Ravensong (Green Creek 2)

I turned around to head toward the ladder and—

“Hello, Gordo,” Elijah said, standing right in front of me. “What happened to your hand?”

Before I could react, she lashed out. I saw stars as she smashed her fist into the side of my head, knocking me to the side. My vision swam as I fell to my knees. My ear went numb, a loud buzzing echoing in my head. Before I could react, she spun in a tight circle, bringing her leg up and then smashing the heel of her foot against the side my neck. My teeth snapped together, biting into my tongue. Blood flooded my mouth as I landed on my back.

I stared up at the night sky, dazed.

The moon was blurry.

She gripped my hair as she dragged me across the roof toward the skylight. I could hear the wolves screaming for me, singing in terror. Howls ripped through the night air, and the raven tried to take flight, but it was confused; it didn’t know where to go. It didn’t know what to do.

We reached the skylight, and she pressed my face flat against the glass.

“Look, Gordo,” she said, her mouth near my ear. “Look and see what happens to humans who run with wolves.”

I opened my eyes.

Twenty feet below us was the garage floor. And against the far wall were Chris and Tanner.

They’d been beaten within an inch of their lives. Their arms were chained above them, their heads bowed. Every part of them seemed to be covered with blood. Tanner’s arm looked like it’d been broken. Chris’s face was so swollen, I doubted he could see.

I waited for them to move.

To show me they were here.

That they were alive.

That they hadn’t left us.

Left me.

please please please please please

They heard me.

Tanner raised his head and looked straight up at me.

His eyes widened.

Chris coughed, blood spilling out onto the floor.

“They are strong,” Elijah said quietly. “I’ll give them that. They didn’t give you

up, even when their bones broke. Even when I made them scream. And Gordo, how they screamed for you. Begging you to come save them. They believed you would come for them. All of you. And here you are. I see their faith in you wasn’t misplaced. It’s… endearing. Misguided, but endearing. I will save them for last. After your pack is dead and the fire of God has cleansed this place from evil, I will return and absolve them of their sins. It has been made abundantly clear that nothing in Green Creek must remain as it is now. I don’t know how it was done, but Omegas have overrun this territory. It will need to be cleansed. The people here cannot be saved. My vision is clear, and I can see.”

She let me go.

Chris and Tanner screamed for me as I turned over on my back.

The moon was so bright. I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything more beautiful.

Elijah reached behind her shoulders and pulled the skin of the wolf over her head again. In my dazed mind, I thought I was safe. That the wolves had come for me, and I was safe.

Her hand went into her coat. For a moment I saw a flash of something that looked like it was attached to her chest underneath her coat, but then she pulled out a gun.

And pointed it at my face.

It was larger than anything I’d seen before.