The Raven Part 4: Devil of the Falls

Prologue

Jake sat in his study with the door locked and his legs crossed. It had been months since Ashley’s demise, and he still hadn’t been able to shake the guilt induced dreams and hallucinations. Never in a million years would he have thought that he would be wishing for those hellish nightmares again. His dreams were plagued with visions of what could have been, what he’d done, and who he’d done it for. Worse, he’d continued to encounter visions of Ashley while he was out on patrol.

He’d done his best to keep up a facade of being fine, but Beth and Pam were growing suspicious. Beth’s messages had returned, although now they were more along the lines of attempts to get him to open up. She never pushed the issue, but he knew that she was getting worried. Pam had come to visit him a few times, and he knew that she could sense his distress and turmoil. He’d heard her talking in hushed tones with Rebecca about what she’d done to him. He knew that Rebecca wouldn’t say what had happened, but whether it was out of respect for him or wanting to keep her secret he couldn’t tell. In the end, it didn’t much matter to him. The other part of Pam’s visits included gentle talks and her showing him some meditation techniques to ease his troubled mind.

He was currently attempting to do just that. He focused his breathing and tried his best to clear his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, though, he saw that sad smile on Ashley’s face just before she turned to dust. He tried his best to block out the image and focus on some sense of peace. The trouble was, he honestly couldn’t recall the last time he’d known any such peace. It had to have been before he encountered Goth, but even back then he’d been beset by Metropolis’ rogues on all sides. He sighed as he tried to expel some of the pain that filled the hole he’d carved in his heart.

Rebecca stood outside of the door to her and Jake’s study.

She placed her ear to the door in an attempt to listen for the sounds of his tinkering, but all that she heard was silence. He was meditating again. This was becoming the norm for him as of late. He barely looked at her since that night, and not for the first she wondered if she'd gone too far. How could she have known that that undead where would have changed so much though? The last thing she'd expected was for him to develop any sort of attachment! She heaved a heavy sigh and walked away from the door. There was nothing she could do for him, he wouldn't let her even if there was. As she walked back to the living room she recalled her and Pamela's last visit.

Jake had been holed up in their study when she'd come by. There was no fire, her demeanor was more calm than anything. She'd opened the door for her and allowed her to come in. "Rebecca, we need to talk," she'd said.

"Come to threaten me over your precious pet?" she had asked.

"Beth has nothing to do with this, although she's certainly worried about him," she'd said while gesturing to the study, "She doesn't know I'm here. I don't know how, but I know you were responsible for Ashley's return."

"So you've come to accuse me this again," she said, "And you expect me to believe Elizabeth has nothing to do with this."

"Don't be so thick, sit please," Pam chided, "Beth is safe and sound, so I have no reason to harbor any ill will towards you. Ashley told her what happened, how you had her summoned. This is about Jake, nothing more and nothing less."

She frowned, but took a seat like she was asked. She was reminded of how much Pamela had absorbed from her time as a simple initiate. The girl had come far from the simple street rat reading tarot cards all those years ago. It was a shame that their paths had divulged the way they had, the blonde had been like family to her. Then again, what was family good for except getting close enough to stab you in the back? "My Raven is none of your concern, Pamela," she said.

"Come off it, Rebecca, I know you still love him," Pam replied, "He's hurting, and even you can see that. He won't talk to Beth or I about it, but both of us can see it. Worse, I can sense it. Everytime I'm around him I can feel the pain he's in, and it gives me a migraine the likes of which I've never experienced. Your powers might be gone, but I know you can sense it to."

"You think I haven't noticed?!" she demanded, "He barely looks at me and when he does those almond eyes of his are so full of disdain...he's gone all hours of the night, comes home beaten and bloody, and then he locks himself in that damn study until nightfall!"

"Tell me what happened, Rebecca," Pam said calmly, "You might not believe it, but I want to help you both. Black hells, Beth would have a field day if she knew this, but I still care about you. By all rights, I should hate you for what you did to her and what you've done to him...but I can't and I don't. Maybe it's because you fostered my growth as a sorceress, or maybe it's because all those nights we spent together...whatever the case, you're my friend, you both are, and I can't stand to see you like this."

"When did you become so human?" she asked.

"I could ask the same thing of you," Pam replied with a soft smile, "Not often I see you tear up. I suppose, for me at least, I rediscovered my humanity through Beth."

