Page 3 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

Still reeling from the sudden realization that the thing that brought them together was still manifesting itself in unbelievable ways, Sarah and Athan reluctantly secured Poe in his cage and locked up the apartment.

She was still smiling as she reached the bottom of the narrow steps and opened the door to the building.

She nearly tripped over a small box on the stoop.

Athan hopped down the steps behind her, and before she could reach down to grab it, he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against him.

“Wait,” he said, staring at it. “What is that?”

“It looks like a present,” Sarah pointed out, sarcastically.

“Who would have left that on your doorstep? After everything that’s happened, I don’t think it would be smart to just pick it up.

” He pulled her around him and stepped outside, brushing the dusting of snow from the side of the wrapped box, and lifting the corner of the lid. Sarah couldn’t see from the doorway.

“What is it?” she asked, keeping a careful distance.

“Stay back,” Athan growled. His voice was that hard detective she’d met months ago, and something in her gut twisted at the tone.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and took several pictures.

He reached into the box and pulled out a small piece of paper.

It looked handwritten. He stood slowly, taking a picture of that too.

“Athan, what is it?” Sarah asked again, growing nervous. When he finally turned toward her, his face was grave. Of course. Why would they think they could ever just be happy without something happening? He handed her the small note.

Welcome to the family.

-J. A.-

“J.A…” Sarah whispered under her breath.

She looked up at Athan, meeting eyes as blue as an angry ocean.

“John Allan.” His jaw feathered, and he swallowed.

“What’s in the box?” Athan was still as death for a moment, teeth grinding, before he finally moved aside.

Sarah took a step forward and looked down at her unexpected gift.

A dead bird.

A Black Bird.

Snow slung out around the sides of Athan’s car as he angrily drove through the near empty streets of Boston, heading towards his old building.

Sarah fidgeted in the passenger seat, bouncing her knee nervously and staring out the window.

He glanced at her and the fiery rage he had felt when they left their apartment had eased into a steady thrum of protective, subtle anger.

It still baffled him how much she could affect him like that.

He reached over and placed a hand on her knee. She stopped bouncing it.

“I don’t like this,” she breathed, toying with her bottom lip. “I don’t like this at all.”

“That makes two of us. But you do understand that the bodies I’ll drop to keep you safe aren’t limited to your dear old dad, don’t you?”

“I do. But see, that’s where I’m confused.

My entire life, Athan…he’s never once tried to find me.

I didn’t even know his damn name until Mom told me.

And she told me after she was already dead.

Which nobody would fucking believe. They’d throw me in an asylum somewhere.

” Sarah shook her head, blowing out a deep sigh of frustration.

“I doubt that just because he never reached out to you, meant he didn’t know you existed. What interests me is how he obviously knows that you’ve been fully turned. What’s more interesting is that he welcomes you to the family with a threat?”

Sarah’s face jerked towards him. “Is it a threat?”

“Well, is a dead bird something you think you’d likely get as a friendly Christmas gift from your Daddy?” He instantly regretted the way that came out. Sarah’s lips pursed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to sound quite like that, love.”

“No, you’re right. And it’s a black bird. The coven is disbanded, is it not? Dahlia’s gone; they all went their separate ways. The club has new owners. What does any of this mean?”

Athan pondered that for a long moment, stopping at a red light.

He gripped the wheel a little harder. “Dahlia said something about him when we killed her. We never talked about that. It’s obvious she knows who he is.

That being said, he might very well have been associated somehow with the Black Bird coven. ”

“And you’ve never heard anyone mention a John Allan in the two hundred years you’ve been with them?”

He looked back over at her, pulling forward. “Never. I swear it.”

“What about Decclan? Or Devin? Maybe Tony? Have they left for Ireland yet?”

“I’m not sure. I’m pretty positive Decclan, at least, has a phone. I’ll filter through my numbers and see if I saved it. Although, he didn’t say anything about it when Dahlia mentioned John. We were all there.”

“I think they were all a little preoccupied with not going up in flames,” Sarah softly smiled, staring forward. “Why would he wanna hurt me?”

“Maybe he doesn’t. I could be reading that gift wrong…but it sure didn’t seem like a reason to believe that’s not the case.”

She sighed and stared out the window again, palming over the back of his hand and squeezing. He looked over and something warm ached in his chest at the sight of that ring on her finger.

