Baneful god (gods of ravencrest university #3) dark college bully romance trina m. lee 2024 scribd d
Baneful God (Gods of Ravencrest University #3) Dark College Bully Romance Trina M. Lee
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
1st edition 2024
FOREWORD
This is a dark bully/enemies to lovers romance where the girl gets all the guys. Please be mindful of the following possible triggers when reading.
This book contains: abuse, assault, violence, blood, drug use, non/dubcon, and other dark themes. If you have any questions regarding the subject matter, please email trinamleeauthor@gmail.com.
CHAPTER ONE
RAINA
“Gage, what did you do?” I stared in horror at the sight before me. The bloody knife at his feet glinted in the afternoon sunlight. I couldn’t tear my gaze from it.
Gage’s head snapped in my direction. “Shit. Go away, Raina. This is none of your concern.”
I took a few tentative steps across the grass toward him. “Is this why you weren’t in class? Where were you? Whose blood is that?”
“Go back inside the house,” Gage hissed. “You never saw anything.”
“Like hell I didn’t. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on. Did you hurt someone? Was it the Angels?” Refusing to be ordered around, I got close enough to get a good look at the knife.
It was long and deadly. Something you’d see a horror movie killer toting. Similar to the one carried by Ghostface in the Scream movies. Considering Gage had him tattooed on his arm with the full sleeve of ink, that made me especially uncomfortable.
“No, it had nothing to do with those dumb fucks. Now would you please get lost? I’m kind of busy here.” Gage continued to wash his hands with the hose.
I watched him go about his business like I wasn’t even there. This jerkhole thought he could ice me out. Hell no. It wouldn’t be that easy. I still bore the healing cuts and bruises from my time with the Angels. And those were only the visible injuries. The rest were buried deep inside my psyche. Gage was directly responsible for that night. This motherfucker owed me.
“Get lost?” I repeated. “Did you even care when I went missing? When Maverick buried me alive? Did you even care when the Angels tied me down and violated me? Or are you really that cold and unfeeling?”
Gage let out an exasperated sigh. “Jesus Christ, Raina. I’m a little busy here. Can we save the dramatics for later?”
Once Gage finished washing his hands clean of blood, he carefully picked up the knife and rinsed it clean as well. What could he have been up to? I was tempted to whip out my phone and take a photo to send Havoc. My father had raised me to know better than that. I couldn’t take such a risky picture on my regular phone. Since I didn’t have a burner phone handy, I didn’t give in to the urge.
“Dramatics,” I muttered with an eye roll. “Nice to know how you feel about my trauma. Dick.”
Gage finished rinsing the knife and blasted the grass with water, doing his best to disperse the blood. He soaked the grass until the scarlet stains had soaked into the earth. All that remained was a large wet patch. He dropped the hose and turned to find me still standing behind him. “You’re still here? What do you want, Raina? I have things to do.”
“Like shower and hide your murder weapon?” I snarked.
“Something like that.” Gage’s hazel and blue eyes traveled over me. He lingered on my cleavage. “Maybe you should join me. Put that chattering mouth of yours to better use.”
“Funny.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not going to let this go. What did you do, Gage? Something is going on with you, and I want to know what it is.”
Gage took a few ominous steps toward me. A predatory glint filled his eyes. “Are you sure about that? If I told you, I’d have to kill you. How bad do you want to know, Doll?”
I scoffed. “Give me a break. You think I’m scared of you? After the shit I’ve been through, you’re nothing. Do your worst.”
His wicked chuckle slid down my spine like ice. “Spoken like someone who loves to be violated. Can’t get enough, can you? Careful what you wish for, Raina. How much more do you think you can take?”
“Try me,” I invited, beckoning him with both hands. “You have no idea how much I can take. I’m not letting this go, Gage. Not until you tell me where you’ve been.”
His hand was gentle when he grasped my chin. At first. His hold tightened, squeezing painfully. “Go back to the dorm. Or better yet, go back to your dad’s house. You’ll need him if you insist on pissing me off. He
may be the only person who can protect you from me. Although I wouldn’t bet my money on it.”
I jerked free of his grasp, lifting my chin in defiance. “Of course not. You’d bet me instead. Like a fucking coward. Just like you did before.”
That did it. Gage snapped. He grabbed me by the throat, choking off my breath. “Better watch your mouth. After the day I’ve had, I am not in the mood for your shit. Let it go already.”
When he didn’t let me breathe, I lashed out with a fist, punching him in the chest. He grunted, his grip loosening.
“I’m supposed to let it go so you can get away with being an unapologetic piece of shit. Yeah, I get it. You’re trash, Gage. Fucking garbage. That won’t stop me from finding out what you did today. I will find out what you’re up to.”
I stormed away, dodging around him. Or I would have if he didn’t grab a handful of my hair, jerking me back. Gage gave me a shove, pushing me toward the fence. He snatched up the knife from the grass, pressing it against the side of my neck.
My back hit the fence. I was trapped. The blade pressed tight against my skin, ready to break through with little force. Staring into Gage’s rage filled face, I searched for a sign of the guy I’d once seen soften. The one who’d leaned into me while I cleaned his wounds. The one who’d shown a glimmer of humanity.
Nothing. I saw nothing. That guy was long gone. Maybe he’d never been there at all and I was deluding myself.
“You are going to forget that you saw anything,” Gage snarled. “And you’re not going to say a word to anyone.”
Unable to keep my mouth shut and take his abuse, I said, “Go fuck yourself.”
A slow grin spread across Gage’s face. “Yeah, I thought you’d say something like that. On your knees, Cherry Pie. Open wide.”
With one hand in my hair and the other pressing the knife to my neck, he forced me to my knees. Releasing my hair, Gage used his free hand to fumble his belt open. Once he’d freed his cock, he grabbed my hair again, holding me in place.
I stared at Gage’s hard cock, wondering how something so screwed up turned him on. I couldn’t help but flash back to the night he’d crawled
into bed with me and made me fight him. It had been hot as hell. I guess he wasn’t the only one who was screwed up.
This time felt different. I was furious that he had the audacity to stick his dick in my face under these circumstances. We’d barely spoken since the night the Angels got their hands on me. We’d been around each other since but we hadn’t been alone. Gage could barely bring himself to look at me. Now he was about to ram his cock down my throat.
“Open up, Raina. Be a good little pet and do as you’re told.” He thrust his cock at my face, rubbing it on my cheek.
I clamped my lips shut, refusing to obey. “I’m not your fucking pet, asshole. Get your dick out of my face before I bite it off.”
Gage chuckled, a low sound that promised bad things. He released my hair again, pressing the blade tighter against my skin to keep me in place. Patting my cheek, Gage gripped his cock and pressed it between my lips.
He shoved it into my mouth and halfway down my throat, almost gagging me. Luckily, I had a pretty good gag reflex. I let him pump into my mouth a few times before clamping down on his shaft with my teeth. I didn’t bite hard enough to draw blood, just hard enough to stop his motions.
The crazy bastard laughed and murmured, “Taking it easy on me, huh, Cherry Pie? I know you can bite harder than that. Do it. Let me feel those teeth.”
Hands down Gage Corwin was the craziest motherfucker that I’d ever met. He thrust against the pressure of my teeth, groaning in pleasure. In an effort to call his bluff, I sank my teeth in until I tasted blood. That only seemed to encourage him.
“That’s right, baby,” he moaned. “Let me feel that rage. God, your mouth feels so damn good.”
I let him push into my mouth a few more times. Then I took a risk. I reached up between his legs, cupped his balls in my hand and squeezed.
That seemed to change his tune pretty damn fast. Gage froze. The knife blade bit into the side of my neck, and I jerked away. Before either of us could escalate this twisted little scenario further, Knight appeared in the kitchen doorway.
I imagined the sight of Gage holding a knife and me aggressively holding his nuts was a tad alarming. Knight launched into motion, crossing the lawn with fast strides.
“What the hell is going on?” he barked.
Gage raised the knife in an effort to appear harmless. He placed a finger over his lips, motioning for me to keep my mouth shut about what I’d seen earlier.
“Calm your tits, Knight. It’s all good. Just getting a little backyard blowjob from our pet here. Would you like a turn?” Gage played it off cool and collected, ignoring the blood that welled up where my teeth had dug in. He shoved his cock back into his pants and strode toward the house.
Knight watched him go, his brow furrowed. He held a hand out to me, helping me to my feet. “Are you okay? What was that all about?”
Gage glanced back as he reached the patio, a warning in his dark glare. I shook my head. “Nothing. Just Gage being Gage.”
That seemed to appease Knight for the moment. He nodded, slinging an arm around my shoulders. “I picked up some stuff for tacos tonight. How does that sound?”
I let him lead me into the house. I was relieved to see that Gage had disappeared upstairs. Forcing a smile, I said, “Sounds great.”
CHAPTER TWO
HAVOC
My economics class was boring as hell. My eyes kept straying to the clock. Only minutes had passed since I’d last looked at it. It felt like hours. This day was dragging. I should’ve stayed home. Unfortunately, I’d fallen behind since my father’s death. We were so close to the end of the term before summer break. If I didn’t get my shit together, my GPA would drop.
Not that I really gave a shit anymore. I had much bigger problems than my grades or attendance. Like the family business I was now obligated to take over. I’d once wanted nothing more. Now I didn’t know what I wanted.
