Pretty In Black Part 11

"So you're telling me I don't even have to be here?"

"Yes you do. The Master, Zarfe, is ancient. I will replace him soon, and you will take my role here."

Several females pa.s.sed by me, staring approvingly. One said, "Happy Birthday, Marcus," as if she knew me.

"It's already December thirty-first?" I asked Michael.

"Yes. And you're officially nineteen, well technically eighteen, but what the h.e.l.l. You'll be this age forever. Just be glad you didn't come here looking like that," he pointed to an elder. "At least you have a chance of finding an immortal lover."

My eyes attempted to digest the place all at once, a complete fail. Soon, an elderly man, a strong man with hard grim features, approached us. "Well you're finally here. Took long enough," he spat. "It's time to begin the induction ceremony. Michael, call in The Society."

A young girl, she couldn't have been no more than sixteen, entwined her arm in mine, linking them, and smiling, led me to a private room. Zarfe followed. Once I was inside the room, she turned around and politely shut the door, and left. I found a chair, which appeared to be made of bone, and sat down, but Zarfe made a loud, rude, and raspy declaration.

"Get your a.s.s out of that chair now! You don't sit down unless you're told you may do so. Don't begin to play games with me, Mister. I'll throw you out on your a.s.s."

I smirked. "With all respect, Sir, I'm not sure I even want to be here."

"Well you sure the h.e.l.l won't survive out there without our help."

"But I'm already dead, so I don't think it would mat-"

He interrupted me. "If I'd known they'd sent a smart a.s.s to replace me, I would've thought twice about it."

"But I thought Michael was replacing you and I was replacing Michael."

He glowered at me, narrowing his eyes. "Mister, if you're going to be a wise-a.s.s I will not tolerate it. I will annihilate your a.s.s so fast, if you thought your resurrection was a nightmare, you won't know anything until you feel my force. Zip your mouth!" He slammed a fist on his desk, and pressed a b.u.t.ton on the call box. "Michael, get them in here right now before I cast you out."

Zarfe kept his eyes on me. A few seconds later, the door opened and the girl who'd led me into the room now brought Michael and three other members who wore red coats with hoods, which they removed. The girl didn't leave this time.

The three red coats stood in front of Zarfe and bowed. "You summoned me, Master?" The blonde asked.

"Yes, Jillian. Our newest member now stands before us."

She turned her black eyes on me. "Yes, I'm aware. Let the inspection begin." She looked at Michael. "When you found him, what kind of condition was he in?"

"The same as the others. Confusion. Except he caught on faster than anyone I've ever seen before, and I've been doing this a while."

"How fast?"

"He was able to fly up here."

"You're kidding? You say he flew?" She turned to Zarfe. "Master, this should make one precocious Crow we have on our hands this century."

Michael gave a funny look and she turned to look at him. "What's wrong, Michael?"

"He's not a Crow."

"Then what is he?" All the eyes in the room turned to look at me.

"He's a...a...Raven."

Jillian appeared furious. Her eyes glowed the color of smoldering coal. "That is cursed, Master!"

"Michael, are you sure?"

"I'm quite positive." He gave glances to me and then back to Zarfe.

"That just cannot be," Jillian spat. "It cannot. Abomination!"

"No chosen one has ever came back as a Raven. Raven is only for the Elders," Zarfe said.

"Then I'd say there's a first time for everything," Michael said. The girl in the back, the one who'd led me in the room smiled brightly. "Cool."

All eyes in the room, turned to glare at her, including mine. She lowered her head and quit smiling. Zarfe looked at me.

"There's one other thing you must know," Michael said.

"Enlighten me," Zarfe said.

"He's also a white Raven."

"Outrageous!" Jillian exclaimed. "Those simply no longer exist!"

Zarfe took in a deep, frustrated breath and slammed his fist on the desk once more. I darted my eyes back and forth between people, trying to follow the conversation, trying to understand what was going on.

"This would only mean one thing," Zarfe said.

"What?" Michael and Jillian said in unison.

"He's Superior to us both," he told Michael.

"What does this mean?" Michael inquired.

"He will have to be the one replacing me when my time is over."

Jillian spun out of control. "I won't have it, Master! An amateur in control? Have you gone mad?"

"Jillian, this is beyond my control."

I crossed my arms smugly and smiled.

"You must do something at once!"

Zarfe glared at me in indignation. "Wipe that smirk off your face this instant. You still have a lot to learn."

Jillian glared at me with disgust.

"Master, he cannot be leader," Michael said.

"Jillian and Michael, you are going to train him."

"I will partake in no such thing," Jillian said.

"You will do as I say," Zarfe said.

Jillian squirmed beneath her skin.

"We will decide how strong he is, and if he's as strong as you Michael, I'll send you both on a mission to see who is worthy enough to be leader. Until then, continue on. I'm still in charge."

Jillian gave me one last disapproving stare, before she exited the room, followed by the other two red coats, and Michael and Zarfe.

