Raven-Mocking (Book 3 in the Twilight Court Series) Read online

  Raven-Mocking

  Amy Sumida

  Copyright © 2015 Amy Sumida

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-10: 1523958715

  ISBN-13: 978-1523958719

  More Books by Amy Sumida

  The Godhunter Series(in order)

  Godhunter

  Of Gods and Wolves

  Oathbreaker

  Marked by Death

  Green Tea and Black Death

  A Taste for Blood

  The Tainted Web

  Series Split:

  These books can be read together or separately

  Harvest of the Gods & A Fey Harvest

  Into the Void & Out of the Darkness

  Perchance to Die

  Tracing Thunder

  Light as a Feather

  Rain or Monkeyshine

  Blood Bound

  Beyond the Godhunter:

  A Darker Element

  The Twilight Court Series:

  Fairy-Struck

  Pixie-Led

  (Raven-Mocking)

  Other Books

  The Magic of Fabric

  Feeding the Lwas: A Vodou Cookbook

  There's a Goddess Too

  The Vampire-Werewolf Complex

  Enchantress

  Pronunciation Guide

  Aideen: Ay-deen

  Ainsley: Ains-lee

  Aodh: Ee

  Balloch: Bal-lock

  Baobhan sith: Baa-vahn-she

  Beag: big(k)

  Bean-sidhe: ban-she

  Cailleach Bheur: CALL-yack Burr or COY-ick Burr

  Catan: KAH-tan

  Cliona: CLEE-oh-nah

  Criarachan: CREE-are-rock-ahn

  Cúl tóna: cool tone-ah (dickhead in Gaelic)

  Dathadair: Dath-ah-dare

  Dhoire: Doy-rah

  Diocail: JU-kel

  Duergar: Doo-ay-gahr

  Each-Uisge: Ech-oosh-kee-ya

  Eadan: Ae-dan

  Ewan: You-win

  Fir Darrig: Fear-durg

  Gancanagh: Gon-cawn-ah

  Ghillie-Dhu: Gill-ee-doo

  Glastig: Clee-stickh

  Gradh: Grah

  Greer: Gree-air

  Gwyllion: Gwith-lee-on

  Iseabal: Ish-bal

  Keir: Keer

  Latharna: LA-ur-na

  Lonnegawn: lonny-goon (forest dwelling plant-person)

  Lorcan: Lore-cawn

  Mairte: Mahrj-tah

  Marcan: MOR-kawn

  Moire: Moy-rah

  Mór: Mo-ore

  Mufasa: Moo-fah-sah

  Nighean: Na-yee-in

  Nuckelavee: Nuke-ah-lah-vee

  Rayetayah: Rah-yay-tah-yah

  Raza: Rah-zah

  Ryvel: Rival

  Searc: Sherk

  Seelie: See-lee

  Seren: Sare-rin

  Sorcha: SORE-sha

  Tiernan: Teer-nin

  Torquil: Tore-quill

  Tursa: Ture-sah (a type of fairy bear)

  Uisdean: OOSH-jan

  Unseelie: Un-see-lee

  Chapter One

  The shrill cry of a bird assaulted my ears as my boots crunched over the dry, dying grass. I winced and searched the barren sky, squinting in the glaring light of a harsh sun. Another cry came from my right and I ducked just as a crow swooped by.

  “What's your problem?!” I shouted at the bird. “Why are you messing with me? I did right by Cailleach; she was pardoned.” The crow dive-bombed me again. “Stupid crow!” I waved my arms insanely at it.

  “It's not a crow,” a voice very like my own said.

  I looked towards the sound and saw myself standing against a backdrop of Native American tepees. My face was shadowed by my long, windswept, midnight hair but the stars radiating through the emerald irises of my eyes sparkled out of the darkness and the amethyst stripe in my hair caught their glimmer. I was definitely looking at an image of myself.

  I was wearing a creamy beige buckskin dress, complete with rows of fringe and beautiful beadwork. There was a colorful, boldly patterned shawl around my shoulders and tall, beaded moccasins on my feet. The land stretched out behind the conical tents and me, ending in a blushing horizon. The sun was setting; twilight coming.

