The air was cold, and the sun was out, but it was cold. Raven gripped the sink with both of her hands, panic rising through her. Chest tight, body tense, everything was quiet. Only the harsh sound coming from her was the sound that filled the air. It had been a day since the hex was placed on her; the raven sat with the dead flower in its beak. She could not find a way to remove it. Symptoms had started to appear; looking up into the mirror, her dark eyes stared back at her.
'It's your fault.'
'It's your fault.'
Her voice filled her head. Something red caught her eye in the mirror. Her gaze drifted to the object on the floor. The small vase that was on top of her shelf with the dried-up flowers was still perfect, but some petals had fallen from the rose. Bending down, she grabbed it. The dried red petal in her hand crumbled. Petals littered her floor. Reaching for another, she traced the dead leaves when suddenly red substances spilled into her hand. Raven dropped the rose, washing her hands. It turned out the torture she was enduring was the negative side of her blaming herself, torturing herself with the past, and telling herself she was the cause of everything. Raven turned on the shower, getting undressed, covered in sweat from her nightmares. Stepping into the shower, warm water hit her skin, and shivers covered her entire body. She started to wash herself.
"Raven," the familiar voice called. Halting her movement. She slowly blinked open her eyes, wiping the water from her face, only to find no one in the room.
"Raven," the voice repeated.
"It was all your fault," her mother's voice cried out.
"Please stop," Raven cried out, gripping her hair tightly in her hands.
"I am dead because of you."
KNOCK KNOCK
Silence followed, no whispering, no haunted cries of pain, only her harsh breathing. Reaching out to the shower curtain, everything was normal. Grabbing the towel from the wall, she covered herself.
KNOCK KNOCK
Her body froze, gripping the towel tighter around her.
"Raven, there is a call for you from Wren." Aunt Mel called from the other side of the door. Her body instantly calmed upon hearing her aunt's voice.
"I will be out in a minute!" she called back, her body calming down. Stepping out of the tub, she wiped her mirror, her blue eyes staring back at her and no longer her dark ones.
Silence filled the room; only her sparks shot through her. Closing her eyes, she breathed through the pain.
"You hurt your classmates," her voice reminded her, "You wanted to hurt him."
"No, I didn't," Raven cried out.
'You did it; it is in your blood' shot through her brain. "I am not defined by my family," she breathed out, turning her back on the mirror and stepping out of her bathroom. No longer torturing herself to endure it.
"I would have never pictured myself here in my life; I guess you wouldn't have either," she whispered to the dog. She caught sight of her eyes in her reflection.
"But there is a difference between us; unlike me, there is hope for you," Raven whispered, brushing her hand through its thick fur.
Its breathing strengthened with each breath.
"There you go, buddy," she whispered to him as his eyes opened.
"You will be okay."
"He is awake," Wren exclaimed happily. She brushed her hand through the dog's hair.
Bobby stood on the other side of the door, watching Raven talk to the dog. The phone was pressed against his ear.
"There has been no sign of Milo; the pack traced him back to the pack grounds, but then they lost track of him."
"I will ask Oakley to take over."
"Okay," silence followed for a few seconds until he spoke.
"How is Raven doing?" His eyes snapped to the girl, no longer frowning but smiling at the dog.
"She seems to be doing fine, but I can tell it has taken effect on her."
Met with no reply, he pulled his phone back to see that the call had ended.
"His manners sometimes," he whispered under his breath, sliding his phone into his pocket.
***
Raven fidgets in front of the door.
'Why are you even here?' Raven turned around to leave, but the door opened.
"Miss Graverose," Demetri's voice stopped her from facing the man.
"You may come inside," he told her, holding the door open for her. She stepped inside; Demetri left her alone.
Trudging down the steps.
Her head is throbbing.
Shaking her head, she sat at the piano; the quiet house felt even emptier than it was. Raven's eyes fell on the greenhouse a couple of feet away from the house.
"What are you doing?" she questioned Dorian, pulling at the rope. She recalled what had happened that day. Her fingers danced across the keys, her hands slamming on the keys.
"Breath, Raven, breath," tears pricked her eyes.
Her hands shakily remove themselves from the keys while standing up.
***
Bobby is standing outside the house.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"The pack invited you to dinner."
"The pack, or did Ophelia and Eden?" Raven asked him, knowing that the pack was not very fond of her.
"They have grown to like you."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Raven,"
Blinking at him.
"Sorry,"
"It's fine; are you all right?"
"Yeah,"
Stepping out of the car, they walked into the house. "I will keep you warm," he said, slinging his arm over her shoulder.
Biting into the food, she listened to the stories and had a conversation.
Staring down at the tattoo, it's still there.
"This territory was once run by the Greycrest pack. Our pack once ruled here, but the attacks from the Immortals made us rank as one of the weakest packs. We were forced off until Dorian's father took over, making a strong pack on the grounds until Dorian killed his father. The rest scattered away, and we hid, but he had sought us out, giving us back our territory, for it was ours first, and he would stay on his side. Other Immortals came for us, but Dorian helped us protect the territory until we had grown stronger."
Ophelia grabbed her hand; the dread and the voices stopped. "The rose is gone," a sigh of relief left her body.
"How?" she questioned, confused.
"If I only knew, those are rarely removed," Ophelia told her. But hers was gone. A breath of relief left her.