The girl was left in the room with me, and she smiled in the corner. I looked at her and she looked up, blushing. "I knew you were going to come here and I knew this was going to be great," she beamed.

I smiled.

"I'm Emilie," she said, extending her hand out to me to shake mine, a formal introduction. At first I hesitated, but then I shook her hand. "Wow," she said, blushing again and trying to hide her face. "I think this is the most excited I've been since being here, the first being when Jillian didn't win over the heart of Anton as her immortal lover. He pa.s.sed through to the otherside, and she was left with no one. Her Centennial had already pa.s.sed, so she was stuck here forever, and made the choice to become leader of The Society. She's really just a b.i.t.c.h. I'm glad Anton didn't stay, even though I loved him."

She looked down at that last line, and paused for a beat, then looked up at me. "I'm sure she'll go for you next, even though you're currently the newest member on her hate list."

I could tell that not only did Emilie talk a lot, but she must've been new as well, and also from the current Earth time frame. She spoke like that of a modern day teenager.

"So you and Jillian are also enemies?"

"Silent enemies. I could never let her know my true feelings. I'm only a servant. A Jay."

"A Jay?"

"I don't exactly belong in this Corvidae Dynasty, you know." She fluttered her eyelashes. "I don't know why they all were so surprised that you were a white Raven. I mean, G.o.d, you must be more ancient than Zarfe, to still be a white raven. I mean, you are from like the end of the nineteenth century." She came in closer and motioned for me to move my ear next to her. "The researchers who've studied your case, knew you were a Raven, they just didn't want to tell Zarfe. At the time of your death, your body entered preservation mode. You were meant to be the leader the entire time, even before The Master, but by a strange twist of events, you didn't resurrect in time. So, the researchers removed your case file entirely and wrote you off as a regular Crow." She smiled, deviously. "Quite the scam, isn't it?"

I still didn't understand anything that was going on, but hoped in time I would. "What exactly is The Society?"

"The Law. They govern our existence and make sure the rules of the Land of Nevermore are strictly abided by, or else."

"Or else what?"

"They annihilate you."

I gave a contorted look.

"They are fanged creatures who can rip a body apart in a matter of only seconds. I've seen it happen."

"What am I even supposed to do here, anyway?"

"You are a guide. You guide the dying to the otherworld, the afterlife, you give the living spiritual messages, and you kill the corrupt. Got it?"

A second later, the door flew open and a girl ran at me and threw her arms around my neck. "Oh Marcus! I'm so glad you're here."

When she pulled away, I saw that it was none other than my annoying twin sister, Vivian.

"I will have you know, Dear Marcus, that you are no longer the oldest sibling. I made it to twenty-one when I died. You're still eighteen."

"Nineteen," I corrected. "Well, technically. I don't think resurrection on your birthday really counts, but so be it." Then I added, "So this means you must be on your best behavior always and conduct yourself in an adult manner, while I, on the other hand, am on the cusp of adulthood, I'll never technically be an adult."

"Oh, shut up, and let's go dance. It's our birthday, after all." She took my hand and pulled me out the door and into the masquerade crowd.

"So who's courting you?" I asked.

"Michael Corbin," she said.

I smiled to myself. "You sure about that?"

"Yes. He will soon be leader of Nevermore."

"And are you sure about that?"

She spun around and gave me a look.

"I'm just saying. Sometimes you never know." I shrugged.

"Which other creature residing here could ever replace Zarfe?"

I flashed her a bright smile. "Yours Truly."

She scoffed. "Please. Don't be absurd."

I stood against the Palace wall and crossed my arms over my chest, staring out into the spinning array of bodies. Once dead bodies. It was strange to go from being deceased to suddenly being resurrected and brought here.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Emilie extended a bowl out to me. "Here, Marcus. Thought you'd like some mix." The bowl was full of dehydrated fruit, nuts, and berries. I scooped up a handful and shoved it all into my mouth at once, turning my attention back to the crowd.

"Thought you might need it," she said, "since they'll be here to get you in two minutes."

I spun my attention to Emilie. "Who?"

"Michael and Jillian, of course." She looked past me. "And they're here now."

I turned around. "Come on, little bird," Michael said, pulling me by my upper arm.

Jillian gave me a disgusted look. "Let's get this over with," she spat.

We walked across the ballroom to a door which Michael opened, and we descended down a spiraling staircase into a bas.e.m.e.nt. Michael then opened another door and a cool breeze came in. We now stood outside the Palace, on a lower balcony, above a roaring ocean.

"You're going to have to jump off the edge," Michael said.

"What?!" I turned to look at him, but before I could do or say anything else, Jillian shoved me off the edge with all her force and I spiraled downward in my human form, racing at incredible velocity toward the freezing ocean. At first I panicked. Then, I knew I wouldn't let her get the best of me. I burst into the white raven and soared back up toward the top of the ledge, my senses dramatically increased.

"That b.a.s.t.a.r.d really is a white Raven," she said.

Michael turned to her. "Don't fool yourself, Jillian. I think you like him."