Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

Two New Puzzle Pieces

As we quickly approached the party, my gaze fell sharply upon a large mansion. Had I been any normal girl unknown to the wealth of the streets, I probably would've been shocked but all I could imagine was the various designs of the building, taking note of the different exits, every window and each security guard monitoring the area. I could feel tension in my stomach the closer we got, I had already changed in the car, politely asking Rowan to look away so I could stow away my knife. I could hear loud classical music from the car as Rowan awaited the limo driver to open his door before rushing over to open my door, offering a hand. I slowly grasped his hand before stepping onto the gravel.

"Nice house" I complimented, observing the unique markings along the walls.

"Just wait until you see inside" he laughed before escorting me through the house.

We passed antique paintings, sculptures a crystal glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling while the floor practically illuminated from the lights hitting its surface.

"Stick close to me" he whispered, a slight edge to his voice.

I couldn't help but tighten my hold on his arm, I wondered if he was worried about how his fellow members would respond to me perhaps.

As we entered through the glass doors, my eyes quickly followed various people dancing amongst the room. Many men were dressed in fancy suits while the women that accompanied them wore beautiful and elegant dresses. Some of the women watched as we walked past, what drew my attention was the captivating emotion that was evident in their eyes, pity.

"Wait here, I want to introduce you to some people" he commanded before wandering off into the crowd.

I could feel my annoyance spark as he constantly commanded my actions without any consideration for my opinion, before a blank mask overtook my face. I carefully observed the people around me, quite a few I recalled from files however many struck me as unknown. I grabbed myself a glass of champagne as a waiter walked past, trying to figure out my next move.

"First time attending an after-party?" a voice asked.

Glancing to my left, I saw a petite woman, her auburn hair was pulled back into a fancy up do, while a sparkling silver dress clung to her figure.

"Is it that obvious?" I laughed, trying to spark up a conversation while waiting for Rowan to come back.

"Not exactly, but it is quite odd for a woman to be alone at one of these parties" she remarked, an eyebrow raised before taking a sip from her glass.

"I'm Lucinda but my friend's call me Lucy" I replied, admiring her confidence.

"Rhea" she said while raising her glass to clink against mine.

My eyebrows furrowed in concentration, where had I heard that name before? I observe her features, trying to figure out where I had seen her before but my mind kept coming up blank.

"So, may I ask who you are here with?" she asked, slight displeasure in her voice.

"I accompanied Rowan"

As I told her my companion, her eyes shot over towards me, worry portrayed on her face while her knuckles turned white from her tightened grip on her glass.

"I see" she breathed out after a few minutes before glancing over to a figure standing closer towards the staircase.

It was a tall man, wearing a black suit with a red tie brandished around his neck. His hair was slightly curled, similar to an Afro with emerald eyes. He was quite handsome, even I would admit and I could detect the strong emotions he was feeling regarding Rhea.

"So who's he?" I asked, almost certain she wouldn't respond.

"My husband Leo" she spoke, her voice slightly higher while a smile graced her face. "It was lovely meeting you Lucy but I must get going"

I calmly waved her off, watching as she practically glided over towards Leo before gracing him with a kiss on the lips. The love shown through them was overpowering as I watched, memories of Rin flowing through my head, how quickly things can change. I closed my eyes as I recalled my last moments with Rin, the last words he spoke to me.

*FLASHBACK*

The sun was shining brightly above, it's rays shooting down and piercing the earth. The waves rolled in as they crystalised under the sun, gently caressing my ankles. I sighed deeply, the smell of salt water filled my nose while the loud cawing of sea gulls echoed above me. This was what I dreamed of, freedom, nothing holding me back. No drugs. No weapons. No gangs...just peace. My eyes fluttered shut as I allowed myself to get lost in the moment. I felt strong arms wrap around my waist, holding me protectively.

"How did I get so lucky?"

I slowly opened my eyes, my gaze falling upon the one person that granted me freedom, Rin. He smiled down at me, his hair gently blowing in the wind while his eyes gleamed with happiness. He lightly laid his chin on the top of my head as we both gaze out onto the horizon.

"I wish we could stay here forever" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

His arm tightened around me more protectively like he believed that I would disappear. I softly removed his arms before turning to face him, his emotions were evident on his face, he was afraid. He glanced down at me, I could see the love shining from his eyes before he pulled me into a hug, his arms wrapped tightly around me.

"We can run" he whispered, his voice cutting the already tense silence like a knife.

I gaped at Rin in disbelief, I could practically hear my heart pumping through my chest.

"Rin...we can't, who knows what they'd do if they found us. You know the rule, you don't turn your back on your family" I cried out, frustratingly gripping my hair.

"Yes I know the rules; I also know that a python isn't meant to fall for a raven but look what happened" he shouted.

I could feel tears slowly begin to run down my cheeks as my feelings overwhelmed me like the waves rolling in, uncaring of the destruction that they could cause.

"We can run. We'll change our names, we'll leave the country and we won't ever look back. I can protect you...I'll always protect you" he cried as he gently grabbed my face causing me to stare into his piercing blue eyes.

"If we run...we can never come back" I muttered softly.

I was terrified, the thought of leaving behind everything I knew was unsettling, but as I stared into those never ending pools of blue, I knew I'd do anything to be with him.

"I love you so much Katrina Belmonte, to the moon and back" he whispered, his voice a distant whisper amongst the rolling waves.

"Well, it looks like you're making friends already" a voice remarked behind me.

I turned around to face the voice, finding Rowan behind me with a tense smile on his face.

"Rhea doesn't usually talk to anyone anymore at the parties, not since..." he said before stopping short, grimacing before quickly wiping it off with a smile, had I not been keenly observing I probably would've missed it.

"Word of advice, don't ever tick off Rhea Addison" he laughed before taking a sip from his half filled glass of champagne.

I felt as though my heart stopped as I stared back over to the woman I was just talking to, her withdrawn personality, the slight sadness tinged in her eyes, her husband... I had just found Leo and Rhea Addison. Rin's older brother and his sister-in-law. I now had two extra pieces to my puzzle, now I just needed to figure out where their loyalties lied...