Ravens in the Kitchen
- The Ryves brothers, Nick and Alan, are hanging in their kitchen when "an unkindness of ravens" bursts in through the window. (Yes, really.) Thankfully they both have their weapons of choice handy, and they fight off the murderous birds, one of which changes into human form upon being killed.
- As the fight is ending, Mum enters the room, presumably to help, but when Nick tells her it's over and that she's not needed, she replies, "I didn't come for you" (1.53). Charming.
- Alan and Nick know that the bird attack was orchestrated by magicians who have been chasing them for years, and they also know that it means they need to move. Again.
- While Alan is patching Nick up (one of the birds raked him with its talons), they hear a noise outside.
- Nick goes to investigate and finds a girl (Mae, age seventeen) and her younger brother (Jamie, age sixteen) lurking below what used to be the Ryveses' kitchen window. Nick brings them inside (at sword point) and then recognizes them from school.
- Mae explains that she and her brother have come to Nick and Alan for help because she heard they were the go-to people for out of the ordinary problems. (Seems reasonable, since they've just had demonic ravens flying about their kitchen.)
- Nick doesn't want to help them, but Alan thinks they should—their father would have wanted them to.