Stormwind (The Storm Chronicles Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

jumped like a happy schoolgirl and ripped the car cover from the vehicle. Beneath the suede-cloth sat a black and grey 1967 Shelby 500. She’d ordered the car from a custom manufacturer after her dad’s car had been destroyed by her brother Xavier. She’d reversed the two tone paint job and replaced the stock 428 engine with a twin-turbo 427 that was pushing close to one thousand horsepower. She had then added all the bells and whistles including lights, sirens, alarm system, ultraviolet fog lamps and a radio that would reach Moscow on a clear day. She’d thought she would need it if things kept getting worse. The weird cases were just getting weirder. The Shelby had taken longer to get in than she’d expected, but she was happy it had arrived just when she needed it most.
    Raven ran her hand over the near frictionless paint job and walked around to the driver’s side. She popped open the door and slipped into a seat that felt as familiar as her own bed. She checked the ignition and center console for a key, but found nothing but the sales slip. She tossed it into the back seat; she knew she’d paid more than 140K for the car, she didn’t need to see the receipt. The trust fund was hers and at the rate she collected bullet holes she’d never retire anyway.
    Raven glanced around the black interior with its chrome dials and knobs, custom Hurst shifter and discrete police radio, siren and light controls and she smiled, a thought coming to her.  She reached up and pulled the visor down, catching the keys as they slipped out. She folded the visor back into place and slid the key into the ignition. With a deep breath she turned the key and the engine roared to life, a familiar warm thrum that had always made her heart sing. It was almost like coming home.
    She backed the car into the street, shifted smoothly into first and roared down the alley, loving how the new engine echoed off the brick walls.
    Grinning like the Cheshire Cat she called Levac. He picked up on the second ring.
    “Hey Ray, what’s up?”
    “I’m finished filing reports for the day and called to check on you. How’s the head?” Raven asked.
    “It’s still attached, more or less,” Levac replied. “The paramedics gave me some pain meds and I’ve been right as rain ever since. How about you?”
    Raven shrugged. “You know how I hate being less than truthful in my reports, but there really wasn’t much else I could do. Our suspect was a skinwalker, one of those German things that can take over the bodies of humans. It isn’t like I can put that in my report if I want to stay out of the psych ward with my very own padded cell.”
    “No… I suppose not. It sounds like you’re in a car, I can hear an engine. What are you driving?” Levac asked.
    “I’ll show you in the morning,” Raven replied. “You get some sleep and I will see you at the District tomorrow.”
    “Whatever you say, boss,” Levac said. “Catch you in the morning.”
    Raven ended the call and punched the gas, thrilled with her new ride and the resurrection of her lost love.
     
     
    THE FAMILY MANOR SAT SEVERAL miles outside the city on enough land to make a good-sized park. It had been built in the early 1800s before Chicago was even officially founded. Different Masters and Mistresses of the City had added on over the years until the house was part manor, part castle and part fortress. The odd pink moon hung behind the north tower and Raven frowned at it before pulling into the drive. She cruised past a collection of cars ranging from a 1960s hearse all the way up to a Pagani Zonda and pulled into the garage. She parked in her space next to her father’s old Chevrolet, locked the car and headed for the great room.
    Raven’s mother, Valentina Tempeste, had redecorated in the last few months and the once airy but dark foyer was now made of all light colors and the windows in the dome far overhead had been replaced with stained glass. At midday the hall looked like the