Disclaimer: I only own the things that you don't recognise. I am not making money from anything I write.

Author Notes: I'm British, so when I say college, I mean what you would call the last 2 years of High School (I think that's right). You basically go there from 16 to 18. Also, a GCSE is an important exam that you take at 16. I don't think this is a Mary-Sue story; it wasn't intentional if it is, I'm really not clear on what defines that kind of story. Please ask if you want to use my character and this is my first fic so reviews are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 1: Birthday Surprise

"Happy Birthday, my Raven." Jack Walters smiled at breakfast, sliding a small box across the table to his daughter.

"Daaad! I'm eighteen now, aren't I a bit old for pet names?" Rachel kissed her father and picked up the box, "I also said that I didn't want any presents."

"Ahh, but technically you said that before you were an adult, so I didn't need to listen to you. And you will never be too old for me to embarrass you with cute little names"

Rachel threw a dirty look at her Dad; she always found his 'humour' annoying. Turning her attention to the box, she carefully undid the silver ribbon and took off the lid. Nestled in some black silk cloth was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. It was black stone, as dark as night, set in a brilliantly silver backing of twisted leaves that curled around their stone. The chain was also of delicate silver, as thin as spider silk. Turning it over, there was an inscription reading:

'The Raven's Eye Will Watch Over and Protect You, Forever and Always'

"Wow, Dad, it's, it's…" For a rare moment, Rachel was lost for words. This time, however, her sentence was finished for her.

"It was your mother's." Rachel froze and looked up into her Dad's dark brown eyes. "She wanted you to have it on your eighteenth birthday." Rachel's Mum had been in a car crash when Rachel was too little to remember, Eve Walters had died a few hours later in hospital.

"Dad…" Tears welled up in Rachel's dark blue eyes that were so dark they were almost black. Her father pulled back her fine, jet black hair and clasped the necklace against her pale skin.

Pulling his daughter into a hug, tears springing to his eyes too, Jack Walters whispered, "I will love you whatever happens, and when I can no longer be with you, don't miss me, because your mother will always be beside you, I promise." He then pulled away, clasped her shoulders and said, "Hurry, you're going to be late for college!"

Reluctantly tearing herself away from her Dad, Rachel pulled away, grabbed her bag, kissed him on the cheek, smiled a 'see you later' and ran out the door to meet with Emma, her best friend. At the time, she never considered just how strange her father's promise was. Jack watched his daughter run down the driveway and round the corner, he felt tears running down his cheek, knowing that would be the last time he saw his Raven. Turning back into the house, he whispered, voice cracking, "I've done my part Evelir, now it's your turn to keep her safe from our world."

Emma had had a very boring day and, being the true friend that she was, Rachel was putting up with her complaints. "Why did I take English Lit? I'm appalling at it!" Emma moaned.

"You're over reacting. You got a B in your last essay. I would've killed for a B in my English GCSE!" Rachel kicked a stone at a nearby tree and fingered her necklace, Emma was always the perfectionist.

"Yeah, well apparently a B is 'just not good enough'. Mum almost killed me; you know she wants me to follow in Chris' footsteps." Chris was Emma's older brother, a budding journalist. "You don't know what it's like; all you do is act all day."

"Oh, get over it." Rachel sighed; she had taken a full time acting course. "Look, I'm going home to get changed for tonight."

"'Kay, I'll meet you at your house at 8." For Rachel's birthday, they were all planning to go clubbing; something her Dad had forbade her not to do until she was eighteen since a very nasty incident involving a bouncer and too much alcohol at Emma's eighteenth. Needless to say, her Dad had not been a happy bunny when he found out.

Walking through one of the many parks of Bristol, Rachel started to feel slightly light headed. Slowing her pace, she breathed deeply, thinking that perhaps she had exerted herself a bit too much in last period, where they had been running around like maniacs in a mass improvisation.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. Rachel's vision started to blur and she had to stop and lean against a tree. Her breathing became short and ragged, and her mind seem detached from the world around her. Dimly, as she grasped for her mother's necklace, she noticed that the sound of the wind and distant cars seemed to be fading in and out, like someone was playing with the volume controls on a T.V. Suddenly, the cold metal and stone clasped in her palm began to grow slightly warm, then hot, then searing. The painful heat spread through her body, and her vision went white with fire. The last thing she remembered was a continuous scream, high and agonised, coming from the distant part of her brain that was still trying to hold on to the only world she could remember.

To Be Continued…