Feeling a watchful stare in my direction, I turned to find a petite blonde smiling at me. She batted her lashes flirtatiously. So not interested. There was a time when I’d have been all over that. I’d lost interest in the campus chicks ages ago. Now that I had Raina, everyone else paled in comparison.
Ignoring the girl, I turned back to my laptop and the notes I’d been taking. What a half-assed attempt at being productive. I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. Finally, the clock hit the top of the hour. I breathed a sigh of relief.
I shot out of my seat, hastily shoving my things into my bag. Slinging it over my shoulder, I bolted for the door. I didn’t realize the little blonde was right behind me until I was several yards down the hallway and she touched my arm.
I whirled around in surprise. Finding her there smiling up at me made me curse inwardly.
“Uh, hey, what’s up?” I continued to walk down the hall, forcing her to keep up with my longer strides.
“Not much. Glad that class is over. What a bore. So what are you up to now?” She skipped along beside me, snapping her gum.
How fucking annoying. I stared straight ahead, barely acknowledging her. “Heading home. Meeting my girl there.”
Hopefully she’d get the hint. If not, I’d make sure she got it.
“Oh, I see. Well, maybe I could interest you in a blow job first. I know for a fact that the ladies’ room in this wing will be empty this time of day. There’s also that back corner in the library. Nobody ever goes there.” She kept shooting me teasing glances that I did my best to ignore.
“No thanks, not interested.” Who the hell even was this girl? Once upon a time, I’d have happily let her suck me off just for kicks. The very thought made my dick shrivel.
My abrupt refusal seemed to throw her off. She was quiet for a moment before trying again. “How about a quick bathroom fuck then? I’ll take your cock anywhere you want to put it.”
We reached the end of the hall where it opened into one of the many large entryways. I jerked to a stop, turning to face her. “Look, I’m trying not to be a dick here, but the only place I plan to put my cock is inside my girlfriend. Thanks but no thanks. Find some other schmuck who’s hard up for random tail.”
She had the audacity to look shocked. “Wow, okay then. Sorry I offered.”
She stormed away with a bruised ego, flipping me off as she went. Most of the chicks who hit on me only wanted to say they’d fucked a mobster’s son. I wasn’t interested in giving them a really lame claim to local fame.
Jet motherfucking Reinhart strolled out of the hall coming from the opposite wing in time to catch the girl’s departure. He snickered. “Never thought I’d see the day you became a one woman man. Damn, Raina must have a chokehold on your dick. How’s she doing by the way? Did she enjoy her time with the Angels?”
Maybe it was the smarmy expression he wore. Maybe it was the cocky set to his shoulders and the tilt to his head. It was probably the fact that he’d hand delivered Raina right to the Angels that night. Jet was partly to blame for the abuse she’d endured.
I snapped. Dropping my bag, I threw a punch in Jet’s face. He never saw it coming.
He went down hard on his ass. His bag flew across the tiled floor. Several people walking by paused to gawk.
Jet was up in a flash. “What the fuck is your problem, Havoc?”
He rushed toward me, grabbing me around the middle as he tackled me to the floor. I got an elbow up between us, smashing it in his face. The skin across the bridge of his nose split open.
“Your fucking attitude is my problem. You’re the piece of shit that gave her to the Angels.” My head snapped back as Jet got in a lucky punch.
He pressed his arm to my throat, cutting off my air supply.
“Actually, that’s on Gage. Maybe it’s his ass you should be kicking. Asshole.”
The worst part was that I couldn’t even argue that. Jet was right. He was the one who’d goaded Gage into placing Raina as a bet but Gage had followed through.
I pounded my fist into the side of Jet’s skull, knocking him off me. Scrambling to my feet, I nailed him in the ribs with a kick before he could get up. Someone shouted, alerting a few nearby instructors to the chaos. Three male professors rushed over, yelling at us to break it up.
They pulled us apart, shoving us in opposite directions. One of them pointed a finger in my face. “Get your ass to the dean’s office. Now. Move it before I call the cops.”
I swiped a hand over my bloody bottom lip, smirking at the thought of the cops doing jack shit. I let them shove me along to the dean’s office. Jet was right behind me. Perfect. What a great way to end a shit day.
Jet and I were shoved into chairs in front of the dean’s desk. We both sat there in silence while we were read the riot act. The dean took it easy on me in light of my father’s recent demise. He likely knew that I’d be the next in line to make his life hell. It was no secret to most what my father really did for a living.
We were both told that another incident would result in an expulsion for both of us. Then we were dismissed. I left the school, strolling through the parking lot to my car. The days were getting longer. The sun still shone overhead. It wouldn’t be long until classes were out. I could use the break. During the drive home, I listened to Ghost at top volume. It only made me want to fight more. Too bad Jet and I had been split up so quickly. On the flip side, if I couldn’t fight, I could always get my kicks another way.
By the time I walked into the house, I was hungry for one thing. Raina’s sweet pussy. I strode through the house in search of her. When I found her at the kitchen table working on her laptop, I jerked to a halt.
My gaze locked in on the fresh bruises around her throat. “What happened?”
She waved a hand dismissively. “Nothing really. Just Gage. The usual. Don’t worry about it.”
“Are you okay? Do you want me to beat his ass?”
That’s when she glanced up from her screen, taking in my bruised face and busted lip. Her gorgeous hazel eyes widened. “What happened to you? Do you need me to beat someone’s ass?”
I grinned. This woman’s willingness to fight always made my dick hard.
“Got into a little scuffle with Jet on campus. Almost got my ass expelled. Thanks to the death of daddy dearest, they let me off with a warning.” Grabbing the back of her chair, I pulled it away from the table.
“What are you doing, Havoc?” Raina frowned, trying and failing to grab the table’s edge. “I have work to finish before class tomorrow.”
“It can wait. I need a little orgasm therapy. I’m sure you won’t mind.” Picking her up, I placed her on the table next to the laptop and got busy taking off her pants.
Raina slapped my hands in an effort to fend me off. She knew damn well that only encouraged me. I shoved her hands aside, undoing her jeans and peeling them off. Her underwear came next.
“Jesus, Havoc. Right here on the table? We eat here.” Her protests were half-hearted at best.
“Fucking rights. That’s exactly what I plan to do.” Spreading her legs wide, I leaned down and breathed in her intoxicating scent. Then I dove right in.
I plunged my tongue between her folds, delving inside her. She let out a gasp that fed my need for her. All I wanted was to feel her come all over my tongue. I licked along her slit to her clit, flicking it until she moaned. When she grasped a handful of my hair, I felt a sense of pride. I got off on getting her off. Sometimes, that’s all I needed.
Once she was good and wet, I went hard on her clit. The first orgasm always came quickly. When I didn’t let up, she knew where this was going.
“Seriously, Havoc?” Raina moaned when I sucked her clit into my mouth. “You’re doing this now?”
“Why not?” I murmured against her. “Let’s see how many times you can go before you beg.”
“I’m not begging you for shit. Think I haven’t learned that lesson?” She squirmed on the table in a pitiful attempt to dislodge me.
I chuckled, sliding two fingers inside her. Raina’s head fell back as she moaned. I pumped in and out of her wet pussy, watching my fingers disappear inside her. Fuck yes. Satisfying as hell.
My gaze briefly landed on the tattoo marking her thigh. The G that had been inked there had been sliced through with a jagged A thanks to Daire Keller. It was almost healed now and would clearly scar. Jet had been a poor stand in for the man I really wanted to kill. Daire had taken a beating from Gage that could have killed him. For now, it would have to do.
I kissed the marked up tattoo, wishing I could go back in time and stop the Angels from ever taking her. When I thought about what they’d done to her, it was enough to make me crazy. I did my best not to think about it. Feeling so goddamn helpless to change what happened killed me. Especially because I knew that it was Gage’s fault.
Raina’s second orgasm soaked my fingers. I still didn’t stop. Her legs shook, and she whispered my name like a plea. I tipped her back so she lay flat on the table’s surface. Sliding in a third finger, I swirled my tongue around her clit while she made a fruitless effort to squirm away.
“Havoc, stop. It’s too sensitive. You’re going to make me scream.”
“That’s a terrible way to convince me to stop. I want to feel this pussy tighten around my fingers again. I need it, Raina. Like a fucking drug.” I happily licked her clit while fucking her with my fingers. She twisted and writhed, giving me exactly what I wanted.
I knew she was close to begging for mercy when orgasm number five rolled around. Her hips bucked, her chest heaving. It was fucking glorious.
I was primed and ready to force her to have number six when my phone rang. Usually I would ignore it. Since my father’s death, there had been several calls from family and fellow syndicate members. Important shit. A glance at the screen revealed such a call.
“It’s your lucky day, Bad Girl. You get to stop at five.” I gave her pussy an affectionate pat before answering the phone.
“How is everything, Christian?” Nate’s voice filled my ear. “How are you holding up?”
My uncle Nate had been my father’s righthand yes man. A pathetic piece of shit who’d had the nerve to shit talk Raina at the funeral. I didn’t want that stupid fuck around anymore. Unfortunately, I couldn’t kill everyone who pissed me off.
“Doing okay,” I answered, wanting to get this conversation over with. “Trying to get caught up at school. What’s up?”
I didn’t ask Nate how he was because frankly, I didn’t care. I watched Raina squirm off the table and reach for her underwear. Before she could grab it, I snatched it up, twirling it on a finger. A scowl crossed her face.
“I think it’s time that we hold a meeting to discuss where the organization goes from here,” Nate said. “There is plenty to talk about. It’s time to take your seat at the head of the table, so to speak.”
