The Raven and the Witchhunter Read online

  The backyard was a grey square. She couldn't see anything except for a big round grey blob in front of her on the grey ground which was only faintly lit by what she assumed was grass, until her grandmother held out a hand out to stop her from going any further. "We need to take this and give it as an offering first."

  Her grandmother put some loose pieces of a grass-like substance in the girl's hand and she smelled the faint aroma of sweetgrass, before smoke began to rise around them.

  "First, you will be purified with the sweetgrass," said the man. "Then you must enter on your hands and knees in the direction of the sun, so that you are close to Mother Earth and bowing to the Great Spirit. Once inside, you may sit cross-legged in the circle, then you will wait."

  The girl nodded and followed her grandmother into the sweat lodge. It was dark and hot and within minutes, she felt the uncomfortable trickle of sweat down her back. She sat quietly, waiting for the elder to come and do something. She wasn't sure what to expect, but when he started to speak, she felt power begin to wrap around her in the dark, hot room.

  "Grandfather, mysterious one, we search for you along this road you have set us on. Sky father, Tunkashila, we thank you for this world. We thank you for our own existence. We ask for your blessing and instruction. Grandfather, sacred one, put our feet on the holy path that leads to you. Give us the strength to lead ourselves and our children past the darkness we have entered. Teach us to heal ourselves and each other and the world. Today, we bring a young girl in need of answers, who will walk the path between darkness and light as a warrior. Great Spirit, help guide her on her way, teach her to see, to follow the red road to the east towards wisdom."

  The girl felt the power of his words push down on her chest, making it hard for her to take a deep breath. The smell of the sage and sweet grass filled her nose while darkness filled her head. The man continued to speak, but the words were no longer comprehensible to her. She saw the sun through the door, piercing her eyes with its light, becoming so bright that it eclipsed the darkness then suddenly, she emerged into a bright forest.

  She looked around in surprise. The air was clean and fresh, smelling of pine needles and snow. When they'd entered the sweat lodge, she knew it had been summer, so this was her first indication that something was strange. The other thing she noticed was that she was warm. Looking around into the bright blue sky and listening to the birds, it struck her that she could also see completely normally. She touched her eyes gently. She heard something behind her, the sound of children laughing, and turned around. She gasped, feeling tears choke her. It was her brothers playing cops and robbers, chasing each other around one of the trees. She called for them, but they didn't answer. Grief overwhelmed her until she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. Turning around, she let out a cry.

  "Mom!" Tears filled her eyes, then fell down her cheeks like rain.

  "Hush, little one. Why are you crying?" Her mother stroked her face gently, tilting it up to look at her, her warm brown eyes as soft and loving as they’d always been. "There is nothing to mourn, my girl. We are safe and happy here, without pain or anything to trouble us."

  The girl looked up with tears streaming down her face. "Why did you leave me? How can I continue without you? I'm not ready to be alone."

  Her mother looked at her with great compassion. "It is the way it was written, my dear. We will never leave you, we just watch from here. We are always with you in your heart. You have been given a great duty and a great honor." She lightly brushed her hand over the girl’s eyes and once again, her vision blurred.

  "But what does it mean, Mom? Why is this all happening to me?"

  Her mother sighed. "A darkness came to town, burning down our house with us inside. But it made a mistake, my dear. You were supposed to be there with us that day."

  The girl stumbled back in horror. "You mean this is all my fault?"

  Her mother shook her head. "No, child. The Great Spirit saw what was to happen. That is why you weren't in the house that night. That is why you had a sleep-over at the very last minute. The evil was coming for you, but it missed its target. It wanted to get to you before you came into your power; before you were able to see the evil for what it truly is. You will be powerful one day, my child, but for now you must go back to learn what to do to stop the darkness. Listen to Samuel. He knows much and will be your guide on your journey. Remember dear, we love you, and we'll be together again, one day soon. Time is irrelevant and love is forever. You can always speak to us in the lights in the night sky. We will hear you, even if we don't answer."

