“And you don’t worry enough. Rhyne better take heed as well. Bowman will not take kindly to being disobeyed,” she muttered as she went back into the cabin. “For your disobedience, again, you can spend the night scrubbing the floor clean.” She glanced at the stack of books in my hands, her face seemingly worried.
A howl sounded in the distance and I shivered. Why did I get the feeling she was hiding something from me? Something important?
The clouds spread across the sky and I pulled my cloak tighter about my shoulders as I moved toward the church. Moss clung to its aged stone, while vines looped and crawled over the cross hanging above the doorway.
I walked up the steps to the heavy wooden doors.
“Lady Brielle,” Lord Kenrick called from behind me.
I cast a quick glance over my shoulder, catching sight of his cloak snapping in the wind. He grinned, rushing to catch me.
“Milord.” I curtsied.
“Please, call me Kenrick.” He took my hand and brought it to his lips.
My pulse quickened. “Kenrick.” His name fell from my lips like a whispered love poem. We stood, silent, staring, until the morning bell sounded. This seemed like an odd reaction to have for someone I’d barely meant. The only person who’d ever garnered this type of reaction from me was Raul.
Kenrick offered me his arm, then led me into the dimly lit church. “For a moment, I thought you wouldn’t make it.”
I smiled, clinging tight to him. “I’m a woman of my word. I promised to assist you and I will.”
Candles flickered from the altar, casting shadows across the crucifix of Christ. Father Machai knelt before it, his head bowed in prayer. Not wanting to interrupt, I released Kenrick’s arm and slid onto one of the many wooden pews. I bent my head and offered a prayer of my own. Please protect us. Give us the knowledge to determine the cause of these deaths. Amen.
When I opened my lids, I found Father Machai had risen.
“Brielle,” the old man called. He hurried toward me, his brown robes rustling at his ankles. Kind eyes stared at me from a heavily wrinkled face as he took my hand in his. “What brings you here this day?”
“I wondered if you might grant us permission to use the church library?”
Father Machai frowned as he regarded Lord Kenrick. “Here I thought you’d read the library in its entirety.” His brow furrowed and his grip tightened on my hand, but he refused to meet my eye.
“Father, we’d like to view the church’s historic documents or parchments that might contain information on the supposed Beast in our woods.”
He sighed. “Some things ought to be left well enough alone.”
“I daresay, I doubt we’ll find anything of great use, but I’d like to help Lord Kenrick in his research. If, for nothing more than, to prove the Beast is only a children’s story.”
“Very well. I know you’ll not let me have a day of peace until I agree.” Father Machai let my hand go then stepped back. He grabbed a candle and led us to the back of the church, then down a narrow hall to an ancient stone stairway.
The books were housed on the lower level, due to a recent fire that claimed part of the sanctuary. Villagers spent weeks aiding in the move and rebuilding. Cool, damp air embraced me as I followed Father Machai and Kenrick down the stairs. When we came to the bottom, the priest unlocked a wooden door and it swung open with a groan. We wound down another hall to the library.
Father Machai used his candle to light more waxy nubs around the room’s perimeter, which did little to chase back the gloomy silhouettes that clung to the stone walls. I shivered, wishing I’d worn another layer of clothing.
“You know your way around well enough.” Father Machai set a candle on the table in the room then handed me his ring of keys. “Make sure to lock up before you leave.”
“Thank you, Father,” Kenrick said. “I appreciate you opening your library for us.”
Father Machai gave him a brief nod but nothing more, and I wondered why he acted so cold toward Kenrick.
“I’ll be upstairs if you should need any help.” He disappeared down the hall.
Kenrick hung his cloak over the back of a chair, then sauntered across the stone floor to the shelves lining the back wall.
“We’ll want to search the histories of Dark Pines and any records of death over the last couple of centuries.”
“The histories are along the west wall. Death records are kept in ledgers on the shelves beneath the tapestries. That is, if they were reported.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You really do know where everything is. I might have to employ your help for all my research.”
My cheeks flushed. “Perhaps we can go through the stack of old letters as well. The priests kept many of their correspondences between the various churches.”
Kenrick seemed surprised. “I never thought to search those types of documents.”
I opened a wooden box with a cross burned into the top of it and gently removed several yellowed parchments, the wax seals long since broken. I sat at the table, spreading the documents in front of me, searching through the oldest. After sifting through several, I found one from the Fire Ridge Mountain Monastery. The date was smudged, the paper more brittle than the others.
Father Patrick,
Two fortnights ago, a dark-haired woman appeared at our church. She warned us of a great evil coming our way. I do not know if she was a witch or perhaps an angel sent from above. But I fear for our village. The forces of Satan are at work. A great demon comes at night, as the woman said it would. I have heard many a cry from poor souls caught in the woods after nightfall. Yet, we have no way to defeat it. We have called upon our great lord to protect us. However, we are still attacked. Perhaps because we are sinners. I pray that you might send forth your wisdom, dear brother. That you can aid us in our time of darkness …
I must hurry. It comes.
Father Gerard
Fire Ridge Monastery
My breath caught in my throat, not wanting to believe the rumors of a beast were true. I considered who this strange, prophetic woman might have been. A ghost? A witch? An angel? Was it the same one from my visions?
