Raven The Fire Blood Amulet

Chapter 9

Gizelle’s revelation had Markus frowning and shaking his head as he moved around, touching and admiring everything. This was beyond his wildest expectations. Everything inside the train was old world. It was like they had been transported back to the 21st century, with the exception of him and Junaid, Gizelle and Raven in their jeans and sweaters blended in perfectly. So the rumors had been true and yes it was indeed odd and strange that Janelle had seemingly been more prepared for the unexpected. Markus’s fear about someone else discovering the nature of the amulet had been warranted. 

Markus looks down at the amulet he was still holding, the queen, he suspected, had known that this would happen and that she had withheld some information. He signs, so much for his compensation and he then groans as he realizes his bag of gold was still back at White Oaks. He curses. 

Gizelle unhooks her blue cloak, dropping it onto a nearby table. She starts to open cabinets, rummaging through them to see what there was before opening up the plastic crates stacked against the walls, to look inside.  

“Well, the queen was right about having food for weeks,” she murmurs, studying various packets.

“There is a large container at the back filled with fresh water connected to something underneath the train,” Junaid says, “should be sufficient.”

Gizelle nods, turning to look at him. He was still sitting holding Raven’s hand, and she was pressed tightly against him, looking down at their entwined hands. Since her arrival, Raven has changed considerably from the frail, broken and scarred child to a slender and toned beautiful woman. Her long dark hair was hanging over her shoulders in a tangled mess, with several smudges of dirt on her face and her clothes were disheveled and dirty.

“Come one, “Gizelle smiles, holding her hand out to Raven, “let’s get cleaned up and see what else Janelle has left for us.”

Raven is hesitant at first, giving Junaid a quick glance before standing up. 

Junaid released her hand and watched as she and Gizelle walked into the next compartment. He was worried about White Oaks. The moment his Queen had touched him she had broken the internal bond he shared with all the wolves of his tribe and his connection via the mind link had been severed. He understood why, but it had been unexpected and he was feeling lost and alone. The protection of Raven has always been Janelle’s main priority, roguing him was the best way to assure her safety. And Raven was now all he had left. 

“Are you okay?” Markus asks as he takes a seat next to Junaid, the big man was troubled and he knows something was off with his wolf.

“Yes…at least I will be,” Junaid nods. Markus narrowed his eyes, there was something different about him, he just could not put his finger on it, then his eye caught his bare left forearm.

“Your tribal mark?” Markus grabs his arm, twisting the arm around searching for the White Oaks Tribal mark that was now gone, “you are a rogue now?”

Junaid nods, pulling his arm out of Markus’s grasp.

“Why?” Markus asks, astonished.

“So that no one can track us,” Junaid responded simply with a little shrug. Markus leans back, blowing out air and pressing his head against the wall, “Gizelle was right, Janelle knew this would happen and she had everything planned out.”

Raven sits quietly as Gizelle brushes her hair. They had both taken a shower in the small cubicle in the bathroom. It had taken Gizelle almost fifteen minutes to figure out how it worked. The shower sprayed a mist and not running water as she had expected but they both managed to clean up and wash their hair. Gizelle was relieved to discover the bathroom water was not connected to the drinking water. And any water being used was collected and recycled. Gizelle had stood fascinated when Raven had been showering to watch how the water moved through the tubes. Everything around them was strange and unfamiliar and she was aware it was going to take time to adjust. 

“I guess I should be surprised about the clothes,” Gizelle chuckles, she and Raven were both dressed in jeans and clean t-shirts. It was too hot on the train for sweaters.

“Janelle never really liked my taste for them,” Gizelle had discovered two trunks filled to the brim, with old world clothes, some Gizelle had never even seen before. There was also a trunk with ordinary clothes and she assumes Junaid had gotten his clothes from it.

“I like them,” Raven smiles.

Gizelle starts to braid Raven’s hair.

“You have such gorgeous straight hair, wish my hair was like that,” she grimaces.

“I think your hair is extraordinary,” Raven compliments, “sometimes when the sun catches it, it looks like it is on fire…”

“Uh, thank you” Gizelle chuckles, “but I would still prefer straight hair and not this unruly mess.”

“Can we talk?” Markus pops his head into the compartment, looking directly at Gizelle.

“Sure,” she nods and quickly finishes Raven’s hair before following Markus back out to the main compartment.

Raven stands up tugging awkwardly on the seam of her large t-shirt, her eyes scanning the compartment. There were two sets of bunk beds, but each bed was large enough to fit two people next to each other comfortably. Each bed was in its own little compartment and could be closed up with a sliding concertina door. The space between the beds and the roof was spacious and one could easily sit on the bed, with the exception of Junaid. Raven giggles, these beds were not designed for men like him. Raven’s hand smoothes over the bed sheet on one of the bottom beds. Despite recent events and the fact they were on their way to heaven knows where, she was still yearning for him. Holding Junaid’s hand earlier did not distract from the truth that she wanted to feel those hands on her. 

Raven closes her eyes, how was she going to be near him and not want to be with him. That moment in the kitchen where she had been so close, her lips almost touching his. Her shoulders sag as she opens her eyes, gripping the sheet tightly in her fist. After that moment she had fled to the cellar, a dark and damp place that reminded her of the basement Ducreux used to lock her up in. It was the only place in all of her nineteen years where she had been safe, her sanctuary. But being down in the cellar had not stopped her thinking about how she had wanted everything Ducreux had done to his mistress, done to her by Junaid. Her hand slips down over her stomach towards the ache between her legs. 

“Raven?”

Raven swings around, pulling the sheet inadvertently with her, her cheeks hot. Junaid frowns at Raven’s odd expression as he comes into the compartment.

“Yes?” She croaks, her throat dry and hoarse.

“Markus wants to talk to us.”

“Oh okay,” she nods, turning around to try and salvage what she had destroyed, but then frustratedly gives up and with a shaky smile to Junaid she walks out. Junaid follows, but not without a quick glance to the messy bed, he groans as his groin twitches involuntarily. Raven’s guilty and red cheeks had spoken volumes of where her thoughts had been.