Page 35 of The Raven
Raven Blackwood.
Beloved daughter.
Sleep well, angel.
An overwhelming need to grieve for a life taken too soonhitme. Not just forme, but for my mom and stepdad. For my friends. ForEricandMason.
“How thefuckare you here?”Butchasked,pullingone of hissavage-looking knives from the sheath attached to hisbelt. He always had them with him, no matter where he went. That was why he was known as The Butcher.
Pushing down the need to release my sobs, I took a step closer, Butch and Pyro’s body turning rigid, while Grim remained glued to the spot, his calm, calculated eyes watching me.
“I think you should be askingwhyam I here? It’s far easier for me toanswer.”I shrugged.“To end you all.”
“Fuck you, you little bitch!” Pyro roared. “We killed you, you’re dead!”
I tilted my head to the side.“Funny, that’s what Boogie said, right before Isliced him up like an onion.”
“You little-” Pyro started, only to be interrupted by Grim.
“Enough,” he said, his tone cool. Collected. He stepped between Pyro and Butch, keeping his gaze still trained on me. “Good to see you, little sister. I’ve missed you.”
I snorted. “I can’t say the feeling is mutual,big brother.”
He smirked.“So, you’re the one who has been killing my boys, huh?”
“Yup. Are you ready to join them?”
His smirk turned into a maliciousgrin, full of malevolence.“Not today.”
“Ihateto disappoint you,”I retorted, mytonelaced with sarcasm, while deepinside, my body remembered everything he’d done to me.
Grimtapped his lip, something he would always do whenever he wasthinking.“You know, either you’ve done an incredible job of faking your own death, orBuckwas right all along; you are a ghost. I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
Without anywarning, he pulled his gun out from where it washiddenunderhis jacket andfiredtwo shots at me. Theravenin thetreesquawked inpanicas both bullets lodged in mychest. I stumbled back, blinding agony tearing through my body as my knees buckled. I fell to the ground, not moving as I squeezed my eyes shut, unbearable pain gripping my body.
“Go check on her,” Grim ordered from somewhere in the distance.
“I’m not going,” Pyro snapped like the fucking coward he was.
“Fucking pussy,” Butch hissed. At least we could agree on one thing. “I’ll check.”
The rustling of footsteps filtered into the night air asButchwalked to whereI lay, mybulletwounds slowly closing. Remembering theknifeI’dhiddenup the sleeve of my good arm when I left Mason's place, I subtly moved it so my palm was clutched around the handle, but thebladewashiddenunder my hip.
“She’s not moving,”Butchsaid when he neared me, hovering just out ofreach like he was too scared to get close.
“Check her pulse,” Grim demanded. He was as much of a coward as Pyro, sending Butch to do his dirty work.
Despite thepainstill coursing through me, I stifled a laugh.Checkmypulse? Good luck finding that.
I could senseButchhesitating before he lowered himself to the ground, stillhovering over me. His warm fingers reached out and pressed against mythroat, where he held them for a few seconds.
“Nopulse,”he called as he began tostandagain, pausing at the last minute.“Wait.”He ripped my jacket open, and with my eyes stillclosed, I could picture the look on his face at finding no holes piercing mychest.“There…there’s no blood.”
I cracked my eyes open, unnoticed byButch, who was staring at mychest,hisbrowspulled together in outright confusion.
“Didn’t your momma tell you not to play with knives?”I whispered.
Butch’s horrifiedgazeflashedto me, just in time to see me raise theknifeand slash it across histhroat. His eyes bulged as his handshotto his neck in a pathetic attempt to keep the blood inside his body, the blood that was nowfallingfrom thewoundlike a waterfall and coating me.