“You might want to read this,” I called to Kenrick, who made his way around the table and sat beside me.
He scanned the parchment then shifted to me. “Amazing. I can’t believe this has remained hidden for so long. It doesn’t have a date, though.”
“No. But it came from Fire Ridge, which is several days travel from here.” I swiped loose strands of hair from my face, then scoured other letters.
He shifted in his chair, his arm grazing mine. My heart leapt as I attempted to keep my eyes averted. I was far too aware of his closeness to concentrate. His familiarity startled me.
In an effort to break contact, I gathered the letters and put them neatly back in the box then grabbed a ledger.
“Are there no other letters?” Kenrick leaned closer.
My fingers trembled as I pulled open the leather bound ledger. “No.”
“Perhaps the priest who wrote it was killed, otherwise you’d think he’d update his brethren of the outcome of his dire situation.”
“Maybe there is another box of letters stored in the library. I can look around for them.” I leapt up and moved between shelves in search of another box, abandoning the ledger I’d just opened.
Kenrick bent over a book, the candlelight dancing on the table beside him. His dark hair seemed alight with bluish hues, his skin bronzed from being in the sun. Long, graceful fingers turned the page with utmost care. He was beautiful. Not in the same sense as Raul, but regardless my chest constricted. What hold did this man have over me? The need to be close to him, burned in my veins.
As if sensing my scrutiny, he raised hooded eyes. For a moment, I froze in place.
Kenrick sat upon his mount, armor glimmering in the sun.
“Do be careful,” I said as I squinted up at him. “Prince
Theodore is vicious with a lance.”
He leaned down, his hand capturing mine. “Worry not, my love, I will not falter. I’m riding for you, after all.” He took the lace kerchief from me and tucked it into the neck of his chest plate.
“Kenrick?”
He took his shield from his squire, then shifted to look at me once more. “I love you, milady, and soon everyone will know.”
Flustered and confused, I blinked several times then pretended to study a shelf of books. Where were these visions coming from?
“Come, look at this,” he said.
I hefted my skirts and hurried to the table. My brow knitted together as I stared at the page showing a crude drawing of a creature, humanesque in shape, but much taller. Its elongated claws looked like blades. The jaw was unhinged, revealing row upon row of teeth. Beneath the picture I found one word scrawled in Latin.
“Beast,” I whispered. “Who drew this?”
“I don’t know. It looks as though people have added accompanying text to the book over the years. Bits and pieces of history. And this drawing, stuck in the middle of it.”
I reached out to trace the image. My heart beat frantically as it triggered visions of blood and bones, people running through woods trying to get away. Could it be the monster from my dreams? A sudden pain flashed behind my eyes, my head pounded.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me.”
He pulled a chair next to his then gestured for me to have a seat, his face practically glowed with excitement. “This is what I’ve searched for. A description of what it is I hunt.”
“How could a beast of this sort go undiscovered for so long? I mean, it can’t very well be the same one terrorizing all the villages. Nothing lives that long.”
“Don’t you see? We’ve come across proof of its existence. Between this drawing, my family’s tragedy, the letters I’ve found in nearby villages, and the correspondence we’ve discovered here, there’s no denying it. This predator is real and has found a way to remain hidden.” He turned the page, then his hand grasped mine. “Based on my previous research, its hunting patterns are all the same. But you’re right, how could such a creature live for centuries. It’s a puzzle, isn’t it?”
“What if someone conjured a demon?” My thoughts drifted back to the letter and the mention of the woman. I’d opened my mouth to continue when the scrape of the door at the end of the hall sounded, followed by footsteps.
Kenrick released my hand and scooted his chair an appropriate distance from mine.
“Lord Kenrick, I hoped I’d find you here.” Sarah curtsied, holding a basket in her hand. “I brought you lunch. I daresay, you must be hungry after being locked away in the innards of the church all day.”
My eyes narrowed and I fisted the skirt of my dress in one hand. Why did she always interrupt everything? First with Rhyne, now with Kenrick. Was no man safe from her attentions? At last, Sarah glanced at me for the first time as if just noticing I sat beside him. Then she turned her focus back to the knight.
“You mentioned yesterday you’d be doing research. I’d be more than happy to help in this endeavor.”
“I didn’t realize you read Latin,” I said.
He looked at her then back to me.
“I … ” Sarah sputtered. Her face turned crimson. “Not every text is in another language. I’m sure I can figure it out.”
Kenrick opened his mouth, but before he said anything, I stood. “I better get home. Gram had a few chores she wanted done before nightfall.”
“Won’t you stay and have lunch with us?” Kenrick caught my arm as he, too, rose from his chair.
When Sarah’s cheeks reddened, I bit my tongue to keep from grinning. How wonderful it’d be to ruin her day for once. However, villagers already had enough to say about Gram and me without adding to it, and it’d be best if people didn’t know how much time I had spent with Kenrick. So against my better judgment, I let her have her way. For now.
“Perhaps another time.” I gathered my cloak and tied it about my shoulders. “Good day.”
