I slipped out of the aviary aware that I had to go and jump out a window at a great height. I tried not to think about what I was doing or how much it would hurt when I did take the plunge. Instead I psyched myself up so that I was running blindly on adrenaline and sprinted up the floors asking the servants for directions to the highest tower. Needless to say I received a few odd looks along the way. Apparently the tower was closed off due to being dilapidated and unsafe and when the servants heard that I wanted to visit there they tried to deter me from going up the tower. The beams and flooring were full of rot and woodworm they warned. Great, I thought to myself. That's all I need, one wrong step and I could put my foot through the floor boards.

Following the directions, I got to the foot of the stairs to the tower and began a long tiresome climb up the spiral staircase. Gingerly I tested the strength of each step before putting my weight fully on the plank of wood. With each window I passed I could see the ground getting further and further away. but I forced myself up each step, thinking about the people I had wronged. Occasionally I had to skip a step or two because of the wood worm but I eventually made it to the top. An empty dusty void greeted me, I had no idea what the Eastern turret was once used for but judging by the cobwebs and I must be the first person to visit this room for years. An angry blizzard howled around the tower and all I could see through the glass and dust was white. I had to really peer past the little flakes of white obscuring the ground to get a sense of how high up I was. When I eventually saw the ground I almost past out. Clinging on to the window ledge for support I pushed the window frame open. A blast of cold air and ice hit my face. I pulled myself up onto the ledge and dangled my legs out. 

Okay take a deep breath and just do it.

I took one deep breathe and panicked- shit shit shit. I can’t throw myself out of building even if I was immortal! This is crazy, but the dragon's words echoed in my head - it is a leap of faith.

 A strange calmness overcame me and I felt myself letting go. I thought about Romola and I thought about Morgan. A few broken bones to save my friends was a small price to pay. I leaned forward into the air and felt the solidness of the window ledge slip away from me. I was falling.

Above I heard a scream, a man, yelling my name. I tried to look up but I was spinning. My head felt light and I felt myself going. The wind screamed around my ears and then faded to silence. I lost consciousness.

I waited under the hollow tree for my brother. Ravens did not have homes or palaces, instead we had the forest and mountains to dwell in. We were of nature and to live in a house was to shut out nature although ever since meeting Dante I had spent an increasing time in these dwellings. Walking softly in the snow, nausea began to build like it always did every time I was about to meet my brother. He was strange around me, a creepy strange that made me nervous just to think of him. There was a beating of wings and a raven swooped down in front of me transforming into a man.

“Sister.” My brother smiled.

I forced myself to return a smile and feign happiness even though the sight of him made me sick as a dog. His presence had always made me uneasy since we were children. I had spent many years learning how to avoid his company so I did not have to endure the sight of him. I watched him closely trying to maintain our distance. He always like to come close to me- too close.

“Dante said we are to be married.” I said politely.

Edvard didn’t like this news, he shook his head and replied,“The Prince will never marry you Ebony.”

“He says he loves me.” I protested.

“All men say that Ebony. It is our way of getting what we want.” My brother brushed his hand over my face, letting his fingers fall down to my neck, over my shoulder, down to my collar bone. I abruptly pulled away in disgust. I hated the way my brother looked at me, it was so unnatural. The way he tried to touch me. Ashamed I looked to the ground. Edvard didn’t like it when I spurned his advances. When I glanced back at him I saw his hand raised to strike me. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact, but it never came. Edvard held his hand in mid-air scowling at me. A burst of triumphant flashed through me. No, he wouldn't hit me while I belonged to another man. Cockily I asked,

“Are you afraid of what Dante will do if finds a bruise on my face?”

Edvard’s jaw tensed and he lowered his hand. Vampires were notoriously stronger than our kind. No raven would be mad enough to pick a fight with a vampire. I smiled sweetly at my brother knowing he was powerless against Dante. Anger flashed in Edvard's eyes,

“Do not mock me Ebony. When that pig of vampire impregnates you with his bastard seed, I will be the first person you turn to.” He snapped.

“Dante would never dishonour me.” I replied feeling absolutely revolted by Edvard comments.

“He will, Ebony, and the pain will be so unbearable when he throws you out, you will come running back into the arms of your brother, the only man who will ever love you.”

“I will not listen to your madness anymore. Your mind has been twisted and disturbed by these grotesque thoughts of me for too long.”

“Why can’t I love you Ebony? You know how I feel about you.”

“It’s disgusting. It’s unholy. I will not listen to it.” I said turning my back on him and running.

Edvard ran after me, he reached out and snatched my wrist, pulling me into him. I desperately tried to struggle against him but he was so much stronger. He roughly threw me onto the snowy ground and removed his jacket, "Dante will never want you if you are spoilt." He sneered.

Crawling over me, he pinned me against the snow, his body pressing against mine, panic tore through me and I screamed out loud. Deep down I knew screaming was hopeless, this was his forest, this was his territory, no raven guard would come to my aid. The situation seemed entirely hopeless until I caught of glimpse of fire in the snow. As Edvard tore the ribbon from my bodice with trembling fingers of desire I heard a whistling noise that I instantly recognised. A pillar of fire cut through the icy air hitting Edvard squarely in the chest. He cried out in pain as the fire seared through his clothing into his flesh. Edvard scrambled off me as my best friend Morgan walked menacingly towards him.

“Do you want me to kill him Ebbs?” Morgan asked poised like a panther ready to strike.

Edvard lay in the snow writhing like a wounded eel crying out for his guards. Morgan sauntered over to where he was and towered over him, she raised her hand and fire rose from her finger tips,

“Let me incinerate him.” She said furiously to me.

Edvard looked up at me desperately, “Please sister, remember your promise to  our mother.”

The thought of my mother drifted through my mind. Foolishly she gone to the mortal realm to visit her human lover one evening and was mortally wounded by a runaway carriage. She had managed to crawl back to the Raven’s forest and gather her children around her before she died. Her instruction to me was to look after my brother Edvard, as he would be King when she died.

I wanted to kill him. I wanted to stop being so afraid. But I did not want to dishonour my dead mother. Resting my hand on Morgan’s shoulder I said,

“Stop.”

Morgan shot me an incredulous glance, “You can’t be serious.”

“I can’t kill him, I promised my mother.” I said.

“Your poor mother had no idea what a nasty little pervert she had for a son.” Morgan said.

“I know but I can’t. When I marry Dante I shall cut all ties from the raven community.” I said looking directly at Edvard still rolling on the ground.

The fire from Morgan’s fingers tips disappeared and she took a step back.

“Thank you.” I said to her.

Morgan shook her head, “I knew when I made friends with you, you were more trouble than you were worth.”

We turned together and left my brother in the snow. The image of Morgan and I faded like a movie transition out of my head into blackness. In the darkness I felt a beating against my fingertips that brought me back into consciousness. Instead of feeling the cold agony of jumping out a building, I felt something soft and warm. Opening my eyes I saw a hazy blur of black against white. I sat up and looked down and my heart stopped. Dante’s broken and bloodied body lay beneath me. I remembered a man calling after me, but I had no idea that it was Dante and the idiot would follow me out the bloody window. He must have caught me as we fell and then had taken the full impact of the fall. I screamed for help and his eye lashes fluttered open.

“Idiot!” I snapped bursting into tears.

“I couldn’t let you fall.” He replied.

“I’m a bloody bird!” I said sobbing.

“But your…” Dante pointed to the leather straps. I couldn’t open my wings while the straps were binding them.

I shook my head and lied, “I just put them back on.”