“Right. Sure. Of course. Let’s do that.” I made a show of smelling Raina’s panties, grinning when she punched me in the arm.
I listened to Nate go on about how we all needed to take care of each other now. Making sure our organization stayed strong in the face of tragedy was the first point of business. Of course, he also wanted to find out who’d killed my father. I played along, agreeing to everything.
When I finally ended the call, I grabbed Raina’s jeans from her hands before she could slip them on. “Time for number six.”
CHAPTER THREE
RAINA
I managed to beat Gage to our first class the next day. Finding a seat in the back row, I smiled to myself when a guy took the seat next to me. I always sat on the end if possible so there was no seat on my other side.
“Hi, how’s it going?” The guy next to me stuck out a hand. He was blond and thin with a friendly smile. “I’m Ryan.”
“Not too bad. Nice to meet you. Raina.” I accepted his offered hand, trying to keep the handshake brief. I wasn’t interested in small talk, and I sure as hell had no time or energy for another man in my life.
Ryan beamed a toothy smile in my direction. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope this isn’t too forward but I’ve been hoping for a chance to introduce myself.”
Goddammit. He just had to go and make it awkward.
“Um, that’s cool.” I forced what I hoped was a friendly smile.
Trying to deter him from further discussion, I pulled my laptop from my bag and turned it on. It didn’t help.
Ryan leaned in closer. He smelled of cheap cologne and cigarettes. “You’re really pretty. I like your hair.”
“Uh, thanks.” I leaned away, hoping he’d get the message. I didn’t want to be rude, but I was ready to tell him to go fly a kite if he didn’t take the hint.
“Would you like to maybe grab coffee sometime or something?” Ryan refused to give up on this dead end conversation.
Before I could answer, a growly voice said, “No, she would not like to have coffee with you sometime, jackass. Now get the hell out of that seat before I throw you out.”
I glanced up to find Gage towering over Ryan. The former appeared ready to bust skulls while the latter seemed oblivious to the danger he was
in.
“I think she can answer for herself,” Ryan said, sitting up straighter. He looked to me as if I would back him up.
I shrugged. “You should probably move.”
The campus was big. The student body was large. Maybe it was possible that Ryan didn’t know who Gage was. He was about to find out.
“Seriously?” Ryan’s head swiveled as he glanced between Gage and me. “Is this guy your boyfriend or something?”
Ugh. I didn’t love that question. There was no good way to answer it.
“Or something,” I said, knowing it would piss off Gage. “We’re kind of involved. You should just move. He’s kind of a dick. You don’t want to tick him off.”
Gage glared down at me. I smirked back at him. Then I turned my attention to my computer screen, ignoring them both.
Muttering something about people being fucking crazy around here, Ryan gathered his things and moved to a different seat. Gage plopped down in his vacated chair. Down in the front of the room, Professor Harper frowned in our direction. Great.
“What’s your problem today?” Gage asked, pulling his laptop from his bag.
“Other than you?” I quipped. “Not much actually. Just here to learn. You know the drill.”
“Damn. You’re ice cold. Still mad about yesterday? Since when are you easily ruffled? Chill out, Raina.” Gage poked a finger into my side, nailing a ticklish spot between my ribs.
I slapped his hand away, leaning out of reach when he tried to do it again. I almost fell out of my chair. “Not just yesterday. Frankly, Gage, I’m sick of your shit.”
“Oh, boo hoo. Cry me a river.” Gage lowered his voice when Professor Harper started speaking. “Where’s your fire, Cherry Pie? Make me burn.”
He had no idea how deep those words cut. Ignoring him, I stared straight ahead. I wasn’t in the mood for Gage today. The incident in the backyard yesterday had really gotten under my skin. I hated that it did. I hated that it bothered me so much. It was more than yesterday though. Gage had been a straight up dick since the night the Angels assaulted me. Either
he didn’t care or he didn’t know how to show it. I was betting on the former.
Because Gage was Gage and he couldn’t stand to be ignored, he leaned over and licked my face. I gasped, shoving him away with a hand on his shoulder. Using the sleeve of my oversized hoodie, I vigorously wiped his saliva off my cheek.
While Harper gave the lesson, I did my best to concentrate. I took notes and even asked a question for clarification. Next to me Gage did a half assed job of paying attention. Halfway through class, he grew bored with the material and began surfing porn instead. That tactic to annoy me was old and played out. It didn’t work anymore.
Gage wasn’t the type to give up or back down. He reached over to take my hand, drawing it toward him. I tried unsuccessfully to pull away. His grip was too tight.
He placed my hand on his thigh, inclining his head in a silent command. My brows furrowed as I shook my head. Hell no. I was not jerking him off in class.
Since when had Gage accepted a no? He dragged my hand closer, placing it over the hard on bulging in his jeans. A lover of taking chances, he’d fingered me in class more than once. One time I even came. I had no intention of being caught with my hand down this asshole’s pants.
He angled himself toward me, preventing the guy sitting next to him from seeing my hand on his dick. Then Gage forced my hand down his pants, shoving it against his hard cock. I had half a mind to grab some of his short and curlys and give a good tug. Knowing that it would only mean payback later, I restrained myself.
I decided to do something a little different. Slowly, I wrapped my fingers around Gage’s thick shaft. Sliding up and down, I paused to tease the head with my thumb. He sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly as I glided my hand up and down. I wasn’t sure he’d thought this through. Did he plan to come in my hand? Did he think I’d hold it for the rest of class? I had tissue in my bag. Not that I’d brought it with this in mind.
I continued to stare straight ahead at the instructor, paying attention like a good student. That seemed to irk Gage. At one point, he grabbed my chin with a hand, forcing me to look at him. What an egotistical prick.
I stared at him with my best bored expression. It was hard not to crack a smile at the scowl that adorned his face. He could make me touch
his dick. He couldn’t force me to like it. Part of me did though. How could I not enjoy being able to make Gage squirm in his chair? He clamped his lips shut in an effort not to make a sound. I knew the feeling. I’d been there before.
I waited until I felt sure that he was close to coming. Then I stopped. Jerking my hand from his pants, I turned back to my laptop, icing him out. The weight of his stare made me nervous.
In my peripheral view, I saw him scowl. He reached for me again and I turned my body, angling in the opposite direction. I was ready to put up a fight. The bastard could sit there with his blue balls and suffer for all I cared.
“You’re a naughty girl, Cherry Pie,” he said softly. “Naughty girls get punished.”
Pretending to scratch the side of my face, I flipped him a middle finger. His low chuckle sent a chill down my spine. I tempted danger and I knew it. And yet, I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to set Gage off. I craved it.
Doing my best to ignore him for the rest of class, I took some notes and made sure to not look at him again. Not once. When class ended, I gathered my things to leave, taking my sweet time. He didn’t wait around for me.
On my way out of the classroom, Professor Harper called my name. I jerked to a halt. If he’d seen me with my hand down Gage’s pants, I would die of mortification. Nothing could be more humiliating.
Approaching his desk, I forced a small smile. “What’s up?”
Harper waited for the last student to file out of the room before closing the door. That didn’t feel right. He turned a friendly smile on me.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. “I know you’ve had some issues over recent weeks. I just wanted to make sure that everything is back on track.”
That must have been his subtle way of referring to me faking my own death. Most of my instructors hadn’t said a word about my absence and reappearance. My father wasn’t the kind of man most people wanted to piss off. They’d never questioned the memorial service that had been held for me. I’m sure they wanted to though.
“I’m fine, thanks. I’ve been making sure to get my work done at home when I miss class. Is there a problem?” I clutched the handle of my
laptop bag, glancing toward the closed door.
Harper sat on the edge of his desk, crossing his arms. He eyed me up, his expression unreadable. “Maybe it’s none of my business, but are you having any issues with Gage Corwin? I can’t help but notice that he goes out of his way to make sure only he sits next to you. Is there trouble with him that I should know about? Do you need help?”
Goddamn Gage and his territorial bullshit. People were starting to notice. I could only imagine how many students had noticed his possessive behavior.
I did my best to laugh off his concerns. “No, there’s no trouble with Gage. Everything is fine. Really.”
I didn’t offer more of an explanation. Frankly, it was nobody’s business.
Harper nodded. “I want you to know that you can talk to me if you ever need to. Don’t feel like you have to protect him. If he’s threatening or intimidating you in any way, you need to tell someone.”
Buddy, you don’t know the half of it. I sure didn’t say that out loud. If Harper knew how much I enjoyed Gage’s psychotic shit, he’d think I was deranged.
“Trust me, Sir, if Gage was a problem, my father would have dealt with him by now. I appreciate your concern though.” I turned toward the door, ready to cut this conversation short.
Harper stood up, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I want you to know that there are people who care. People you can trust.”
His hand moved in a massaging motion. My defenses were triggered. Feelings of revulsion crept through me when I realized this middle-aged man with thinning hair and slightly yellow teeth was hitting on me. Did he think this would work? That I’d succumb to his unwelcome touch?
“Um, ok. Thank you. I appreciate that.” I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and bolted for the door. There was no mistaking the meaning in that gesture.
Throwing the door open, I flung myself into the hallway in an effort to put distance between Harper and me. Gross. So fucking gross.
Gage startled me by stepping out from an intersecting hallway as I passed. “Why are you so jumpy? What did Harper want?”
