Raven Demarco grew up living a sheltered life. When she starts University to get away from that she is caught up in the world of the paranormal. Secret organizations, magic, creatures from myth and legend, and worst of all her own legacy and the demons who want her blood.

Thanks to my readers for reading my work and patiently waiting for new chapters and to the Big Closet team who give so much of themselves to keep this site going

Alice and I sat in my car outside what appeared to be an abandoned building, with the cold December rain falling outside. This was one of the worst areas of the East Side and my car stood out a bit, but Alice assured me that she could keep both herself and the car safe with Water magic if need be, especially with this much rain falling. “Are you sure that this is the place?” I asked for the third time.

~Absolutely,~ the Mermaid responded. ~Do you see that bit of blue graffiti to the side of the door? The little star with the letters PN underneath?~ I nodded and she continued to explain, ~The PN stands for Paranormal. Businesses geared toward Paranormal customers put that symbol by the entrance to show that they are there. Sometimes they’ll put another letter there as well, to show what type of business it is.~

“But it’s all boarded up, how am I supposed to get inside?” I asked.

She shook her head. ~It’s probably an illusion, these businesses usually hire Mages to place illusions to keep the normal humans from walking in.~

“What about the homeless that might be looking for a place to sleep? What keeps them out?”

~Another type of spell used along with the illusion. It makes normal humans look past the place without really seeing it. When they’re gone they’ll vaguely recall an abandoned building, but not anything specific. It’s mostly used to keep people from seeing customers going in and out.~ She looked uncertainly at the building. ~I’m not so sure this is a good idea. Are you sure you’re going to be okay by yourself in there? Dennis said it’s a rough place.~

“From what Peter and Dr. Jennings said, I’m built pretty tough,” I said with a confidence I didn’t quite feel. “I should be okay. Besides we probably won’t get another chance at this without Lydia getting super protective, and Erin won’t be able to keep her distracted for long. We need to do this quick if we’re going to convince her we just went out for a drive and to get a pizza.”

Alice sighed silently but gave in. ~Okay, fine, but you had better be back out in fifteen minutes or I’m coming in after you. The illusion should fade when you get to the door. If you get in over your head, send a thought my way and I’ll come in to back you up.~

“Okay Alice,” I said to reassure her, “but I’m sure I can handle myself.” With that I took off my jacket and left the car to sprint through the rain to the bar’s entrance.

The illusion did fade once I had reached the door, and I opened the sturdy wooden door that appeared to step inside. The large common room was filled with the smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke, and I could feel the looks of several of the bar’s patrons on me as I let the door close behind me. I stopped focusing on keeping my wings and claws contained and tried to walk up to the bar as casually as possible as I let them free.

My wings were very much a part of me now, and I felt some reassurance as their weight on my back returned. My balance was much better with them out now, and if this place was as bad as I had been told I’d need every advantage I could get. For that reason, the presence of my claws was even more reassuring as I leaned against the bar and took a seat to wait for the bartender. The bartender in question was a large man with scaly azure skin and three large horns on his head. “What can I get you?” he asked.

“Whatever you have on tap, and some information,” I replied as I leaned toward him and showed the photograph. “I’m looking for this person, I’ve heard she’s been here recently and she’s pretty memorable. She’s blonde and has wings like mine, only hers are white.”

“The brew will be three fifty,” he said without even glancing at the photo. “But if you want information you’ll need to talk to Joenyth, he see’s everything that goes on in here. Most folks just call him Joey.”

“So where can I find Joey?” I asked as I placed a five dollar bill on the counter.

The barkeep filled a mug of beer and placed it in front of me before taking the bill. “He’s over there, at the table in the back corner. Just look for the Gryphon, you can’t miss him.”

“Thanks, keep the change.” I took my beer and made my way toward the back where a large creature with the super-sized wings and head of an eagle and the body of a lion sat watching the room. I gestured to the table, “Mind if I have a seat?”

“Good evening sky sister, please be seated. You seek information yes?” The voice emanating from the creature was like two rocks being grated together, and I almost winced at the sound as I took the offered seat.

