Orna Puella

- VIII -

Raven waited for me by one of the old trees on the side of the road. I walked up to him and I seriously didn’t care if someone would see us. I kissed his mouth and it felt great. Soon enough we were walking towards the train station. I knew it would take us at least an hour to get there but it didn’t bother me a single bit. As long as Raven was next to me, the distance didn’t matter.

“Tell me about your mother,” I said and he glanced at me.
“Why?”
“I am curious,” I hemmed. “I mean, the only thing about your mother that I know of is the fact that you burned her wardrobe… Isn’t she wondering where the hell you are spending all your time?”
“Nope,” he said lightly. “Her and I don’t communicate lately. I think she will be the happiest woman in the damn World after I get out of her sight for good.”
“Huh,” I said thoughtfully.

Raven shrugged.

“After the last incident she won’t even look at me.”
“The last incident?” I squinted my eyes at him. “You mean after the whole wardrobe thing?”
“Ah…” he coughed. “Yeah. I guess I never mentioned it, huh… She became sort of… ummm… upset after I told her that I am involved with a human…”
“Huh?” I was confused. “Why? Isn’t she human also?”
“She is,” he sighed. “But I am not. According to her, I have tainted blood or something like that. She was yapping something about the whole mixing blood shit,” he shrugged again. “So I got pissed and I sort of… I sort of sat her car on fire,” he finished with a crooked smile and I laughed.
“Oh my Dragon!” I breathed.
“Yeah,” Raven grinned. “She didn’t like that… So she said that I can do whatever the hell I want and that she doesn’t want to talk to me ever again. I think she was really tempted to kick me out of the house, but then I guess she figured that I might go completely nuts and burn the whole place down. Having me live there is the lesser evil for her.”
“Great Lizard,” I muttered. “This is why I want to get the hell out of this damn town. I hate everyone here… Well, almost everyone,” I added and Raven grinned.

We sat in the very back of half-empty train car and it seemed like nobody was paying any attention to us. So the entire trip to the City was great. Actually, that entire day was great. We walked around, went into different shops, drank unbelievable amount of coffee, and had some really great food. I kept asking Raven where in hell he was getting money but he would just shrug and say solemnly, “I have my ways.” Finally, I stopped asking. Who cares.

I loved the City. Everyone in there seemed preoccupied with their own problems, and if they looked at other people, it was only to make sure that nobody is trying to steal their wallet. Indifference is the greatest thing ever if you ask me. Raven and I were just a part of the crowd, and nobody even glanced at us when we were making out on the bench in some park. Nobody cared.

It got dark so soon that at first, I thought thunderstorm was coming or something. But then I looked at the clock on top of the huge tower and I groaned. It was almost nine in the evening. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The time flew by so fast that it felt beyond unreal.

“We need to get back,” I said gloomily and Raven just mumbled something under his breath.

We got back into town at ten and I hoped that Elsie won’t get suspicious before I make it home. I knew I’ll be there a little after eleven. We walked somewhat fast because it was cold, and also because I knew I had to get home. I guess it was a little before eleven when we finally got to my sidewalk. Raven held me close for several minutes and neither of us said anything. Finally, he sighed and planted a long kiss on my mouth without unwrapping his arms.

“Go,” he murmured.

I was about to say something, when suddenly there was a shriek of horror behind my back. I froze and Raven’s arms instinctively wrapped tighter around my body.

“Oh great Talath!! What are you doing?!”

Dragondammit!! It was Elsie.

“You filthy lowlife!” she shrieked. “Get away from her or I will have to…”
“Shut up!!” I screamed and whirled around in Raven’s arms.

Elsie stared at me like she has never seen me before. Her face was beyond pale, eyes huge with disgust ant horror.

“You let him grope you?!” she almost screamed. “Oh my Dragon!! I don’t believe this! You are disgrace to this house! You are disgrace to the entire human race!! You are nothing but a cheap slut!!”
“Shut your stupid mouth!” Raven hissed at her. “Do not talk to her like…”
“You filth!!” Elsie screamed. “You are going to rot on this sidewalk, you understand me?!!”

She took a step back and raised her hands. Oh, Talath, no! She was about to unleash her fury on him!

“Elsie, don’t!” I shrieked.

It seemed like she didn’t even hear me. The tips of her fingers glowed bright red and before I could say something else, a huge bolt of lightning escaped her hands. I managed to block it at the last second, but I knew that now Elsie was beyond pissed off and I wouldn’t be able to block her for long. Even this first lightning almost got through my barrier; I could feel my skin burn. Raven smoothly shoved me behind his back and I almost yelled at him to let me at least try and block her. Is he insane?!

Elsie shrieked something unintelligible and her fingers glowed again. Raven barked something, I couldn’t understand what he said, and suddenly Elsie’s hands were covered with ice. I blinked. Huh?! Elsie shook her hands and laughed madly.

“You filth!” she kept repeating, her eyes furious slits.

She got rid of the ice as if it was mere nuisance and was about to do something else, when suddenly everything around her caught on fire. She screamed with fear this time and started chanting something frantically. The fire died unwillingly and she just stared at Raven, her face a white mask of hate and fury.

“There is more where that came from,” Raven said quietly. “And the next time it will be you burning, not the bushes.”

I couldn’t see his face but I was pretty sure that his eyes were burning scarlet right now.

“Get out!” she hissed finally. “Get out!! And if I will ever see you again, I swear to Talath, you will rot in prison!”
“Mother, what is going on?!” Cerylia ran outside and gasped when she saw us. She blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what to say when Elsie turned towards her.
“Did you know about this?” she demanded.

Cerylia stared at Raven and me, her face turning pale.

“I…” she said stuttering. “Mother, I…”
“Oh my Dragon!” Elsie exclaimed in disbelief. “You knew!! I don’t believe this! That explains why you were trying so hard last night!! My own daughter!”
“Mother, I…”
“Do not talk!!” Elsie shrieked. “Get inside the house! Now!!!”

She looked at me.

“Get in,” she hissed. “You are not going to take a single step out of this house ever again! And you are taking the bloody Cab from now on!! And if I will even suspect that there is something more going on between you and this lowlife, I swear to Talath, I will kill you myself! Get inside!!”

She glared at me and I almost told her to go to hell, but then I realized that if I do say that, she will start throwing lightning bolts at us again. I also knew that Raven will burn her and for that, he might end up on the guillotine, not just prison. I pressed my face briefly against his back.

“I gotta go,” I murmured and his shoulders tensed up even more. “I’ll see you in school, okay...? Raven, please…” I whispered. “If I don’t go, she will do something awful… I can’t lose you, please…”

He turned towards me slightly, never letting Elsie out of his sight.

“You will never lose me,” he murmured.

I kissed him on the lips lightly, ignoring Elsie’s snarls and went inside the house.