The Raven Girl

The Raven Girl- chapter 29

I had nightmares of tartan and shortbread and a monster looming out the greeny gray depths of Loch Ness with bag pipes and an orange wig. There was something so unbelievable obscure and almost tacky about going on a quest to see the Loch Ness monster. I had been to Loch Ness as I child and remember the stunning scenery and breath taking views but I also remember the little stalls alongside the road selling general niff-naff of cuddly toy Nessies and fridge magnetics which made the visit seem so commercialized and fake. To me the Loch Ness monster was not a mythical creature but a money spinning tourist franchise and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t separate the two. In fact in my nightmare I dreamt that Dante was stood on the foreshore of the lake in a large oversize I <3 Nessie t-shirt. I rolled over in bed. Dante was blissfully asleep completely unaware of the bombshell I was going to drop on him when he woke up. This was infuriating me. I turned the other way and felt Dante’s warm hand slide over my midriff and pull me back against him. My stomach turned, this should be irritating my now but it wasn’t, in fact it was starting to feel very natural. This was the only time I ever felt relaxed and safe from all the terrible real nightmares outside this castle.

I drifted in and out of sleep for a few hours more and woke up when Dante dramatically yawned very loudly. I jumped slightly and stared up at him sleepily.

“What was that for?” I asked.

“I’m awake.”

“Well, I’m sleeping.” I said closing my eyes to go back to sleep.

Dante hand suddenly swept over my hair and he said in low voice, “I thought we could do what most couples do Sunday morning.”

“It’s Sunday evening.” I groaned.

“Which is the vampire Sunday morning.” Dante pointed out.

 “All the couples I ever knew went to church on Sunday morning.” I replied flatly.

And then there was silence, not a deathly silence, but a thinking silence. Dante was trying to construct a witty retort and perhaps if it had been any other day I would have listened and maybe even laughed but the loch ness monster awaited. Rubbing my eyes I said casually,

“I had a weird dream last night about some magic dragon sword.”

“What?” The tone in Dante’s voice had suddenly become very serious.

“Yeah, there was some sword that was hidden in the mortal world and it was really powerful and the dragons were trying to get it.”

“Do you remember where this sword is?”

“Why? It was only dream.” I shrugged casually. I moved to get off the bed but Dante’s hand reached out and clamped down hard over my wrist.

“Lie back down,” he said trying to come across as friendly and calm, “Tell me about this dream.”

My eyes lightened up, I liked having this power over Dante usually he was the one with the upper hand making me dance like a goddamn monkey to do his bidding, but now the tables have turned. Pulling my hand out of his death grip I shook my head,

“It would only bore you, most of it was crazy stuff like talking fruit and my old maths teacher doing the samba but there was this one bit that was so vivid, so crystal clear it almost seemed like a memory.”

“Tell me about the memory bit.” Dante said eagerly.

“The most powerful weapon of this world was hidden from both vampires and dragons in a place I had once visited as a child.”

“Where, tell me.” Dante asked desperately.

“I wish I could but it’s not exactly a place I can just pinpoint on a map. It is a place I would have to take you to personally.”