through suffocating hugs.

“I love you,” Anise sighed and Raven dropped her arms.

“I’ll text you tomorrow. Get some sleep,” Raven ordered. “And lock the door.”

Anise agreed and closed her door.

Raven didn’t move away until they heard the lock on the door. Then she took a deep breath and turned to the window, looking up at the dark sky. He waited, not daring to move, as she finally turned and moved back toward him. When she turned the corner, he followed her outside and back to the car. Yet as soon as they closed their doors,

“How much of that did you hear?” she demanded.

Isaac met her frown and tried to hide his own guilt. He should not have been listening. “Only the last part in the hallway. I tried to ignore the rest.”

“Tried?” she repeated dangerously.

*I keep forgetting she’s good at picking up information. Fucking moron!* He casually started the engine, trying to act like her stare didn’t bother him.

“I wasn’t trying to listen in,” he muttered.

“But you did,” she wasn’t asking.

Before he could reply, his phone rang and he quickly answered it, grateful for the escape.

“Doc?” he asked.

“Greetings, Master Isaac,” the Doc answered. “You had wished I call you about my results. Is Ms. Raven there with you?”

“She is,” he glanced at her narrowed green eyes as he pulled out of the lot. “We’re headed back in.”

“Good. I had hoped to share my findings with both of you at the same time,” the Doc said.

“Is it good news?” he asked as he sped them back toward the house.

“I would much rather speak to both of you,” the Doc insisted.

Isaac fought a growl and hung up without a word.

“What’d he say?” Raven asked, the venom in her voice gone now.

“He wants to speak to us both,” he answered.

Raven settled back in her seat and didn’t speak.

He shot her a quick glance and saw the mask back in place.

B.O.E. - Chapter 11: Raven

  **Y**OU!”

Raven flinched as the big bald guy with a clean face and bulgy muscles pointed at her. He wore a dark brown leather jacket over what looked like a white muscle shirt. She noticed he was still wearing the same regulation uniform pants and steel toed boots and guessed he just got off work. His face, once handsome enough to seem non-threatening, was now contorted in growing rage.

“I know you!” his eyes narrowed slightly as he examined her face.

She knew who he was too and raised her hands in peace, keeping her own face neutral despite the chill in her spine. “Look—”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Raven took a step back but he advanced one, his intent clear on his face. “Don’t try it, cop. Think first.”

His muscles tensed. “You’re a criminal. You killed people!”

Raven saw the other muscle heads enter the room and knew this was going to be very unpleasant. She should have checked the perimeter but here she was, like a deer caught in the headlights. All because she let her guard down for thinking over her conversation with the doctor.

“Connor? What’s up, man?” the one named Ruben asked.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” Connor demanded, pointing at her.

“Hey, easy,” Isaac moved to stand beside her. “She needs our help.”

“She needs the fucking needle,” Connor glared at her.

“Back up a bit,” Wyatt tried, his hands up as if to broker peace. “What is your deal? Raven’s been cool… so far.”

Raven snickered in her mind before seeing the cop’s eyes glaze over.

“Raven…” Connor repeated and she could practically see his wheels turning. “Raven… Keller?”

Raven sighed. *Shit.*

“The girl who we interviewed? The ‘witness’ to the murders was the actual killer?” Connor growled. “You made me a laughing stock. You ruined my rep and made my life hell.”

Raven felt everyone’s eyes on her and masked her emotions. She weighed the option of lying her way out of this but quickly dropped it when she considered they had probably known this creep for years. She took a deep breath before finally answering, “They were murderers and kidnappers.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to kill!” the cop shouted as the Brothers froze, eyeing her.

“I did your job,”

“You took a life!”

“What’s the difference between you and me? A stupid uniform?” Raven pointed out.

“I don’t kill people for money,” the cop snapped.

The Brothers shifted slightly.

“You’re a hit woman?” Wyatt asked curiously, moving away to face her better.

“No,” Raven immediately answered. “I’m not an assassin or a bounty hunter or a cop gone rogue. I only protect one innocent and sometimes make change out of it.”

Isaac glanced away from her for a second. “Anise Jensen.”

Raven felt her eyes widen as she turned to him. Then she immediately controlled her expression again.

“The one person the *disciples* can use against you. Your reluctance to meet Connor,” Isaac rubbed his temple as he added everything together.

“I think you need to fill us in on the score, Raven,” Liam muttered.

Raven took a deep breath. “Look, I was dragged into your world and had to know your score. If all this goes south, I’ll be happy to take it to my grave. But my life is not consequential.”

