Guardian of Atlantis (The Children of Atlantis) (15 page)

The two police officers at the front desk looked at each other. They rushed around the desk from opposite directions. Looks of pure hatred filled their faces.

Raven wasn’t sure if it was directed at her or the men in the black suits, but she was
n’t hanging around to find out.

Raven yanked open the door and rushed out into the pouring rain. She glanced back into the police station. The two officers who refused to help her were rolling on the ground. The man in black she kept hearing in her head stood over them. He turned and said something to his companions, but she couldn’t hear what. His voice was too low.

He turned and glanced at Raven.
“Soon
,
little one.
Soon we will talk, but for now run. Agent Morrison is dangerous, especially for you.” His words echoed in her brain.

Raven shook her head. Like I plan on talking to you again, she thought.

The man laughed.

Raven’s eyes narrowed. He could hear her thoughts? The voice definitely had to go.

“Someone, stop her now!” Agent Morrison yelled as she stomped toward the men.

“If I could get this block head off me, I would,” grumbled Officer Joe. Every time he tried to get up, the man in black whose voice Raven heard in her head, moved so the officer couldn’t get up.

Raven put her hand on the door where it m
et the frame. Anger filled her
. She was sure her blood was boiling with the emotion. Her fingertips grew warm. With each passing second it grew hot
ter until it became so hot,
she felt cold.

Raven blinked. She pulled her hand away from the door and jumped back.

The red hot warmth was gone.

Agent Morrison stood directly in front of her, the glass door was the only thing separating them.  The woman tried opening the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

It was sealed shut.

Agent Morrison’s fac
e turned red, at least what Raven could
see.
Huge, black sunglasses covered most of the woman’s face
. She yelled something, but od
dly, Raven couldn’t hear it. The woman
moved aside and the man in black whose voice Raven kept hearing in her head, stepped to the door. He tried opening it. Agent Morrison’s face turned purple. She yelled again, this time her arms moved in all directions at once, but still Raven couldn’
t hear anything she was saying.
Raven stared at them as if she were staring at exotic fish in a huge tank.
She tried
to process what
she had done.

“Go now! Find a place to hide. She will be looking for you.”

Raven shook her head.

“Go! I will do
what I can to stall her.” said
the voice in her head.

Raven turned and sprinted across the parking lot, jumping over some puddles and splashing through others. She scrambled into Ethan’s jeep. The engine roared to life on her first attempt to start it.  She pulled out of the parking lot, not knowing where she was going or what she was
going to do when she got there.

10

I absolutely love good coffee, and
it’s
all dad’s fault. When I was little, he would let me have sips of his coffee. Of course, mom would g
et after him, telling him it
was the worst thing he could let me drink. It didn’t stop him. After he died, mom wouldn’t let me have coffee. It was tough. I started sneaking it when she wasn’t looking. I even saved empty soda cans and put the coffee in them.

Yeah, I could have sodas but not coffee. Go figure.

Once I hit high school, there was no stopping me. In each new town, I hunted down the best coffee shop. If the town didn’t have one, I’d find the diner with the best coffee.

Me,
a coffee addict
?

Well, maybe just a little.

             
--Raven Weir’s journal

Raven figured if anyone was looking for her, they would look near her house, so she went the opposite side of town where a lot of trendy shops were located. She avoided taking a direct route. Instead she looped back so many times it made her dizzy, but if it kept anyone from following her, it was worth it. Finally she turned onto Crystal Skull Alley, the street all the new shops were located.

The rain fell in sheets. The radio talked about several severe
flood warnings
currently in effect for the city of Pinewood and the surrounding counties. As for an end to the rain, the radio wasn’t hopeful about the sun shining anytime soon.

And like everyone else in town, Raven was ready for the rain to be over and done
with,
especially with it getting colder quicker than it normally did this time of year.

Raven pulled the jeep into a parking space in front of Vintage Remix, a store selling quality vintage clothing,
catering to the growing college
population in town. About three stores down
from it, was The Double Shot, the coffee shop she had found the second day she was in town.  Not only was The Double Shot
home of the best coffee in the state, but
it was
a cool hangout for computer geeks of all ages. The place was always full of people, so Raven figured she could hide there, at least for a little while.