  “Why am I talking to myself?” I asked her/me/it.

  “Because there's no one else here,” she/I shrugged.

  “Oh okay,” for some reason it made perfect sense. “What do you mean it's not a crow?”

  “That's a raven,” she pointed at the bird who was now circling above us. “Heads up!”

  I ducked as the foul fowl took another pass at me.

  I'm going to shish-kebob you, bird!” I shook my fist at it because that's what one does when ravens try to peck your eyes out.

  “It's only trying to tell you something,” she/I shrugged.

  “That I should take up bird watching?” I huffed.

  “In a way,” she smiled and I wanted to wipe that grin off my face. Her face. Whatever.

  “Just spit it out,” I snapped. “When did we become so fey? And so native?” I waved at her tribal dress.

  “Aren't you smart enough to figure it out for yourself? You're supposed to be this big sparkly Twilight Princess.” Her voice turned into that annoying sing-song tone most often employed by kindergartners and psychopaths.

  “Are you mocking me?” I balled my hands into fists. I was about to pull a Tyler Durden and kick my own ass.

  “No,” she went serious, “but they are,” she pointed up to the sky, which was now full of ravens. They swirled together, the beat of their wings thrumming beneath the sound of their cries. They dove at me and I screamed.

  “Seren!” Tiernan was suddenly above me, shaking me awake.

  I sat up, pushing him aside as I looked around the airy bedroom. The silk comforter was rumpled around my feet, where Cat (my puka companion who was actually closer to a dog than a cat) crouched, staring at me warily. Through the web of delicate night-blooming jasmine which formed a canopy over my bed, I looked up at the crystal dome set into my bedroom ceiling. Through it I could see the night sky, full of fey constellations. The stars of Fairy sparkled the same as they did in the Human Realm but they didn't look the same. Probably since Fairy was in another universe entirely.

  “Seren?” Tiernan, my fairy boyfriend and Lord of the Wild Hunt (I have to add it or he'll be mad) gave me another shake.

  “I'm okay,” I laid my hand over his. “Stop shaking me.”

  “You screamed,” he accused.

  “It was just a bad dream,” I sighed and laid back down.

  “Oh, alright then,” he pulled the covers up around us and snuggled in beside me.

  “Damn mocking ravens,” I muttered as I wiggled to get comfortable next to his firm form.

  “What did you say?” Tiernan bolted upright.

  “Ravens,” I frowned and sat up too. “They were attacking me and then I told myself that they were actually mocking me.”

  “You told yourself?” Tiernan's eyes scrunched up with confusion.

  “Crazy dream stuff, never mind,” I waved it away. “Why does that upset you?”

  “Raven mockers?” He lifted a brow. “I know you've heard of them.”

  “The raven mockers,” I whispered. I had heard of them. Why hadn't I made the connection? “Those fairies who steal life from the dying and old?”

  “Those are the ones,” he grimaced.

  “I've always wondered why they did that,” I peered into his night-shadowed face. “Why steal the few years left to an elderly person or someone who's sick?”

  “Easy targets,” Tiernan scowled, �
�and no one is suspicious when they die.”

  “But they don't even need life,” I shook my head. “They're fey, so they're immortal, aren't they?”

  “Yes, they're immortal,” Tiernan sighed. “It's not the extra time that they're after but the energy of the life. It gives them a boost of power and a sort of temporary bliss. That's what they crave.”

  “Like a drug? Are they energy addicts?”

  “In a way, yes,” Tiernan mused.

  “But if they get caught, they'll be extinguished,” I declared.

  “Have you ever caught one?” He lifted a platinum blonde brow.

  “Well no but they keep mainly to the American Northwest and I was never assigned that region,” I chewed at my lip, remembering the tepees. That bit was strange. It wasn't like Native Americans lived in tepees anymore but I guess dreams like symbolism.

  “No, they don't,” Tiernan said softly.

  “What?” I focused sharply on him.

  “They have ties to the tribes. They're descended from fairies who once bred with the Native Americans and because of that, Native American shamans have learned how to spot them... and how to kill them.”