As I hurried to the door, Lord Kenrick followed, stopping me when I reached the hallway. “There will be a town meeting tonight about the Beast. The mayor has sent word to everyone. I hope you’ll be there. Perhaps we could manage a few minutes afterward to talk?”
“Yes, of course. Please don’t forget to give Father Machai back his keys.”
He gave me a slight bow and I hefted my skirts, rushing upstairs, unsure why he unsettled me with his every glance and touch.
As I emerged from the library, I saw Father Machai reading his scriptures. He glanced up.
“Father, do you believe in the Beast?”
He clasped his hands in front of him. “No. There have been many claims made through the years, but it is my belief these killings are that of wolves. Once they get the taste for human blood, it is difficult to deter them. Only last year a wild pack was caught tearing apart a hunter not too far from here.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Father. You’ve put my mind at ease.”
“That doesn’t mean the woods are safe though. Not until the wolves are caught.”
As I left the church, I wondered how the villagers would react at tonight’s meeting. On the one hand, Lord Kenrick would present evidence to support his claims of the Beast. While, I hoped they’d remain rational, I knew what superstitions could do to even the most sensible of people. I’d heard of too many witch-hunts starting in a similar fashion. All it took was one person to point a finger and the accusations would begin. And with Gram’s renowned healing skills, she’d likely be the one brought to the gallows.
The winds howled, while the leaden sky threatened rain. I pulled my cloak tighter to my chest. Most vendors had already closed their stands; a few horses tethered in front of the tavern indicated the only life.
I walked to the butcher shop and lingered in the open doorway. Rhyne stood behind the counter, unaware of me. His face twisted in anger, eyes dark, he tossed a skinned lamb onto the wooden surface. Thwack! The large blade severed the leg from the animal.
I swallowed hard. Twice more he lifted the knife and hacked at the meat. Acid burned the back of my throat. A sneer pulled at his lips as he sawed away at the flesh. Then he laughed. A deep, frightening, guttural laugh.
For a moment, I just stood there. I’d never seen him like this.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, unnerved by his outburst.
Rhyne’s brow furrowed and the smile slipped from his lips. “Nothing.”
Bowman came from the back room, carrying a hunk of pork, which he hung on a meat hook. He grinned when he saw me, then turned to Rhyne. “You might as well get cleaned up. I know you won’t get any more work done today.”
Rhyne hung up his apron then scrubbed at his hands. Once he finished, he walked to my side. When we were out of his father’s earshot, he pulled me to a stop. “What’s wrong? You’ve barely said two words since you came to find me.”
“You never answered my question,” I said. “Why were you laughing while you were hacking away at the meat?”
His face reddened. “Because, I imagined the lamb was Mary Dyer.”
I gasped. “You what?”
He scuffed the road with his foot, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I was gonna ask Gertie to the dance today and she bloody interrupted, jerking her daughter away from me. She acted like I was some pariah, preying upon Gertie.”
My shoulders tensed. “What a shite thing to do. Don’t worry, you’ll have another opportunity. I could always ask her for you, if you’d like.”
“No, this is something I need to do myself.”
“Well, if you need my help, I’m here for you.” I gave his arm a squeeze.
“There is something you could do for me,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“You could do my hunting for me tonight
so I can sneak off for a moonlight swim in the pond. Or maybe wrestle down the elusive pack of wolves everyone claims stalks our woods.” He let out a low growl and gripped tight to my shoulder.
With a laugh, I jerked free and rushed down the road, Rhyne at my heels.
He easily caught hold of my waist, lifted me up, and spun me through the air. His eyes glittered like a predator. “See, you can never get away from me.”
A loud clattering sounded from the road and Rhyne instantly put me down. I watched as a cart barreled right toward us, no driver to be seen. The horses veered to the right, and as they did, the wheel broke free from the frame and spiraled through the air like a great spoked weapon.
“Lady Brielle!” Lord Kenrick shouted from behind me. In one swift movement, he shoved me to the ground, out of harm’s way.
Gravel dug into my body as he covered my head with his arms, shielding me from the accident. Screams erupted around us as the cart continued unmanned through the village until Henry Blacksmith, his father, and two other men, caught hold of the horses’ reins, bringing them to a halt.
My pulse thundered in my ears as Kenrick lay atop me. His hand swiped my hair from my face, his gaze met mine.
“I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you. It’s just I saw the cart—”
“No, I um, I—thank you,” I whispered, my hand resting upon his. “But how did you get here? I thought you were going to do more research?”
“I left not too long after you, I wanted to talk with you more and didn’t like the way we’d left things. Then I saw you … ”
“Bri?’ Rhyne stood over us.
Realizing we had an audience, Kenrick quickly climbed to his feet, then leaned down to help me up. I brushed the dirt from my dress and glanced across the street, where I saw Sarah standing with a smirk on her face.
“Are you hurt?” Kenrick asked.
I turned my attention to him. “No, I’m fine, thanks to your quick actions.”
But as I glanced back at Sarah, I wondered if it was merely a coincidence. Or if perhaps she’d had something to do with this almost accident. Again, my head throbbed and I clutched it.
Legend of Me Page 5
