Chapter 27: 27: Path of the Raven

Rowan

“I’m taking Kat to Lucas,” I said.

Lucas was my beta, but he left the pack over a year ago with a fairy. But no one knew why he left the pack. My father and I kept it a secret.

“Who is Lucas?” asked Fiona.

“My beta.” I described the ties binding us wolves together, and that Lucas was more than a best friend to me. And losing him was like a blow to the gut.

In Rian’s eyes, I watched his anger manifest. The idea of keeping this from Rian hurt him, but as always, he remained calm, keeping it inside. I had always admired that about my brother. No matter what happened, he possessed an immense command over his emotions—unlike me. After a moment, Rian took a deep breath, and I watched him swallow his temper.

“Well, I didn’t badger you before, but now you’re going to tell me where he is. And I don’t care why you kept this a secret, but it’s time to explain.” He crossed his arms, glaring at me.

I nodded, knowing I had no other choice. “About a year ago, we went to a special session discussing various issues about race treaties.”

“Yes, I remember,” Rian ventured.

“Then you recall Lucas came with us?” Rian gave a firm nod. Lucas was the son of my father’s beta and, like me, he was being trained to become a leader of the pack someday. “There was a woman there, representing the fairy court, and he felt drawn to her.”

“Go on…” Rian folded his arms across his chest.

“That night, Lucas returned very late to the room. He seemed despondent, but also eager. It was strange seeing him like that.” Now I knew what love could do to a man, since meeting Fiona. Every time I saw her, I had those mixed emotions like Lucas. Only Fiona was my destined mate. “The fairy had captured Lucas’s heart, and they were in love, but it was something he couldn’t speak about.”

Rian just nodded.

“What was the problem in their relationship?” Fiona glanced at me, her brows raised in an innocent gesture.

I gave her a sour smile. “Well, she was a fairy, for one. After some prodding, he admitted she wasn’t his destined mate. But he said he was head over heels in love and so they ran away together. But after a few months, she vanished, leaving him heartbroken and too embarrassed to return. He vowed never to return to the pack without his mate.”

“You should have told me,” Rian spat.

“It wasn’t my secret to share.” I shrugged. “I’m sorry, bro.”

“And where is he now? Do you know?” Fiona looked intrigued.

“My father, Angus, was Alpha at the time and Lucas confessed everything to us. After realizing that Lucas wanted to run off with the fairy, he helped them flee. Our father was a hopeless romantic. That same day Lucas left the pack.”

“You knew all this time, and didn’t tell me!” The crestfallen expression on Rian’s face was hard to watch.

“I’m sorry, Rian, but Lucas is my beta, and he asked me to keep the secret.” My words fell silent, and I watched Rian stew in his anger. “Rian, it was a necessary lie… Well, not a lie… but an omission to protect Lucas.”

“But do you know where this Lucas is now?” Fiona asked, still staring at Rian.

“Don’t look at me. I don’t know!” Rian raked his hands through his hair and threw himself into a chair.

“No, to keep his family and loved ones from finding him, my father bribed a witch to help move him using magic. All I know is if we can find him, Lucas will protect Kat with his life.” I glanced at my sulking brother. But in order to find Lucas, I’d have to beg Viona for her help once again, which would piss Rian off anew.

“The thing is, the queen would kill Lucas if she knew he was hiding Kat,” Rian said. “I don’t think that would motivate him to assist us.”

“That would only happen if we told the queen where they are, and it would defeat the purpose. Anyway, I think we should try it. Perhaps Lucas would help us,” Fiona said.

“Maybe she already knows where I am.” Kat threw her hands up. “Fiona thinks my mother knows more than she’s letting on… And if you won’t allow me to present myself to her, I need to leave this place. I don’t want to put you guys in danger. But I don’t want to put your friend’s life at risk, either.” Kat exhaled a ragged breath.

“Yeah, we’re running out of options…” I felt exasperated.

“How will you find him?” Rian looked at me and I noticed the outrage had faded some.

“I’ll have to ask Viona for another favor.”

Rian grimaced. “Not her again! Can’t you ask someone else?”

“No, I can’t.” So much for dissipating anger, I mused.

“Fantastic,” Rian growled and stood.

“Can I go with you to find Viona?” Kat asked, and both Rian and I looked at her.

“No!” we both shouted.

“It’s too dangerous.” Rian shook his head. “Remember your mother… the freaking fairy queen looking for you?”

Kat frowned. “It will be better if she stays here with the guards and my pack to protect her,” I announced.

“Hello! I’m right here in the room,” Kat said, waving a hand, frowning.

“Sorry, Kat. But if we’re going to go through with this crazy idea, we should leave very early tomorrow, so we waste no more time. We are only going to find Viona and I hope it doesn’t take too much time. She’s a slippery witch and may not wish to be found…” I threw her an apologetic smile.

