Gravel crunched beneath the tires of Ace’s car as he turned onto a long drive.
I could barely make out the bodies of the trees as they stretched out over the drive.
I watched in a fearful amusement as the Demon stopped just as the car began to slow. Its beady eyes remained locked on me until we were so far into Crow Haven’s property that it was now too far in the distance to see.
Falling back into my seat, I let out a heavy breath as my heart began to slow.
White lights came into view from the front window and suddenly, I found my gaze mesmerized by a very different sight this time.
Standing tall at the end of the long, gravel driveway was a home towering over us. The bright lights surrounding the home make it appear as though it were almost daylight. The three-story brick home had been painted a dark, charcoal gray and the windows were outlined in a shinny black. Thick metal gates lined the walkway that led from the gravel to the massive stone front porch. The home had a very gothic feel to it, but yet, at the same time, a comforting mood, too.
“Where exactly are we?” I managed to ask, as my eyes traveled over the home.
“Crow Haven,” Ace deadpanned.
Opening the driver’s side door, he jumped out of the car and was gone before I could even process a response.
Maylee turned in her seat and looked at me over the headrest.
“We are about ten miles away from your house. Crow Haven is hidden away in the hills that overlook the Kentucky River. It’s actually really beautiful in the daylight,” she said, smiling in spite of our situation.
I offered a slight smile back. Maylee was only trying to comfort me, even if we both knew it was an almost hopeless endeavor.
“I can’t wait to see it,” I added.
We both exited the vehicle and a chill tore through me as the cool night air hit me. Crossing my arms across my chest, I struggled to find warmth within myself.
“Are you cold? We can start a fire or get blankets,” Maylee offered.
“Sure,” I smiled.
I followed Maylee as she led me up the steps and through the heavy wooden doors and into Crow Haven.
We walked down a long, narrow hallway lit by wall sconces until we were met with a grand staircase. Hushed voices drew my attention to a small formal living room to my right. I stopped mid-step, my noisy side refusing to move further.
Peeking into the room, I spotted Ace standing toe-to-toe with two guys who had the same black hair and menacing glares that Ace shared. I knew instantly they were talking about me as I heard my name slip out of Ace’s mouth.
Grabbing my hand, Maylee tried to tug me forward, but I refused to budge. “No, I want to know why Ace is talking about me,” I growled out.
I guess my voice wasn’t as quiet as I had planned for it to be, because the three guys in the room all turned and locked eyes on me.
“Well hello, Lizzie. I have heard so much about you,” one of the guys said, as he sauntered over to me with a cocky grin on his chiseled face.
My mouth opened, but no sound escaped. He was strikingly handsome in a distinguished sort of way. While he reminded me of Ace in some of his features like his hair color and eyes, but the way he carried himself with ease and grace was far different from Ace.
Stretching out his hand, the guy watched me under a careful eye. “How rude of Ace not to introduce us. I’m Collin, one of Ace and Maylee’s cousins,” he said, smirking at the mention of his cousins.
“Hi,” I finally managed to say.
Taking my hand, Collin greeted me and I felt a shiver of nervousness from his touch.
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you. How rude am I being, let me also introduce you to my brother, Levine,” Collin said, gesturing toward his brother.
I managed a slight wave at Levine who was smiling my way, but didn’t bother to move.
“Call me, Levi,” he stated.
“Lizzie will stay here tonight and then I will take her home in the morning. We encountered an issue tonight,” Ace stated firmly.
Issue? Did he really think a Demon chasing us was an issue?
“She’s not ready to be here, yet,” Levine expressed, his jaw tensing. Like Collin, he had a sort of classic air to him that made him appear very different from Ace.
“Let me get Lizzie settled in,” Maylee offered, but I fought her hand away again.
“No, I told Ace tonight that I wanted answers and now that I am here, I demand them,” I pursued.
Collin chuckled as he smiled down at me. He was very tall, probably six feet or taller.
“This girl has spunk, just like her Aunt Morgan,” he chuckled.
That got my attention. “You knew my aunt?” I asked.
“Of course, we all did. The crows were grateful to your aunt and the protection she aided our town. But now that you are here, it looks like a whole new level of fun is about to begin,” he said, his eyes sweeping over mine.
“We can tell Lizzie everything in the morning,” Ace intervened.
“Sure. I will be glad to impart wisdom on Miss Lizzie,” Collin pronounced.
“Brother, stop playing games. Let Ace handle this,” Levine chided his brother.
I wanted to argue and kick and scream until they had no other choice but to answer my millions of questions, but as a yawn escaped my lips, I realized I was beyond exhausted. It must be well into the night right now and I was suddenly too tired to think straight.
“Yes, I will handle everything in the morning. Maylee, please take Lizzie upstairs to one of the empty bedrooms,” Ace ordered.
I finally allowed Maylee to pull me away, but not before I saw all three men turn back to their original heated discussion.
As we began climbing the massive white, marble stairs, I felt like I was taking the stairway to heaven. Everything felt so surreal right now and all I could do was fight to keep my eyes open.
Maylee led me into a room and the last thing I remember was falling onto a large, fluffy mattress.
A warm stream of sunlight heated my face as my eyes slowly opened, revealing ominous and strange surroundings.
Groaning, I sat up, stretching my arms high above my head.
In an instant, the events of the night before flashed through my mind like a movie.
The football game.
Ace driving me home.
The Demon.
Crow Haven.
A wave of nausea washed over me as I was reminded of where I was.
“Good morning,” a deep voice spoke from the doorway.
Startled, I grabbed the black silk sheet and cradled them in my arms.
Shadowing the doorway, Ace stood looking vexed as he took in my disheveled appearance.
“Um, hi,” I replied, unsure of how to exchange pleasantries with him.
Ace stepped into the room and the air around me seemed to shift as it grew heavy and thick.
“So, Maylee is bringing you something to eat, but I thought we could talk,” he said, nervously.
“Ok,” I answered, sitting up straighter.
As Ace made his way further into the room, I took a second to admire the decor of the room. The walls were a rich hunter green with dark cherry wood molding. Large, floor to ceiling windows offered a breathtaking view of the Kentucky hills as the sun shown high in the morning sky.
A red brick fireplace faced the wood sleigh bed and inside a small fire slowly blazed. Showers of oranges and reds licked the air as the heat radiated and warmed me.