  Her mother kissed her gently on her forehead and the girl felt her mother's love surround her. The happy sound of her younger brothers playing slowly faded away with the light and once again, the girl found herself in a dark, hot room with the sound of a deep voice chanting. She sat with her eyes closed for several minutes, processing what she'd seen. Had she really been with her family? Or had it just been a dream? She opened her eyes to see the light of the fire being extinguished with water. The steam rose higher for a moment, before it faded away like her moment with her mother.

  "It is time to leave now. We will leave the same way we entered, close to the earth, following the path of the sun." The man spoke solemnly and the girl and her grandmother followed him outside without speaking.

  Inside the house, he gave them cool water at the table and they sat in silence drinking it, until the girl looked at him and spoke one short sentence.

  "Is your name Samuel?"

  EMMA JANE'S VOICE FADED away and Vanessa blinked, looking with surprise at the clock on the wall. Almost an hour had passed and Vanessa was stiff from sitting in one place.

  "That story, that's about you, right? You didn't mention any names." Vanessa felt as though she understood Emma Jane much better, but at the same time, she was left with many more questions than she’d had before experiencing the story.

  Emma Jane sighed, taking a sip of her now cold tea. "Yes. That’s the day I found out that I could see, although not in the usual way. At the time, it was a crushing loss on top of the pain of losing my family. But with time, I grew to understand that every gift has a price. That was my price. Knowing what I do now, I would’ve happily given my vision, had I been able to find the darkness sooner and have saved my family."

  Emma Jane’s face was full of sorrow as she spoke and Vanessa once again felt at a loss. She crossed the short distance between them on the couch and leaned over to give Emma Jane a hug, wrapping her arms around a woman who'd lost what Vanessa was blessed to still have. Emma Jane tensed, but within seconds she relaxed into her, returning the hug and resting her head on Vanessa's shoulder.

  "I 'm so sorry you had to go through that, especially at such a young age. I don't know how you found the strength to continue on." Vanessa softly spoke into her ear, brushing her shiny mahogany hair like she was a frightened puppy. Emma Jane sighed and Vanessa felt a small damp patch on her shoulder where Emma Jane's face lay and knew she was crying silently.

  "Thank you, Vanessa." Emma Jane stayed on her shoulder, not moving her head to look at her. They sat like that for several minutes, with Vanessa stroking her hair while Emma Jane held on.

  EMMA JANE SANK INTO the warmth of the hug offered to her by Vanessa and felt her mind slow down. It had been so long since anyone had touched her in any way that she wasn't sure how to process her feelings. She felt the ever-present loss of her mother and brothers, but for the first time in what seemed like forever, she also felt a spark of warmth where her heart was. It had been so long since she'd felt it, she almost didn't recognize it for what it was. The last time she'd felt it had been before her grandmother died. She'd lived a long life, but one day, it had been her time to go to the ancestors as well.

  Emma Jane had buried that warmth with her kokum, over ten years ago now. She realized she hadn't really even had friends during all her years of hunting, preferring to be alone instead of chancing more loss. She now remembered just how good it felt
and was sad she'd been living without human contact for so long. The feeling of a soft hand brushing her hair off her face, a warm body offering comfort, and the sweet smell of another person surrounding her caused her heart rate to pick up. She drew back to look at Vanessa and wiped her tears away. Vanessa looked back at her with beautiful dark blue eyes the color of the night sky sparkling with stars, the shiny black hair of a raven’s wing, and the face of an actress. In that moment, Emma Jane felt something inside her chest crack open.

  "Are you okay?" Vanessa's soft voice cut across her thoughts, gently pressing her to answer. Emma Jane smiled, with a lightness in her heart she hadn't felt for a long time.

  "You know, I think I am. Thank you for being here to listen to my story."

  Vanessa flashed her a surprised smile, causing Emma Jane to swallow hard.

  "Look, I may not know you very well, but you’re a tough cookie and I can respect that. I'd like us to be friends. I’m not much for following people without asking questions," Vanessa paused. "Not that I don’t think that's cool for other people, but I'm in the market for a friend not a leader, since my other ones are far away. And I like you. Anyone that can go through what you have and still smile is someone worth hanging out with."

