Corviticus University: Void Read online

  © 2019 J.E. Cluney

  All Rights Reserved

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  Glossary

  Arvo - afternoon

  Bogan - is Australian and New Zealand slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are considered unrefined or unsophisticated.

  Bottle-o - Liquor store

  Chippy - Carpenter

  Esky - hard-cased cooler for drinks

  IGA - Grocery store

  Fortnight - two weeks

  Grouched- get pretend cranky with

  Lounge - couch/sofa

  Milo - malt drink well-known in Australia, had both hot and cold

  Op Shop - Second-hand store that donates money raised to causes

  Singlets - tank tops

  Skippy - Australian Kangaroo show (popular and known)

  Stubbies - bottles of beer

  Thongs - flip-flops

  Trackies - Tracksuit pants

  Verandah - Porch

  Woolies/Woolworths - Grocery store

  Chapters

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  1

  “I’m a what?” I gasped as Lucas stared down at his phone.

  “A banshee,” Lucas repeated, and I just blinked stupidly.

  “A wailing woman?” Skip frowned as he glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

  “Yep. My great grandfather remembered what wendigos go after. Banshees. And from what I told him about Ally, he’s pretty sure of it, especially since he’s looked in on us to see what’s going on,” Lucas said as he scrolled down a message on his phone.

  “Not creepy at all that he looks in on us,” Skip muttered.

  Dread filled me, and I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that lingered since Derek. Fear and darkness. And I could feel something, something deep inside me. Something that had woken up.

  And that horned creature I’d seen, it was the wendigo. I was sure of it.

  Why did I feel as though I knew him though?

  And why was I so positive it was a him?

  “I’m just going to call Emma,” Lucas murmured as he raised his phone to his ear.

  Ollie was pursing his lips as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye.

  What did that mean?

  Banshees foretold death. That’s what I’d read about them. They were rare creatures, and even symbolized death in tarot cards.

  And I was one.

  Could my life get any more crazy?

  No, I’d better not jinx it.

  Lucas greeted Emma on the phone before putting it on speaker, and I leaned forward to hear what she had to say.

  “So, your creepy arse great grandfather popped into my mind while I was taking a shower. Not too happy about that,” Emma grumbled, and I would’ve snickered if I wasn’t more concerned about what I’d just learned.

  “So, what else did he say, your text was a bit all over the place,” Lucas sighed, giving me an apologetic look.

  “Well, he said she’s a banshee. That’s the main thing. And wendigos go after banshees as they can combine powers with them. He’s not sure how, just knows it has to do with their power. The linking thing is a banshee thing too. They can take on a number of mates. They can develop telepathic links with them, and a deeper connection and bond. Although, since it’s only gotten to the deeper level with Marcus and not Ollie, he thinks it’s because her power hasn’t been fully awakened. It worked with Marcus, because he’s the walking dead technically. And a banshee is linked to death. They can foretell it,” Emma relayed everything as a darkness swirled inside me.

  What was this feeling I was having? My mind kept jumping back to Derek as she spoke, but I tried to focus.

  “Well, her eyes went black today, and an intense power resonated with her. I can feel it still inside her, so I think maybe it’s woken up,” Lucas said as those concerned forest-green eyes fell on me.

  I could feel it too. This darkness inside me, like a black fog had settled over my soul.

  A shiver coursed through me as I swallowed.

  “What happened?” Emma asked, a tinge of panic in her voice.

  “Derek was being a cunt, and he grabbed Bee Sting’s arm. She screamed like sheer murder, and her eyes went black. Even I felt the energy in the air,” Skip said as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. His jaw was clenched as he remained focused on the road.

  “Sounds like a Banshee scream,” Emma murmured.

  Lucas’ mouth set into a grim line as my heart sank.

  Even I knew what that meant from my limited knowledge.

  “He’s going to die,” I whispered.

  I leaned into Ollie’s side, grateful for his comforting arm around my shoulders as we walked up to the house.

  There was a white Honda sedan parked out front, and I already knew my aunt and grandmother were here. I’d seen their text that they’d swung by to meet me after work.

  I wasn’t up for it, but I forced a smile as we drew closer to the front door.

  I was still trying to wrap my head around what I’d just discovered. And the ramifications too.

  Derek was going to die. Was it my fault though?

  Emma had tried to explain that Banshees only foretold death, they didn’t cause them, but I still felt like I was to blame.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Oliver murmured as he squeezed my shoulder.

  I looked up into those soft, sweet amber eyes, and my heart pulled. I was beyond thankful he was here, holding me, making sure I knew I wasn’t alone in this.

  ‘You’re not alone, you’ve got all of us,’ Marcus said telepathically.

  So he was still up, guess he’d had to let my family in, since they weren’t out on the verandah.

  ‘I’ve filled them in on what’s happened, so they won’t overwhelm you,’ Marcus informed me.

  God, he was too good sometimes. Nothing like when we first met.

  I felt him smirk at that thought.