  “Right, there's a ritual,” I bit my lip as I tried to remember what I'd been taught in extinguisher school.

  “Takes seven days though,” he shook his head. “They don't always kill the mocker.”

  “So you're telling me that these fairies could be sucking the last bit of life out of people all over the Human Realm?” I clenched my hands in the comforter.

  “Well, they do tend to stay in North and South America but yes,” he admitted. “The Wild Hunt tries to keep an eye out for them but they're smart, they know how to fly under the radar.”

  “Literally,” I rolled my eyes.

  “You're not asking the right question, Seren,” Tiernan was grim and that never boded well.

  “What?” A chill coasted over my arms and I swear I heard the cry of a raven in the distance.

  “Why are you dreaming about raven mockers?”

  Chapter Two

  If I hadn't been so damn tired and so accustomed to stress, I probably wouldn't have been able to get back to sleep. But my life had become full of weird premonitions and evil machinations. I was actually getting used to it and had no problem drifting off to sleep. In fact, I didn't want to stop sleeping. Tiernan had to coerce me out of bed in the morning by waving a cup of coffee beneath my nose.

  “Maybe sharing a bedroom wasn't such a great idea,” I whined as he led me to the dining table, placed off to the left of my bed.

  It was actually off to the right if you happened to be stumbling out of the bed, as I was. Oh why must I leave the warm, squishy nest of pillows and silky blankets to emerge into the crisp, cold, cruel morning? Don't fairy princesses get to sleep in? I frowned into my coffee cup as Tiernan pulled out a chair for me. Then I saw that breakfast was already on the table. I gave a little happy smile and took a sip of coffee.

  “You were really tired,” Tiernan observed. “Normally tea does the trick but I had to resort to coffee this morning.”

  “Hmph,” I mumbled but then he started piling food on my plate and I gave him a grudging, “Thank you.”

  “You're welcome,” he laughed, his silver eyes sparkling in the sunlight coming in from crystal dome overhead and the balcony to our right. “Now, I think we should discuss your dream.”

  “Ugh,” I groaned. “No. I don't want to. Just leave it be until I at least get some food in me.”

  “Alright,” he sighed and set to work on his own breakfast.

  “Thank you,” I started to enjoy my food. Soon Cat had finished her own bowl of breakfast and came to sit beside me. She set her head on the table and eyed my steak. “Oh, I don't think so, Madam Puka,” I pushed her nose away from my plate. “I will fight you for this food and guess who's gonna win that battle?”

  Cat whined and sat back.

  “Exactly,” I nodded. “It's wise to know your limitations.”

  “Seren?” My father's voice came through my bedroom door.

  “Seren's not here right now,” I called out. “Leave a message at the beep. Be-e-e-p.”

  “Very amusing,” Keir said as he opened the door and strode in.

  He was my fairy father, my true birth father, but I'd actually been raised by a human extinguisher named Ewan Sloane. I had been merely an extinguisher once too, a sort of police officer who monitored fairies in the Human Realm. But then I'd come to the Fairy Realm and my true nature had revealed itself. It turned out that I was half fey. My mother had fallen in love with a fairy king and been unfaithful to my dad, resulting in me.

  Ewan didn't take the news of my true parentage well and was kind of punishing me for the sins of my mother. I was heartbroken over the loss of the man I'd thought to be my father for the first twenty-six years of my life but Keir had won me over and now that heartache was dulled by the love I was starting to feel for my real father.

  Though I wasn't feeling so loving towards him at the moment.

  “Dad,” I whined. “Whatever it is, it can wait. I'm starving.”

  “Eat. I'm sure you can listen while you do so,” he waved his hand magnanimously. It was a bit annoying but he was a fairy king; those kind of affectations had been taught to him since birth.

  “You'll give me indigestion,” I complained.

  “I'm sure you'll survive,” Keir rolled his eyes.