I nodded after swallowing a mouthful of the surprisingly good beer. “I seek one of my kin, sky brother, a blonde woman with white wings. I heard that someone saw her here recently.”

The great eagle’s head let out a sound which, after a moment, I identified as laughter. “You seek lonely bird then nestling? A strange bird that one. She comes here from time to time, but always alone. She does not speak to others, not even her sky kin. She hides herself from all among the humans. I know not where she nests; she is hidden even from our sight, so I can help you not. Others may know, as we hear some speak of her. Wait with me sky sister. Soon one comes who can tell you when and where the one you seek flies along the stone ground, and I can teach a nestling much.”

~I may have something but it will require waiting,~ I sent to Alice. ~Will you be alright out there until I get back?~

~I suppose so,~ the Mermaid replied, but she didn’t sound happy about it. ~At least with all this rain I can use Water magic to keep people from noticing your car. I’ll bunker down until you get back. Just be careful, and call me if you need me.~

I smiled at the Gryphon and answered, “I can wait a while and I am eager to learn what you would teach me sky brother.”
“Good,” the Gryphon replied with what I hoped was a smile. “Your kin goes without a flock, but you are yet a nestling and need a flock to call your own. Birds of a feather must flock together, yes?”

“Ummm… yes?” I replied uncertainly between long pulls at my beer.

For the next fifteen minutes Joenyth told me about his kind and their way of life. The Gryphons were scholars and kept an eye on all things Paranormal. They were also very good with Divine magic, which they used to remain unseen by humans and Paranormals alike, and were in constant telepathic contact with one another. They revered family, life, and knowledge above all else. It was hard to tell what he was talking about half the time, but he seemed to want to help me.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” I finally asked.

“No nestling should be without a flock and the black winged nestling most of all. The winds speak of you, and the evil which hunts you. Paranth Flock wishes to see you become war bird like your kin and hunt this evil; if you do not defeat it much life will be lost. We offer to be your flock. Paranth Flock will share knowledge with you and watch over your nest.”

I managed to understand most of what he said. From what he told me earlier they were pacifists so they likely wouldn’t attack anyone who tried to break into my home, but would probably act as an early warning system for me. “And what does Paranth Flock ask in return?”

“Paranth Flock asks only that you survive, and defend our flock if ever it is needed,” the Gryphon replied before looking toward the door. “One who can speak of your kin arrives, nestling. Be quick. You search for kin. Others search for you.”

I followed his gaze toward the door, where a skinny man in his twenties with olive skin and dark brown hair entered the bar. Then I thanked Joey once again for his help before going to the bar, where the man now sat on a stool ordering a beer. “Hi there,” I said with a smile as I sat on the stool beside him, “a little bird told me that you might be able to help me out.”

The man looked me over and smiled. “Oh I’m sure I can find some way to help you. I’m Pete, so what can I do to… for you?”

The look he was giving me was making me sick to my stomach, but I pushed it aside for the moment as I took out the photograph. “I need to find this woman, and word is you can tell me where and when.”

He took a long look at the photo and cursed. “Fuck. That’s the bitch who cost me two hundred bucks last week.” At my confused look he decided to elaborate. “There’s a street racing circuit in town, Paranormal drivers only. The girl in the picture is one of the racers, and she has a pretty good rep. I had some inside info on one of the other drivers though. He made some major mods to his ride and I thought he’d win, even though the odds were seven to one, so I bet two hundred on him. I thought it was a sure thing y’know? She still beat him, and I was out two hundred bucks.” He gave me a wary look. “You’re not a cop are you?”

I shook my head. “No, she’s a relative and I need to contact her. Do you know where I can find her?” I prodded.
He looked thoughtful for a moment. “She comes here to drink sometimes, all the drivers do. That girl can really put them away; I don’t know where she puts it all. Finding her here ain’t gonna be a sure thing though. If you really want to find her, your best bet is at the race.”

“So you know where these races are held then?” I asked, feeling hopeful for the first time in weeks.

He nodded slowly as he took a careful look around. “The time, place, and race route change every week so the cops don’t catch on, and details are sent to an email list that the drivers and fans all subscribe to. You have a pen?” I fished a pen out of my purse and he jotted down a web address on a napkin. “This is where you can subscribe to the mailing list. Emails are usually sent out Saturday afternoons and races are at random times on Saturday nights, that way there’s less chance of the cops catching on in time to stop it.”

