Raven, Tome 2: Black Crow

Chapter 1

Life could be perfect one day and in shambles the next.

I’d had more than my share. And I suspected more to come, sort of inevitable when you were a banshee.

I was a reaper. It had taken me time to come to terms with this, and even now it was hard to believe I was anything but human, that I had powers. I wasn’t just any reaper—I was the last White Raven, and the pressure to fill this role was mounting.

My beloved mother had been murdered in a heartbeat. The grandmother I’d just barely begun to accept and understand had sacrificed herself to save me. My father was off gallivanting around the globe, probably drowning his misery in booze and spending the little money we had left. But I guess money wasn’t a problem anymore, now that I’d inherited a fortune—well, I would on my eighteen birthday in two weeks. I’d rather be dirt poor than without the two most vital females a girl could have.

Wrapping my arms around my middle, I stared out the window, overlooking the lush grounds. Except since the passing of Rose, the atmosphere on Raven Hallow had taken a dip. I got this sense the island was mourning the loss of their queen along with me. The sun hadn’t shone in days, the exotic flowers stayed closed and withdrawn, petals withering, and the waters were turbulent, rolling and hissing in a sad song.

The last few days had been a blurry whirlwind. Closed off in Raven Manor, I hadn’t left the grounds, avoiding the world. But I’d hardly had five minutes to myself. The rest of the island might not know that the eccentric Rose was gone, but the staff and Zane’s family did. They had banded together to make sure my safety wasn’t in jeopardy. And that meant more security, including a shadow that more or less followed my every move. I swear, I couldn’t even go to the bathroom alone.