After wishing everyone a good night, I headed to my study.

The thick carpet decorating the center of the office muffled my footsteps as I slid behind the desk and opened my junk drawer. I fished out a scrap of paper with a sole phone number. There was no name linking it to any individual person.

The phone rang a few times, but after a moment it stopped and all I heard was silence. “Lucas,” I whispered.

“Rowan, is that you?” His voice held astonishment, making me anxious. “What’s wrong? Has something bad happened? Why are you calling? Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone is fine… well, sort of. Cormac Quinn has Kyra and we are in the middle of a crisis.”

“How? Why?” His voice sounded agitated, making me want to blurt out everything, but I refrained. “Queen Celestria has contacted us. She’s looking for her daughter and we need to hide her. Everyone’s safety could depend on it.”

“What about Kyra… how did that bastard Quinn get his hands on her? And why do you have her daughter?”

“Listen, mate, I’ll explain everything in person, all right…”

Lucas went mute for a moment as I held my breath. “Rowan… You know… I-I… I’m on a hidden quest.”

“Yes, I know! But I’m not asking you to tell me your whereabouts. I will use magic to find you and ensure your safety and secrecy. But I need your help.”

Lucas let out a bark of laughter. “You using magic… is this some hidden talent, mate?” It did my heart good hearing him chuckle. Man, I had missed Lucas.

“Hilarious, Luc. I meant I’ll have Viona use her witchcraft to find you.”

“Oh, man, I bet Rian’s gonna love that.” He laughed again.

“Yeah, it’s safe to say that I’m in Rian’s black books right now. He’s already perturbed about Viona and this extreme situation forced me to tell him I knew why you left the—”

“What’s going on, Rowan?” I heard him expel a long breath, and I realized I had to tell him something.

“It’s my luna,” I ventured.

“You found your fated mate?” His voice echoed with excitement and his statement sounded like a question.

“Yes, but she’s connected to all this, Lucas. And right now, everyone’s safety depends on whether you assist us in protecting Princess Araqiel Katrina. Well, we call her Kat. Listen, it’s a long story and I’ll fill you in soon. She didn’t know she was a fairy, let alone Celestria’s daughter.”

After another nerve-racking moment of silence, I heard Lucas groan. “Is Kat your destined mate? Please tell me your luna isn’t Celestria’s daughter…”

“No. They are best friends, but my mate, Fiona, is directly involved.”

“Well, that’s a tiny consolation… Tell your witch, Viona, there is an old pub called The Bitter Nightingale near the sea. I’ll meet you there.” The dial tone buzzed in my ear.

“A raven,” Fiona said with a frown, pointing at the fat black bird pecking its beak into the cold ground through the dirty, slushy snow.

I followed her finger and slammed on the brakes. “It’s a sign from Viona,” I said, glancing back at Rian. He shook his head in disgust, but I jumped out of the SUV and, with caution, approached the bird. “Hello, little buddy. Will you bring us some Irish luck and lead me to Viona?”

The raven squawked and flew off.

“Shit! Give me a second, buddy.” I rushed and hopped back in the vehicle. “We have to follow him!”

“This is ridiculous!” complained Rian. “It’s too fast to keep up with!”

“Ridiculous or not… we can’t lose it!” I pushed on the gas pedal, gripping the steering wheel.

I sped along for close to an hour, concentrating on my driving while Fiona and Rian watched the raven. They guided me into the hippie district where all but two businesses were closed because of the early hour.

One of them was a small gas station that remained open for twenty-four hours, while the other was an old bookstore filled with second-hand copies.

“I can’t believe there’s a bookstore open this early.” I heard Rowen as he grumbled from the back seat and I was tired of his cranky ass mood.

I shrugged and got out of the car, searching everywhere for the bird. “Damn, you guys wait here. I’ll go see if anyone knows Viona.”

I strode into the gas station, manned by a guy with bushy black hair and headphones on his head. He yanked a bud out of his ear, rolling his eyes as if I was an inconvenience. “Sorry to disturb you, mate. But you do work here, right?”

“Yeah, whatcha need?”

I rolled my eyes back at him. “Do you know a petite, pretty woman named Viona?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Dude, this isn’t a dating store. Do you need some smokes, gas, or a drink?”

I’d had just about enough of his wise ass. I planted my hands on the counter, letting my inner wolf take over. As my eyes darkened like storm clouds, I whispered, “Do you know the lass or not? It’s a simple question…”

The clerk held his palms up, backing away from the register. “W-Works in the bookstore… a few buildings up the way.”

With a smile showing off my sharpened teeth, I thanked him, leaving him pale and quaking in his shoes. Serves the prick right.

“Welcome,” called a small woman from the floor with her back to me, surrounded by books.