Raven turned off the jeep’s engine. For a few brief seconds she thought about leaving the keys in it, but she tossed th
e
idea out. It was bad enough
she took it
without Ethan’s permission and would have to face his
ang
er, but if someone else stole the jeep
? Raven shuddered.

Wondering if there was a slight chance Ethan had left
a couple of dollars in the small storage compartment
, Raven opened it.

“Yes!” Raven said excitedly when she found a five dollar bill. She slipped it into her front pocket and got out. Making sure the jeep was locked and the alarm set, Raven ran to the covered sidewalk and set off at a fast walk to the coffee shop.

The wonderful, rich smell of fresh brewed coffee hit Raven a good five seconds before the rush of warm air when she opened the door to The Double Shot. Once inside, the heady aroma of coffee beans wrapped around her like a
n old
warm blanket. A hint of vanilla and cinnamon slipped teasingly in between the thick coffee scents, making her mouth water.

The barista behind the counter was a blur of motion. The whirl of coffee beans grinding blended with taps of spoons on coffee mugs and the hiss of steam
ing milk
creating an odd but relaxing symphony. A few decibels louder, people whispered and laughed, competing with the subtle but steady clicks of mice and keyboards.

Raven stepped to the back of the line of people waiting to place their orders. Her head slightly down, she scanned the room for anyone she thought might recognize her or was a possible threat to her, though she was rather clueless abo
ut exactly who her enemies were.
She did spot an unoccupied table in the far corner and crossed her fingers, hoping no one snagged it before she got her coffee.

“What’s you
r
poison?” asked the tall, lanky guy behind the cash register. His dull brown, almost greasy hair fell just past his eyes, hiding them from view.

“House special, extra hot, extra tall.”

“Name.”
The
guy picked up a black marker and a white and brown disposable cup.

“R
a
—Alex,” she said with a slight stumble of her tongue. She figured using a shortened version of her middle name might throw off anyone listening.

The guy marked the cup and handed it to the barista who poured and mixed the drink. “That’ll be $2.75,” he said.

Raven pulled the five out of her pocket, f
eeling a little, actually a lot
guilty about taking it out of Ethan’s jeep. Somehow, she would repay him, she told herself, handing the money to the guy.

The barista handed Raven her coffee about the same time the guy at the register handed her the change fro
m the five. Stuffing the change
in her front pocket, she moved away from the counter and headed to the table she had spotted earlier in the back corner.

Raven sipped her coffee and wondered what to do next.

Trust no one.

The words echoed in her brain. Maybe the woman in the mirror was right, because honestly Raven had no clue
who
she could trust. But could she trust the woman?

Love you daughter.

Raven bit down hard on her bottom lip, making herself wince.

Daughter.

Raven rolled the woman’s
words around her brain. Her
hands shook. She knew who the woman in the mirror was.
There was no doubt in her mind. Raven’s
stomach quivered.

Could she trust her biological mother?

Could she trust one of the most feared monsters ever written about in mythology?

Could she trust Medusa?

“Is this going to become a regular habit?” growled Ethan.

Raven looked up.
“Only if you keep
leaving the keys where I can find
them.”
She took another sip of her drink, hoping the action would hide the fact he had startled her.

“I’ll have to remember that.” Etha
n pulled out a chair and sat
.

“I don’t remember inviting you to sit down.”

Ethan
just
grinned at her.

“Why don’t you just go away?”

“Not going to happen.”

Raven dug into her pocket and pulled out the jeep’s key
s
. “Here. I assume this is what you came for.” She tossed the keys across the table to Ethan.

He slipped them into the pocket of the jacket he was wearing.
“Among other things.”

The greasy-haired guy from the cash register suddenly appeared at the table with a cup of coffee. “Is there anything else I can get you?” he asked Ethan after sittin
g the cup down in front of him
.

Ethan shook his head. “Thanks, Billy.
I’m good for now.
”

Billy nodded and walked away.

Raven raised an eyebrow at Ethan.

He chuckled. “Billy’s a pack mate.”

Raven closed her eyes and groaned. “They’re everywhere, aren’t they?”

“Surprised?”

“Ticked.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one who’s ticked?” Ethan raised his eyebrows at her.

“I didn’t steal your jeep.” A pinkish blush crept across Raven’s cheeks. “If that’s what you’re talking about.”