She hadn't realized she was on the verge of tears until Pam had pointed it out. She brushed her thumb along her cheek to wipe away a stray teardrop. She closed her eyes and looked away, "I don't know what to do, Pamela. He needs me, but after that night he's shut me out completely…"

"What happened that night, Rebecca? All we know is that he killed Ashley," Pam asked again.

"It isn't my place to say," she said, "If I told you, he would never forgive me."

Pam closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She could understand what her friend meant, but that still didn't help her. "You say he needs you, then be there for him," she offered, "He won't let anyone in, he has shut himself off from everyone and everything except his work. Beating criminals into submission will only get him so far though."

"How, pray tell, am I supposed to be there for him when he won't even look at me?" she asked.

Pam sighed and tried to think of an appropriate response, "Respect his wishes, try to talk to him, don't order him around right now, and for fuck's sake listen to him when he does speak. The techniques I taught him were the same ones I learned from you, they're the ones meant for clearing the mind and relaxing the body. Maybe try to guide his meditations."

"How do you deal with all of these infuriating emotions?" she asked after a moment of silence.

Pam laughed at that, "You have to take the good with the bad. Not every feeling is painful, and trust me when I say that the good far outweighs the bad."

She chuckled and wiped another tear away, "You are quite the enigma, Pamela. I'll take your council under advisement. Thank you."
"You're very welcome," Pam said as she stood to leave, "I told him to call if he ever needs anything, and the offer stands for you as well. Don't give up on him and don't knock mortality until you've truly experienced it."

That had been two weeks ago. There had been several times since then that she had considered calling the girl. Pride simply wouldn't allow her to admit weakness, though, and so she continued on as though nothing were wrong. She sat in her usual chair, a large wing back with red leather, and debated on doing some reading. A journal was tucked beneath some books of hers that she'd been writing in, and she decided to engage in it rather than immersing herself in a book. She'd been keeping track of her feelings, progress, plans, and the occasional tidbit of magical knowledge that would come to her while she slept.

A few hours later, she heard the door to the study open. She closed her notebook and tucked it away. "Jake, could come in here for a moment?" she called out.

She expected to hear a door slam or for him to yell back no, but she was surprised when he entered the room. His posture was defensive and she could sense his anger even before he spoke, "What do you want? Come to tell me that you brought someone else back to life that I have to kill?"

His tone hurt almost as much as the look of contempt in his eyes. "Sit down, we need to talk about everything."

"I don't have time for this," he said as he turned to head back to their room, "This city needs me."

"Jake, sit down!" she yelled before composing herself, "Metropolis can wait one night. Please, we need to talk. I can't help you if you won't let me in."

"Since when do you care about helping anyone but yourself?" he asked.

"Jake, please, I only had her brought back to help you," she defended, "I had no idea you'd fall for such a tramp."

He narrowed his eyes and crossed the room to make his point, "Don't call her that and don't act like any of this was for my benefit! You had her resurrected because you needed her blood and remains!"

"Everything I have done has been for you!" she exclaimed before heaving an exasperated sigh, "Jake, do you really prefer me like this? Irrational, emotional, and distant?"

"You're human now just like the rest of us," he replied, "It comes with the territory. You'd have been jealous, possessive, and temperamental if you still had your powers."

She opened her mouth to reply, but closed it after a moment. As much as she hated to admit it, he had a point. But he was hers! Lifetimes of searching for him and this was all she had ever wanted. She closed her eyes and asked one final time, "Will you please sit down? I think it's time I told you the truth about me."

He stared at her for a minute before deciding to hear her out. He was still skeptical, that much was obvious, but at least he was somewhat cooperative. He took a seat on the couch across from her, "I'm listening."

She took a deep breath and tried to prepare herself for what she was about to say. He knew the story of the Witch and the Knight already, but she had always omitted certain details when telling it to her initiates. She decided to start with a question, "How much do you know about that story Pamela shared with you?"

He canted his head a bit and relaxed slightly, "Basically that you made some sort of deal with a demon in exchange for power to exact vengeance on the castle's inhabitants."

She nodded and closed her eyes as she tried to ready herself to relive that painful night, "That much is correct, but what you don't realize is how I was treated back then. Oppressed doesn't even begin to describe it. I was beaten, raped, and branded. My father...he...he murdered my mother and sold me into slavery. I was fostered by the maidens of the castle until I came of age, then...then I was taken to the harem. Gods how I hated that place. My sisters, they were abused to the point of being unable to speak or unable to move. Resistance was met with swift punishment and even sometimes death."