As I stared at the back of her head, covered in a bohemian-styled hat with a long braid, I thought she was a teenager. But then she turned her face, displaying just the profile. It was Viona. Dressed as she was, she seemed so childlike and didn’t look like the fierce witch I knew her to be. Viona had tamed her wild, curly red hair, and her ocean-green eyes seemed duller than usual. She had her lips coated in black lipstick, and it stood out against her pale freckled skin. The vintage dress displayed peace signs, flowers, and moons, which she covered with an old jean jacket. Her nails were as dark as her lips.

“Looks like you found me, or did you come here for a book?” She motioned around the room with a golden eyebrow arched.

I stared at her and shook my head before strolling around the small space. Most of the books were old mythical or witchcraft tombs. “Who in the hell comes looking for books like this at five in the morning?”

“You’d be surprised how many fucked up minors hang out here in the middle of the night, looking to summon a monster or ghost,” she said with a laugh as she stood facing me.

“Real cute sending the raven to me, Viona.”

The smile on her dark lips grew broader. “You liked that, did you? Well, you’re the one who needed me… not the other way around. Maybe next time I’ll make it harder for you.” She winked at me. Cheeky ass witch.

A bell chimed over the door, and Rowen entered the bookstore. “The guy next door said…” Rian declared before seeing Viona. “Shit. Of course. I smelled a witch before I hit the door.” He glared at Viona, and I heard his deep growl.

She blew him a kiss and hopped on a stool behind the old-fashioned cash register. “The Big Bad Wolf and his mangy pup brother. What can I do for you guys?” She smirked, looking like a Cheshire cat.

Rowen glowered at her.

“We need your help, again,” I told her with a frown.

“This is becoming a habit,” Viona replied in a casual tone, leafing through a book. “What is it now?”

“Fiona finally returned after four days, but Queen Celestria is demanding her daughter back in exchange for helping us…”

“Uh huh, I see…” She continued studying the stupid book. “I knew that would happen, and it’s why I didn’t want Kat tagging along.”

The dark-eyed raven flew in through the back door and landed on the counter, letting out a caw.

“You knew or guessed?” I asked, gritting my teeth.

Viona tilted her head and sighed. “It didn’t take a genius… Kat is the queen’s daughter, for fuck’s sake, Rowan. She would have known her. I didn’t know she wanted her daughter back or the circumstances, but I’m not shocked.”

“Right. Well, that’s the rub. So now we have to hide Kat somewhere safe. I need to take her to my beta, Lucas, but he’s stashed out in some witch realm.” That got her attention.

“Witch realm?” She tightened her eyes, appearing confused.

“I don’t know the specifics… that’s your area of expertise. My late father aided Lucas by having a witch place him somewhere safe.”

Viola laughed, shaking her head. “You should really buy some books on witchcraft, Rowan. Your friend isn’t in a witch realm. If I had to guess, I’d say the witch placed a protective shield around him.”

“Fine, but can you find him or get us to where he is? I know where to meet him…” I reached into my jacket for the name of the pub. “I got the information right—”

She cut me off. “You expect me to put my life and the lives of my coven in danger for nothing in return?” Viona’s jaw twitched, her voice cold as ice.

“Yes,” Rian shouted.

“Of course you do, wolf pup,” Viona retaliated with a hint of sarcasm.

“Can you help us find my friend so we can get Kat to safety or not?” I asked, hating the desperation in my voice.

After a moment of thought, Viona sighed. “I will, but remember, everything has a price.”

“We don’t have a ton of money on us,” I hastened to say. “But we will pay you whatever…”

Viona shook her head. “It’s not always about money,” she explained. “One can’t use magic without paying a price.”

“We’ll pay it,” Rian said in a rush. “I want my sister back and Kat safe.”

“Great…” She held out her hand. “Put your palm on mine.” Viona gestured at me, ignoring Rian.

I obeyed and watched her reach into her bra, pulling out a small knife, and I grimaced.

“Why do you witches always use blood?” I kept my palm up and glanced away as she cut a deep slice. She grabbed an amethyst-colored crystal pendulum and rubbed it across the blood pooling in my palm.

“Blood is the best channel,” she said, but I still did not know what she meant. Maybe I should buy one of her damn witchcraft tomes.

With a wink, she reached underneath the counter and pulled out a map. She grabbed my hand, squeezing more blood, and I stared in astonishment as the crystal pendulum started moving.

Viona brought the crystal over the old map, her gaze focusing on the spinning stone. “I sense him,” she whispered as the twisting gem fluttered over Wales. She frowned and followed the pendulum across the UK. “Got him!” She grinned up at me.

Rian rushed over, peering over my shoulder at a spot near Devon, a small seaside town called Salcombe. “Are you sure?” I asked, glaring at her.

Viona rolled her eyes.