“But you took it without asking.” Ethan kept his voice somewhat neutral.

“If you do
n’t want anyone to
take it, you shouldn’t leave
your keys in it.”

“So it’s my fault you took the jeep?”

“You left an open invitation.” Raven gave Ethan a quick smile. “So you got your jeep back, why are you still here?”

“I like the coffee. The company’s not too bad either.” Ethan grinned and winked at her.
“If I can keep her from running away.”

Raven went a few shades pinker. “So go enjoy your coffee at another table,” she muttered trying to cover up her embarrassment. “And you won’t have to worry about anyone running away.”

“But I like the company at this table.” Ethan leaned forward. “I get the distinct feeling you’re trying to get rid of me.”

“You’re finally getting the drift.” Raven studied the design on her coffee cup so she wouldn’t have to look at Ethan.

“So how did you manage to ditch everyone?” Ethan leaned back as he studied Raven.

“I didn’t ditch anyone.” Raven refused to look at him. “
There just wasn’t anyone there to stop me when I walked out
the front door.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“Leslie and the girls should have stayed with you.” He looked around the coffee shop.

“Well, they didn’t.
Like you, they had to take care of some sort of business.
So get over it. I just walked out while everyone was preoccupied with other stuff. Not everything revolves around me.”

“You shouldn’t sell yourself short.” Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You are very important to a lot of people.”

“Not enough for someone to get hurt because of me!” hissed Raven.

“Yes, you are!” He all but yelled causing people to stare at them.

Raven put her hand in front of her face. “Do you think you can talk a little louder? I think a couple of people in the shop next door didn’t hear you.”

“Never say you’re not important.”

“Would you lower your voice?” Raven looked around. Most people had turned back to what they were doing before Ethan yelled, but a few still stared, making Raven nervous. She turned her attention back to Ethan. “People are staring.”

“Let them.” Ethan’s eyes turned red. “So you’ve been driving alone for three hours?”

“No.” Raven flipped some hair out of her face.

“No?”

“I decided to pick up a couple of the senior guys who like to party and we headed to the Southend Bridge.” Raven took another sip of her coffee to cover the smile.

“You had better be joking
,” growled Ethan. He clenched his fists. A wave of pure rage rolled off of him.

“Can’t take a joke can you?” Raven raised her eyebrows at him. “For your information, I was at the police station part of the time.”

“And what were you doing there?” Ethan spat out the words between clenched teeth.

“It’s none of your business.”

“Yes, it is. I claimed you. I have every right as your protector to know everything going on with you.”

“First. I’m not exactly clear about
t
his claiming thing of yours, but it doesn’t sound very good. This is the twenty-first century
if you haven’t forgotten
. Slavery is against the law.
No one.
I repeat. No one owns me. Not you. Not anyone.  Second.  What is this mating business? We’ve just met and already we’re connected as a couple. What gives with this? Besides you’re a Hellhound. So far Hellhounds haven’t exactly been friendly towards me.
Third.
I went to the police station to file a missing person
’s
report on my mom. Yeah, I know you said you would find her, but there are laws we have to follow.
And fourth.
I-I’m scared. I don’t know what you
and everyone else
expect
s
of me.” Raven wiped away the tears running down her cheeks. “And I refuse to let anyone get hurt because of me.”

Ethan pulled his chair closer to Raven and took her hands into his. “I don’t know how or why your mom hid you from your destiny all these years, but she did. And for that, I’m sorry. If you had grown up here, you would have all this knowledge instead of the crash course you’ve been given.”

“It’s not fair,” whispered Raven.

“No, it’s not. But it is what it is.” Ethan caressed Raven’s cheek with his knuckles. “Yes, I claimed you, but
it
doesn’t make you my property. It does make you my responsibility to protect. It’s stronger than any vow or oath, and with you it has a much deeper meaning because you are my mate. Hellhounds have one mate. One p
erson meant for each one of us
.”

“How do you know it’s me?”

“Your scent.
It calls to the Hellhound in a way no other scent can or will.”

“My scent is what you’re basing this on?” She rolled her eyes.

“Scent is everything in the animal world. And Hellhounds are animals.”

Raven nodded.
“Most d
efinitely.”