  My mother had supplemented Keir's royal deportment with human mannerisms and common sayings, in an effort to make him seem more approachable to me. Keir managed them well for the most part. But even when he did or said them appropriately, he still looked a little silly. Here was this fairy king, dressed in silk and velvet, with long, boysenberry hair fading to lavender at the tips, rolling his sparkling, star-adorned, amethyst eyes. It was surreal. Hell, he was surreal all by himself.

  “Your Majesty,” Tiernan looked at my father in concern. “What is it?”

  “I have just received a scry from Councilman Alan Murdock, Head of the San Francisco Human Council House,” Keir sighed deep. “Seren has been summoned to the Human Council House in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There's an urgent meeting being held even as we speak.”

  “A meeting concerning what exactly?” I asked as the food churned in my belly.

  “Raven mockers,” Keir said the dreaded words and Tiernan groaned. “What is it?” Keir narrowed his eyes on me.

  “Seren dreamed of the raven mockers last night,” Tiernan answered for me.

  “What were they doing?” Keir lifted an eggplant-colored eyebrow.

  “They were just ravens actually,” I grumbled. “But they were mocking me.”

  “Not a good sign,” Keir sat back in his chair and closed his eyes briefly. “And not much of a warning,” he opened his eyes and set them on Tiernan. “You'll accompany the Princess, of course.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Tiernan bowed his head in acceptance.

  “And you'll take Cat with you as well,” Keir said to me.

  “I can't take Cat,” I waved my hands towards the puka who had perked up when she heard her name. “She's way too fey for the Human Realm.”

  “She can glamour herself to look like a big dog,” Keir waved at Cat.

  Cat suddenly became a Chihuahua, jumping up and down excitedly, and I gaped at her.

  “Did you do that?” I asked Keir accusingly.

  “No, that's all her,” he chuckled.

  “I don't know, Cat,” I frowned at her form.

  She cocked her head at me and changed into a Shar-Pei. I grimaced as she shook her head, all of her wrinkled skin wobbling with her. She looked at me askance and I shook my head. Then a massive mop head sat before us. I gave a horrified gasp and pulled back in my seat as I stared at the cotton ball-colored puff of dreadlocks.

  “What the hell is that?” I pointed at Cat.

  “I believe it's called a Puli,” Tiernan observed. “They're Hungarian, supposed to be waterproof.”
/>   “No, Cat,” I shook my head emphatically. “You'll attract more attention as that than you would as a puka.”

  She shifted back to her normal form with a whine.

  “She'll figure something out,” Keir waved a dismissive hand. “The point is; I want you to have all the protection possible. You'll take your Guard and a few of mine as well.”

  “Dad, I don't think that's necess-”

  “Seren!” Keir stood abruptly and slashed his hand through the air like he was physically cutting my sentence short. “You will not disobey me in this. I want you protected from our enemies and from your own folly. My knights will report to me alone and will have orders that will supersede yours.”

  “What?” I gaped at him.

  “I don't want you running off and signing things in my name again,” he growled.

  “First of all,” I stood up and glared back at him, “you didn't have to honor that contract if you didn't want to. I signed my name, not yours. Second, this trip is an ambassador mission so I'll be acting as Ambassador Seren, not Princess, and therefore, I'm not obligated to you or your instructions. I have to be seen as functioning in a neutral capacity and your personal guard will screw that image up for me. Lastly, what the hell are you so pissed off about? I'm the one who has to go to freakin' Tulsa!”

  Keir took a shaky breath and rubbed an elegant hand over his face. “I apologize,” he sat back down and I followed suit. “I feel unsettled about this, deeply unsettled, and that translates into a desire to control everything.”

  “I'll be okay, Dad,” I gave his hand a pat. “I can take care of myself, remember? I got that new fancy smancy firethorn magic. If someone attacks me, I'll pull a bind and burn on them.”

  “Don't get cocky,” Keir shook his head. “Any magic can be overcome, no matter how powerful it is. And any magic can fail you unexpectedly. The first step towards downfall is believing yourself to be invincible.”

  “Yeah, I get that,” I sighed. “I was just trying to make you feel better.”

  “I'd feel better if you never left Twilight again,” Keir grimaced.

  “Hiding isn't really my thing,” I said gently.