  Right now, I had too many emotions going on, dread about Derek, and what to do about it, the wave of anxiousness about meeting my family, the confusion about what I was.

  Was it too much to ask for one normal day?

  One normal, werewolf/pixie halfling day?

  I’d take the horny marshmallows over this madness.

  But this was the truth. This was what I really was, and now, I was about to meet my real family.

  Time to put my big girl panties on and suck it up.

  I’d curl up in the fetal position later.

  Lucas passed us as Ollie and I stood awkwardly on the verandah, and he opened the front door for us.

  I drew in a calming breath, making sure my forced smile looked more relaxed as Lucas gave me a soft nod.

  I strode inside, moving into the
living area and finding three new people perched on the lounges.

  With a stiff vampire who looked like he was doing his best to be civil.

  I could feel his worry and stress for me, but I gave him a reassuring smile as the younger woman leaped to her feet and moved in to hug me.

  Ollie was still beside me, but he pulled his arm away as she wrapped her arms around me.

  “My God, you’re so big and beautiful!” she squealed as she squeezed me. I drew in her summer-flower scent as I enjoyed the hug.

  So this was Natalie, my aunt.

  And even though I felt like I’d only just met her, I knew that I’d known her long ago. When I was young, she’d been a part of my life.

  She pulled back, grinning widely at me as those ocean blue eyes rolled over me. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back into a bun, and she was a slimmer woman, wearing an orange summer dress and sandals.

  “Come, this is your uncle, my husband, Dixon, and your grandmother, Patricia,” Natalie beckoned me over to the pair who had now risen to their feet. Dixon had been sitting by Marcus, while my grandmother had been with Natalie.

  I hesitated as I smiled at my uncle. That uneasiness with male father figures was rearing its ugly head, and I stomped it down as he held out his arms for a hug.

  He was a stark contrast to his slender, shorter wife, towering over me with ease.

  He pulled me into his arms, and the scent of summer flowers wafted from him as well. I guess Natalie had a favorite washing detergent.

  I relaxed as his warmth flooded me. It was like hugging a giant teddy bear, and he released me and tousled my hair like I was a small child. I scrunched up my nose at this, especially since I had my hair up in a ponytail.

  “Still got those choc drop eyes,” he smiled softly. I got no bad vibes from him, just a sweet tenderness. But I was still uncertain. I’d have to push past my trust issues.

  His brown beard was trimmed and greying, same with his shaved short hair. He had on a blue button-up tee and fraying denim shorts, and his stunning hazel eyes were soft as he took me in.

  “So, this is my granddaughter.”

  I turned to my grandmother, who was shorter than Natalie but had a pleasant smile on her lips. The corners of her eyes crinkled as I moved over to give her a hug, and her arms wrapped around me. She smelled how you’d expect a grandma to smell, a softer flowery scent that made me feel right at ease.

  “You can call me Trish, none of this Patricia crap,” she stated as she pulled back. “Now, let me get a good look at you.”

  I chuckled at her bluntness as she looked me over, her blue eyes more grey than Natalie’s, and her grey hair was cut short, giving her a head of curls.

  She squinted as she took me in, and I noted the glasses around her neck.

  “Yep, you took after your mother all right, but Gerard is in there too,” she said with a brisk nod.

  There was a look of a wild-side in those eyes as she took me in. The wild wolf. Even in her old age, you could still see it, and she didn’t have any frailness to her.

  “So, kiddo, we hear things went a little haywire at work?” Dixon started, and I drew my eyes to him, flicking them around the guys who were standing around me. They weren’t sure if they should sit or not, considering there wasn’t enough lounges to cater for all of us.

  “Um, yeah,” I murmured as I rubbed my arm, my hand sliding down to toy with my charm bracelet.

  “Well, I guess it’s time we filled you in on everything then,” Trish sighed as she sat back down on the red lounge and patted the spot beside her.

  “Should we give you some privacy?” Skip asked as he glanced at the other guys.

  “That’s up to Allison,” Natalie stated as those calm blue eyes fell on me as she sat down on the opposite lounge with Dixon.

  “I’d like them to stay,” I said instantly.

  They were like my new family now, and I wanted them there. I couldn’t shake this feeling of dread, and I had no idea what to do about Derek. Should I warn him? Would that do anything? As much as I hated him, I didn’t think he should die.

  ‘I don’t think it can be stopped, a Banshee only foretells death, so if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen,’ Marcus tried to reassure me. Not that it helped relieve me in the slightest.

  I caught his frosty eyes as he took up a position against the doorframe leading into the kitchen. He folded his arms as he gave me a tight-lipped smile, and I focused back on my grandmother.

  “Well, I’m not sure what Marcus told you, but my friend, she’s a psychic, got told I’m a banshee by Lucas’ great grandfather,” I blurted. I wasn’t sure what they knew yet.

  My grandmother pursed her lips as her brow creased in concern. It only added to the many wrinkles already marring her rounded face.

