Chapter 5 Corvinus
CORVINUS
All three of us are vigilant, keeping our eyes peeled, scanning the surrounding trees and perimeter of Master Romano’s home.
Raven gestures toward the tops of the trees.
“Auntie Devora relaxed the perimeter patrol with the truce between the witches and vampires but with everything that happened yesterday, I’d put money on her bringing them back to guard any day.
We should get in and get out while we have our chance. ”
Raven points to a tall wrought iron gateway almost completely obscured with hanging vines.
“I’ve been trying to bring myself up to speed on the virtues of the Mystic Forest and the caverns that dwell in and among the woods.
The very reason I’m armed with more than one mighty magic wand tonight.
It seems that they are all heavily guarded and all in the name of keeping prying vampire eyes from seeing things that aren’t meant for them to see.
Whatever that means, I honestly have no clue, but we need to find out.
The shadow books should tell us,” she says.
“It would explain why they were upset when Corvinus followed me into the forest,” Embry says, carefully stepping around a pile of dry twigs that would crack under the weight of her boots.
The witches’ academy sits far enough away across the tall fence and is obscured by large trees that have been in place for hundreds of years, but still, right next door, in an area as vast as Romania.
Embry holds Raven’s hand and I take hers.
The transport to the witch academy does not take long and all is quiet along the edge of the house. Maybe just too quiet.
Raven gestures us around the back. “We’ll transport downstairs.
Bypass all the academy floors. Students will still be studying, and the head mistresses and others will be patrolling the halls making sure all the ladies are heading to bed, and not sneaking out windows,” she says with a grin.
Oh dear lord, I’ve heard about those sneaky witches and their trips into town at night.
Embry’s wide purple eyes meet mine. “You stay with me. If I tell you to do something I want you to do it without hesitation, understand?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “I am not a child.”
My eyes and position don’t waiver. “This isn’t a laughing matter. I mean what I say.”
Raven’s eyes circle, the kaleidoscope color going round and round. Embry laughs at her dramatics. It’s not like Master Romano is not the dominant type too and I have no doubt she’s kowtowing to some of his orders herself.
Embry gives her wide eyes and then looks up at me with a smile, while I simply wait for an answer. “Yes sir,” she says sweetly, running a seductive tongue across her lower lip just to see if it will get a reaction.
Coming, vampire?
She’ll find out what my reaction is later.
Devora and her cackling witches are no doubt asleep. “You sure the pesky witches aren’t downstairs where we’re going, concocting some brew or another to put some spell or hoax on the vampires?” I ask. “I’m going to be pissed if I wake up tomorrow as a frog.”
She laughs up at me. “Relax. Raven has us covered. She’s got her trusty little wand in that pocket of hers. One word of trouble and she’ll freeze everyone to fucking stone, right?”
Raven laughs. “Something like that. Come on, let’s go now and be quick. I’ll take you to the room where we keep the shadow books, but you’ll have to scout around on your own while I keep lookout by the stairs. You just never know who’s lurking around a corner at the academy.”
The minute we’re in the lower level, true to her word Raven opens a vault-like door but the old rusty hinges screech loudly as it opens.
The large witches’ W symbol is displayed prominently, as if one last warning to keep out of their domain.
The same ornate looking W that is carved into the front of cavern doors hidden behind moss from the forest floors warning everyone of the witches’ lairs inside.
Embry gestures to the door. “This is just like the door in the Mystic Forest, that as a vampire I shouldn’t have access to, but with Gramma’s instruction can open with ease too.”
Raven gestures us in while standing watch by the door.
I allow Embry in after giving the modest room a scan with my laser vision eyes, ensuring we are alone, and that the pesky witches are not waiting to pounce.
I may trust Master Romano, and have heard how trustworthy his mate Raven is, but that doesn’t mean I’m allowing us both to go into a room that can be locked.
Vampires may be able to transport through walls, but with those pesky witches who knows what material they’ve concocted with their bothersome spells. After all, it belongs to the witches, and their intent is to keep us out or maybe even to keep us in. Either way, I’m staying planted here.
