I shouldn’t be surprised anymore. All the cracks appearing in the façade of the Atonement Settlement sadden me. I had once believed so wholeheartedly in the ways of my people and now I don’t know what’s true anymore.
It was called a donation but it was definitely bribery. I guess the settlement won’t be hurting for funds for a while.
I’m sorry you have to spend money on me, Quade.
Perhaps I’m wrong to suspect him if he’s having to pay to save me. Unless he needs me for nefarious means and I’m worth the investment. I’m too tangled up with conflicting emotions. If I could see his face, I’d be able to determine what his true motives are. Fear, dread, and suspicion keep drowning out the tiny embers of hope. I have to stop the endless loop of hoping and doubting those around me. I rub my temple, feeling frustrated by the wall between us. My fingers smell like mint, a fragrance I always found soothing before, but it doesn’t work now.
It doesn’t matter, Ilyse. Thanks to my father, I have plenty of money.
I’m just not used to having people stand up for me. That it’s happened so much lately has been surprising. It feels strange.
There is a long moment of hesitation. I start to worry I said something wrong.
Well, I’m on your side, Ilyse. I’ll be at the Bridal Auction, though I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d try to throw another wrench into me bidding. My heathen status upsets them but I made a point of telling them I’m reading the Lost Texts.
I step closer to the gate, wanting to talk to him directly. I want desperately to trust him, but the necromancer stalking me has made me doubt everyone outside my family. Looking about, I try to find an excuse to slip through the gate. A patch of mint poking through the stones near the door gives me an idea.
“Carrie, I think the mint is wandering again. I’m going to check in the passage!” I call out.
Looking up from where she’s fussing over her tomatoes, she says, “Ugh! Again! I swear. How is the world not taken over by the damn plant? It’s as bad as the Unblessed.”
I open the gate and slip into the pathway behind our house, clutching the basket filled with herbs and vegetables in one hand. Startled, Quade steps back from the wall. He’d been leaning against it with his head bowed and his hands resting against the stones. He quickly sets his wide brimmed hat on his head and it shades his face.
Shutting the gate, I give him an awkward smile. We both stick close to the wall, lingering in the shade where we won’t be easily seen. Quade returns my smile with a sheepish one, acting like a kid who got caught doing something wrong.
“I didn’t expect you to come out,” he whispers in a husky voice.
“I wanted to talk face to face. It doesn’t feel quite real when we speak the other way. I start to worry I’m imagining your voice.”
“I understand.” His eyes clearly scrutinize my appearance, his gaze shifting up and down. “You’re thinner.”
Before I can defend myself, he speaks again. “I wish you weren’t hurting so much, Ilyse. Not eating is going to weaken you.”
I’m not sure why I feel a sting at his words. I feel a little insulted, remembering what Annah said about men preferring curves. That I should care what Quade thinks of my appearance bothers me because it means I want his approval. I’m not ready to explore why I want him to find me appealing. I feel fragile after everything that has happened.
“I’m trying. It’s hard. I keep worrying about everything every second of the day.”
“I figured as much. I wish I could find a way to fix this faster.”
Studying his face, I don’t see duplicity in it. He regards me with a direct gaze that makes me doubt he has a hidden agenda. He’s only tried to help me since I first saw him. Maybe I’m foolish for trusting him, but facing him again, I realize I do. My misgivings drain away, relief filling me for once. I also realize just how lonely I’d been.
“You’re doing what you can,” I reply, starting to fully believe he’s on my side. “I appreciate that.”
Stroking his goatee, he studies my face in a way that makes me a little nervous. His gaze is piercing, and my stomach flutters. Again, the intangible connection between us sizzles to life and I feel my cheeks heating up. In the afternoon sunlight, there is gold in his goatee and hair and his eyes appear vividly green.
“Still,” he drawls “I wish I could do more.”
“I think marrying me is a pretty big deal,” I say with a small smile.
With a low chuckle, he says, “I guess so.”