“You know us but we can’t know you?” Isaac growled suddenly.

“You know I need your help and you know that I’m not gonna attack you because it’d be stupid of me,” Raven met his golden eyes, half-pleading. “You’re asking me to open up to a bunch of creatures about something that affects an innocent girl who knows nothing about any of this. And her family. Don’t force this on me.”

“If we have to?” Liam asked next.

Raven felt her shoulders tighten. “Then I’ll have to leave. Hopefully things go well enough for me to settle my affairs before I’m found.”

“You’d rather die than let us know you?” Wyatt asked, his brow furrowed. “Is your life that horrible?”

“My life is *my* business. While my life doesn’t affect you directly, I won’t relay it for anyone,”

“I will,” Connor growled and she rounded on him.

“Go ahead, cop. You barely figured me out and no one wanted to listen to you. You only care about what I did but not *why* or how I did it,” Raven sneered.

“Oh, I’ll keep digging now that I know your name,” Connor neared menacingly. “I’ll learn everything. Perhaps I’ll ask Anise Jensen. I’d love to hear her explain her involvement in your murders. I’ll put her away if I have to.”

Raven neared him quickly and glared into his face, fighting the urge to lay him out. “You leave her out of this.”

Connor’s eyes widened and she froze. Her voice had taken on a deeper tone beneath her normal one and growled out of her throat like its own entity.

Still, she didn’t back down.

“Enough!” Isaac growled suddenly. “Both of you need to stand down.”

“Oh, c’mon, Isaac. I’m interested in seeing a mortal fight,” Wyatt grinned mischievously.

“Oh, I don’t think the cop wants to throw that punch again,” Raven cooed and watched his face turn even redder. “Wanna tell them how long it took you to get out of the hospital?”

“I’ve learned a few moves since then,” Connor nodded toward Liam.

Raven hummed. “Then you might be worth my time. I have a few seconds to spare.”

“Connor. Raven.”

Just their names made them turn to Zeke as he appeared from thin air, leaning on a pillar.

“You’re both tough for humans but you’re not gonna prove it here. We’ll discuss this with Damian,” he growled, eyeing them dangerously.

Raven stared at the vamp whose golden eyes were darker than Isaac’s. *What else can these giants do?*

“Why are you even here?” Connor spat at her, not backing off.

“She’s turning into a *disciple*. We’re trying to reverse it,” Liam answered, moving behind him.

“*You’re* the innocent?” Connor let out a laugh as she frowned at him. “I think that’s called karma.”

“I’m glad my torment brings you joy… just like all those prostitutes under the bridge did,” Raven snapped back and he reared a fist back.

Before he could swing, Liam was there to stop it and pull him backward.

“We will go to Damian,” he muttered and Connor sighed loudly.

Raven felt Isaac standing right behind her as Liam ushered the cop down a hall. The other three stood around her, watching her with tense expressions. They were ready for her to resist.

Isaac’s huge hand landed on her shoulder and she jumped slightly. She glanced at him and met his darkening eyes. His expression was closed off enough but she still read confusion and mistrust. It hurt her more than she ever knew would be possible from someone other than Anise. She felt herself relax in defeat and let him push her down the hallway, following the other two.

He led her into a large room with a single desk at the far back. The walls were lined with old books and scrolls. There were no seats in front of the desk but the giant behind it had his own large throne.

“What is this about?” he growled, eyeing them all with black eyes.

*Crap,* she thought as Isaac pushed her to the center of the room and removed his hand from her shoulder. She faced the Vampire King as the cop stood to her side. She was grateful the idiot was keeping his distance because the urge to permanently silence him was almost too much to control. She realized that the only reason she wasn’t going berserk on these idiots had moved back to lean on the wall to her right, his eyes heavy on her skin.

Yet somehow his presence was comforting… despite this shitty situation.

*It’s because he’s always around, isn’t it?* She wondered, keeping Isaac in her peripheral. *Because he got me into this mess in the first place.*

When the others all filed in and shut the door, it was like a gong to a gladiatorial pit.

“She’s a criminal!” the cop pointed his fat finger at her again.

“Why are you a disgraced cop, again?” Raven asked snidely, facing him.

“Because I was hunting a murderer when she was right in front of me!”

“Or your stalker-like obsession with women was finally flagged,” Raven snapped. “What was your last obsession named again? Elizabeth?”

“Shut up, both of you,” Damian growled, standing up.

Connor turned to him and they met gazes for a moment before Connor glanced at the floor, his face red. Raven watched their exchange, noting how Damian wasn’t moving.