"Jesus," he said as he took in what she was saying, "So when you were eighteen they made you into a sex slave?"

"Thirteen," she said, still unable to look at him, "I had my virginity stolen at thirteen by a particularly sadistic lord. He...well the details of that are a bit too much for me to recount."

"Holy shit," he said leaning in to listen, "Pam said you were a slave, but she didn't say anything about this."

"That's because I made it a point to leave those details out of the story," she admitted, "Even a Goddess has things she would prefer to forget, things that haunt her dreams."

"Is that why you're...well, cruel?" he asked, almost regretting his choice of words.

"Is that how you see me?" she asked genuinely curious, "I suppose that makes sense. Funny how one can seek to distinguish themselves from something and fall into a similar pattern."

"I didn't mean…" he trailed off, suddenly feeling guilty.

She held up a hand to stop him from continuing, "It's alright, I understand what you meant. I'm sure some of it stems from my time in the dungeons and the harem, but I learned quickly that kindness gets you taken advantage of. If I spared someone then oftentimes they would come back for revenge, if I favored someone then they would use flattery as a means for getting what they wanted. Give no quarter and expect none in return. In this regard, I have a slight respect for Elizabeth. That is something she's learned the hard way, the same as me."

"Never would have expected to hear that from you," he admitted.

"Don't mistake me, I find her irritating, irrational, and trivial, but that doesn't mean I can't have respect for her," she said, "There was a woman ages ago in France that was very similar. She was pompous and arrogant, but a respected ruler and someone who followed their heart."

His eyes widened as he asked, "You don't mean…"

"Madame de Pompadour, yes " she answered.

"How old are you exactly?" he asked.

"I stopped counting the centuries a long time ago, my love," she replied, "Back on topic, it was the night after one of the other girls had been killed that I was visited by Lilith. Marian, her name was, she'd taken care of me from the day I arrived. Gods she was a good woman, she deserved better than what that chauvinistic pig did to her. I often cried myself to sleep at night back then, but that night I cried because of loss rather than pain or fear. It was the next night that she came to me...she offered me power beyond my wildest dreams and a chance to show those monsters parading as men what fear truly was."

"So the part about my ancestor was a lie," Jake said.

She shook her head, "No, I turned her down. I'd been promised to a gorgeous young man, a squire who was training to become a knight. Marian only wanted me to get out of there, and he was my way out. Weeks went by and he continued to come and visit me, he was the only person in that entire hell that treated me like a person...like an equal. He came to me on the eve of a battle, it was to be his final test before knighthood. He swore that he would come back to me and that I would finally be free."

"The next day, Paventous, that filth, paid me a visit and told me that my beloved had perished in battle. He told me that whatever oaths had been made were sundered and that I was once again nothing more than a slave. He had his way with me, despite my protests and tears. He left me broken, battered, and bruised on the cold stone floor. He cut me, beat me, then fucked me...I laid there crying, weeping until I had not a single tear left. That was the night that I invoked the name of Lilith, the night I swore myself to her. I vowed that night to show men everywhere exactly where they belonged, groveling at my feet and begging for mercy."

"But he wasn't dead," Jake added.

She nodded and took a shaky breath to collect herself. She gripped at her arms as she finished recounting her tale, "No he wasn't, but I had no way of knowing. I was a foolish girl who believed the words of swine. I slaughtered everyone in that castle, broke the chains that bound my sisters, and ripped Paventous' still beating heart from his chest. I was filled with such painful fury that even the ones I freed fled from the sight of me. In the wake of my rage I failed to notice my beloved. His back was to me, and I ripped a hole through his chest before I realized what I'd done. The world froze in the longest moments of my long life...he turned to face me as he fell and I rushed to his side. I held him in my arms as he took his final breaths…do you know what the worst part about it was, Jake? Even though I'd ended his life, he told me he loved me and forgave me with his dying breath. I'd become the same as the monsters who'd tormented me for all my life, but he still only saw the frightened girl from all those years ago. I understand the pain that you're feeling better than you think. I hated Ashley, despised her even for stealing your heart, but I know the pain that comes from killing someone you love…"

She stood up and walked to the window, "I swore that I would find a way to be with him again, but doing that required more power than I had back then. It took years before I could amass that kind of power, and even with it there was no way to bring him back. All I could do was trace the threads of his life force through the cycles of reincarnation. All those years, all those lifetimes looking have led me to you."