  Emma Jane blushed. No one had ever asked to be her friend, not since elementary school. "I'd like that. I...could use a friend. I didn't really know how much, until now."

  Vanessa smiled, holding out her hand for Emma Jane. "Shake on it? We can be super buddies and fight evil together?"

  Emma Jane held out her hand and took Vanessa's. She felt a tingle as their palms touched. "Friends."

  CHAPTER SIX

  The telltale scratch and clink of a key in the lock broke the moment and Vanessa reluctantly got up from the couch. Cat had obviously made it home. Normally she'd be excited to see her sister in these circumstances, given the fact that she’d just seen a dead body and needed back up, but she felt curiously as if she'd been interrupted in the middle of something important. She looked down at Emma Jane, still sitting on the couch, and smiled. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and the tears had been dried away, but she was breathtaking in her sadness. Something about her called to Vanessa in a way she hadn't felt before and she didn't understand why. She'd have to put that away for now, knowing they had more important matters to deal with. She'd try to figure it out later.

  Cat walked in, throwing her bag on the nearest kitchen chair.

  "Hey, Vanessa. I'm home. Study session ran a little late, but I got away as soon as I could. You texted that something big was up?"

  Cat came into the living room looking rushed and Vanessa gestured to the couch before sitting back down.

  "You may as well sit. We’ll catch you up on what's happened."

  Cat sat down, her brow furrowed as she regarded her sister with suspicion. "Oh-oh. That doesn't sound good. You didn't find the girl you were looking for?"

  Emma Jane shook her head, looking very serious. "No, we found her. Unfortunately, we were too late."

  Cat’s hand flew to her mouth. "No! What happened?"

  Vanessa answered this time, with a disgusted look on her face as she recalled the event. "We got to the house and the door was unlocked. You could tell right away that things weren't right, but I've never seen anything like it, Cat. She was in her bed, wearing what looked like her regular nightclothes, but she was shriveled up like a mummy. It was so gross."

  Cat shuddered at the picture Vanessa's words painted. "Oh, no. That's awful." Cat looked at Emma Jane. "Now what? I thought the whole plan was to get to Eloise first, to keep that soul thief from getting to her, or anyone else."

  Emma Jane sighed. "That pretty much was the entire plan. I was so excited to have a lead before someone died for a change that I hadn't planned any further. What I'd like to do, now that I have both of you here, is go back to the house and see if I can track her from there."

  Vanessa raised her eyebrows. "You can track people in a city? That sounds pretty handy."

  Emma Jane laughed. "I wish it was that easy. We didn't get to that part of my story, but after I started training my sight with Samuel, I also learned to track the energy signatures people give off. It's like... everyone has a different aura, right?"

  Emma Jane looked to Cat to confirm her statement before she continued. "So, the same way everyone has an aura, they also leave behind energy that’s specific to them. Like some people smell a certain way or leave footprints behind, people also leave behind energy that I can see, but specific to them, like fingerprints. Normally in a busy place, the signatures blur as they become overlaid with those of other people. But when it's someone as old and dark as the woman we're looking for I can follow the trail, even through a crowded place, for hours afterward. It's like mud on a white floor."

  Vanessa nodded, her eyes bright. "That sounds cool. Okay, then let's go back to the house. You aren't worried the police will see us now? You were earlier."

  "Nope. I'm not worried because we won't actually be going into the house. I just need you to drive around the block so I can find her trail. We don't even have to get out of the car. I do want you guys to get dressed for a night out on the town, however."

  "Excuse me? Dressed for a night out?" Cat said, frowning.

  Emma Jane looked at her then leaned closer. "This woman is drawn to places beautiful women frequent. It's a Saturday in San Francisco and evening is coming. Where do you think we'd be most likely to find her?"

  "I can do that." Vanessa stood up, tilting her head back with a smile. "Cat isn't as fond of getting tarted up for a night out, but it’s been a while since I put on my fiercest face for a prowl."