His suspicious gaze slid over me, like he knew Harper had put his hand on me and was trying to pinpoint the location. Harper may have been a creep but I didn’t want to get his hands broken. Or worse.
“He just asked me if I’m doing okay catching up on missed schoolwork. That’s all.” I continued down the hall, forcing Gage to keep pace with me.
“You’re lying. Think I don’t know you that well by now? Spill it, Raina. What happened in there?” Gage glanced back toward the classroom, like he considered beating the answer out of Harper himself.
“Nothing. I was only in there for a minute. How much could happen? Geez, Gage. Calm your tits. You’re always looking for a fight.” I checked the time on my phone, hoping I had a few minutes to grab an iced coffee before my next class.
“Only from you, Baby Girl. Now tell me what Harper said. Did he try something?” Gage caught my arm, pulling me to a stop.
His piercing mismatched gaze cut into me. Not in the mood for his demanding crap, I tried to jerk away. He held tight.
“I don’t have to tell you shit, Gage. You won’t share with me. Why should I share with you? I told you it was nothing. Now let go of me. I want to get an iced coffee on my way to class, if that’s okay with you.” I held his steely stare, refusing to break first.
Finally, he released me. I expected a snarky retort. Instead, he stormed away down the hall without a glance back.
Gage Corwin was hell bent to test every last fragment of my sanity. If any of the Gods were going to drive me all the way to crazy, it would be him.
CHAPTER FOUR
RAINA
“Do I really have to go? How do I know that Gage won’t try to gamble me away again?” I shot a dark glare at Gage and leaned back on the couch.
“Of course you have to go,” Havoc replied, not at all giving a shit that I didn’t want to attend a stupid frat party. “We’re not leaving you here alone. Go get dressed. Unless you want to wear that.”
I still wore my oversized hoodie and blue jeans. Since I didn’t want to attend this shitty party, I didn’t much care what I wore. A party at this time of year would likely be hot. I’d have to ditch the hoodie.
“Nobody is gambling you away. I swear it.” Knight strolled into the living room in a black button down and chinos. His brown hair perfectly in place, he smelled like sandalwood and musk.
His look was clean and tidy compared to Gage’s Trainspotting t-shirt and torn blue jeans. Reclining in the easy chair across from me, Gage puffed a plume of marijuana smoke above his head and grinned in my direction. Jerkass.
“Lighten up, Raina,” Gage admonished. “There’s no reason we can’t go have a good time. Ask Clover to come. You can do your girl talk or whatever it is you two do.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I quipped with a saucy smirk. “Fine. I’ll go get changed, but I want to stop for burgers on the way. I could kill for a bacon mushroom melt.”
“You just keep getting sexier.” Gage rolled his eyes, holding his joint out to me as I pushed off the couch.
I plucked it from his grasp and took a large puff. “You know that you love watching me put meat in my mouth.”
I passed the joint to Havoc and skipped from the room. Gage’s voice followed me up the stairs.
“Don’t think that I’ve forgotten about earlier. You owe me, Doll.”
Screw that. I had no intention of giving Gage what he wanted. Not as long as he was keeping secrets. I sure wouldn’t be forgetting about what I’d seen yesterday in the backyard.
After changing into a cute red tank top and tight black leggings, I spritzed on some coconut vanilla perfume and went back downstairs. I’d considered a crop top but decided against it. I wasn’t ready to show off the knife scars on my stomach from Daire Keller and his fellow Angels. I ran my fingers through my hair. Good enough.
Havoc looked me up and down before dragging me into his arms. “Always looking good enough to eat, Bad Girl. I’m tempted to eat that pussy right now.”
Resisting Havoc only made him want to do it more. I clung to his black t-shirt when he started pushing me toward the couch.
“Jesus, Havoc. We don’t have time for twenty orgasms. Let’s go get wasted. You can eat Raina out when we get home.” Gage rose from the recliner, ready to leave.
“Sounds like you should be licking her pussy, Gage. Pretty sure you owe our Goddess some worshipping.” Havoc pinned Gage with a pointed stare.
Gage and I hadn’t touched each other since before the Angels got their hands on me. Other than yesterday in the backyard and today in class, though that hardly counted. The tension between us was palpable. Havoc obviously felt it too.
“Maybe if she actually wanted me to touch her,” Gage shot back, his gaze sliding to me and then darting away.
“Yeah, well, whose fault is that?” I muttered. “And since when have you ever cared about what I want?”
The atmosphere grew heavy with growing tension. Knight pulled out his car keys, loudly jingling them on a finger. “On that note, I say we go party before Raina and Gage claw each other’s eyes out.”
“You two really need to work out your shit.” Havoc looked from me to Gage. “Let’s go. After the day I’ve had, I need to unwind.”
“Why? Did you knock Jet’s stupid ass out again?” Gage helped himself to a handful of my ass on his way to the front door.
I glared after him, hoping he felt it bore into his back. He’d never shown a shred of remorse for what happened. I doubted he ever would.
“I wish. Just a rough day in class. My focus is shot these days. I can’t wait for summer break.” Havoc paused at the door as we left, making sure the security system was armed.
He hadn’t been taking any chances lately. Since he’d killed his father, he was more antsy than I’d ever seen him. Like he constantly expected the wrong person to find out and come after him.
The frat party was well underway when we arrived. I wasn’t really feeling it. Clover was already there and this time Zane was nowhere to be seen. I happily flounced over to where she stood in the large kitchen talking with Lyra and another girl I’d never met.
“Hey, girl. Glad you came.” Clover pulled me into a hug. She smelled like a fruit cocktail. “I really miss having you at the dorm. You should come around more.”
“I will. I promise. God, you smell good. Like candy.” I pulled back to assess her bright attire. Neon green pants and a bright pink crop top made her look like a fun watermelon. “Loving the fit tonight. You look like candy too.”
“Thanks. That’s what I was going for.” She playfully batted her big, blue eyes at me. Motioning to the new girl, she said, “Raina, this is Briar Lehane. She’s in my sociology class.”
Briar was dressed all in black. She wore a Lolita dress with spaghetti straps and a puffy skirt. A lace choker adorned her neck. Her eyeliner was heavy and thick, her lips painted black. What I assumed was dyed black hair was piled on her head in a mess of curls. She was gorgeous.
“Nice to meet you. Love your dress.” I offered her a hand, doing my best to be friendly. I wasn’t the best at making friends. Clover made it look easy.
“Thanks. I like your collar.” Briar nodded to the tracking collar locked around my neck. “Where did you get it?”
My hand went to the collar, fingering the hard metal. “Actually, I’m not sure. Let’s just say it was a gift.”
Clover knew that I’d been held down by Gage and Havoc while Knight locked the collar around my neck. I didn’t plan to tell anyone else that, especially not someone I’d just met.
Briar and Clover began chatting away about random shit. I nodded along, sipping the whiskey I’d helped myself to. That’s when I noticed
Lyra’s hand sneak up to her own neck. She tugged on the collar of her sweater, adjusting it to hide the bruise she didn’t want anyone to see.
I was pretty sure I knew where that bruise had come from. I glanced around for any sign of Jet Reinhart. He must not be here, otherwise he’d be hanging off Lyra like an ass. Probably didn’t want to show off the marks Havoc left on his face.
The kitchen and living room were open concept, allowing me to see the Gods where they schmoozed in the living room. I had the perfect view of the brunette that sauntered over to Knight. She placed a hand on his arm to get his attention. He turned to see who’d touched him, eyes widening when he saw the girl. Who was she?
She leaned in close, saying something I couldn’t hear thanks to the mass of noise. Loud rap music boomed through the house. Along with so many voices, I had to read Knight’s expression to figure out what was said.
The girl tossed her hair, pressing against him. She said something that made him shake his head. He gave her a gentle push, putting space between them. She frowned. A moment later, she glanced over at me.
“Who’s that?” I asked Clover, nodding toward the girl.
Clover followed my stare. “Oh, that’s April. She used to have a thing for Knight. I guess she still does.”
As I watched, April tried harder to hold Knight’s attention. Every time she spoke, he shook his head. Deciding that it wasn’t my problem, I resumed my conversation. I forgot all about April until Havoc approached. He slid an arm around me from behind, pressing his lips to the side of my neck below my ear. “Sorry to interrupt, Bad Girl, but your assistance is required.”
A tickle traveled down my neck straight to my groin. The alcohol buzzed in my veins, making my head fuzzy.
“Why? What’s going on?” I turned in his embrace, aware of how many people watched us.
Havoc wasn’t known for being the committed type. I still didn’t really know what we were. I only knew that he’d started off being my tormentor and then had fallen to his knees before me after killing his own father to protect me. Havoc had said he’d fallen for me. Although he hadn’t let me say it back.
“Knight’s old fling won’t get the clue and leave him alone. Maybe you can do something to convince her that he’s taken. I’m thinking that
sucking his cock should get the message across.” Havoc said this into my ear so nobody else heard.
I stiffened. “Are you serious right now? You want me to blow him right here in front of everyone? That’s fucked, Havoc.”
“It doesn’t have to be right here. Take him upstairs or outside. I’ll make sure she goes looking for him.” Havoc nodded to where a girl bounced on a guy’s dick on a recliner in the corner. “It’s not like nobody else is doing it. You can just sit on his cock. Whatever you prefer.”
Annoyed at his insistent request, I shoved him away, almost spilling my drink. I tossed back the rest of it, drinking it all in one swallow. “Get bent, Havoc.”