  “He studied and journalled all sorts of rare supes,” Lucas explained, and my grandmother just nodded.

  “Well, going off what Marcus said happened, how your eyes went black when you screamed, I’d say he’s correct. And your aura has a black tinge to it too,” my grandmother sighed as she took my hands in hers. They were soft and small, and yet I could feel the strength in them too.

  “I noticed that,” Lucas murmured as he stood at the doorway leading from the front of the house. Skip stood beside him, while Ollie had resorted to sitting down on the floor and stretching his legs out.

  Why hadn’t he told me that? I guess it didn’t matter.

  “Pink for pixie, yellow and grey for your wolf, and black for banshee. Quite a sight,” my grandmother murmured as she brushed a strand of earthy brown hair behind my ear.

  “Mom used to tell me this story about a Banshee when I was young. How they are one of a few supernatural creatures that can bond telepathically with their mates on a deeper level. She said that much like werewolves, the banshee within would choose mates. I couldn’t remember much about the story, not that it was a banshee either, but mom remembered when I asked her. She wanted to come see you rather than tell you, as it can be an overwhelming thing to learn,” Natalie explained as she bit her lip, and Dixon wrapped a large arm around her tiny shoulders.

  “Wait, mates?” I frowned.

  I felt both Ollie and Marcus questioning that mentally too.

  “Yes, mates. Banshees are one of the few creatures that can have more than one mate. In modern day, some supernaturals are pursuing that more-so due to the lower female population, but for some creatures, it was how it always was,” my grandmother explained.

  “Werewolves have mates as well, one person who is their perfect match. We’re drawn to them, and become bound to them once they unify in body. We can sense their feelings and emotions strongly, but not their thoughts,” Dixon explained as he squeezed Natalie and gave her a loving smile.

  He was trying to say sex in a nicer way, but I liked how he’d worded it.

  So they were mates.

  “But my mum wasn’t a werewolf,” I said.

  “No, she wasn’t. Gerard met his mate when he was a teen, but she died in a car accident. If your mate dies, you can’t find another. But you can love another. Christine was the woman he found after Julie, and he loved her so much,” my grandmother said as she gripped my hands.

  “So, if a mate dies, they can still love again?” I checked.

  “Yes, but that hole never goes away, and the love is not as deep and powerful as a mate. But it is strong in its own way,” she assured me.

  I flicked my eyes around the guys. I’d be devastated if I lost any of them, and I was only bonded to Marcus and Ollie.

  “So they’re my mates then?” I flicked my eyes between Ollie and Marcus.

  “Yes, but since your power has only just awakened, the bond hasn’t been completed I believe. That will happen when your power grows.”

  “Oh, okay,” I murmured. So they were my mates, kind of. Did that mean Skip and Lucas were meant to be my mates too? Is that why I was so drawn to them? My banshee side chose my mates, and I know I wanted them,
badly.

  ‘Probably,’ Marcus answered.

  ‘Yeah, guess your banshee side fell for all of us,’ Ollie murmured, but I could tell he was thrown off by all of this.

  He wasn’t the only one.

  “So from my understanding, there is a wendigo after you, correct?” my grandmother moved on.

  “Yes, I believe so,” I nodded, and then frowned. “I saw it. When I screamed. It called my name. I felt like I knew him.”

  “Because you’ve met before,” my grandmother murmured.

  I just blinked, not quite understanding.

  “When your parents died, they died at the hands of a wendigo. It was going to take you as well, but left you, because it needed you to be more powerful,” my grandmother said, her voice low as her thumbs kneaded the back of my hands.

  I just stared at her, my throat tightening as her words sunk in.

  I felt Marcus’ despair as I realized what it was she truly meant.

  “It killed them because of me?” I whispered, my chest constricting as I chewed my lower lip.

  “Honestly? We don’t know. We don’t know if it was drawn to you, or if it just happened to find your parents and sensed what you were. I do not think it was your fault, none of us do. And until now, we never truly understood why it left you, but now we do,” my grandmother’s voice was soft yet firm as she searched my eyes.

  How could I not blame myself? She’d just told me it was after me, and it needed me to be more powerful.

  “Why?” I asked, hating how my voice pitched.

  “It’d be best if I told you the legend passed down through our family. You see, long ago, there was once a banshee in our family tree. But bearing a banshee child is extremely rare, as they are only ever female, and passing the gene on is so rare, that’s why very few people know much about them. If there is a banshee in your lines, the gene can be passed along, even if it’s dormant, until it finally awakens in one. True banshees no longer exist, banshees are all now halflings that awaken, a gene hidden within other supernatural lines,” my grandmother explained, before she drew in a deep breath and leaned back.

  “As for the legend, well, it was said that long ago there was a banshee. Her powers had fully awoken, and her mates had all been found. Once they were all bonded, they became incredibly powerful, each mate growing stronger, more powerful. They became the protectors of the supes in their community, much like the Area Enforcers we have today.