"So how did you deal with that pain?" he asked.

"Clearly, I didn't," she deadpanned, "But I did manage it. Pamela tells me she's taught you a few meditation techniques, is this true?"

"You know it is," he said, growing frustrated with her feigned ignorance.

"I taught her those techniques, and they work better with a guide," she said, ignoring his annoyed tone, "If you'll have me, I can help you to improve your experience. It won't erase the pain, but it can help it to dampen it. With time, you may even be able to love again."

"You just want to get back in my head in hopes of getting me to love you," he said, "Forget it."

"Jake, I won't lie and say that I don't hope for that to happen, but wouldn't do that to you," she replied.

"Forgive me for finding that hard to believe," he said snarkily.

"I'll excuse your tone in lieu of what you're going through," she said, "Let me help you, please, there is no sense in continuing like you are. You're going to get yourself killed."

"If you want me to believe that you really want to help then why don't you tell me why you need to get your powers back so badly," he said, "Your story didn't exactly answer that question."

She sighed as she realized he wasn't going to let this go, "Very well, if that's what it takes. I need my power to undo the pain that you're enduring, to become whole again, and because…because without them I don't know who I am. Without my powers I feel like that frightened little girl from so long ago. I need you, I need your help, Jake. I cannot keep living like this, and you deserve better than what I can currently give you."

"What happens when you get them back?" he asked.

"Then things can go back to how they used to be, how they should be," she answered.

"You mean with you in control and enslaving my city and friends?" he demanded.

"You forced my hand on Metropolis and Elizabeth chose her fate," she replied coldly, "Although, one might argue that it worked out in her favor."

"You're evading my question," he said.

"Astute as always, love," she replied with a grin, "All I want is for you and I to be able to be together again, Jake. Pamela, despite our differences, has proven herself a valuable friend. What she chooses to do with her life, time, and pet are none of my concern."

"Let me guess, they don't matter, but you don't want them having anything to do with me," he said.

"If your little friend could talk without waving a damn gun around then maybe I wouldn't care," she spat, "I won't forbid you from seeing them, but I also won't let them take you from me again."

"There you go again," he said venomously, "I'm not property to be owned, damnit, I'm a human being!"

"Of course you are, but tell me, Jake, does Pamela not own Elizabeth?" she asked.

"Well, I mean that's different," he said.

"How?" she asked.

"Pam doesn't control every aspect of her life, and she doesn't force her to do things she isn't comfortable with," he replied.

She turned and grinned, "Jake, you and I both know you love the things I have you do."

"Not extorting people or enforcing your will," he said.

"Things will be different this time, Jake, let me help you and you'll see," she said, "Help me to take away all that pain you feel, help me to help you see."

He stared up at her for a moment. He wanted to believe her, but the image of her that in the club that night came back to mind. The look on her face, the tone in her voice, and everything she’d said that night was a clear indicator that she hadn’t changed. She may have been a mortal now, but she was still the same manipulative woman from before. So then why did he even want to trust her?

He looked away as he spoke, “If I do this, how do I know that I can trust you?”

She crossed the room and gently took his chin in her hand and turned his face towards hers, “Because I love you,” she said.

“Damnit, what do you need me to do?” he relented.

She grinned at him, “Excellent, I’ve received word that those disgusting hillbillies in Ravenfalls have somehow gotten their hands on one of my tomes,” she said with a look of revulsion on her face, “I’ve got no idea why those backwoods savages even took it, I’d be surprised if those morons could even read.”

“Ravenfalls?!” Jake repeated, “No way, no way in hell am I going there. The last thing I need is to deal with Abigail and her sick fungus.”

“Jake, if by some miracle that simpleton is able to decipher just a few pages from that book she will be a problem for your entire city,” she explained, “If you think that revolting woman is a problem now, just imagine what she could do if she could manipulate the weave.”

“The weave?” he repeated.

“Yes, the weave,” she replied, “The weave is the fundamental force through which all mages draw their power. There are a number of ways through which one can use the weave, but that isn’t important. What is important is keeping that moron from being able to tap into it. It’s bad enough that she’s somehow, against all odds, managed to take over that sad little town.”

