The Mirror

Chapter 6: A Whole New Spectrum of Bad

Raven looked at him from the corners of her eyes. "No, duh."

She climbed out of the jeep and jumped when she noticed the three figures standing at the head of the trail. Out of them, she only recognized Crowe. He seemed vaguely uncomfortable, standing slightly in front of a tiny blonde. Raven's jaw dropped as she noticed the small woman with incredibly intriguing eyes. They were so clear that it was like looking into the caribbean. The woman noticed Raven staring and blushed, twirling her shirt between her fingers nervously. Crowe stood next to her, with an arm halfway around her protectively.

On Crowe's other side was a large wolf. At first, Raven tensed, instantly afraid, until the gorgeous creature turned its head towards her, She saw the liquid gold eyes, immediately recalling the same hue on the guy she'd woken up to. She grinned as she recognized him. His laid back mannerism carried over with him into wolf form, despite the glossy black fur that covered every inch of him.

"Still silent, huh?" She called out to him, causing Crowe and the young woman to look over at her curiously. The wolf huffed, his tongue lolling out for a second.

She chuckled, before Elijah came up beside her, pressing a hand into her back to guide her forward.

"Elias, Ravensara," Crowe nodded in acknowledgement to the both of them.

"Good to see you sober this time," Raven joked attempting to lighten the mood a bit.

The girl behind Crowe let out a loud laugh, instantly covering her mouth with her hand as she blushed a bright cherry red.

"It's good to be sober this time," Crowe admitted, running a hand through his messy hair. He didn't look like he'd gotten much sleep, as there were dark circles under his flourescent silver eyes. A pale hand rested on his arm in comfort. Crowe smiled down at the pint-sized woman. "Ravensara, this is Oceana."

Raven's head snapped over to the woman as both of them had the same realization.

"You're-"

"A witch!"

The two spoke at the same time, before bursting into laughter. The boys watched them with amusement.

Raven extended her hand, stepping closer with a smile. After a small look at Crowe, Oceana stepped forward, slipping her hand into Raven's. Immediately, Raven frowned slightly. "You don't really practice?" Raven asked in disappointment.

"Ah, not quite, no." Oceana said quietly, looking at the ground. She pulled her hand away from Raven's.

"I'm sorry," Raven instantly apologized. "That was rude."

"No, it's okay!" Oceana responded quickly, offering a smile.

"Why wasn't I invited to the party?" A voice called out, sliding over Raven's skin like a snake.

She tensed, as did Crowe, before he sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Really, Aleksei?" Crowe spoke with a frown, his eyes directing everyone's attention to a tall man leaning casually against a tree.

He pushed off the tree, a smirk tilted a corner of his lips up. He looked like the epitome of grace but Raven felt slightly uncomfortable.

Aleksei ran his hooded eyes over the group, the lilac color glowing in the light of the headlights. His eyes met Raven's, and she narrowed her own, lifting her chin slightly in a silent challenge.

He pursed his lips slightly, giving her a very slow, overly critical once over. The group watched the exchange in silence, unsure of what to make of the silent challenge. A bright grin broke over his face.