‘Callum’s dead!’ Bert screamed as he ran towards the oak tree. ‘And I wish you were dead too!’

But Bert underestimated his mother, and the fire of her fury propelled her out of the house, skeletal fingers extended as she hunted him down the path. Bert’s ear burned as she pinched it hard, swinging him off his bare feet.

‘Don’t you ever speak to me like that again,’ she spat, pulling back her hand to slap him across the face.

‘Ca … caw,’ Bert stammered. ‘Caw, caw!’

His mother froze, her right hand mid-air. ‘What? … What’s wrong with you?’

The words had barely left her lips when the raven drew down on her, slicing the back of her hand with dagger-sharp claws. Mother screamed, thrown off balance as the raven bore down again, slicing and tearing, its cries piercing the evening air.

Bert’s eyes sparkled as his black winged guardian defended him from the sharp sting of the slap that was to come. But as much as his mother annoyed him, he needed her to sustain him. He flapped his feeble arms as he called the raven off.

‘Come away, come away,’ he shouted, and the raven took flight, cutting through the air with long graceful wings as Bert’s mother lay bleeding on the ground.

Chapter Thirty

Jennifer could not hold back any longer. Enquiries with the Facebook group were taking too long. She had to visit the woods, if only to get answers for the questions relentlessly invading her thoughts. Her visit with Joshua reminded her what was at stake. She couldn’t wait for the Raven to make contact, and a quick internet search pulled up exactly what she needed. Haven was a historic town, and many of the original names given during times of folklore had long since been forgotten. The river, once named as ‘Black Water’, had been renamed Blakewater, and Haven was originally called Heaven, many years ago. Jennifer knew that, having lived there all her life. But she was surprised to discover an extended patch of woodlands behind the boathouses, named Raven Woods. She dug deeper, becoming drawn into an internet forum on local history, featuring the little known forest.

User frightgirl95 described camping with a couple of her friends. Stories of witchcraft had drawn them to Raven Woods, where she described the stale air carrying the sour scent of decay. She spoke of their sleep being disturbed by gut-wrenching screams, and their torch beams picking up nothing but bark-stripped trees housing beady-eyed ravens overhead. Stumbling back to their tent, they were horrified to discover the heavy-duty material ripped to shreds. It was all the persuasion they needed to leave.

Jennifer traced the location of Raven Woods to the rear of the river, down a narrow weather-beaten dirt track. Tourists preferred to camp beside the riverside forest, with its picnic benches and BMX tracks. But there were no such paths where she was going, and the only things bordering the long stiff trees were strands of horned barbed wire, flanked by deep ditches and a keep out sign. The fact it was dented with buckshot gave a double-edged meaning. Keep – out – or else. Jennifer took one last glance before driving past. Someone just took a random shot, she thought, trying to keep the tide of dread at bay. She pressed her brakes as she caught sight of fresh tyre tracks in the mud. They veered off to the left and disappeared down a valley between the trees. Pulling her handbrake as far as it would go, she parked on a mound of grass. She had lived in Haven all her life but with acres of dense unexplored woodlands, she was a stranger to these parts. Swinging her legs out of the car, she plodded down the grassy bank, sidestepping the pebbles of rabbit droppings as she followed the tyre tracks. She checked her mobile phone. No signal. A cold breeze touched her skin and her internal warning system piped up as her nephew’s words replayed in her mind. Stay away from the woods. But she had to find answers, before it was too late.

She approached the leafy vegetation, her eyes narrowing as she took in the horizontal branches. Trees with no trunks … Jennifer shielded her arms over her face as she pushed through the undergrowth, nothing more than camouflage for the gap that lay behind it. Enough for a car to pass through, judging by the tyre tracks. She bit her lip as her apprehension grew. The forest held a presence all of its own. If she got into trouble nobody would see her in here, much less hear her screams … Giving one last glance back at her car, Jennifer allowed the dead branches to whip her limbs as she pushed through the makeshift gate, keeping her wits on high alert. Her breath felt warm against her lips, cooled by the drop in temperature. Casting her face to the tree tops, she searched the air for ravens as she made a three hundred and sixty degree circle. The forest was a kaleidoscope of mist and branches. Greasy leaves lined her path when they should have been shooting from fresh spring buds. She wrinkled her nose. This was not a pleasant woodland smell. It smelt meaty, decaying, and anyone venturing this far would be turning back now if they had any sense. She strode onwards in grim determination, her boots rustling through the insect-infested undergrowth. Her eyes shot back up to the trees disappearing into the misted sky. Where are the buds and shoots? Where are the finches and the robins, the squirrels and the foxes? Not even a raven in sight. The only signs of life were the spiders threading thick dewy cobwebs, ready to bait the flies trailing in her wake. The hairs prickled on the back of her neck as she felt the stare of hooded eyes, all holding dark intentions.

‘Come out, come out, wherever you are …’ Jennifer whispered, steeling herself for confrontation. Her heart froze as a sudden scream echoed throughout the forest.

‘Help me! Someone, help me!’

She ran through the thickening mist, following the screams to a copse in the distance. Her heart began to pound in her ribcage, and every fibre in her being demanded she turn back. A sense of evil intent emanated from the copse, but Jennifer drove onwards, feeling a hundred sets of eyes on her back. The sour smell was overpowering, and brought with it the tang of freshly spilt blood. Were the screams real or echoes from the past? Was she walking into a trap? She couldn’t leave now.

Swearing under her breath, her eyes searched for a weapon, and her fingers wrapped around a splintered piece of wood. Flapping black wings swooped through the sky as the ravens flew from their hiding places, but Jennifer’s attention was swiftly drawn back to an army of tiny legs marching up her arm. Screaming, she dropped the branch and furiously shook her hand to rid herself of the millipedes that claimed it. She thought of Will, and pulled her phone from her pocket. Groaning, she realised the newly charged battery was now completely drained. She couldn’t call for help even if she wanted to. She wrapped her fingers around her car keys, keeping the sharp edge exposed through her bent fingers. It was an old trick, but enough to gouge someone’s face if she had to. Her heart beating hard, she pushed through the prickly bushes, shielding her face as sharp-edged thorns scratched softly at the seams of her jacket and trousers.

[#]

Bert squinted at the sky as the raven’s caws filled the air. There was someone in the forest. His forest. He raised his nose to the air and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Could it be? His senses strained to reach the outskirts of the woods, and he fingered the knife in his pocket. It was a shame he didn’t have his shotgun. But there was something very impersonal about guns, whereas knives … A rush of excitement flowed through his veins. The madness had returned, and he would do whatever it took to protect the forest. His thoughts went to Jennifer Knight. Could she be looking for him? After all, their futures were intertwined. She would not stay long in a forest filled with anguish, but she was strong. She would fight against her instincts if it meant leading her to the person who threatened her the most.