Page 71 of Premonition of Peace

Tap, tap.

I cracked an eye open, looking around to see if Marcel had come in, but no one was there. I paused, straining to hear it again, but no other sound came.

The moment I closed my eyes, it happened again.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

“What in the Edgar Allen Poe nightmare is this?” I grumbled, standing up and walking into the living room.

Tap! Tap!

It was coming from the window. I caught a glimpse of what was making that sound and at first my heart jumped in my throat.

“A fucking raven? Are you kidding me? This really is some Poe shit,” I whispered, taking a closer look as I took slow, hesitant steps toward it.

It continued to hover in the same spot, flapping its wings. The bird cocked its head, watching me with intelligent eyes before it lifted its body slightly, showing me its legs. A small, rolled piece of paper tied to it.

I blew out a breath, steeling myself before I opened the window, and it landed on the ledge. Holding its leg out for me, I reached toward it slowly so I could untie the parchment.

I couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down my spine as I touched the cool, smooth feathers. “You really are something,” I whispered to it, wondering if it understood me. Part of me waited for it to say “Nevermore” in response. I might have fainted if it had.

Instead, after I’d relieved of its message, the raven gave a soft caw and flew off into the night. I watched it for a long moment before turning my eyes back to the small slip of paper, unrolling it to reveal a short script.

Rooftop.

~K

I immediately recognized the scrawled handwriting and breathed a sigh of relief. Katherine was here. She was still okay.

I almost yelled for Marcel but stopped myself. They were still technically married, and that was weird, wasn’t it? I needed to see her alone, and not invite whatever tense reunion that would occur if I brought him with me.

I left the note on the kitchen counter and grabbed some boots and a jacket by the door. The night air would be chilly enough simply for this time of year. Add the New Chicago wind while standing on a rooftop? No thanks.

Leaving the apartment was easier when your houseguest didn’t have supernatural hearing. Marcel might have been immortal now, but he was still a warlock. Lucifer would have already been glued to my side, refusing to leave. I made my way up the stairs to the rooftop, my mind racing with what new my sister had. We had a lot to talk about, and knowing Katherine, she was going to be vague and disappear as quickly as she’d arrived.

When I finally pushed on the thick metal door leading to the building’s roof, it screeched as it opened, and the cool night air hit me, bringing with it the faint sounds of the city around us.

As I rounded a corner, Katherine came into view, standing near the edge, her silhouette framed against the night sky, dramatic as always.

“Fancy way to get my attention,” I called out, my voice echoing slightly in the night air. “I?—”

My words broke off and I froze as she turned to me.

Katherine wasn’t alone. She was gripping Sasha’s lifeless body by her hair. In her other hand, a blade, gleaming in the moonlight.

My heart pounded in my ears. A grin stretched across Katherine’s face, vicious and unsettling. It was like looking at my own reflection twisted into something sinister. I didn’t getcloser, knowing it was safer to keep a good distance between us. Panicking would get me nowhere, but fucking hell did I want to panic.

“Hello, Nathalie.” She cocked her head, looking behind me and then giving a tut of disappointment. “Didn’t bring Marcel, I see? That’s a shame.”

My heart skipped a beat. She had known we saved him. She knew I was with him, and that meant she knew no one else was here.

The Nats of the loci were still, but fear and anger radiated from them in waves.

“It didn’t take you long,” I said, attempting to keep my voice calm. “I saw you, what, fifteen hours ago? How long before you found my sister?”

The Morrigan chuckled, smirking at me while she did. “Katherine isn’t as smart as she thinks she is. She’s been shadowing you once a day. Probably to check in on her dear sister. Isn’t that sweet? All I had to do was wait.”

“Couldn’t have waited a little longer?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I was trying to sleep.”

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