The Raven Wars: Book Two - Paperback

I watch Willow dancing alone as if she doesn’t have a care in the world. That’s when I notice something shifting in the darkness beyond the Meadow. I move closer in the direction where I see it at the foot of the mountains. 

“Eva? What is it?” Simon asks.

“Something’s out there,” I say, pointing to where a dark misty fog rolls out over the river. “That doesn’t look normal.”

He steps up beside me squinting into the darkness. I continue to watch it, mesmerized by its movement. It doesn’t stand still, but rolls and churns itself—like it’s taking breaths along the way, expanding, then contracting, continuing to spread and thicken over the river, until it not only blankets the water, but the entire mountainside behind it. 

Simon tenses beside me. “I think we should get everyone home soon.”

I nod, still staring at it. A chill peaks at the base of my spine, but before it can spread, Simon grabs my attention by guiding me back to the celebration. 

Another hour passes, and the fog continues to thicken and morph in the distance, creeping ever closer to the Meadow. I haven’t taken my eyes from it. Only a few straggling Vitalists remain on the dance floor and a few huddled together at their table. Simon and I wait until the last of them clear out. Hazel walks around to the tables, clearing off the food. 

“You’ve done enough tonight,” I say. “Let me and Simon clean up for you tomorrow.”

She smiles softly, her eyelids heavy from exhaustion. “That would be wonderful.” Mindel steps up beside her and together they leave with little Ivy huddled between them. 

Simon and I are the last ones in the Meadow. The night air is cool beneath the clear, starlit sky but the only thing I can pay attention to is the growing haze that’s now only a short distance from the Meadow. It breathes itself forward, stretching and expanding like water on a wooden surface. 

“What do you think it is?” Simon asks. His voice is flat, emotionless. He’s already decided it’s something terrible. I grip his hand and stand close to him. 

A soft sound enters my senses, distracting me from his question. “Do you hear that?”

He stiffens and nods.

“What is that?” I ask. “Is it coming from the fog?”

We remain still a moment longer, silent and curious. The fog isn’t the right color, but a midnight black. At first, I thought it was just the shadow of the night, but now that the lights from the Meadow shine on it, I can see I was wrong. And that sound . . . it’s almost like a clicking, so soft it’s barely audible. 

“C’mon, let’s go,” Simon tells me. The panic in his voice makes me uneasy. We depart; even though part of me wants to stay and explore the fog more, I know it’s a bad idea. 

Trim Size: 5x8

Number of Pages: 415

Cover Finish: Matte

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