I stuffed the pen and napkin into my purse and smiled at the man. “Thanks a lot Pete. Can I buy you a drink as a thank you?”

I felt something large pushing against my back and turned to see Joey there. “You must leave nestling, quickly.” He inclined his head toward a table in the corner by the door where two men had just sat down. “One who sits there was told of black wings by the dark ones who offer bounty on your blood.”

“Damn,” I cursed, “thank you both for the help, but I think it’s time for me to leave.” Then I quickly sent a thought to Alice. ~Warm up the car, I’m getting out of here now.~

~I can’t warm up the car, you have the keys. Are you in trouble?~ she asked as I made my way to the door, only to have the two men step between me and it. The first man was a skinny man with black hair, shifty eyes, pale skin, and a fanged grin I didn’t like at all. The second was an eight feet tall and ugly wall of muscle with a lilac tinge to his skin.

“Just my luck,” I muttered as I walked up to them. ~Yeah, there are two guys between me and the door; a big ugly purple guy and a guy who could really use some sun. From what you and Lydia have told me I’d guess they’re an Ogre and a Vampire. I’ll be out as soon as I can.~ I stopped just out of arms reach and mentally groaned when they didn’t move. “You are between me and the door. That might not be the safest place for you to be,” I said with a bravado I didn’t feel.

“The mixed blood threatens us Gront,” said the pale man, “isn’t that cute?”

“I’m sorry; did I beat you to it? Let me guess, you’re the one who’s going to threaten me and your big friend is the strong silent type who does all the dirty work. A bit cliché aren’t you?” I retorted.

The Vampire frowned, looking very annoyed with me. “Listen up girlie, this can go one of two ways: You can come peacefully, or we can have some fun with you before taking you in for the reward. They want your blood and its worth just as much whether we rough you up or not. I’d prefer to take you in alive and relatively unharmed.”

“Just like a visit to the Red Cross; I come in, give some blood, maybe get some juice and a cookie, and then go on my merry way. Is that what you’re offering?” I replied coolly.

“Hardly,” he snorted dismissively. “I’m very eager to see why your blood is so special; once they get theirs, I want a little taste. If you’re lucky, I may let you live on as my thrall.”

“Well isn’t that sweet of you,” I responded with a roll of my eyes as I slowly slipped my hand into my purse and began to feel around. “Is there some kind of benefits package that comes with that? Dental maybe? Never mind, as tempting as that offer is, I’ve never been much of a fan of working nights and my current medical plan is pretty good.” I felt the can in my purse and pulled it out to spray it in the Vampire’s face. “Have a taste of this asshole!”

I could hear the sizzling of his flesh and smell it burning as the spray hit and wisps of smoke rose from between his fingers, where he held his face in his hands as he screamed. “Arrrrrgggggh!” The big guy took that as his cue and hit me hard enough to send me flying back toward the bar. The stools in my path and the bar itself shattered at the impact, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. The world was spinning a bit as I lay there, and my jaw felt like I’d been hit with a sledgehammer. I thought that it might be broken and as I managed to shake it off and get unsteadily to my feet there was a grinding feeling in my jaw as my regeneration kicked in. I winced and barely suppressed a yelp of pain as it popped back into place and I glared across the room at the Ogre.

Damn that hurt, I thought as I rubbed my tender jaw as I stood up among the bar’s splintered remains. “You have a mean right hook, I’ll give you that. It felt like you almost took my head off with that.” Pete was standing nearby with the bartender and both looked very surprised that the punch hadn’t taken my head off. I gave them a shrug as I brushed the dust off my shoulders and tried to shake off the fading bout of dizziness. Joey had fled the scene after warning me, so at least I wouldn’t have to worry about protecting him. With the Vampire temporarily out of the action, right now it was just me and Gront. “Okay, so that’s how it’s going to be huh? I hate you, you hate me, it’s time for things to get ugly,” I said as I glowered menacingly at him, or rather I hoped it looked menacing.

