***Today I have been sharing excerpts from the past Union books, not necesarily in order, working up to this one. Sacrifice of the Raven (The Union series #4) is currently still with my editor but, since release date will be longer than I orignally said it would, I wanted to share this with you.**** The tower, or what was left of it, loomed above them in ruins. A tree had fallen possibly centuries ago smashing through the upper level and over time vines and moss spread like a contagious disease till there was nothing but one joined entity. Elle could clearly see how one might walk right on by and never see the stone remnants but, from what Nixon told her, the Lakes didn’t exactly feel the need to roam the woods. Sometimes Ari went on an occasional expedition but he liked to keep to the lakesides. He was a Labrador after all. Moving to where Nixon stood, Elle pondered the sign above the archway. “It’s in German of course,” he said, “but the translation reads, Abandon all hope, he who enters here.” “Pale were the sweet lips I saw, pale were the lips I kissed, and fair the form I floated with about that melancholy storm.” When Elle realized both Nixon and Cade were staring at her for quoting Dante’s Inferno, she shrugged. “I worked at a library. I didn’t just read manga. But what I don’t understand is this plaque looks new, like it was mounted to the building not too very long ago, and long after Xander Lake died.” “Xander Lake didn’t put it here. I think Grant did. I found an order for the plaque in Asher’s desk once. I think he wondered about it too, since it was dated before Grant’s call. Of course, I didn’t realize where the sign was until I saw it above the door.” Nixon moved inside the entry. The minute Elle stepped forth into the strange circular room, a gust of cold wind sent leaves racing across the brick floor, and her long hair whipped out behind her shoulders. Momentarily her breath was taken away and she felt dizzy. “Watch out!” Nixon called, pulling her out of the way just as something flew past her. Startled, even after realizing it was just a bird, Elle allowed him to lead her to a window. Taking a moment to calm her heart, she looked out and saw that the back part of the tower had been built on a rocky embankment, even though they had entered at ground level. She wondered if that was where Drusilla had fallen. “Believe it or not and, scary as the thought is, given where we are…that was a real raven.” Nixon still had a hold of her arm, so he pulled her before him and looked her in the eyes. “Are you okay Elle, you looked a little out there?” Elle put an arm on Cade’s shoulder as he joined her before the window, since his expression looked just as concerned for her as Nixon’s. “I just got light headed. Come on, let’s get on with this.” She guided Cade to the door, and he peered up at her. “I usually go down as a rat so it might be a little dangerous.” Stepping forward, Cade pulled the wooden door open and Elle looked downward into the dank darkness. The door was the only one in the circular room but there was no lock or key, just a wooden board that slid into place. She had expected the entrance to the catacombs to be guarded with magic or at least a padlock. Elle examined the wood steps, those that she could see, and a knot formed in her stomach. Several were broken and a few of the steps were completely missing. Through the holes and gaps was nothing but more darkness. “Little dude that is such an understatement,” Nixon mumbled. “Maybe Cade should stay up here. He can shift and run into the woods if—” Elle stopped and listened. Somewhere close two dogs barked viciously in warning and, as reality set in, she and Nixon both raced to the window. Peering out, she could see Houdini crouched low near the woods with his teeth bared, and coming out of the trees was a growling black wolf with bright orange eyes the color of fire. Elle’s stomach tightened even more and she could feel a heavy throb in her ears where her heart seemed to rise and remain. “Asher, oh crap,” Nixon panicked. In a flash he was gone and Elle looked skyward to the falcon racing toward the two canines. He circled in low and shifted back between the two animals just as they started to square off. Reaching down, Nixon grabbed Houdini by the collar just as he lunged, and Asher shifted back into his man form. He didn’t twitch or jerk back out of the way of the massive jaws. He just glared at the dog as the wind played havoc with his hair. Nixon was trying to hold on to Houdini but Elle could see that it was taking all of his strength to do just that. He had him with both hands around the collar and was down on one knee. “Houdini!” Elle called. Both Houdini and Asher responded by looking in her direction. She could see that Asher was dressed in all black, the long leather coat and the fingerless gloves, and she didn’t have to see his eyes to know he wasn’t happy. The firm set to his mouth was all the proof she needed along with the brilliant red glare of his eyes. She couldn’t help but feel there was something different about him though, that she couldn’t quite place just yet. Elle told Cade to remain where he was and hurried out of the tower. She didn’t look at Asher as she reached Houdini and dropped down next to him. She started rubbing his head and talking to him in a soothing voice and, within seconds, the dog sat down and started panting. He kept an eye on Asher but it was obvious he realized he was no longer a threat. Only then did she look up. Asher stood watching her with his two red darts and his scowl deepened when he knew he had her attention. “Asher I can—” His finger came up instantly to stop her and her words cut off so sharply her teeth painfully snapped together. “Please spare me the details!” His eyes moved upward to the tower and a dark expression crossed his brow. “So…I see you’ve found the tower.” “And the entrance to the catacombs we were….” Nixon faltered the second Asher’s glare turned on him. “Where is Cade?” He demanded. “I left