“Swallow Knight’s cock the way you just chugged that drink and he’ll come in seconds.” Havoc’s self-satisfied chuckle only added to my irritation. “Come on, Raina. You’re our Goddess. Make sure the bitch knows.”
“Get the hell out of here.” I shoved him again, turning back to my friends. What a dick.
Havoc didn’t accept my dismissal. He slid a hand into my hair from behind, jerking my head back. Next to my ear he murmured, “You can refuse me now, Raina, but you won’t be able to refuse me later.”
Then he let go and strolled back to where Gage and Knight stood talking with a group of guys. I glowered at him as he went.
“What was that all about?” Clover asked, shooting an inquisitive glance in Havoc’s direction.
I waved a dismissive hand. “You don’t want to know.”
Clover nodded knowingly. She’d heard enough about the Gods to know that it had been something messed up. She inclined her head toward the back door.
“Want to move this outside?” she asked. “It’s getting pretty smoky in here anyway. I can’t stand the smell of cigarettes.”
“Yeah, let’s go. I’m grabbing a refill first. I’ll meet you out there.” While Clover and the other girls headed out back, I went to the counter to pour more whiskey into my plastic cup.
As I reached the back door, April stepped in front of me. With a hand on her hip, she jabbed a finger into my chest. “Stay the hell away from my man, bitch. I don’t like what I’ve been hearing about you.”
She did not just do that. I laughed in disbelief. “Who the fuck are you anyway? I’ve never even seen you before.”
“I was on a trip with my family. We got back from Barbados last week. I’m Knight’s girlfriend. We were a thing before I left. Stay away from him, unless you want trouble.” April bared her teeth in a weird grimace she must have thought was tough.
“That’s going to be difficult considering I live with him.” I shrugged, trying to remain serious and not laugh right in her face.
Her jaw dropped. “You what? I don’t think so. No. That can’t be possible. He’s mine, slut. Got it?”
I looked April up and down. Her dress was two sizes too small, squeezing her tight in all the wrong places. She would have been pretty if she didn’t have such fucking crazy eyes. Total looney tunes.
I sipped my drink, thinking about punching her. Instead, I did something I’d probably hate myself for later. Whirling on a heel, I marched across the room to where Knight stood with the others. Taking his hand, I led him to the couch, shoving him down on a free cushion. Ignoring everyone else in the vicinity, I shoved my drink into his hand and began to undo his belt. Thankfully, my friends weren’t in here to witness what I was about to do.
Pulling Knight’s cock out of his pants, I stroked it until it was hard. It didn’t take long. Sinking to my knees, I took him into my mouth. A few guys nearby whistled, making comments that were immature and stupid. One of them asked if he could be next. Havoc punched him in the side of the head.
Knight’s gaze was on me as I sucked him into my mouth. Our eyes met briefly as I swirled my tongue around the swollen head. He let out a breath on a deep exhale. He glanced to where April stood in the kitchen watching. This was not the kind of thing I’d normally do. It damn well better be appreciated.
As I sucked Knight deep into my throat, he pushed my blonde locks back from my face so nothing obstructed his view. He traced a finger along the side of my face. Affection shone in his brown eyes.
I knew that April hadn’t left when Knight continued to glance into the kitchen. She was really going to stand there and watch the whole thing? What a nutjob.
I teased Knight with my tongue, licking along his shaft, twirling it around the head, then sucking him deep again. As his pleasure grew, his gentle nature slipped. He fisted a handful of my hair, using his grip to pull me down deeper on his cock. I almost gagged when he was balls deep in my mouth. Bastard.
If he’d been Havoc or Gage, I’d have given him some teeth. Lucky for him, I was in a decent mood tonight. Although if he made my eyes water and got crazy over it, I was done. No way was I letting him bang me in front of these frat boy idiots. Not even to chase April away.
When Knight’s breath came faster and the head of his cock grew tight and rigid, I knew he was close. Bracing for it, I was ready when he shot a stream of cum down my throat. I swallowed, wiping a stray drop from the corner of my mouth.
I rose to find Havoc and Gage wearing similar expressions of want. Leaving them both there to stare after me, I plucked my drink from Knight’s hand and strode from the room. I shouldered April out of my way as I exited into the backyard. If she still thought Knight was hers after this, we were going to have a problem.
CHAPTER FIVE
RAINA
A mild hangover left me with a slight headache and dry mouth the next morning. Gross. I rolled out of Havoc’s bed and went to the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth. He was already up and in the kitchen. Why did we party on school nights? It felt like a good idea until the next morning rolled around.
I’d been spending most of my nights in Havoc’s bed. Since both his father and the Angels had targeted me, he’d become obsessed with keeping me safe. That often meant keeping me close. For the most part, I didn’t mind. Although a little more alone time would be nice.
After donning a Halestorm t-shirt and tight leather pants, I secured a spiked bracelet around my wrist and ran a brush through my hair. Silver eyeshadow and black liner made my eyes pop. Upon leaving the bedroom, I noticed that Gage’s door was still closed. The sound of his steady snores indicated that he hadn’t yet risen. Was he ditching class?
That piqued my interest. I wanted to know where he was going during those times he didn’t show up. After finding him in the backyard washing blood from his hands, I had a lot of questions. Gage’s secret was eating a hole in me. I needed to know what he was hiding.
Downstairs I joined Knight and Havoc for coffee and a bagel. There was a peacefulness around the kitchen table that wasn’t present when Gage was around. Maybe that was me and the grudge I’d been holding.
“Gage must be too hungover for class today,” Havoc observed when Gage never joined us. “Will you be okay without him, Bad Girl? Do you want to ride with one of us?”
I shook my head. If Gage wasn’t going to class today, then neither was I. “No, I’m good. I can drive myself. You don’t have to worry about
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with their convexities to the east, indicating that they were built by strong easterly winds. A moment’s consideration will show the truth of the latter statement. Suppose there is an isolated round hillock of sand exposed to strong easterly winds. The sand grains will travel up the easterly windward slope of the hillock and roll down the westerly leeward side. In this way the whole hillock will advance very slowly westwards. But in the centre, where the hillock reaches its greatest height, the grains will take longer to reach the highest point than near the edges, where they have not to rise so high. At the edges a strong gust will carry some of the heavier grains right over the dune, while nearer the centre they will be left half-way, and when the gust ceases will perhaps roll back to their original position. In this way the margins of the dune will advance westward more rapidly than the centre, producing the crescent shape with the convex side to the east. At the time of their formation these dunes must have had their steepest side to the westward, but the westerly winds which have prevailed during the last few thousand years have succeeded in modifying that detail, without destroying the general shape of the dunes, and the steepest slopes are now on the eastern side. The preservation of the original shape, in spite of the subsequent development of westerly winds, is due in part to the coating of vegetation, which protected the dunes as soon as more favourable conditions occurred, and probably in part to the lesser velocity of the westerlies. If the period of east winds and dune formation had been long enough, we might have had another deposit of loess, but it was short, and vegetation, which is necessary to the genesis of true loess, had no time to establish itself before the climate changed again with the final retreat of the ice. The climate of this period in Rumania has been ably described by G. Murgoci: “In general the prevailing climate of the time of the formation of loessoid soils and blown sands must have been that which is named by E. de Martonne the aralian climate, a dry climate with some rain in spring to call forth a poor and transient vegetation and to maintain the flowing water in rivers and lakes. The temperature with great extremes, in summer up to 120° F. and in winter below 20° F., was the characteristic of this climate; the atmosphere was very dry in the hot season, but in the rest of the year there was some humidity in the air and moisture in
the soil, the water of the subsoil being not very deep. The atmospheric precipitation in this region was caused by the southwest wind just as at present; but the dominant wind giving the character of a dry continental climate was the north-east wind (Crivat) which has left its traces in the fossil dunes of the Baragan.”
A history of the changes of climate in Europe which followed the maximum of the last readvance of the ice-sheet must be left to later chapters.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brooks, C. E. P. “The correlation of the Quaternary deposits of the British Isles with those of the continent of Europe.” Ann. Rep. Smithsonian Inst., 1917, pp. 277-375. [Full list of references.]
Penck, A , and Brückner, E “Die Alpen in Eiszeitalter ” 3 Vols Leipzig, 1901-9
Gagel, C. “Die Beweise für eine mehrfache Vereisung Norddeutschlands in diluvialer Zeit.” Geol. Rundschau, 4, 1913, p. 39.
Wahnschaffe, F. “Die Oberflächengestaltung des norddeutschen Flachlandes.” Stuttgart, 1910.
Svastos, R “Le postglaciare dans l’Europe centrale du nord et orientale ” Ann Sci Univ Jassy, 4, 1908, p 48
CHAPTER VI
Our knowledge of the history of the Mediterranean basin during the Glacial period is not nearly so complete as is that of the more northern regions, chiefly for the reason that during most of the period the land lay above its present level, and except for local glaciers in the mountain regions there was no ice to leave us a record of the changing climates. Most of what we do know relates to the relatively brief periods of submergence.
At the beginning of the Glacial period the sea lay some 500 feet above its present level, and we can trace the first appearance of a northern marine fauna. This stage is known as the Calabrian; it is divided into two horizons—a lower, in which northern forms are still rare, and an upper, in which they are becoming abundant. The most typical species are two mollusca whose present habitat is the coast of Iceland—Chlamys (Pecten) islandicus and Cyprina islandica
The Calabrian beach is not found on the coast of Spain or at Gibraltar, and in Algeria it probably occurs at a lower level. This suggests that the subsidence at this period was local, and the western lands stood up as a barrier against the Atlantic. There must have been a channel of some sort, however, on the site of the present Straits of Gibraltar, to provide an inlet for the immigrating northern mollusca. In the Maritime Alps, and again in the eastern Mediterranean, the Calabrian beaches are at a much greater height owing to local elevation.
