Content Warning: Blood on the Raven is an adult fantasy that may contain content upsetting to some readers. You may read the list in full by clicking here.
Blood on the Raven
A Lighter Shade Of Darkness: Book Two
Jade thought becoming High Priestess and finding out who killed her aunt would bring some kind of closure, but regaining her powers was only half the battle. The anger and hurt haven’t diminished and it’s messing with her control.
When a dark Witch threatens the coven, she thinks things can’t get any worse. But a Sun City lawkeeper comes to town, and his investigation could ruin the fragile truce between the classes, igniting a new war between science and magic.
Can she find a way to stay out of the lawkeeper’s sights, protect the peace, and find the vengeance she seeks?
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The Main Characters
Character portraits by T.A. Hernandez
Jade has settled into life as Sugar Hill’s High Priestess, but she can’t let go of what Raven did to her best friend. She knows vengence is wrong, but it feels like the only way to find peace. When Raven threatens her coven, Jade vows to make her pay, but a lawkeeper’s investigation complicates things almost to the breaking point. Charlie’s knowledge of dark magic could be the solution, or the first step on a path to her own distruction.
Lawkeeper Caldwell is nearing retirement. It’s something few lawkeepers get to do in Sun City. Most burn out or die. But Caldwell is relentless, and he’s closed every case so far. but there’s something about this case that feels different and when he sees a familiar name in the case files, he wonders if this might be the one that breaks him.
Raven is a survivor. Even if that means possessing someone else’s body to do it. She spent years in the Veil between life and death, plotting her return. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she didn’t expect to be nearly killed again within minutes of settling into April’s body. So she did what she’s good at and escaped into the dark. Jade may think she’s won, but Raven found a secret weapon, and it’s only a matter of time before she activates it and makes Sugar Hill coven her own.
Chapter Excerpts
Jade dropped to the ground and covered her head with her hands, as flames shot over her and the ground shook from the blast. The heat across her back subsided, and she slowly sat up. Feeling around her head, she half expected to find patches of burnt hair. Luckily, she seemed unscathed. She looked over at Charlie standing a few feet to her right. For a moment, neither of them moved.
“What the hell was that?” Charlie shouted, breaking the silence. He ran toward her over the frozen, bare ground as Jade stood and brushed dirt off her jeans and the hem of her cloak. He reached out and untangled a twig from her wavy brown hair. “We’re supposed to be training, not having a full-on battle.” As he stepped back, the worry lines eased and his expression softened.
“Well, it’s your fault for not being more specific. All you said was ‘Think fire.’”
“Yeah, fire. As in, light it on fire, not blow it to smithereens.” As Charlie looked around them, Jade followed his gaze.
Bonfire Field was the site of fire festivals going back generations, and the earth in the center of the clearing had been permanently scorched free of any greenery. With no grass or plants to catch fire and the nearest trees a good fifty feet in any direction, it was the best place in the township to practice fire magic.
There were pieces of splintered and charred wood scattered around them, still smoking in the frigid November air. Charlie had cobbled together the makeshift statue from deadwood to represent the enemy. Supposedly any enemy, but Jade had seen Raven’s sadistic smile grinning out from the bark of the headpiece. It was the same smile she’d loved only weeks before, when her friend April had been the only spirit inhabiting her body.
Jade’s anger and frustration had taken over, and she’d released a fireball much bigger than she’d intended. It spun out of control, whipping around her and finally barreling toward the target. The kindling hadn’t stood a chance, but without control, Jade couldn’t be sure the spell would be as effective against Raven. Worse yet, she couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t unintentionally hurt someone she cared about.
Charlie dipped his head to catch her eyes. His rich brown curls framed his face and contrasted his blue eyes, making them almost seem to glow. “Hey, it’s okay. You’ve been doing really well at reconnecting to your magic. You just need to work on your control.” His crooked grin teased a smile from her, and he pulled her into an embrace.
She relaxed into him, letting his warmth create a bubble of safety around her. “Mmm. This is nice.” She felt she could forget everything and stay in his arms forever.
“Yeah, it is, but we can’t get distracted. We need to start Katie’s initiation soon.” He pushed her away. “After that, I’m all yours.”
She leaned back into him. “Promise?”
He grinned back at her and spoke in an exaggerated British accent. “Your wish is my command, m’lady.” She giggled, and he continued in his normal voice. “Let’s do the breathing exercise, then we can try it again.”
Jade rolled her eyes. “I can’t stop in the middle of a fight and say ‘oh, can you wait a minute, I’ve got to breathe.’”
“Of course not, but it does help you calm your mind. A calm mind means better control. Practice with the breathing enough now, and you won’t need to think about it when you’re in battle. It’ll be a habit.”
“Fine.” She closed her eyes and tried focusing on her breath.
Chapter 1 Excerpt: Battle Magic
“Do you have any idea what happened to her?” The gears in his right eye spun, the iris opening wider. The drone dipped slightly, the green ring glowing brighter. Jade knew what that meant. He was reading her reaction: breathing rate, sweat production, skin coloring. He was watching for a lie. He was also trying to intimidate her. Jade had seen both Witches and Citizens confess to crimes under Lawkeeper scrutiny.
She looked him dead in his digital eye. “I have no idea where April is.” It was true, sort of. Raven was possessing April’s body, but she didn’t know where. A flash of April lying dead in her arms, covered in blood, went through her mind.
“And what about now? Why are you still here, in Sugar Hill?” The drone closest to Jade whirred slightly, its lens contracting, focusing on her face.