him in the tower.” Elle told him as he rapidly started walking in the towers direction. Letting go of Houdini, Elle started after him and Nixon fell in alongside her. “Something’s up,” Nixon whispered. “He closed me out and I can’t help but think it’s more than the fact that he’s angry for…well, you know…for knocking him out and running off like we did.” When Elle stepped through the tower arch she saw Asher standing in the center of the room. His back was to her but he was staring in the direction of the opened door and there was no sign of Cade anywhere. “Oh no,” Elle uttered and he let out a deep sigh. “He went down without us, didn’t he?” “Yes, he did,” Asher said. “And I was just informed of two entirely different situations less than an hour ago, but only fate will decide if two problems shall become three.” “Asher, I know you’re mad but come on,” Nixon stepped closer, as Asher spun around and set his angry eyes on him. “You need to let me in on what’s going on.” Nixon finished anyway. “What’s wrong is that Bonnie informed me that Casin took off into the woods, and my guess would be to look for her brother. And then Ren, who you left to guard over me in my poisoned slumber, just told me that he felt them—the Gothi in the nearby woods…and he was right, Nixon. I spotted half a dozen red robes moving through the cemetery on my way here and I clearly recognized Pagan Mills and our father!” Nixon grimaced at the harsh tone to Asher’s voice but instead of cowering back or waiting on Asher to make the next move, he headed straight for the door. Asher grabbed his arm and stopped him. “You’re not going down there. I promised you Nixon the night I heard you crying when you were a boy, that I would never let him hurt you again. I don’t want you anywhere near here!” “Asher, I put the twins in danger and I’m going after them” “No,” Asher slowly shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t allow that.” He let loose of Nixon’s arm and, as his right hand flew upward toward his shoulder, Elle could make out the blue glow of magic as it worked over his fingertips. Before Asher could reach his intended mark, however, Nixon smacked his hand away and took a step forward. He put his face close to Asher’s and the look of surprise was manifested in his eyes. “Before you put the Spock move on me realize this, that you are such a contradiction.” Nixon said. “You tell me that I need to stop allowing him to have control over me—that I need to stop being afraid—but the moment I try to do just that you lay on the big brother heavy.” “No, Nixon, the contradiction is in the fact that you want me to be the big brother I robbed you of, just as long as I don’t tell you what to do or get in your way. I’m just looking after you like I should have done all along.” “Dude, I don’t know if you know this or not but you’ve always looked after us.” The words seemed to shock Asher into silence, so Elle made her move. She was several steps down before she realized they finally noticed that she was missing. She had seen the torch earlier leaning against the wall and, as she bent over to inspect it, a flash of light sped past her at about hip level. She trailed it with her eyes down the staircase and realized it was just Asher showing off. And yet, because of his actions she noticed that her heels were very close to the end of a broken plank of wood. She heard a creaking sound as Nixon reached down and took her by the arm. He pulled her up before him and then, as more hands joined in on the party, she realized that he was passing her body off to Asher. Elle felt twisted and pulled, and she was pretty sure that since she was feeling cool air on her stomach along with Asher’s warm fingers, that her sweater had ridden up over her stomach. “We’re supposed to be going down not up,” she complained. He hushed her quiet as he draped his left arm around her waist and pinned her to his side. She could hear the leather of his jacket crackle as he lifted his arm and moved his fingers around, like he was drawing letters or symbols on the air, and the light below started moving back up the stairs at a rapid pace. Once it approached, he caught the ball of light like it was a baseball. He then lowered the light to the steps that Nixon stood on and in the center, right between his booted feet, was one big crack that ran the length of the board. “You two would have fallen right through that.” Asher directed the light around Nixon and gestured to a step below the one Elle had been previously standing on. The board was newer and, after closer inspection, she could see that the steps were in a state of repair. Every other one looked better, newer, than the one before. Nixon hopped down to the new step and reached up for her. “Where’s your lighter?” She asked once Asher handed her down to him. Reaching back to the last step she picked up the torch but Nixon quickly took it from her hand. Elle brushed a cobweb from her face that straggled along with the torch. “Give me that.” He held the torch out in front of him. Reaching into his pocket, Nixon retrieved a lighter but after several clicks and nothing happening, Asher heavily exhaled. “I would hate to think of what might have happened had I not shown up.” He turned over his hand, spoke the spell, and produced a flame in the center of the fingerless gloves. Touching the flame to the torch, the gummy looking rags on the end started burning and Asher closed his fingers over his burning hand to douse the flames when they were no longer needed. Coughing on fumes and smoke, Elle covered her mouth and nose and tried not to inhale too deeply. “What we would have done is managed quite fine,” Nixon said. He turned carrying the torch and started looking for the best path down. “But hey, since you’re here, it’s kind of like bringing along a Swiss Army knife…Asher…the multi-functioning tool strikes again.” Sacrifice of the Raven (The Union series #4)
Posted on: Sat, 08 Jun 2013 17:05:06 +0000
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