Raven (Legends Saga Book 2) by Stacey Rourke Read Free Book Online Page A

rising up the back of his throat, Edgar slowly turned to find a form of Douglas standing beside him. The boy leaned casually against the wall, seemingly oblivious to his gaping head wound or the blood that matted into the hair around it. His jaw hung unhinged on one side, giving his smile the demented twist of death.
    “ Do you think she will finally call me Douglas at the wake?” The ghoul’s smile widened, grey gums visible where his jaw swung slack.
    Edgar’s chin retreat to his chest, his hands rising to curl around his ears. “Y-y-you’re not here, cannot be real .”
    “L-l-liked my stutter so much you had to steal it, Edgar?” Douglas scoffed, dabbing at his wound with the tips of his fingers, then wiping the ooze on the leg of his pants. “But know, my friend, that I am very real. Of course a little less real than I would be if you had used that little talent of yours.” Douglas’s head rolled toward Edgar, his eyes narrowing with malicious intent.
    Edgar’s nervous gaze flicked around the crowd in front of him. No one was turning their way or tearing their stares from the body still sprawled in the grass. Which meant this little haunt was reserved for him alone.
    “I do not know what you are talking about,” Edgar whispered, trying not to let his lips move, else he look like the mad loon he was certain he’d become.
    Douglas rocked up onto one shoulder to face him. “Oh, yes you do, Edgar Allen Poe. We all know about you. What you are, what you can do.” He leaned in close, his rancid breath making the air around them unbreathable. “Did you think you could hide it from us forever? That darkness within you offers such promise to all of us that have found ourselves in the unfortunate vocation as worm food.” His head fell back to guffaw at his own humor, his jaw fully unhinging like a hungry serpent. 
    Blinking hard, Edgar tried to free himself from what had to be a macabre hallucination. “What do you want from me?” His voice betrayed him by cracking, rising with the bubbling panic he could no longer contain.
    A few of the nearby boys glanced his way, sizing him up with judgmental glares.
    “What do we want? Well, let us take a moment to ponder that. There is that magic touch of yours that could give any of us a second chance to shimmy back into our meat suits and dance. That is, quite obviously, a hardy handshake we deeply covet. However, there is also the more … subtle gift of yours. Where, once you find yourself by the location of our demise, you can see us plain as day.” Douglas’s head dipped, allowing him to glare up at Edgar from under his lowered brow. Blood welled within the whites of his eyes, spilling over the lids in ruby torrents. “And that makes us want to play.”
    Finding himself at sanity’s limit, Edgar pushed himself off the wall. His loose glove fluttered to the ground at his feet as he sprinted across the schoolyard.
    “Edgar? Edgar Allen ! Where are you going?” one of the teachers called after him.
    Edgar didn’t pause to acknowledge him, but slammed into the gate and forced it open with fumbling hands. The heels of his shoes dug deep into the soil with each pounded stride.
    Even his own heaving breath huffing in his ears couldn’t drown out the chilling echo that pursued him. “See you soon, E-E-Edgar!”

     
    5

    Ridley
     
    “By definition it means ‘female dog ,’ which is why calling someone that is so comical!” Rip gushed, facing the closed door before him.
    Ireland cast a sideway glance to Noah, her expression dripping with judgment. “This is your doing. You get to have the appropriate public conversation topics talk with him.”
    “I totally deserve that,” Noah admitted, reaching one arm out to knock again. “Peolte said nine a.m., right?”
    Before his fist could meet the door for a second rap, it flung open wide. A stout, frazzled looking woman, whose caramel-skin was dotted with beads of sweat, grabbed his arm and yanked him into the