A Circle of Crows Read Free

came to her ... there were supposed to be ravens in the Tower of London, and the legend went that if the ravens were ever to leave, the Crown would fall, along with the country.
    "I am plagued with black harbingers,” she said to no one in particular, especially not Tim. “For goodness sake, this is ludicrous."
    Her head in her hands, she attempted to sort out her feelings to find the source of her anxiety, hoping it would then abate. She suddenly had the feeling of being watched. Slowly, she turned her head toward the back of the bar, and sure enough, a huge man with ragged hair was staring at her. When she met his gaze however, instead of looking away, as one does when they are caught in the act of staring, his eyes met her full on, and he smiled—a huge, smile showing all his yellow teeth.
    Rae turned and after a few minutes, she leaned closer to the bar. “Tim, who is that fellow in the corner?"
    "I haven't any idea. Been here since yesterday. Odd sort of man. But being a stranger isn't a crime, you know?"
    "Yeah, tell that to anyone over sixty-five who has lived here all their life. Being a stranger is a capital offense in a town like this."
    Rae finished her beer in three large gulps and as she threw a tip on the bar, said over her shoulder, “Told you I wasn't staying!"
    Turning, she began her jogging pace again, oblivious to the two crows perched above The Rusty Lantern's stoop.
    As she jogged, she could not get the man out of her head. There was something odd about him, but I can't put my finger on it. Aside from the astoundingly good dental work...
    Rae quietly opened the back door in the kitchen when she reached the inn, choosing it over the front door to avoid the welcome bell placed above it. It was silent throughout the inn, but as she passed her twin's apartment, she heard the news inside.
    She bounded up the stairs, avoiding all the ones that creaked by memory, and hurried to her own suite. Her cat, the Dodger, was curled up on her bed. Opening the side table drawer, she pulled out a shot glass and Jim Beam™ and quickly downed one.
    Lying down, the cat placed himself upon her chest and she sighed deeply. Soon, her eyelids began to flutter with dream sleep.
    "Come here, poppet,” commanded her grandfather.
    Rae crawled upon his lap and she smelled his familiar scent of Old Spice™ and tobacco.
    Her gran leaned over a pot stirring, with her back to them.
    "Poppet, do you remember the story I told you last week about the Kelpies? Well, that new horse of the Sullivans looks like a Kelpie if I ever seen one. I expect he will change into a man any day now."
    Rae sat straight up in bed, her clothes sticking to her as she was sweating profusely.
    "What is going on here?” She poured herself another shot, which she disposed of quickly, again.
    "I'm a writer, I have the Hemingway defense for insanity, right?” she asked the cat, as his tail flicked dangerously back and forth, then he grabbed her leg and nipped it.
    The last coherent thought she had was I am not crazy.

Chapter 2
    The Sisters MacBeth
    Rachael hit the alarm as it sounded its five a.m. call. She shuffled to the kitchen and put on the coffee, then waited at the scrubbed wood table till its rich aroma filled all the surrounding rooms of the inn. She walked into the sitting area and lit the huge brick fireplace to take the chill out of the early morning air. “Ahh, that's better,” she whispered. The cold September air leaked through the old windows, making the inn quite drafty, despite the three fireplaces on the first floor alone.
    At five fifteen a.m., the bell on the front door tinkled and her younger sister Isabella entered, her breath visible in the cold. As always, Rachael was astounded by her sister's beauty, even at dawn. Her hair was blond, cropped short, and her blue-green eyes sparkled with life. Her delicate features and frame reminded Rachael of a wood nymph or a fairy perhaps. She was a sharp contrast to the twins with their