full board on this one. “It might be fatal. She has a rare disease that we know very little about. Anything you can offer would be appreciated.”
She chewed on her lip. “Look, mister, there’s not much I can help you with. She ain’t really mine. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to Raven. She doesn’t know. Wouldn’t want to put that added stress on her with the sickness and all.”
That was easy. She really didn’t care for Raven. I could see the disdain in her eyes. Blood or not, she raised her. How could she not have one ounce of love for her? “Well, this is an interesting turn of events. Any idea how we can get in contact with her birth parents?”
She shook her head. “She was left on our doorstep with a note that said to never look for them. Someone wanted her hidden. I didn’t want to keep her but my husband was getting tired of me not being able to get pregnant. So we took her in. A couple years later, my miracle baby, Meadow was born. Sorry I couldn’t be much help.”
“Oh you’ve helped plenty. By any chance…do you still have the note?” A gut feeling wrenched in my stomach.
“Yeah, hang on a second.” She disappeared inside and left me standing on the porch. After ten minutes or so of me fixating on a broken shard of glass that stuck out of the lamppost, she emerged with a crumpled piece of paper.
I could feel the color draining from my face. “May I keep this?”
“Sure. To tell ya the truth, I don’t even know why I kept it. Maybe as a reminder of just where she really came from.” Her face was hard, weathered by decades of outdoor physical labor.
I turned to leave but something stopped me. I just couldn’t walk away. I spun around. “Aren’t you even the slightest bit concerned? You did raise her.”
She avoided my gaze and stared out into the valley. “There was something not quite right about that girl. I knew it from day one. She ain’t one of us. Never was. Now you best get on your way before my husband comes home with his shotgun.”
For a split second, I wanted to show this miserable woman what a real weapon was. That her silly little shotgun was no more deadly to me than a toy. I imagined the look on her husband’s face when he pulled up to find his wife bleeding out. The look of anger then fear and shock when he realized his bullets wouldn’t work on me. And then finally, the look on his face when my demon face was the last thing he’d see before he died. In a quick moment, all these thoughts flashed through my mind and left.
“Today’s your lucky day, mam.” She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Confusion froze on her face. I stuffed the note in my pocket and left without a glance back.
Cassius raised an eyebrow at me as I got back in the car. “Well?”
I handed him the note. “Raven was left on their doorstep when she was a baby with a pile of cash and this note…”
Cassius drew in a sharp breath as he read it. “Shit…the signature. Deveraux. But this means—”
“That Raven is a descendant of Camille’s and her real parents are either dead or vampires.” Suddenly the world felt like it was getting smaller and closing in on me. I loosened my tie and took a deep breath.
Raven was in more danger than I thought.
I woke up to three missed calls from Ozi and one from my mother. No messages. I hadn’t heard from her since I left Maplewood and I hadn’t bothered to call either. I sent her a quick text when I first got here to which she never replied. She was probably calling to make sure I didn’t show up to Alex and Meadow’s wedding. Wouldn’t want the ex-girlfriend messing up her favorite daughter’s precious day.
I groaned as I kicked my feet out of bed. I had an old fashion hangover and a bad taste in my mouth from my encounter with Camille. I started to dial Ozi back when I got interrupted by a knock on the door. A knock that quickly turned to banging as I dragged myself toward it.
“Raven, you in there?”
Ozi.
Shit. I was hungover and looked like crap. “Give me a second,” I yelled through the door. I scrambled around to find my robe.