I leaped toward him, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat, and hit him with everything I had. Everything I had turned out to be a bit much, as I sent him flying through the doors and the rain outside to collide with the run down building on the other side of the street. ~Raven are you alright?!~ Alice yelled in my mind.

~Oops. I guess I still don’t know my own strength. You might want to call your parents and get them to send a clean-up crew. And a medical team in case any homeless were in that building.~ I felt better than I had in my life, like nothing could take me down. My sense of power from the adrenaline rush and taking on the Ogre gave me a confidence like I had never felt before. I turned around to find every eye in the place focused on me. “Is anyone else stupid enough to fuck with me?”

The bar’s patrons all hurriedly looked away and returned to their drinks as I focused my attention on the Vampire again. His face was very badly burned and it looked painful, but I wasn’t feeling particularly sympathetic at the moment. “Oh, you’re still here, fang-tastic. You might have missed it while your face was melting, but I just taught your big purple friend how to fly, he really needs to work on those landings though. So tell me, are you ready for Flight 101 or you smart enough to leave on your own power?” The Vampire took one look at me cracking my knuckles, then at the remains of both the bar and the doors, and fled into the night.

I retracted my wings and claws as I stepped out the doors and made my way back to my car. As I opened the driver’s side door I noticed that the abandoned building the Ogre had crashed into was partially collapsed and hoped that there was nobody inside to get hurt. I climbed into the driver’s seat and closed the door, turning to Alice. “Well that was fun. I know where I can get the info needed to find my aunt, and I got a bit of exercise. Did you let your parents know to send a clean-up crew?”

~Yes, they’re sending a medical team like you asked and a Psychic to implant memories for any human witnesses and the emergency response teams. I don’t think there were any witnesses around, but it’s hard to see properly in this heavy rain.~ She looked at the partially collapsed building. ~The Psychic will check for any injured in the building there too. What the hell happened in there?~

“It looks like someone among the Demons was smart enough to put a price on my head and let the local scum try their luck, instead of risking their own lives,” I explained. “A Vampire and an Ogre decided to try to collect. I maced the Vamp and the Ogre and I exchanged blows. The Ogre lost and is probably napping in that building over there.”

~There’s a bounty on you? We’ll need to let the PDA know about that. Paranormals could attack us at home,~ she replied, sounding worried.

“Don’t worry,” I said with a shrug, “a flock of Gryphons have apparently adopted me and will be watching the house for us. They won’t fight anything, but they will warn us, and I don’t think the Demons were very forthcoming about the details on the bounty. They only knew it was me because of my wings, so I think they only gave a description and not much detail.”
The Mermaid nodded. ~You’ll have to be careful about showing off then.~ Then the other part of what I said earlier seemed to sink in. ~Wait, what? You punched an Ogre through the doors and across the street hard enough to collapse part of that building?~

“Umm yeah... I guess I don’t know my own strength,” I responded sheepishly.

~If you did that, then the word strength may be an understatement. You didn’t get hurt did you?~ she asked in concern.

I shook my head. “He hit me pretty good but I was okay other than a sore jaw and some dizziness. He wasn’t as tough as he looked, and I heal quickly.” Telling her that he probably broke my jaw would have only worried her, and besides I healed up fine, so I kept that to myself.

~So what did you find out about your aunt?~ she pressed.

“I found out that she races cars Saturday nights and I can get the details on when and where,” I replied as I started the car. “Once I find out where and when she’s racing tomorrow night, I have a pretty good idea on how to get her alone for a little chat. First though let’s grab that pizza we came out to get and go home so I can sign up for that mailing list and find out when tomorrow night’s race is.”

After the PDA arrived to clean things up and Alice had the medic take a look at me to make sure I didn’t have a concussion or something, we stopped to pick up the pizza that was our excuse for being out and headed home. We opened the door to find Lydia in the foyer waiting, with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. “Where the fuck did you go to get that pizza? Italy?” I was about to answer her when she shushed me. “I had time to beat Erin at Monopoly while you were gone, twice.”

Erin, who was leaning against the wall, shrugged. “Hey, she’s crazy good at that game. So, did you find out anything useful?”

