Raven Saga 01 - Raven

made me fall out of bed. “I'm fine. No need to worry,” I said. But I couldn't help but notice that he looked a little preoccupied.
    “A strange dream?” he'd asked.
    “Just a dream, Gabriel. People have strange dreams all the time,” I laughed. “It's okay, I'm fine, go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning.”
    He said nothing more, except to wish me a goodnight and he switched the light back off as he left me to think about the ravens and the cats and that exhilarating feeling of flying.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

    A few days had passed since Oliver's party and the Tulugaq family had made me feel like I was part of their clan. I truly felt like I was one of them, even though I often thought about my parents. I had also started school. And although it was excruciatingly embarrassing having to stand in front of my new classmates as I was introduced, strangely enough I was welcomed with open arms by everybody.
    I did have a feeling that being Jo's cousin had a lot to do with it. That, and the fact that I have 'such a cute English accent,' they said.
    The most surprising part about my going back to school was that I discovered that my love of reading had stood me in good stead and I was more advanced than everybody else in my year so I had managed to skip a year... which had taken me by complete surprise.
    During a few lunchtimes with Jo I noticed she was the focus of many admiring glances, from boys and girls alike. She was one of the most popular girls in school and it wasn't just because she was beautiful or because she had an aura about her. It was because she was caring and friendly and was just really well liked by all... teachers and students alike.
    As we sat and ate our sandwiches, Jo introduced me to some of her friends but none of them stayed to eat with us. She said she had something important to discuss with me alone and so her many friends happily went and sat elsewhere.
    “Gabriel called me this morning Lilly, and told me you had a strange dream the other night. Do you want to talk about it?”
    She wanted to talk about a dream? I was surprised that such a big deal would be made from a bunch of way-out thoughts that were going through my head in my sleep.
    “Dreams are our unconscious mind trying to tell us something. It could be something important. It could be a memory from childhood that you're blocking, maybe...?”
    I laughed, “I don't think so, somehow, Jo. I dreamed I was flying. If I was ever able to fly, I'm sure I'd remember.”
    She laughed too and we continued to eat in silence for a moment, but I could sense there was something she wasn't saying.
    “How come Gabriel is asking you about this, anyway?”
    “I guess he thinks I'm the best person to speak to you about anything... and everything. He can see we're becoming close and I guess he wants to take advantage,” she laughed again.
    “So you're like his spy or something?” I laughed.
    “Yeah, I guess you could say that. But don't worry, I won't tell him anything you don't want me to tell him.”
    Why was it such an issue? They were just dreams. Dreams weren't important. Not to me anyway.
    “Well, if you really need to know – and I don't mind you telling him – in that dream, I turned into a raven. I doubt that's an early repressed childhood memory though,” I said smiling, as I suddenly recalled another dream I'd had. “Remember when I went into the woods alone and fell asleep by the river? Well I dreamed of a woman and a raven then too. There's something about these ravens here, isn't there?” I laughed.
    Jo looked at me in a way she hadn't looked at me before. Almost as if she was looking at someone else. “Jo?” I whispered.
    Her expression softened and she smiled and then the bell went, signalling the end of lunch break. “Saved by the bell, eh Jo?” I joked as she told me she'd see me later before I headed in the opposite direction to my next class.
    All afternoon I couldn't shake the feeling that something strange was about to happen. It was Jo's expression that had started it all off. That feeling that she was looking at someone else even though she was looking right at me.
    When I got back from school that afternoon, Meredith greeted me.
    “Hi sweetie! How was your day?” she asked, giving me a quick hug as I dropped my bag on the kitchen floor and flopped down onto one of Gabriel's handmade wooden chairs.
    “It was okay, thanks. Where's Gabriel?” I asked, eager to sit down with him and have a proper chat