Copper Ravens by Jennifer Allis Provost Page A

solid silver manor we now lived in, directly on top of the old. While he was drowning in his grief, the Elemental power struggle played out without him.
    â€œOh, Micah,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around him. “I’m so sorry.”
    â€œIt was war,” he mumbled. “Casualties happen in war. That is to be expected, but no one ever expects the ones they love to fall.” Micah tightened his arms around me, holding on to me as if I was a lifeline. I silently vowed to never, ever complain when he sent the silverkin to guard me. Maybe I’d start sending them to guard him .
    â€œIronically, the strife in this world is what led to the Magic Wars in your world,” Micah said, his lips against my neck. “We couldn’t support your war mages, since we were so busy fighting amongst ourselves.”
    â€œAnd you were all alone,” I mumbled, remembering the first time Micah had brought me to his home. I’d found a lavish estate, so beautiful I’d had to squint to see it all, filled with luxuries I’d never imagined, and not a living soul in it, other than Micah.
    â€œAlone no more.” Micah shifted so he could see my face; now, his smile was genuine. “Now, I have my copper girl. Soon, our family will fill these halls, and we won’t be alone ever again.”
    I ignored the flutters in my belly and returned his smile. “Soon.”

6
    A short time later, Micah departed for the latest Gathering of the Heavies, this time without his loyal consort. He was apologetic and reassured me yet again that once I was Lady Silverstrand, my burgeoning belly and I would be welcome at any and all functions.
    Great. So by the time people paid attention to me, I’d be fat.
    I stayed in bed for a while after he left, my hand resting on my flat stomach, wondering how much longer it would stay flat. I had no reason to not want a child with Micah; he was kind, and gentle, and loved me completely. And I loved him.
    And yet…A few short months ago, I was an office worker at Real Estate Evaluation Systems. I lived in a small apartment, ate only (okay, mostly ) government sanctioned food, and avoided magic like the plague. I went so far as to dye my copper-colored hair dirt brown and wore long shirts to cover my mark, which manifested as a copper raven emblazoned across my lower back. It signified my Elemental status, and it also told whoever was looking that I’m a member of the Raven clan, one of the most powerful magical bloodlines in history. By so thoroughly hiding my heritage, I was, for all intents and purposes, living the life of a Mundane.
    Then Micah had appeared in my life—in my car, to be exact, while I was napping away my lunch hour—and everything had changed, almost immediately. In many ways, Micah wandering into my dream was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and many good things have happened since our first, somewhat scandalous, meeting. There was Micah, for one, the man who I loved more than I had ever thought possible. Together we freed my brother from the Institute for Elemental Research, a prison disguised as a medical/research facility.
    It still amazed me that Max had gone there willingly. I mean, his intentions were sound, being that he had only wanted to distract the Peacekeepers from Sadie, and he was following Dad’s instructions. However, when Dad told Max to keep the family safe at any cost, I don’t think he meant for his son to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
    Boys. So literal.
    I also learned that my lifelong best friend, Juliana H. Armstrong, was a government spy, and that my job at REES, which was actually run by Peacekeepers, not real estate moguls, was a carefully constructed maze in which I was the rat. And, just yesterday Max had informed me that Juliana’s uncle, Mike Armstrong, was some sort of mad scientist-politician, and that he had now decided to campaign for President of Pacifica.
    So, no,