Crooked Crows Novels & Stories

“I won't let these mongrels steal a chance at real happiness.” Warren spun and spread the wings, the adlets spread out on instinct, Warren gutted two more and raced to the second mounted leader. Heavy gunfire and smoke hailed the coming of the Scald Crow, “Did somebody order back up?” Jack's disembodied voice shouted. The adlets tripped over themselves to get away, and several hurled spears only to have them clatter against the Scald Crows Superior armor. The heavy guns roared until the furry invaders were out of sight.

Detroit~ Detroit watched the footage. He saw how two people in black climbed over the hotel walls with a person slung over their shoulder. He saw the precision in their movements, the lethal quiet, the way they scaled like shadows born of smoke. His brows creased. He knew those skills. These weren’t ordinary men. These weren’t mercenaries or random thugs hired for a night’s work. These were The Obsidian Crows.

Grasping one he bounds over to the girl as others tried to help her from the crow. With one smack of the broom, Cylester sends the bird flying across the room. It falls ungracefully, trying and failing to right itself. Another hard smack has its neck twisting in an odd angle that lets everyone know it was dead as its body stills. Cylester lifts his head to stare at the wolves crowding the room. "Where did the crow come from?" He asked, voicing his curiosity.

Eden’s POV My jaw dropped open. The crow continued to circle high above. Caw. Caw. It screeched at us in a frantic, frenzied way. “Did you just say…sister?” I whispered back to Beta Brighton. Unlike the rest of us, he was looking up at the crow with admiration. Crows have never been my favorite bird. They’re scavengers and they’re smart. A group of crows is called a ‘murder’. I always found that disturbing. But Beta Brighton gripped my arm. “Please,” he said under his breath.

“Who are the girls with bright hair?” “Oh,” Chrissy said. “Those are my friends. They’re magpies.” “So they store a lot of things?” Lusa asked. Nate and his cousins chuckled. “She means they are bird shifters.” “Those two are kleptos,” Chastity giggled. Chrissy shook her head, grinning. “They can’t help it. It’s their bird brains. If they see something shiny or colorful, they just have to have it. They’ve been banned from more malls and stores than I can name, but they’re fiercely loyal.”

Violet swayed, and she caught herself on the edge of the table to stay upright. Her voice came out rough as she forced the words out. "Even if Mr. Neel really bought it, who would just leave something that valuable sitting on a desk? Riley, don't think you can trick me with a fake!" Piers let out a cold laugh. "Figures. Someone dealing in fakes wouldn't recognize the real thing." "Exactly!" Jim jumped in, eager to pile on. "Not everyone's like you, faking everything from your identity to your bags."

Rain had begun to fall not the gentle rain of mourning, but a harsh deluge that turned dust to mud and made the stones slick with a mixture of water and blood that pooled in every crack and crevice. Aldric's generals twisted beasts of curse tore through what remained of Hollowshade's defenses like wolves through paper. These were not the shambling dead I had faced before, but creatures of pure malevolence, crafted from the darkest corners of the Cursemaker's imagination and given terrible life by Aldric's will.

Half an hour later, numerous crows circled tree branches in the drizzling rain at Mount General Cemetery. They occasionally emitted eerie sounds that resembled the cries of lost souls. Soon, this atmosphere was swiftly disrupted by a series of organized and loud sounds, causing the crows to scatter. After scattering and seeking refuge in the distance, they watched with apprehension as a crowd approached them. A thin but upright figure was walking in front, trailed by a group of burly men with menacing countenance.

Zoran and Naelis immediately followed her gaze, their primordial instincts on high alert. Perched on a low branch was a large, jet black crow. Its eyes weren't the usual bead-like birds' eyes, they were cold, obsidian voids that seemed to be absorbing in everything they were saying. The bird sat perfectly still, its head tilted in a way that looked disturbingly human. The moment it realized it had been spotted, the crow let out a harsh, mocking caw. It spread its wings and took flight, disappearing into the dark canopy of the surrounding forest before Zoran could even think of shifting.

The guys exclaimed and helped the new guy to his feet. “They are here. We have to leave immediately." Azriel spoke just in time as a massive black dog emerged from nowhere and stepped on the frame of the broken door. Its eyes were the deepest shade of black, like peering into an abyss, and its fangs were jagged as he licked them while glaring with a malevolent stare, its claws were the sharpest and didn't belong to a dog because this wasn't a dog; Roxie realized she was staring at a bloody wolf.