“You’re appealing to my sense of morality,” he said, “You said it yourself, they probably can’t even decipher it. Aren’t most of those books written in latin or something?”

“You’re missing the point, Jake, if by some miracle she can then everyone and everything is in danger,” she replied, “Take Pamela and Elizabeth if you’re that worried about it.”

“What the hell am I supposed to tell them?” he asked, “The last time Beth and I were there I got brainwashed and Beth was beaten within an inch of her life, tortured, and was put through some of the most disgusting shit imaginable.”

“That is exactly why you need Pamela,” she said, “She won’t let anything happen to either of you. She cares about the both of you too much to let that sick, depraved woman get her hands on you.”

“I don’t think you understand,” Jake said, “If Abigail has your book then odds are it’s in her personal chambers. That means that we’ll have to go into her home. The last time we were there we barely escaped with our lives, let alone our sanity. There is no way that I’m going back there, and there is no way that I can con those two into going there. I’m not putting them in danger.”

“Jake, I need that tome,” she said, “There are secrets in that book that could be vital to restoring me, and I will be damned if I let some redneck cunt surpass me in power!”

“Then get it yourself!” he yelled.

She sighed and realized that she was going about this the wrong way. She needed to dial it back if she was going to get him to do this. She needed to take a different approach, “You’re worried that if I get my powers back that things will go back to how they were, right?”

“Yeah,” he said suspiciously.

She wasn’t fond of revealing this idea, but it was the only way that she was going to get him to go along with her plan. “That book has knowledge within it that Pamela would be able to both understand and utilize,” she said, “There are secrets within there that I never shared with any of my disciples. The power within that tome is enough to raise her from a meager apprentice to a mighty sorceress in earnest.”

“Where are you going with this?” he asked.

“So pretty, but sometimes you are so slow,” she said with a smile and sat down beside him, “If she gets her hands on it first and studies it then she will have enough power to rival me. If anything were to happen then she would be strong enough to keep me at bay.”


“You want me to just let her have the book we’ll be risking our lives for?” he asked.

“Of course, if it truly is as dangerous as you say then she deserves a reward,” she replied, “Once she is done then you should easily be able to secure it and return it to me.”

“There is no guarantee that she’ll even go along with this,” Jake said, “I know Beth is going to say no.”

“Which is why you need to focus on getting Pamela on board,” she said, “Convince her to join you and Elizabeth will follow, like the obedient little pet that she is.”

He bit his lip as he weighed his options. He knew that helping her was already a risky move, but if he didn’t do this then she would find another way. If he helped her then he’d be continuing to feed into her need for control, for power. If he didn’t, however, then he knew that she would find another way, a more heinous way of regaining her power. At least this way, assuming they succeeded, he would have some way of combating her. It didn’t seem like there was much of a good option this time.

“Fine,” he finally said, “I’ll talk to them, but if they say no then I am not going alone. I’d rather die than face that woman alone again…”

She smirked knowing that she’d won, “Perfect, that’s a good boy. Now, let’s try a bit of meditation. Come along, Jake”

She got up and pulled him with her. This had gone better than she expected. She really needed to thank Pamela for her suggestion. This was exactly what she had hoped for, and it was a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone, one of which quite literally. Her Raven would rid the world of that pathetic bumpkin once and for all, and she would be one step closer to regaining her powers. She knew that Pamela wouldn’t be able to resist the allure of power. Her student may have changed thanks to Elizabeth, but she was still a mage at heart. The very notion of her being able to match her own powers may have been laughable, but she knew that the woman wouldn’t turn it down. All she had to do was wait a little while longer. It might take time for her to come around, but she knew her well enough to know that she would. For once, Pamela was the linchpin of her entire plan.

“I just need to use the restroom, darling, I won’t be long,” she said as she left him the study and walked down the hall.

She closed the door and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw the visage of herself from so long ago in those tattered rags and chains. She looked down and turned the faucets on. She splashed some water on her face before looking back at herself. The haunting image was gone, but in its stead was the pale imitation of herself staring back at her. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to try to suppress the image from before. She truly hated talking about the time before her ascension. She reminded herself that Jake deserved to know, and that it was the only way to get him to listen to her. She would have to participate in this meditation with him if she were to remove those vivid images of her life before she came to power. Soon, she would have her power back and she could erase her pain and his once and for all. She was doing this for him.

She plastered a smile on her face as she walked back into the study, “Alright, let’s begin, shall we?”