I rolled my eyes as we took the pizza into the kitchen. “It was a productive outing,” I admitted as I sat down, “let’s all have a seat and eat and I’ll fill you in.”

Once we were all seated and nibbling at our pizza Erin asked, “So how productive was it?”

I sat back and thought for a moment before casually listing off the night’s accomplishments. “Let’s see, I got adopted by a flock of Gryphons who have offered to watch the house for intruders; I found out how to contact my aunt, Speed Racer; I discovered that the Demons have put a bounty on my head; and I now know that Para Mace gives Vampires one hell of a sunburn and Ogres can fly… if you hit them hard enough. Though, when they land they cause significant property damage.”

Erin just sat there and stared at me. “I… I’m not even sure where to start.”

“Tell me everything that happened. Now,” Lydia said. In her current form it looked more like she was pouting about missing out on it rather than being pissed off about me deliberately putting myself in danger, but I knew better. So I carefully related everything that had happened since Alice and I got to the bar. When I was finished Erin was gaping at me and Lydia almost looked proud.

I had pulled out my laptop and was accessing the website to sign up for the mailing list when Erin muttered, “I knew I should have come with you. You traded punches with an Ogre and won. I would have loved to see that.”

“For all we know they have a price on your head too, those demons weren’t too pleased when you Manifested and came to my defense. And you don’t have my strength and durability,” I pointed out.

“You’re such a downer,” she replied, “can I at least come tomorrow when you try to find your aunt?”

“Sure thing,” I said with a grin, “I’m going to need somebody to drive my car back here if my plan goes smoothly. I’ll warn you now though; I don’t plan on getting into any fights tomorrow.”

~You didn’t plan on getting into any tonight either,~ Alice pointed out helpfully.

“Very funny Alice,” I replied as I clicked on the button to subscribe to the mailing list and sighed. “There we go. Hopefully by tomorrow afternoon I’ll know exactly where and when the race starts and then all I’ll need to worry about is what to tell her when I see her. If she and Mom really did have a falling out she might not be very keen on helping me.”

“You should take the letter along, just in case,” Erin suggested. “You might be able to use it to help convince her. Hopefully she won’t hold a grudge against you for her beef against your Mom, and if she’s gotten over whatever it was then the letter might help sway her.”

“If she’s anything like your mother she’ll be hard to read. Your mother didn’t like showing weakness if she could help it,” Lydia suggested. “Siv was a sucker for defending the weak and those in danger though, so if you use the angle that you’re being hunted by Demons her sister may feel compelled to help you.”

“That does have possibilities,” I admitted. “So are you suggesting I play the weak little damsel in distress?”

The Imp shook her head. “No she’d never buy that, especially if she somehow hears about tonight’s little adventure before you get to meet her. I would suggest you stick to the truth as much as possible. Demons are after you and you don’t know how to use any of your abilities, but you need to learn how so you can defend yourself and others.”

“Will that work if word about tonight gets around before I see her? I pretty much proved that I can protect myself tonight,” I replied, feeling pretty proud of myself.

Lydia shook her head, causing her pigtails to swing with the movement. There was a cute frown on her adorable face and I could almost forget she wasn’t a real little girl until she spoke. “Tonight was a fucking fluke Raven; you caught those two jackasses at the bar with their pants down. What saved you was that surprise you had in your purse, and the fact that they thought you were just a pretty face and underestimated your resilience and strength. After tonight though, once word gets around, those hunting you are going to be more careful when dealing with you. Few, but the most arrogant, are going to come right out and challenge you. They will attempt to catch you by surprise, or goad you into a trap.”

I sank down into my chair, knowing that she was right. “Thank you Captain Killjoy.”

~She’s right Raven,~ Alice put in, echoing my own thoughts. ~The reason you were looking for your aunt in the first place was to learn to control your abilities. Tonight proved that you need that still. Your first thought was to defend yourself with the mace when you could have easily taken out the Vampire yourself, and when you did decide to attack the Ogre you didn’t think about tactics. You just threw yourself at him, punched as hard as you could, and prayed. You underestimated your strength as badly as they did. If you don’t learn to fight properly you could be a danger to everyone in the area if someone does decide to attack you.~

“Yeah, I was really lucky that there was nobody in that building the Ogre landed in. I guess I was a little overconfident just now. I was just happy that for the first time in my life I was able to defend myself. No Lydia protecting me from everything in the world, and no Erin or the PDA jumping in to save my ass, it was all me. It was exciting and I felt so confident.”