After the formation of the Calabrian beach the whole Mediterranean region was elevated above its present level. This
elevation must be contemporaneous with the period of maximum elevation in north-west Europe associated with the great Mindelian glaciation. It is suggested that the “sill” of the outlet channel at Gibraltar was raised above the level of the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean became, first a closed salt lake, and then a pair of lakes, the eastern fresh draining into the western, which was salt, the two being separated by a ridge of land between Italy and Tunis. This period of elevation was long enough for a great deal of denudation to take place. Even in the Mediterranean this was a time of severe climate. On the eastern side of Gibraltar there are breccias, known as the “Older Limestone Agglomerate,” which reach a thickness of 100 feet in places, and are now much weathered. Similar agglomerates are found in Malta. These resemble the “head” of the south of England, and appear to be due to frost action in a severe climate. In Corsica there are traces of four periods of mountain glaciation, and the two oldest of these are provisionally correlated with the Gunzian and Mindelian of the Alps. In the Balkan highlands there are traces of two distinct glaciations: the older, which was the more general and reached the greater intensity, probably corresponding to the Mindelian. In the Atlas Mountains there are great boulder moraines which seem to belong to three distinct glaciations, the oldest extending to about 2000 feet above sea-level, and the second terminating at about 4000 feet, while the third glaciation consisted of small valley glaciers only.
Towards the close of the Mindelian glacial period the land sank or the ocean rose again, and the waters of the Atlantic poured in, bringing with them a great number of high northern and Arctic mollusca. The theory has been put forward that this influx was in the nature of a debacle and carved out a deep gorge through the present Straits of Gibraltar. The beaches deposited by this sea lie at a height of 250 to 330 feet above the present sea-level. The fauna resembles that inhabiting the northernmost parts of Europe at the present day, and the waters must have been several degrees colder than at present. This stage is termed the Sicilian.
As the climate improved the land gradually rose again, and the next general raised beach lies at a height of only about 100 feet in
southern Italy (except where it has been elevated by local earthmovements). Further west it lies still nearer the present sea-level— twenty feet in the Balearic Islands and only seven feet on the coast of Spain. On the coast of Algeria and Tunis this beach is found at a height of about forty-five feet.
The beach contains no trace of the northern fauna found in the Sicilian stage; instead it is marked by an assemblage of mollusca of a sub-tropical aspect, including Strombus bubonius, Mytilus senegalensis and Cardita senegalensis. The bones of large mammals are also found, including the hippopotamus and southern forms of elephant (E. antiquus) and rhinoceros (Rh. merckii). This warm stage corresponds to the Chellean interglacial fauna of northern Europe, though so far as I am aware no Chellean implements have been found associated with it.
About this time the Older Limestone Agglomerate of Gibraltar had been worn into caves, in which are found the bones of ibex, wild boar, leopard, spotted hyena, Rhinocerus leptorhinus, Elephas meridionalis, lion, southern lynx, bear, wolf, stag, horse, etc., so that the rock must have been covered by a rich vegetation, and must have had a greater extent than now, and a connexion with the continent of Africa. This is said to have been followed by a submergence of about 700 feet with numerous oscillations. This submergence, if it is really attributable to the interglacial, must have been extremely local, and possibly it is much older.
After the warm Chellean period the Mediterranean region rose again, probably contemporaneously with the rise which caused the Rissian glaciation of northern Europe. But the climate was nothing like so severe as in the Sicilian. We have no old beaches containing a molluscan fauna of this period, but at the Grotte au Prince near Mentone, investigated by M. Boule, the Strombus beach is overlain by a bed of cemented pebbles and “hearths” containing Mousterian implements and bones of a temperate fauna. The Newer Limestone Agglomerate on the east of Gibraltar may have been formed during this period. The Mediterranean lands remained above their present level until the close of the Glacial period.
Each glaciation of northern Europe must have been a time of greater rainfall as well as of lower temperature in the Mediterranean. The glacial anticyclone in the north displaced the storms from the Atlantic, which now mostly either skirt the north-west coast of Norway or pass across Denmark into the Baltic. These storms had to take a more southerly course, and entered the Mediterranean basin either across the south of France or in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar: tracks which are still occasionally followed in winter. These storms brought a rainfall much heavier than the present, and of a different character The Mediterranean is now a “winter rain region,” and the north of Africa is entirely rainless for several months in the summer. But during the “Pluvial periods” it is probable that rain fell throughout the year, though the winter still had more than the summer. The winter rains were in the form of steady falls of long duration, such as we experience now in England, while the summer rains fell in short, heavy showers, perhaps accompanied by thunder. The Older Pluvial period, which corresponds to the Mindelian glaciation, had these conditions in their greatest development. Depressions cannot live long without a supply of moisture, either from the sea or from transpiring vegetation, and at present such winter storms as enter the Mediterranean are almost confined to its surface, and on the African side rarely penetrate more than one hundred miles inland. But at the period of greatest elevation the shrunken Mediterranean offered no such great attraction, and with a comparatively well-watered Sahara the storms were able to pass much further south. Consequently, northern Africa possessed a number of large and permanent rivers which reached the sea. It was along these rivers and their banks that the fauna still inhabiting the Saharan oases made its way, to be isolated there by the decrease of the rainfall, so that crocodiles and many species of fish now live in isolated pools and in rivers which lose themselves in the sand.
In Egypt and Syria the first Pluvial period is double, corresponding to the Gunz and Mindel glaciations, with an intervening phase of feeble desert conditions, during which, however, the rainfall remained greater than the present. The second stage, corresponding to the Mindelian, indicates very great activity; at this time the Jordan
Sea (Dead Sea) reached its greatest area, extending to the northern end of the Sea of Tiberias.
Conditions in Egypt at this time are very interesting. South of Cairo the alluvial Nile muds are at most thirty to thirty-five feet thick, and ten feet of this thickness has been deposited since the time of Ramesis II. If the rate of deposition has been uniform, this gives a period of only 14,000 years for the deposition of the whole thickness of the muds. The theory put forward by Hume and Craig (British Association Report, 1911, p. 382) is briefly as follows: The mud deposits of the Nile valley are carried down with the flood waters of the Blue Nile, Atbara, etc. These rivers rise in the highlands of Abyssinia, where they are fed by the rains of the south-west monsoon. The incidence of the monsoon is determined by a number of factors, prominent among which is the temperature of southern Asia. During the winter, at present, the low temperature of the Himalayan and Tibetan region results in a great outflow of cold air, which strikes the coast of Africa as the cool dry north-east monsoon. During this time there is very little rain in Abyssinia. It is only when the Asiatic land-mass warms up in summer that the south-west monsoon is established.
But during the Glacial period, as we shall see, there was a great development of snow and ice on the Himalayas. The result was that winter conditions, i.e. the north-east monsoon, prevailed more or less throughout the year, and the rivers which feed the Nile contained only a small volume of water. Hence they lost themselves in the desert before reaching Cairo, and the Nile in its present form did not exist. On the other hand, the westerly winds which at present bring a moderate winter rainfall to the coast of Syria were greatly increased in intensity and extended further south, replacing the dry north and south winds now occupying the Nile valley. The northerly winds prevailing in the Nile valley in summer are associated with the low pressure area over the neighbourhood of the Persian Gulf, which in turn is due to the extremely high temperature experienced there. Even at the present day the highest hills of Sinai penetrate above the north winds into a westerly current, and a moderate fall of temperature over the Persian Gulf would inhibit the north winds in
the Nile valley altogether and allow the westerly winds to reach the surface. These strong westerly winds brought a heavy rainfall to the hills, now almost rainless, between the Nile and the Red Sea. Powerful streams descended the western slopes of these hills, bringing great quantities of debris, which formed delta-terraces forty of fifty feet thick where the streams debouched on to the Egyptian plain. These are especially well developed at Oina, the meeting place of several dry valleys from the hills, and it is remarkable that they actually cross the present site of the Nile valley and reach the desert on its western side, additional evidence that the Nile was not then in existence.
These gravel terraces contain numerous stone implements of early (pre-Chellean) types, showing that at this time Egypt had sufficient rainfall of its own to support human life.
The moist westerly winds carried the climate of the Mediterranean coast far into the desert. For instance, in the oasis of Khargeh, in latitude 25°, grew the evergreen oak and other plants not now found south of Corsica and southern France.
The Mindelian Pluvial period was followed by a long dry period corresponding to the Chellean, when desert conditions supervened. The Nile as we know it first appeared during this period Terraces were formed on the sides of the valley, probably during the submergence which produced the Strombus beaches of the western Mediterranean; these contain Chellean implements. During the succeeding elevation the Nile cut its bed below the present level.
The Rissian glaciation of northern Europe is represented in Egypt by a second rainy period, the Lesser Pluvial period. Rain again fell on the Red Sea hills, forming a newer set of gravel terraces, but these are much smaller than the great Mindelian terraces. No terraces are known representing the Wurmian period, and the country does not seem to have been inhabited at this time. Probably the climate was semi-desert, with not enough rainfall of its own to support human life, and yet without the fertilizing Nile floods to enable human life to exist without rainfall. As has been said, the
present regime did not begin until the last glaciation was nearly over, about 12,000 . .
