Raven's Desires (Night Hunters) by Aminta Reily Read Free Book Online

her eyes just in time to see a lightning bolt crash down right beside the window where she sat.
    “Holy shit, did you see that?” Veronica said as she jumped up from the booth.
    “Sadly, yes. That hurts worse than the lights you guys have on in here.”
    As if God answered her prayers, the lights in the café went off. Raven let out a sigh of relief. While the darkness did not lessen the pain in her head, at least without the lights she could keep her eyes from tearing up.
    “Raven, you need to go to the hospital. Tonight.”
    Raven turned in the booth a little. “Why, so they can give me more pills that will not work and tell me to go take a nap?”
    The generator finally kicked in and a few of the lights came back on. It wasn’t as bright as before. Thank god for small favors.
    “No, because you are suffering and they have to…”
    “Thanks for the advice but it’s not going to help,” Raven interrupted. “Just bring me more coffee and I will be alright.”
    “Fine. But the fact that you are up at one in the morning lets me further know you are not going to be alright. You’ve been in here for the past couple of nights, which is not healthy at all.”
    “I thought you enjoyed my company?”
    “Yes, I do. But when my friends are sick I’m more concerned about making them feel better, and you sitting here downing coffee while in pain is not a good thing.”
    Raven looked at Veronica and really wanted to turn her off. Her words were nagging and she was actually making her sicker by making her head pound more.
    “Mommy, can I stay if I promise to go to the doctor tomorrow? Would that shut you up?”
    Veronica snarled at her.
    “You have jokes today, Raven?”
    “Yep.”
    Veronica took one more look at her before she trotted off in the direction of the kitchen.
    “No sugar and a little cream,” Raven said as loudly as she could without causing another series of painful throbs in her head.
    “I know how you like your damn coffee!” Veronica yelled from the kitchen area making Raven smile.
    Veronica was right about the coffee. It would not help her get rid of the pain. Night after night she came here, sat and drowned her sorrow in coffee while trying to figure out what the hell was going on with her head. Tonight happened to be a good night at the café. There was no one here but her, Veronica and the cook Billy.
    Raven was grateful for this quiet over the usual fill of her fellow classmates who usually kept this place alive on a Friday night. Tonight was different. Almost every student in Meadville High School had traveled to Las Vegas to see this new up and coming band named Broken Promises. This band had just come out the month before and it seemed to be a big hit with everyone, young and old.
    They topped the charts with their hit single, Secret Cravings, already. The song sounded good, but Raven didn’t see why everyone made a big deal about it. All in all, she loved the peace and quiet tonight. She mentally thanked Broken Promises for entertaining her classmates.
    “Here’s your coffee.”
    “Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    Veronica set the coffee down in front of her but did not walk away. Raven took the little crystal light sugar she had left over from her previous cup of coffee and poured it into her new cup. She took a spoon and mixed the coffee. As she did this she tried to forget about the feel of eyes on her. Raven set the spoon down then sat back on the booth.
    “What now, Veronica?” she asked the waitress who stood at the end of the table since she placed the coffee down.
    “You need to go get checked.”
    Raven groaned. “Only thing I need is some peace and quiet and my friends not standing over me while I’m trying to have my morning coffee.”
    “Whatever. You have been here since eleven and that’s not healthy at all.”
    The door of the café opened. The simple sound of rain drops hitting the pavement outside almost drove Raven over the edge.
    “Oh my,” Veronica