Erin leaned over to give me a hug. ‘You’ll feel even more confident when it’s not a fluke, so try not to get too down. To be honest, I really envy you and Alice.”

Alice blinked, looking like she wasn’t sure that she had heard Erin correctly. ~Why do you envy us? Out of the three of us you’re the only one who can fit in with the humans without having to always concentrate on keeping some part of your real self hidden. We also have to constantly think about things most people never have to consider. I have to have most of my panties, pants, and such enchanted so that they aren’t destroyed, but rather sent to a pocket dimension, if I have to suddenly change form.~

I nodded vigorously in agreement. “And I can’t wear any kind of clothes that get in the way of my wings. Do you know how boring it is wearing halter tops all the time? Even bras and bikini tops are a pain to wear. I have to wear backless ones if I don’t want them damaged, and even then it’s not a sure thing.”

Erin shrugged. “Okay I’ll give you that. Those things must be a pain in the ass, but you both can do amazing things that are useful in our current predicament. Raven; you’re strong, nothing much hurts you, and someday you’ll be able to fly. Alice; you can breathe under water, you have Water magic, and you’re learning to use guns. What can I do? I talk to cats and I leave my body helpless with the one useful skill I do have. I just sit on the sidelines while you both improve yourselves.”

“Bullshit,” I said, frowning at the Shaman. “When we were tested you had amazing agility, reflexes, and flexibility, and your sense of balance is incredible. If you want to learn some way to physically improve yourself, take martial arts or something. And I’m sure once you’ve gotten more practice as a Shaman your skills will be really useful. Peter said the PDA doesn’t have anyone like you on staff, and I would imagine spirits are just as big a Paranormal threat as anything else.”

~She’s right,~ Alice pointed out. ~Mom said the Chief of the PDA policing division is chomping at the bit trying to figure out how to recruit both of you once those Demons are taken care of. When he read the report on you he saw a lot of potential for someone who may be able to communicate with spirits. I’m sure that if you asked my parents they would be able to set up martial arts lessons with the woman who trains our interested agents. Dad and I could teach you to use a gun too if you want, you need to learn to defend yourself just as much as Raven does.~

“The PDA wants to recruit me?” Erin asked looking stunned. “I can understand them wanting Raven, she’s built for monster hunting, but me?”

The tinkling of the Mermaid’s giggling echoed in my mind. ~Yeah they can see uses for both of you. I wasn’t supposed to mention anything unless you showed an interest since they want to leave it up to you, but I think the Chief would be more than happy to let you use the staff and facilities to learn to improve yourself, if there’s a chance you might be interested in becoming an agent.~

“There’s more than a chance,” Erin replied beaming. “Ever since we got pulled into this whole Paranormal thing I’ve been wanting to get involved, but it looked like I was only able to sit and watch. Maybe we’ll be able to get on the same team.”

~It’s possible,~ Alice admitted. ~They do prefer team members who can work well together and get along.~

“How about you Raven, are you in?” Erin asked with a pleading look. “I’d love to be able to do this with my best friend.”

I shook my head as I thought about it. “I’m not sure. I still kind of want to live a normal life if possible. I’ll think about it, but I won’t promise anything more than that.”

Erin seemed a bit disappointed, but nodded. “I don’t want to pressure you to do something you don’t want to.” Then she turned to Alice, “Do you think we can call your parents and try to set up those lessons?”

~Yeah they should be off shift by now and it’ll be a while before Mom goes to sleep, so she should have the time to talk about it,~ Alice replied.

“I’ll leave you girls to it then,” I managed to say through a yawn, “I’m going to head to bed; I have a busy day tomorrow.” Once the two of them were gone I shut down my laptop and gave Lydia a hug. “Good night Lydia. Thanks for the dose of reality earlier, I needed it.”

The Imp hugged me back tightly. “Rest well; I’ll see you in the morning.”