  Vanessa looked down at Emma Jane with a frown. "You need something different to wear. That won’t do at all for the place I’m thinking of. Did you bring something else with you?"

  Emma Jane fingered the sweater she was wearing, then looked at Vanessa with a small pout. "You don't like it?"

  Vanessa gave her a full once over. The outfit was good for the daytime and fit her well. A simple long black coat, tight black shirt and sweater on top, and a nice pair of dark indigo jeans with black boots. Nothing out of the ordinary, but classy and probably easy to match when you can’t see.

  "No, you need something with a little flash to make you stand out. And you need some make up," Vanessa pronounced. She’d make Emma Jane look like a super model. With that canvas, it would be easy.

  Emma Jane looked at Vanessa nervously then turned to face Cat. "Is she serious?"

  Cat laughed. "You’d better believe it. Oh well, better you than me. I'll get dressed," she said then paused, warning her sister, "and yes, I'll put on makeup and a flashy shirt, but no heels. Boots are where I draw the line."

  Vanessa held up her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Give me a few minutes and I'll find something for you to wear, Emma Jane. Then I'll do your makeup."

  Vanessa left the other two girls and quickly threw on a tight halter-top in a midnight blue velvet that showed off her narrow waist, with a pair of skintight black jeans and three-inch heels, bringing her nicely to a height of just over six feet. She loved being the tallest one in the room whenever possible. Even though Cat hated heels for fighting, Vanessa had no problem with them, mainly because she could use her power to manipulate the air around her to offload her weight whenever her feet got sore. She swept her hair up in to a messy bun and gave herself a quick smoky eye, then examined her closet for something for Emma Jane to wear.

  Deciding she'd stick with finding a shirt for her since the jeans and boots were passable for a club, she scanned the closet. Most of the clothing was meant to flatter her black haired, fair skinned coloring, but she saw a copper tank top that looked like it would highlight Emma Jane’s darker complexion perfectly and whipped it off the hanger. Bringing her make up bag with her, Vanessa returned to the living room, where a nervous Emma Jane waited. Cat was in her room, probably still fighting with her desire to avoid crowded places, Vanessa thought, smirking. />
  "Did you find something?" Emma Jane sounded hesitant, which made Vanessa feel curiously sympathetic. She had no problems dolling herself up but knew how hard it was for Cat and guessed that Emma Jane had similar issues.

  "Don't worry. I figure you and my sister both have the same desire not to stand out too much, so I picked something for you that has just the right amount of flash. Remember, if you look too boring you’ll stand out too, just not in a good way."

  Emma Jane nodded thoughtfully. "When you put it that way, it makes sense. Kind of like a camouflage of sorts for hunting, only we aren’t in the bush. Okay, I'll trust you. What did you bring me?" She sounded cautiously curious now, so Vanessa sat beside her.

  "It's just a tank top, but the copper color will really highlight your skin tone, especially with that bit of red in your hair. Once you're dressed, let me know and I'll do your makeup. You can get changed in the bathroom if you want, just open the door when you're ready for me to come in."

  Emma Jane walked over to the bathroom holding the shirt as if it was on fire and Vanessa laughed after the door shut behind her. Thirty seconds later, the door opened and Vanessa’s eyebrows shot up.

  “Damn, girl. You fit into that way better than I ever have. Looks like it’s your new hunting shirt.”

  Emma Jane blushed. “Thanks?” she squeaked, then cleared her throat. “I’m ready for makeup. I’ll try to trust you, but as you may have guessed, it’s not something I’ve bothered with before.”

  Vanessa nodded. “Fair enough. I have enough problems putting on eyeliner with normal vision. But don’t worry, I’m just going to do the basics. I’m not a make-up artist, after all.”

  But while Vanessa wasn’t technically an artist, she took after her mom in the sense that she could appreciate what looked good. With just a few essentials, she managed to highlight Emma Jane’s sharp cheekbones and pouty lips while drawing attention with a light shimmer to her amazing, swirling eyes. She had only a few seconds to truly appreciate her artwork before Emma Jane promptly jammed her sunglasses back on.