Embry turns and takes in my guarded stance, one foot firmly between us and the door. Raven doesn’t pay it any attention and has already left, taking up guard near the stairs to make sure no one comes down and catches us in the act of snooping in the very place we should not be.
A witches’ academy, full of hexes, potions, and spells that can send our kind back to the dark ages.
It makes me more guarded, more vigilant, but Embry turns back to her task, entranced with the large hardcover books with deep golden raised lettering on the covers and sprayed glittered edges that lie on the shelves.
She touches one, stroking a finger over the raised lettering before opening it.
“Some of the shadow books,” she exclaims on a whispered breath.
Her head tilts to the side, those majestic eyes ablaze, exposing her beautiful cascading mane of purple hair and creamy neck.
The same shade of color as those magnificent eyes that captured my attention not so very long ago and have held me completely fucking entranced since that time.
She’s utterly enthralled with what she’s found as she caresses the covers.
Embry reads the words written in front of her, appearing strong and confident, but I hear every beat of her heart, the one gifted to her from a pureblood vampire, the one she gave her heart to until he turned traitor.
Her mouth and eyes pop open at the same time.
“Corvinus, look at this!” she exclaims, half whispering.
“Bring it to me,” I demand.
Her eyes narrow as it dawns on her that I’m not leaving the door. “Surely you trust Raven?”
My eyebrow arches. “I trust Raven, but she is Devora’s niece, and Devora has been known to swing hot and cold, and her I do not trust at all.”
A loud cackle fills the entire lower level and a bright green bubble with Devora’s image riding a large wicker broom looms as large as life.
“You dare to break into the academy. Thieves, lousy thieves! You dare to go where no vampire belongs. I will put a spell on every single one of you intruders, one that will send you all back to hell where you belong!” she yells.
“Aunt Devora!” Raven cries. “Embry is not here to steal anything. She’s just trying to find out about her gramma. Her gramma led her here. Instead of all this secrecy, just tell her what she wants to know!”
Embry looks to Raven who’s walked past me to enter the room.
The little witch glares up at her aunt who’s still floating around in the air.
But her aunt doesn’t give her a chance to say anything else.
“You dare to defy me, my own niece, side with those bloodsuckers, time and time again. I’ve had it with the whole lot of you.
The only reason I don’t …” Her voice wanes and she sucks in a deep breath.
“Just go!” she yells, surprising the hell out of every single one of us.
I grab Embry’s hand, and she puts her arm around Raven as we prepare to quickly leave. We don’t waste any time transporting back next door, the sound of Devora’s fury still ringing in my ears even as we reach the safety of Master Romano’s estate.
Master Romano’s jaw is set as we walk into the room. He clearly knows or has heard the upheaval without us saying a word. This fucking night is just turning into a total shit show.
Raven starts to say something to her mate, but Romano stops her with a stern look.
“I’ve already heard from your dear auntie herself.
Seems you three are making friends wherever you go.
” He glares at me. “You’re just lucky Raven was there, and that Devora didn’t turn you all into toads or something far worse.
She is madder than I’ve ever seen her and that’s saying a lot.
This is not exactly what I would call keeping the peace. ”
I intervene. “You knew there was the risk of us getting caught, Romano. We got caught. Maybe it’s for the best. Raven explained to her why we were there, and instead of antagonizing her more, it seemed to calm her somewhat, and she let us go without a fight, right?
I was envisioning her turning us to stone or holding us prisoner in a room that we couldn’t transport from, or something.
But surprisingly, she did nothing. Just fumed and let us go. What I want to know is why?”
Romano nods thoughtfully, but we’re both thinking the same fucking thing now. She let us go way too fucking easy after catching us dead to rights snooping and breaking into the academy.
Embry’s eyes are flaming purple. The pulse on the side of her neck is beating fast. “Raven, you asked her why she didn’t just tell us what we want to know. Tell us what?”