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gignoux, M. “Les formations marines pliocènes et quaternaires de l’Italie du Sud et de la Sicilie.” Ann. l’Univ. Lyon, n.a., Vol. 1, fasc. 36, Paris, 1911, pp. 693.
Depéret, C. “Les anciennes lignes de rivage de la côte française de la Mediterranée.” Bull. Soc. Geol. de France, ser. 4, Vol. 6, pp. 207-30.
Douvillé, R “Espagne,” Handbuch regional Geol , H 7, 1911 (Includes Gibraltar and Balearic Is )
Hume, W. F., and Craig, J. I. “The Glacial period and climatic change in North-east Africa.” Rep. Brit. Assoc., 1911, p. 382.
CHAPTER VII
The great area of Asia is at present but little explored for glacial traces, but a certain amount of evidence has been collected, and the data from the various mountain districts are consistent enough to map out the general trend of the history of the continent during the Ice Age.
The earth-movements which brought about the present configuration of Asia were completed as regards their major details by the close of the Tertiary period. These movements left a number of great basins closed in on all sides by enormous mountain walls; at first all these basins contained lakes, and the subsequent geographical history has consisted largely in the gradual silting up of the lakes and the development of more and more arid conditions. The fluctuations of the Ice Age were superposed on this secular desiccation, but except in northern Siberia the part played by glaciation in the history of the country has been relatively small.
Consider for a moment the relief of Asia. The orographic centre may be taken as the great Pamir plateau, the “Roof of the World,” with an average elevation exceeding the height of Mont Blanc, diversified by ranges of mountains exceeding 25,000 feet in places. East of this is the great plateau of Tibet, 10,000 to 17,000 feet, bounded on the south by the mighty Himalayas, and on the north by the mountains of Kuen Lun. On the north the Pamir plateau is bounded by the Alai range, passing north-east into the Tian-Shan mountains, rising to 24,000 feet in Khan-tengri. Still further northeast comes the Altai range, with an elevation of 9000 feet. East of Lake Baikal lie a series of ranges averaging 8000 feet in height, and
passing into the Stanovoi range of eastern Siberia and the mountains of Kamchatka.
The Himalayas, owing to their heavy snowfall derived from the south-west monsoon, bear numerous great glaciers, but with the series of ranges extending from the Pamirs to north-east Siberia the case is different. These ranges all rise above the snow-line in places, but owing to the scanty snowfall they bear at most a few small glaciers on their northern sides, and none at all on the slopes which face towards the deserts of western China, and in all cases the glaciation is very slight in comparison with their elevation.
This distribution was characteristic also of the Ice Age. In the Pamirs there is evidence of two periods when the glaciers had a greater extent; in the first they extended to a level of 5000 feet, in the second to 7000 feet. The present limit of the glaciers lies at about 10,000 feet. The first glaciation was remote, for the moraines are worn and weathered, but the second was much more recent, for the moraines are fresh, and in some cases there are still masses of “dead” ice buried beneath great accumulations of debris and occasionally exposed by slips.
In the Tian-Shan mountains there are remains of two glaciations. The earlier was the greater, and the glaciers descended well below 10,000 feet. This glaciation was followed by a long interval, when the erosion of the rivers converted the U-shaped glacial valleys into Vshaped gorges. A second glaciation descended to a level of 10,000 feet, and again developed U-valleys to this level; the end-moraines of these glaciers are young and fresh-looking. In the Altai range there were also two glacial periods. In the older and greater the snow-line was depressed by 3000 feet. The glaciers attained a length of twelve miles and descended to a level of only 3000 feet above the sea. The second glaciation was less extensive.
So far we have been dealing with small mountain glaciers only. But in north-eastern Siberia we find a different state of affairs. The Stanovoi and Verkhoiansk mountains were heavily glaciated, and during the first glaciation were probably the centre of an actual icesheet similar to that of Scandinavia. The ice descended the valleys
of the rivers Yana, Indijirka and Kolyma and covered the New Siberian Islands, which were at that time connected with the mainland. The upper valley of the Lena was also heavily glaciated by an ice-sheet moving southward, probably from the Patom highlands. When this glaciation drew to a close the source of supply among the mountains ceased, and the ice on the lowlands and in the lower parts of the river valleys was left stranded as “dead” ice. When the mountains became free of ice, the re-born rivers carried great quantities of moraine-clay and other debris with them, and flooding the ice-surface over wide areas deposited their load above the ice. In course of time the remains of the ice-sheet were deeply covered by a layer of earth and stones, which prevented the ice from melting and preserved it to the present day. This is the probable origin of the well-known “fossil ice” of Siberia. Other theories have been put forward, such as the freezing of ground water during the winter, but none are satisfactory, and that given here was generally adopted by Russian geologists.
During the long warm interglacial which followed, the surface of the thick earth-layer covering the ice bore low-growing herbage in the same way as any other earth-surface. (A parallel to this is found in Alaska, where the glaciers terminate among the forests, which actually grow over the moraines covering their snouts.) The rivers cut their way down through the earth and ice, exposing ice-cliffs, which were quickly buried by talus from above. The mammoth and woolly rhinoceros roamed the land, and their tusks remain in great numbers as the “fossil ivory” of Siberia and the Arctic Ocean. Still more remarkable is the fact that mammoths have been found buried entire, and preserved by the frozen ground to the present day. It is difficult to say how the animals reached such a position, but most probably they sank into swamps formed during the summer and were quickly frozen.
In western Europe the mammoth and woolly rhinoceros are regarded as indications of severe climate, but their presence in north-eastern Siberia in large numbers is evidence of a climate probably somewhat warmer than that of the present day, especially as regards the length of the vegetation period. Probably the winter
snowfall also was less than now It is difficult to see how the fauna could have moved from, say, the New Siberian islands into a warmer climate each winter, for the winter climate becomes markedly more severe as one penetrates south from the Arctic coast into the interior. It is possible that the mammoth and woolly rhinoceros hibernated during the winter.
After this interglacial there came a recrudescence of glacial conditions. In this case, however, the Stanovoi and Verkhoiansk mountains and the Patom highlands were not buried in an ice-sheet, but became the centre of great valley glaciers, which reproduced the well-known glacial phenomena—corries, glacial terraces, U-valleys, etc. The ice extended down the great river valleys, leaving a typical moraine landscape on either side, and again reached the New Siberian islands. In course of time the climate ameliorated, again commencing in the south, and again the ice of the glaciers was buried. In the New Siberian islands the happenings are summarized very expressively by a rock-section described by Vollossovitsch. The bottom of the section is formed by the older layer of “fossil ice.” Above this is a sandy clay with remains of meadow vegetation and shrubs, followed by a fine clay with remains of alder and white birch, and the bones of mammoth and rhinoceros. Above this comes another layer of “fossil ice,” followed by clay with the dwarf birch, Arctic willow, and bones of musk ox, horse and later mammoth. After this the coastal regions sank beneath the sea for a time and marine clays were formed in a climate somewhat warmer than the present. When the land rose again the conditions resembled those now prevailing.
Though not part of Asia, reference may be made here to the glaciation of Spitzbergen, which runs strictly parallel with that of northern Siberia. The first glaciation was of the “ice-sheet” type, originating in the region north of Storfjiord, filling the whole of that fiord and extending south of South Cape. Barentz Land and Stans Foreland were at least partially ice-covered. The ice-floor of Spitzbergen, which resembles that of Siberia, may have originated during this glaciation. This was followed by subsidence to 230 feet below present level, and the ice retreated, giving place to an
“interglacial,” during which frost was very active and largely obliterated the traces of the ice-sheet. This “interglacial” was followed by a second extension of the ice, which affected the valleys and fiords only, leaving the plateaux free. This again was followed by subsidence and a warm period.
In southern Kamchatka there was a great development of ice, but in the form of a network of glaciers rather than of an inland ice-sheet. In the east the ice reached the sea, but on the west it left a zone forty to sixty miles broad, and up to a thousand feet high unglaciated, so that there was the same difference then as now between the rainy east side and the drier west side of the peninsula. The present snowline in the centre of southern Kamchatka is about 5500 feet, and at the maximum of the glaciation it must have been fully 3000 feet lower.
This glaciation was followed after an interval by a second, which was confined to the mountains. The moraines of this glaciation are much fresher than are those of the earlier one.
In Japan the mountains were only just high enough for glaciers to develop in the north. The moraines are old and weathered, and their meaning has been disputed; but recent work by Simotomai and Oseki seems to have established their glacial origin. The depression of the snow-line necessary to produce them—about 3000 feet—fits in very well with that observed in adjoining parts of the continent. The phenomena were confined to small hanging glaciers in the Hida mountains which cut out corries and descended to a level of about 8000 feet, leaving small morainic ridges. This glaciation was probably contemporaneous with the earlier and greater glaciation of Siberia. To the succeeding interglacial may be attributed the marine deposits found near Tokio containing corals, at present living some distance further south. No trace of any subsequent glaciation of Japan has yet been found.
J. S. Lee has recently called attention to the existence of a glaciated area in northern China, the evidence for which consists of moraines and striated slabs found in southern Chi-li, and a glaciated valley with travelled boulders in the north of Shan-si. The glacial
deposits in Chi-li are closely associated with a layer of quartzite pebbles which continues southward beneath the loess on the eastern side of the Tai-hang range, and is attributed to either torrential rain or the melting of glaciers. J. Geikie had long ago stated that there once existed ice-masses all over northern China, and considered that the ice came from the Himalayas. This origin is impossible, the probable source of the ice being the Yablonoi mountains in southern Mongolia.
