Raven Saga 01 - Raven

face, I knew it couldn't be by my hands. She was right, I wasn't a killer. I wasn't anything like her. I wasn't a monster.
    I leaned back away from her and instead pulled her up and pushed her hard against the cave wall, winding her. Jo took over. Finding some rope, she tied Vivian up so there was no way she could release herself. Not even a witch could escape. But Vivian didn't even struggle, she was too busy sobbing about her appearance.
    I made the transition back to my human self, using the breathing techniques Rose had taught me. After a moment, I was human again. Jo and I clothed ourselves with tops and trousers from my rucksack.
    She gave me a long hard hug, while the other raven just sat outside, perched quietly on the same branch the owl had been on earlier.
    “I'm so glad you're okay, Lilly. We were all worried sick,” she said.
    “But how did you know?”
    “Both Sammy and Meredith felt something was wrong so we contacted a close friend, one of the Elders, who sent someone to search for you,” she said.
    “Let me guess, that someone was an owl?” I asked and she nodded, “so you saw him then?”
    I nodded and then remembered Gabriel. I asked her if he was okay and she reassured me that the owl had witnessed everything and had gone to fetch help straight away.
    “Gabriel was in quite a bad way, but he's recuperating with the Elders. They sent one of their raven friends to tell us what was going on. But at that stage, we didn't know that Vivian was involved. So I'm so relieved you're okay Lilly.”
    “Thank you for coming so quickly. But how? When did you learn to transform?” I asked.
    Jo explained that the family's only chance of getting someone here quick enough was for her to change into a raven. “I couldn't wait for it to happen naturally so Rose helped me make it happen for myself, that was this morning,” she said proudly.
    I was amazed at her transformation, and even more amazed that she had taken it upon herself to come and help us.
    “Sammy wanted more than anything to come and help but it's daylight. It was too much of a risk. We practically had to tie him up to stop him from following me,” she said.
    “A few of the Elders are on their way now. They should be here soon. Come, let's wait for them outside.”
    We tied Charlie up and dragged them both out into the sunlight where we sat on a large boulder as we awaited the arrival of the Elders.
    As we sat, I saw that the other raven and the owl were waiting patiently with us and so I stood up and walked over to them. Bowing my head, I thanked them for all their help, “I don't know if you can understand me or not, but I just want you to know how grateful I am.”
    Both birds nodded their heads at me and I knew then that, through some kind of magic, they could understand my every word.
    “I know Meredith can occasionally read minds but I thought that was just when we're close,” I said to Jo as I returned to her side, “how was she able to do it this time?”
    “This is the first time that she's been able to pick up on something so far away. I think the fact that Sammy was picking up on the same feeling helped,” she answered.
    “So were your mum and dad okay with you coming all this way to help?”
    “They were obviously really concerned about you and Gabriel. They were worried sick when I told them I wanted to come but they understood that it was something I had to do. They were really proud that I finally changed though,” she said.
    As we sat chatting to each other awaiting the Elders, I was developing a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had been trying to ignore it but it just wouldn't go away. Some of the things that Vivian had said had crushed me and no matter how hard I tried to push them to the back of my mind, I struggled to keep them there.
    As I watched Vivian still sobbing to herself, I thought of the evil things she had done, not just in my lifetime but way before that too. She had taken the two loves of Rose's life and ruined any chance of her finding love again.
    Rose had no idea what had happened to Walter and Lori, but now it seemed that her husband was probably dead and her daughter could be anywhere in the world, probably never to be found again. She was just a baby when she was cruelly ripped from Rose's life – just as I had been when I had been taken, so she would probably have no idea as to the true identity of her real mother.
    Rose would need answers and Vivian was the only person who