Then the King sighed, “Connor, go first. What’s your deal with Raven?”

“She’s a murderer. She’s killed dozens of innocents and faked her own kidnapping…”

Raven snorted but met Isaac’s eyes and quieted down.

“She’s ruined my career by making it seem as if I was chasing a ghost. She’s crazy.” Connor finished.

“Raven?” Damian turned to her.

“I’ll admit I’ve killed but they were *not* innocents,” Raven shot a look at Connor. “They were rapists, murderers and kidnappers. I’m not crazy. I was hired to protect one person. A *real* innocent.”

“Who?”

Raven froze and didn’t reply for a second. “Anise Jensen.”

“The college student?” Damian frowned. “Why would you be hired to protect her? What is your connection?”

Raven took a deep breath and let it out heavily, hating how the cop was intently watching her.

“Raven,” Isaac sighed from his position. “You have to tell them.”

Raven glanced at him and grit her teeth. He met her gaze and crossed his arms, silently demanding her acquiescence. She figured she owed the giant and muttered, “She’s… my sister.”

The cop’s jaw fell while the room froze.

“You’re hired to protect your sister?” Rue asked.

“Sort of,” Raven crossed her arms.

“Explain,” the cop demanded and she glared at him.

“Raven,” Damian pressed when she didn’t answer.

“You… I…” Raven sighed. “When you looked me up, you found minimal information. That’s because I technically don’t exist. I’ve been homeschooled, kept inside a lot and I don’t even have health insurance. If you had looked into hospitals, you would have found some record of a Jane Doe fitting my description with extensive injuries. They have me filed as a frequent visitor… probably. I trained after Anise was kidnapped the second time. It took the police a week to find her and she was so weak and scared. They weren’t even trying! They told us that it’s near impossible after the first twenty- four hours.”

“It *is* impossible,” Connor defended.

“After that, I could find her within hours of a kidnapping!” Raven rounded on him, angrily. “What were you guys doing? Fucking hookers?”

Connor’s hands fisted but Damian raised his hand to stop him.

“Why is Anise kidnapped?” Damian asked her. “Why is there such interest in her?”

Raven fidgeted. “I can’t tell you.”

Protests began again and Raven shouted,

“I’ve told you as much as I can. Drop it!”

“Fine. Why are you the deterrent to her kidnappings?” Damian asked, breaking through the cacophony. “There are other methods that could be taken. Safe houses. Witness protection?”

“She’s got a life here. She’s in college. She can’t just uproot and leave,” Raven muttered, fisting her hands at her sides, tightly.

“Isn’t her safety a bit more important than her college experience?” Wyatt asked.

“She could change her appearance, her name. She’d be free and safe,” Rue continued.

“She’s anemic!” Raven blurted out and felt her nails dig into her palms. “She has Von Willibrand’s Disease. She needs blood transfusions every month. My blood.”

The room grew quiet again.

“You think I was panicking about turning into some soulless monster?” she turned to Isaac. “I was already watching her grow weak and unable to get up from bed, hooked up to countless machines until finally the plug is pulled because it’s too expensive to keep her alive. Without me, she’s dead. Dead from the cuts and bruises caused by the kidnappers and dead from not being able to get to my blood. Her blood doesn’t clot. That’s why she needs mine. And now I can’t give it to her.”

He looked shocked. “Raven…”

Wyatt interrupted then, “Couldn’t she get blood from…”

“We’re O neg,” Raven sighed turning to him next. “I’m a perfect match and I’ve been freezing my blood for a while. In case something happens to me while trying to save her from kidnappers. I guess now it’ll give them time to find another compatible O neg donor if I do turn into a *disciple*.”

“You should have told us the score, Raven,” Liam muttered after a second.

“It’s not your business,” Raven growled, turning back to the King. “I have the situation handled enough. The only glitch is this *disciple* thing. I swear it won’t affect you in any way save for getting me out in the open.”

The King frowned. “The men you’ve killed…”

“I acted to protect her and those fuckers deserved it,”

“They had families!” Connor growled softly.

“They gave up that right when they messed with mine,” Raven rounded on him again. “You gonna get high and mighty on me, cop, cuz you have the badge to hide behind while roughing up criminals during your investigations? Or when you went hooker calling? You took too long and I got the job done. She’s alive because of me.”

Connor glared.

Damian was rubbing his temples as he sat back down. “Until I met Eliza, I never had much respect for humans. Yet, this is a matter where I would respect a murderer… or murderess. Doing what you can for the one you love. For an innocent.”

Everyone stayed silent to listen to him.