In the Himalayas the glaciers formerly had a much greater extension. The glaciers at present extend downwards to 11-13,000 feet, but old moraines are found at 7000 feet, and near Dalhousie on the southern slopes of the Dholadar range to 4740 feet.
On the northern side of the Himalayas there was a great development of ice over Tibet, but there was not a real ice-sheet such as occurred further north. Oldham records three separate periods of glaciation in Kashmir, but it is not yet possible to discuss the glacial history of the Himalayas in detail. The latter is likely to prove complicated, since the range is still rising, and has probably been doing so either continually or intermittently throughout the Quaternary.
The great development of ice in Tibet, which is now semi-arid, owing to interception of the rain-bearing winds by the Himalayan range, suggests a considerable alteration in the present meteorological conditions. The Tibetan snowfall was probably due to the Mediterranean storms, which now give a small winter rainfall in north-west India, and which during the Glacial period greatly increased in strength and frequency and occurred throughout the year (Chapters IV and VI), giving the Pluvial period of North Africa. These storms would pass across Persia and continue to the north of the Himalayas, probably breaking up over the Tibetan plateau.
It is evident that, taking northern Asia as a whole, there have been two general glaciations, of which the first was the more severe, separated by a long interglacial, during which, in Japan at least, the climate became appreciably warmer than the present. The first glaciation is related to elevation in the Arctic basin, which closed
Bering Strait and united the New Siberian islands to the mainland. It was almost certainly contemporaneous with the first glaciation (Gunz-Mindel) of Europe. The ice began as glaciers on the mountains as in Scandinavia, but, owing to the scanty supply of snow, developed more slowly and only reached the dignity of icesheets in north-east Siberia. Then followed subsidence below the present level, wider opening of the Bering Strait, warm ocean currents and a long interglacial. After this there was again elevation and a re-development of ice-sheets, but apparently once only, and not twice as in Europe. This glaciation probably corresponded in point of time more or less with the Rissian, for the post-glacial dry of central Asia appears to have been of enormous period length.
There is one other phenomenon which must be considered in connexion with the glacial history of Asia, and that is the loess. Loess has already been referred to in connexion with the glaciation of Europe, but in China its development is much greater. Richthofen, who first studied this deposit attentively, and to whom we owe the æolian theory of its origin, found that it was formerly deposited in China over a much greater area than that over which it is accumulating at present, and attributes this cessation of growth to the heavier rainfall brought by the Glacial period, which enabled the rivers to cut back their valleys and drain some of the mountain basins, formerly enclosed. He considered that loess can accumulate more rapidly in a closed basin, where occasional floods leave behind them layers of bare sand and mud, easily dried to dust, than in a well-drained river valley where floods are rare.
In western Asia outside the limits of glaciation we have further evidence of at least one Pluvial period in the former far greater extent of all the enclosed lakes, due partly to greater precipitation and partly to decreased evaporation. The Caspian Sea and Aral Sea were extended to several times their present size and united into a single sheet of inland water. Lake Lop-Nor was greatly increased in size, and many of the desert basins, at present dry, were the sites of salt lakes. This is especially the case in central Persia, where there were large salt or brackish lakes.
These Pluvial conditions have not yet been correlated with the glaciations of Asia, but, by analogy with the conditions in America discussed in the next chapter, there is little doubt that they were contemporaneous with one at least of the glaciations, and probably there were two main Pluvial periods coinciding with the two Glacial periods. At Baku, on the shores of the Caspian river, Pumpelly has found old shore lines at heights of 600, 500, and 300 feet above the present level of the water. Still more interesting are the conditions found by Sven Hedin in the Kavir basin of Persia. Here there are lacustrine clays and silts referable to a Pluvial period covered by beds of almost pure salt, suggesting a rapid and complete drying up of the lake. Above this again are further silts indicating a return of Pluvial conditions. In addition to this the succession of silts and clays show that there were several minor fluctuations superposed on the main wet periods, giving ten moist phases altogether.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Many of the more important references are in Russian, and for these reference is made to summaries in other languages.
Sevastianov, D. P. “On the glaciation of the extreme north-east of Siberia.” J. 12 Congr. Russ. Nat., Moscow, 1910, No. 10, p. 491. (Russian, see Geol. Centralblatt, 15, p. 205.)
Riesnitschanko, W “Ancient and modern glaciers of the south-western Altai ” Mem Russ Geogr Soc , 48, 1912, p 357 (Russian, see Geol Centralblatt, 19, p 131 )
Komarov, W. “On the Quaternary glaciation of Kamchatka Travels in Kamchatka in 1908-9,” Vol. 1 (Russian, see N. J. Min., 1915, Pt. 2, P. 117).
Merzbacher, G “Zur Eiszeitfrage in der nordwestlichen Mongolei ” Peterm Mitt , Gotha, 57, 1911, p 18
Prinz, Gyula. “Die Vergletscherung des nördlichen Teiles des zentralen Tienschan-Gebirges.” Wien, Mitt. K. K. geogr. Gesellsch, 52, 1909, p. 10.
Obrutschev, W A “Geological map of Lena gold-bearing region ” St Petersburg, 1907. [Text in Russian; see Geol. Centralblatt, 12, pp. 507-9.]
Simotomai, H. “Die diluviale Eiszeit in Japan.” Berlin, Zs. Ges. Erdkunde, 1914, p. 56
Oseki, K. “Some notes on the glacial phenomena in the North Japanese Alps.” Edinburgh, Scot. Geogr. Mag., 31, 1915, p. 113.
Lee, J. S. “Note on traces of recent ice-action in North China.” Geol. Mag., 59, 1922, p. 14.
Burrard, S G , and Hayden, H H “A sketch of the geography and geology of the Himalaya Mountains and Tibet ” Calcutta, 1907-8
Hogböm, G. “Bidrag till Isfjordsomradets kvartargeologi.” Geol. Foren. Stockholm Forb., 1911. (Spitsbergen; résumé in German.)
Richthofen, F Freih von “China ” 5 Vols , 1907-12 (Loess, see Vol 1, p 74 ff )
Hedin, Sven. “Some physico-geographical indications of post-Pluvial climatic changes in Persia.” Internat. Geol. Congr., Stockholm, 1911. “Die Veränderung des Klimas.”
CHAPTER VIII
The glaciation of North America was even greater and more complicated than was that of Europe. It spread from three main centres, the Cordilleran or Rocky Mountain centre, the Keewatin centre west of Hudson Bay, and the Labradorean centre. Vancouver Island in the west and New Brunswick and Newfoundland in the east, were also independent centres of glaciation, and ice from the latter may have reached the coast of the United States in places. The ice covered an area of about 4,000,000 square miles, and the main ice-sheet extended to 38° N., or twelve degrees further south than the Scandinavian ice-sheet. Nine stages are recognized by American geologists, though opinion is divided as to whether all the stages of “deglaciation” represent real interglacial periods. The sequence is as follows:
1. Nebraskan, Jerseyan or pre-Kansan glaciation.
2. Aftonian deglaciation.
3. Kansan glaciation.
4. Yarmouth deglaciation.
5. Illinoian glaciation.
6. Sangamon deglaciation.
7. Iowan glaciation.
8. Peorian deglaciation.
9. Wisconsin glaciation.
On the other hand, in the northern part of the Rocky Mountains there is evidence of only two Glacial periods, separated by a single long interglacial, though perhaps the second glaciation was double. Further south, out of reach of the main ice-sheets, there are traces of
two and in places three separate developments of valley glaciers resembling those of the Alps.
As in the case of Europe, the literature of the subject is extensive and conflicting, but the following summary of the course of events represents the views of most moderate American geologists.
The Quaternary period opened with extensive elevation of the whole North American continent, which raised the Rocky Mountains several thousand feet above their present level and extended the continental area over much of the northern archipelago. In the east Newfoundland is considered to have been raised at least 1000 feet, a movement which converted the banks into dry land and interposed a large cold area in the path of the moisture-bearing southerly winds. As in northern Europe the high mountains of the west were the first to develop large glaciers, which coalesced into an ice-sheet, filling the valleys and rising up the slopes of the mountains until it reached a thickness of 5000 feet. In Puget Sound the ice was 4000 feet thick, but seawards the slope is very rapid and the ice was unable to extend far from the shore. This ice-sheet extended south-eastwards some distance into the United States, forming the first groundmoraine of that district. Probably while this Cordilleran glaciation was still in progress ice began to spread outwards also from the Labradorean centre, forming the oldest drift of that region. These oldest deposits are, however, not yet well understood.
This oldest boulder-clay is separated from the moraines of the main glaciation near its southern limit by river gravels containing the remains of mollusca and large herbivorous mammals—extinct species of horse, the hairy mammoth of the old world (Elephas primigenius), and two other extinct species of elephant, and also the true American mammoth. This is the Aftonian fauna, which has been claimed as evidence of an Interglacial period. That it evidences a retreat of the ice-edge in that particular region is certain, but that the climate became really temperate is very doubtful. More probably it corresponds to the Gunz-Mindel “interglacial” of the Alps, and was formed when the Cordilleran ice-sheet was retreating, but before the Keewatin sheet had reached its maximum.