“My father made a deal with Crofter Beckett so he’ll marry me. He’s giving up half his business to make sure I don’t end up Unclaimed. You may have to bid a lot.”
Quade ponders my comment, then shrugs. “Then I’ll do it. And when I win, your father won’t have to give up half of his business.”
“What if you can’t bid, or lose?” I rest my hand against the stone wall, plucking nervously at a crevice.
Settling his hand over mine, Quade leans toward me. “I’ll find a way. Trust me.”
I stare up at him mesmerized by the nearness of his face. I can feel the warmth of his breath on my face and clearly see the flecks of gold in the greens and browns of his fascinating eyes. The intimacy of our closeness paralyzes me. I half expect him to kiss me and I’m not sure if I’ll let him. If only Bale hadn’t seen me that night and accosted me under the trees I wouldn’t be so afraid of a man’s touch. Maybe it’s wrong to be so attracted to Quade. I shouldn’t be depending on him so much.
Quade’s fingers brush against my cheek. “Ilyse, if you’re-”
The sound of stone striking stone breaks the moment, drawing both of our attention to a spot further down the pathway. A hooded figure stands there. The bulky long green coat hides whether the person beneath is male or female and the hood completely shadows the face.
Don’t depend on him. Save yourself, the voice of the necromancer says in my head.
I’ve never seen the necromancer so close before and it’s terrifying.
“Did you hear that?” I whisper to Quade.
“No, and I don’t like this.” Quade pulls away from me, moving swiftly toward the necromancer. “Who are you? Reveal yourself!”
The gate to my home swings open and Carrie pokes her head out. “Ilyse?”
“Go inside,” I order, watching Quade bearing down on the hooded form.
The necromancer doesn’t move, standing very still.
I push my sister into the yard before she sees what is happening, and shove the gate shut. She pushes on it, trying to get out, but I lean all my weight on it. The smell of rot sifts through the air, the minty fragrance of the herbs in the basket slung over my arm barely holding it at bay.
“Quade, stop!” I call out.
He hesitates a few feet short of the necromancer, casting a startled look over his shoulder. I can feel, smell, and taste death in the wind. Terror building in my chest, I motion for him to return to my side.
That’s not the necromancer, Quade.
Still facing the hooded figure, Quade starts to warily retreat.
I can feel the command of the necromancer.
Run, Quade!
Quade turns and races toward me as an ungodly cry erupts from the hooded creature. It races after him, the hood slipping free to reveal Bale’s gray dead face. Their boots pound against the stone walkway as Quade flees with Bale close behind. The long coat of the Undertaker fans out at his side like dark wings.
Quade arrives at my side, draws a silver blade, and spins about to defend me. Bale’s dead body rushes toward us, his jaw distended and his tongue flapping against his exposed teeth.
I fling up a hand in Bale’s direction and scream a single word in my mind.
Stop!
Bale’s legs buckle beneath him and he falls to the stone pathway in a jumble of limbs. Like before, the ground opens beneath him and he’s dragged down into the earth. When he’s gone, there isn’t a sign he was ever there.
Quade grabs my arm and spins m
e around into his embrace. We fall against the stone wall breathing heavily with fright and relief. Sinking against his chest, I can feel his heart racing.
“That was a warning,” he says breathlessly.
“I know.”
“What did the necromancer tell you?”
“To save myself,” I reply. “To not depend on you.”
Quade doesn’t reply for a few seconds. Worried, I lift my head to study his expression. He looks afraid, but determined.
“I’m running out of time,” I say. “The necromancer has a plan for me.”
“Yeah. That’s clear. Stay inside your house until the Bridal Auction. I’m going to contact the Chantry and see if I can get any leads on who this bitch is.”
“What if the necromancer sends Bale against me again?” I ask.
“It’s not you that’s the target right now. It’s me. She wants me out of the way.”
My heart skips a beat at the thought of him dying. “I hate that you’re in danger because of me.”
Quade gives me a grin. “It’s what I do. I’m an Undertaker. I’m used to the danger. I just don’t like the idea of someone playing around with you. We’ll sort this out once we’re together in a few days. Until then, you stay in your house and I’ll watch every damn shadow.”