Jade focused on her intake of breath. Slowly. Calmly. “When I visited last year, I became close with Mayor Jordan. As friends. I decided to take some time off from work and stay in town for a while. There’s something about the quiet out here. I sleep much better without all the city noise. Mr. Whetstone said I could take all the time I needed, so I stayed.”
“You stayed because of your friendship with a township mayor?”
Jade wasn’t sure how to answer. Citizens were never more than casual acquaintances with Witches, at least not publicly. “I’m not sure I like what you’re inferring.”
He raised one hand in protest. “I meant no disrespect.” He leaned forward as if to speak only to her, though the drone over his shoulder moved in unison. “I personally don’t care what your relationship with him is. It’s just that, well, there are some people who say you’re a Witch sympathizer.”
“Well, they’re wrong.”
“Are they?” He waved his hand, and the second drone projected a holographic video in the space next to her. It was Jade, arguing with the cook in a food truck about Witches being charged more.
Jade had to tread lightly. In the eyes of the Lawkeepers, there was a very fine line between being a Witch sympathizer and being an actual Witch. It had been many years since anyone was falsely accused, but that was only because of how careful Witches were within city limits. She waited until the video stopped, then said in her most proper tone, “I know some of my actions may seem controversial. But I assure you, I have no wish for our races to be mingled. Yes, Mayor Jordan and I are friends, of a sort. But that friendship will surely come to an end when I go home to Sun City. My presence here is simply because I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn more about them.” She was about to point out that it wasn’t illegal for Citizens to stay in townships, just unusual. She stopped herself though and stared calmly at the inspector.
“I see.” He wrote something in his notebook again. He looked up at her and was about to speak when there was a brief knock on the front door as it opened.
A woman in a dark blue pinstripe business suit entered swiftly. “My name is Ms. Scrivener. I am Miss Cerridwen’s legal counsel, and I officially request you cease this line of questioning immediately.” She dropped her briefcase on the coffee table and stood next to Jade.
The inspector frowned, but did not move. “Citizen law does not allow representation during questioning.”
“True, but you are on Witch property at the moment, and as I’m sure you know, the Accords are clear that the location of the accused designates the laws followed. Witch laws require a representative present during any official questioning.”
“I see.” As he marked in his notebook, he asked, “And what is your connection with or concern for a Citizen? You are a Witch, are you not?”
Chapter 2 Excerpt: Lawkeeper
Jade leaned into the pain and twisted it into the familiar fiery hatred Raven’s name always inspired. She pushed away from Charlie and stepped partway down the path. “Where are you? Stop playing games, Raven. Show yourself.”
“My little lamb not having fun?” Raven’s voice came from directly behind them.
Jade spun, taking a couple of steps back. She felt relief to see Raven didn’t look much like her old friend anymore. Her once sunny-blond hair was now jet black and cropped into a short asymmetrical bob. Her features were the same, but her bright blue eyes were warmed to a golden brown. Even her fair skin looked different. The faint freckles were gone, and a deathly pale replaced her once healthy peach glow. She was wearing a long black leather coat over black jeans and what could only be described as a red corset with black lace trim. She looked like April’s dark, evil twin.
“What do you want?” Jade demanded. She gathered the hot anger within her, the familiar tingle of static pooling in her palms. She would probably only get one shot. She couldn’t let her anger ruin her aim.
“Well, it’s been a while since we girls chatted, and I thought I should drop by. You know, say ‘Hi. How’s it going? What’s up?” She eyed Charlie briefly, then smirked at Jade.
He was slowly edging to the side, putting space between him and Jade so Raven couldn’t see them both at once.
“That can’t be all you want.” Jade struggled not to shake as the power focused into a burning energy ball, just outside the visible spectrum. She wouldn’t be able to hold herself back much longer, but she wanted to give Charlie time to get into position. With two of them firing from different directions, they’d have a better chance.
“No, but manners matter, don’t th—?”
Jade threw the fireball and it burst against a large tree behind Raven, sending bits of flaming wood flying. She hadn’t missed, she was certain. It had passed right through Raven, as if she wasn’t even there.
“Rude!” Raven stretched her neck, the fringes of her jet-black bob swinging away from her face. She straightened the collar of her jacket. “I had a feeling you might try something like that, and if there’s one thing I won’t stand for, it’s interruptions. Hence the astral form. Now, where were we? Oh yes. We were catching up. How do you like my new do?” She gestured to her hair.
“Are you serious?” Charlie clenched his fists.
Apparently, the Witch’s flippant attitude was annoying him as much as Jade. While he talked, she scanned the woods around them, trying to feel how close Raven actually was.
“After everything you’ve done, you come here talking about fashion? We’re not your friends.” He glanced at Jade, who shook her head subtly.
Raven’s face was like stone, but she seemed to read her mind. She looked down her nose at Jade. “Now, now, lamby. Don’t try to ruin our nice chat. I’m somewhere you’ll never find me. We’ll have plenty of time for you to show off your training later. Let’s just all have a civil conversation now, shall we?”
Charlie forced his fists open, and Raven nodded with a smile. “Better. And as a reward, I’ll get straight to business. I’ve come to serve notice. I’m moving in. Not immediately of course, but before the sun returns at Yule, your coven will be mine.”
“Over my dead body.”
She pouted. “It may come to that, but let’s hope not. Oh I have a whole process planned. After all, even I can’t just walk into a full coven and say ‘I’m here, let’s start the party.’” She laughed. “No, it takes planning, torture, blood . . . oh wait, that’s murder.”