“You’ve basically given up your life to protect your sister,” Damian said, looking to Raven, who waited for him to continue. “Your business is your business. Is Anise Jensen still in danger?”

Raven sighed with a nod. “There’s still people after her. I haven’t been able to disband all enemies but I’ve been keeping tabs. If they move, I’ll know and I’ll have to get out there.”

Damian nodded. “We’ll help with nightly stakeouts while you’re here. If we can stop the *disciple* toxin then you’ll be free to leave and continue your protection. If not, we can’t keep watching over a human.”

“I understand,” Raven nodded once.

“You’re actions while defending yourself and your sister are inconsequential to us,” Damian stated and turned a steady gaze to the cop. “Connor, let go.”

Connor growled before sighing loudly. He nodded once and held out his hand to Raven.

Raven eyed him.

“I don’t like you but learning that girl is your sister sorta changes things for me,” Connor said. “I lost family. If I could do what you do, I woulda.”

Raven took his hand and shook it. “Sorry about your rep. Your methods were crude but you actually got shit done. You were close to figuring me out. I feared you.”

“Well, ain’t that something,” Connor smirked and they let go.

“Good,” Damian sighed. “Raven, the doc said he’d have news tomorrow and hopefully, you can begin treatment. You should get some rest.”

The tension in the room lifted somewhat with that statement.

Raven heard the door to the room open again as the giants stared at her. She could practically feel their shift in mood. “Thanks, Shades,” she muttered and about-faced to head right for the door, not looking at any of the giants as they watched her leave. She was nearly down the hall when thoughts of escape crumbled.

“We need to talk,” Isaac’s voice growled at her shoulder.

Raven sighed but didn’t speak. She led the way back toward the room they had provided for her, walking quickly. She knew he was keeping up but secretly wished he’d just use his speed to meet her there. The silence was driving her crazy. She opened the door and strode into the room, turning to find him closing her door. She straightened up and crossed her arms, waiting.

Isaac just stood there, staring at her.

“What?” she finally asked a few seconds later.

“How much of what you just said in there was true?” he asked.

Raven froze. No way could this guy detect her lies… again. She had control in that situation. The park was a different story. “What?” she asked, letting her confusion show.

“You didn’t mention this disease to the doctor when he’d asked about your condition,” Isaac began. “Now, it’s suddenly life threatening. Is that even true?”

Raven met his eyes steadily. “The Doc only asked about me but if you must know; our father has the gene. For some reason it skipped me but Anise got it. I got to grow up healthy and she has to avoid anything that could damage her skin. Her blood is like water.”

He stared at her for a second. “Why is your sister kidnapped?”

Raven sighed. “You’re not going to let it go, are you?”

His eyes narrowed and gave her the answer.

“Our dear old dad racked up a few debts while Anise was in and out of the hospital. He was never able to pay them back. They’re getting more and more impatient. I got stuck cleaning up his mess,” Raven answered through clenched teeth.

“Where is he now?”

Raven shrugged. “I don’t know.”

He sighed and narrowed his eyes again. She met his gaze without blinking until he continued, “Why didn’t you share that information back there?”

Raven fidgeted under his watchful gaze. “Because I… He’s messed up a lot but he was just trying to keep Anise alive. He didn’t mean for it to bite us in the ass. It’s not a proud moment for any of us and talking about it to a bunch of strangers is embarrassing.”

Isaac was still staring at her seconds later before he finally blinked and glanced away. “We’re putting our necks on the line for your chance at a cure. You can’t keep information this big from us. Not if you want any of us to trust you.”

Raven nodded but kept her mouth shut. Unless forced again, she wasn’t planning on sharing any more information with anyone. Not even this golden eyed Adonis.

“Get some rest. I’ll come for you tomorrow so we can go to your apartment before the Doc has news,” Isaac moved to the door and left without another word.

Raven finally sighed and let her shoulders relax.

*Well… that went well*, she turned to face the giant bed to find some pjs already laid on it. *Jesus that Luther guy is good.*

She changed into the silky emerald green pajama pants and the thin smooth matching spaghetti strap top. The pajamas were cool on her skin and oddly relaxing. She realized that she hadn’t even eaten dinner and was already so damn sleepy. Skipping a meal wasn’t unfamiliar to her. She’d had to do that once or a hundred times before but not noticing was the weird part.

Climbing into the center of the giant bed, she slid under the covers and laid her head on one of the pillows.

*Dear God, is this memory foam?* She wondered as her muscles relaxed without her.

Within seconds, she was sound asleep.