“I’m glad you’re my friend,” I say, meaning it.
“Hell, I’m more than your friend,” Quade says with a wink. “I’m your husband to be.”
Dipping his head down, I know he’s about to kiss me. Eyelashes fluttering, I wait for the touch of his mouth on mine. This time I’m certain I’ll let him.
His lips settle against my forehead and he leaves a lingering kiss on my skin. I’m a little disappointed as I cling to him. Being so close to him is a little dizzying. My body is keenly aware of his, and I feel the strength of his muscles beneath his clothing.
“You better get inside,” he whispers. “Before something else happens and we get in trouble.
I’m not certain what he means, but when he opens the gate – making sure to stay out of sight, I slip back inside the garden with my face heated from the kiss and my insides trembling.
“What happened?” Carrie seizes my arms, jostling me a bit as the gate clangs shut behind us.
I realize I dropped the basket at some point and didn’t even notice. I tell her, leaving out the part where Quade held me and kissed my brow.
Carrie’s eyes are nearly round with fright. “Ilyse, I’m so scared for you right now.”
“Quade and I have a plan,” I answer. “It’ll be okay.”
I open the gate and peek out into the passageway. My basket with the vegetables and herbs in it are gone. So is Quade. I shut the gate and lock it.
“How can you say that?” Carrie asks me. “Someone is after you!”
I press my fingers over the spot where Quade kissed me. Despite the scare I just had, I feel hopeful. Perhaps I will escape with my life and finally find out who I was born to be with his help.
“Because I’m not alone,” I finally answer my sister. “Even though the necromancer wants me to be, I’ve got people helping me. And that gives me so much hope.”
“But why do they want you? I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either, but I have a feeling I’m going to find out very, very soon.”
Epilogue
I stand in front of the mirror in our small bathroom in my nightgown. The night is dark outside the small window over the tub and the gas lamp barely pushes back the gloom. The shadows cast over my face give me an otherworldly appearance in the dull reflective surface.
In a matter of days I will face my fate at the Bridal Auction. It’s a fate I have absolutely no influence over. It will be decided by men who claim to want what is best for me.
Can I trust any of them?
I remember Quade’s touch and a sigh escapes my lips. I’m afraid of how he makes me feel, but I can’t stop the need to trust him. The necromancer urged me to save myself, but Quade is my best chance to escape.
I tuck my auburn hair behind my ears and stare at my face. It’s a little thinner but my cheeks are still round with youth. I’m supposed to be a married woman soon but all I see in the mirror is a scared teenage girl.
How can I ever be as strong as Angelina? She dared to climb the wall to escape into the Deadlands. I can barely muster the strength to face the Bridal Auction.
The vow of the Pious Woman comes to mind. The words had always given me peace before when I was afraid.
I am humble
I am quiet.
I am kind.
I am faithful.
I am hardworking.
I am fruitful.
I am plain.
I am pious.
I might be humble and quiet but it’s so I can survive.
I am kind because it’s the right thing to be even when people are cruel to me.
I am faithful to the ones I love but not to the teachings of the Lost Texts anymore.
I am hardworking and fruitful because it keeps me from collapsing into despair.
I am plain but I hope Quade finds me pretty.
I’m not pious for I killed.
The words that gave me so much comfort are hollow now.
I’m not prepared to denounce my faith in the Three Gods just yet. Who else could have given me this power? Lifting my hands to my chest, I can see the greenish-black flames tracing my fingers. The vow of the Pious Woman fades as new words come to mind. k12
I am afraid.
I am trapped.
I am angry.
I am a necromancer.
And I will survive.
THE STORY CONTINUES IN BOOK 2, THE ACCUSED DEAD
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About the Author
Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies zombie trilogy (Tor) as well as independent works such as The Last Bastion of the Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog). She was born and raised in Texas where she currently resides with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets). She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dyeing her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes. You can visit her online at www.rhiannonfrater.com.
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