I love you.

A smile tugged at her lips, and she slowly turned her face towards him. Those eyes would be the death of him.

I love you too.

Athan smiled back at her, bringing her knuckles to his mouth and playfully biting them before kissing each one. “I don’t care what his reasons are. You don’t need to worry. Nothing’s gonna happen to you, Sarah.”

“I know,” she smiled, nodding.

They pulled into the parking structure at Rhaena’s building and the car chirped at them as he locked it up, grabbing Sarah’s hand on their way to the entrance.

The ride in the elevator was silent. Sarah held the inauspicious gift in her hand and continued to stare at it, even as the doors opened and they started down the hallway.

It was habit. He walked straight to the door of his old apartment first, without thinking.

They glanced at each other, Sarah snorting at him before moving over to Rhaena’s door instead.

He dug out his key and slid it into the knob, but before he could turn it, the door opened and Rhaena stood in the doorway.

Her face was flushed, and her hair was—familiar.

“Morning, Rhaena.” Athan couldn’t contain his grin.

“Merry Christmas…assholes.” She rolled her eyes, smiling as she pushed the door farther open and turned to let them inside. “Coffee’s on. Brandon’s in the shower.”

“Is Wren here?” Sarah asked as they walked in.

Rhaena shut the door and followed them into the kitchen.

The smell of coffee was strong, and he found himself already looking for a mug.

“Jesus, Athan. When did you become such a junkie? You’re almost as bad as she is,” Rhaena pointed at Sarah with a thumb.

“Wren isn’t here. Honestly, I haven’t heard from her all morning. ”

Sarah’s brows lowered, and she quirked her lips to the side. “That’s not like her. Wren frickin’ loves Christmas.”

“Well, she did just go through a lot,” Athan offered, pouring two mugs before the coffee pot had even made it to half-full. “She got lucky enough not to have to spend her Christmas with—what was her name?”

Sarah snorted, “Peggy.”

“Right. I’d be basking in the peace and quiet too.” Rhaena sniffed near him and Athan backed away a step. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What is that smell?” Rhaena asked, sniffing again.

“Coffee?” Athan raised one of the mugs, handing the other to Sarah, who took it as she snickered at Rhaena.

“No. It’s something else. Something smells…dead.” Their smiles promptly faded and he caught Sarah’s bleak stare right before she dropped her eyes to the box still in her hand. Rhaena’s finger slid out from the baggy sleeve of her sweatshirt. “What is that?”

“See for yourself.” Sarah handed her the gift and Rhaena eyed her carefully before lifting off the lid. She winced back.

“What the hell?” Her face darted back and forth between them, and then back down at the contents of the box. She picked up the little piece of paper and read it. “J.A.?” It must have hit her then. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open. “Oh, my God.”

“It was left outside the downstairs door last night,” Sarah sighed.

“So…he’s here? In Boston?” Rhaena’s voice was edged with a familiar excitement.

“I have no idea. You know as much as we do.”

“Well, if he’s not, then somebody obviously is. And that somebody must know him well enough to deliver his cryptic messages.” Rhaena closed the box and tossed it onto the kitchen table.

“Why do you sound happy?” Sarah asked, raising a brow and sipping from her mug.

“She gets like that whenever she gets a lead. Sometimes she squeals.” Athan smiled into his mug.

Rhaena crossed her arms and gave him a pointed glare. “And sometimes , when Athan gets a lead, he shuts down emotionally—especially when it pertains to a pretty girl in a hospital.”

Athan shrugged. “I blame those eyes.”

Rhaena humphed, opening her mouth to say something else when she turned her attention back to Sarah, but stopped dead when her eyes snagged a ring on a very important finger. Her eyes grew two times bigger. “Umm…excuse me?”

He leaned back against the counter and smiled at Sarah, who lowered her mug from her mouth. Rhaena snatched her coffee away and brought her hand closer, pressing a palm to her mouth. “We were hoping to tell you when everybody was together.”

Rhaena’s eyes watered and she looked at him first, and then back to Sarah before pulling her into a tight hug. “I can’t believe it. I don’t even know what to say!” she sniffled, releasing her and diving over to throw her arms around him. “Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Sarah laughed, coming to stand next to him. He slid an arm around her back.

“When did this happen?” Rhaena asked, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

“I asked her last night,” Athan said, pulling Sarah closer.