This time he leaned down and there was no doubt in my mind what he wanted.
His lips captured mine, sending a shock down to my toes. I wrapped my arms around him, my lids drifting shut, and lost myself in him. He tasted of strawberries, his mouth soft against mine. Raul’s fingers tangled in my hair and he deepened the kiss, his tongue darting between my lips, grazing mine.
My pulse raced, my skin flushing as if someone held a flame to me. I’d waited sixteen years for this moment. I stood there letting the explosions of light flash behind my lids. Everything felt right, as if this moment had been written ages ago. I’d dreamed of being kissed for far too long, and it was everything I’d dreamt it’d be.
Just then the door banged open, and we leapt apart as Father Machai made his way outside while Gram stood with her arms crossed.
“I’ll see you soon, my little Brielle. We definitely need to talk.” Raul gave me a crooked grin.
Did he feel it too? The connection?
Breathless, I said, “Promise?”
“Yes. Nothing can keep me away, not even your gram.” With one last squeeze of my hand, he backed away.
“Come on inside now, Brielle,” Gram called from the doorway. “I think you owe me an explanation as to why you were alone with Raul.”
Shite. I was in for it now. With a sigh, I turned toward the cabin and went indoors.
Blood seeped into the wood. Everything around me was drenched in deep crimson. Heavy footsteps pounded the ground behind me, my pulse quickened. I needed to get out of the forest. Moonlight filtered through the treetops, like a ghostly beacon. The bushes rustled and I spun to face them. Something was there. Closing in on me. My skin prickled with the awareness that I was being watched. With a yelp, I turned to run, only to find myself in a pile of bones. Skulls stared back at me with empty sockets. Leg bones, arm bones, and spines, all stained with blood.
I screamed. There crouched in front of me was Robert Stablehand. He held his arm in front of his face to defend himself. But the creature was too swift. Claws swooped down upon his flesh and he cried in agony. Yet the Beast didn’t stop. Several times its dagger-like nails tore at his skin. I couldn’t see the monster, only its claws. But I knew it was there.
“Help me!” Robert screamed.
As I reached for him, he disappeared beneath the pile of skeletons.
His face was replaced by my cousin Lucia’s.
“The beast is here … ”she whispered.
“No!” I shouted.
Something cool touched my head, shocking me fully awake. Gram was wiping my forehead with a cool cloth.
I kicked my blankets off and sat up. My head ached, and I felt as if I might vomit.
“I-I saw Robert Stablehand in my dream,” I said, throat thick with emotion. “The Beast killed him. And I saw Lucia.”
“Hush now. You’re running a fever, child. You’ve had a rough day.” She frowned, dipping the cloth into a basin of cool water.
She offered me a cup of elderberry wine, and I took it from her. The cold liquid slid down my throat. If only I could chase away the remnants of the nightmare so easily.
The thunderous sound of horse hooves reverberated outside. Loud voices echoed in the night, and within moments, frantic knocks pounded at our door.
I leapt from my bed and rushed to open it.
Kenrick stood on our stoop, his dark hair disheveled as he gawked at me.
“Thank God, you’re all right,” he said. “We followed the Beast’s tracks this way. At first I thought it might’ve attacked you and your grandmother.”
I sucked in a ragged breath. “The creature? It was here?”
“We tracked it to the other side of the clearing, then lost it.”
What if it had stalked me? Was that why Lucia’s ghost had appeared to me next to Liam’s body? Was she trying to warn me that the Beast was near? My stomach clenched. Maybe it knew I’d found Liam’s body and wanted me next.
Kenrick’s gaze trailed over me, a reminder that I wore only my thin shift. My skin blazed when he glimpsed the scar above my heart. Embarrassed, I raised my hand up to cover it.
He reached for me, clutching me close to him.
Gram gave a strong, loud cough, and Kenrick pulled away from me.
“I apologize,” he said. “A knight should have better manners.” He lowered his head in supplication.
Gram tossed a blanket over my shoulders, and then tugged me back, putting herself between us. “We’re quite all right, Lord Kenrick. My granddaughter suffered a shock earlier and has been with fever most of the night.”
He bowed. “I apologize for calling on you at this late hour.” He clasped my hand. “Feel better soon. I am riding through this area tonight to search for signs of the Beast. I’ll make sure to ride by your house often, to make sure you’re safe.”
Gram smiled. “Oh, that isn’t necessary, milord. We’ll be safe enough.”
“Please.” His eyes never left mine. “I’d feel better knowing Brielle is well guarded.”
Gram pursed her lips, but finally she said, “Very well, Lord Kenrick. One can never have too much protection, after all.” She turned around and went back into the house. “Come back to bed, Brielle,” she called behind her.
I caught Kenrick’s eyes. There was a fire in them. “Goodnight, Kenrick.”
He bowed but never took his eyes from mine. “Goodnight, Brielle.”
The village was in complete pandemonium.
The line into the butcher’s wound around the side of the building. For the second time this week, the panicked masses bought food as if they thought they might never eat again. People shouted at one another, some accused each other of cutting in line. Little acts of aggression that signaled the violence waiting to break free.
Those not purchasing meals waited at the blacksmith’s to procure better weapons. Another hunting party circled outside the mayor’s house, much in the same fashion as they had the previous day.
Rhyne caught my eye and waved me toward the counter.
“Hey, no cutting,” Samuel Boat Hand hollered at me.
“She ain’t cutting. She’s here to see me.” Rhyne came to the doorway and pulled me inside.
A couple men chuckled, others grumbled.
“How are you?” Rhyne’s voice lowered. “I’ve been worried.”
“I’m better today. Just can’t wait for this to be over.”
Rhyne raised an eyebrow, his gaze scanning the line. “You and me both.”
“At least you’re keeping busy.” I laughed. “Nothing like a little crisis to drum up the customers.”
“I’d rather be fishing with you or having a picnic with Gertie,” he teased, nudging me with his elbow.
“Me too.”
“So did you get in trouble for having Raul see you home?”
I grimaced. “A little. Gram wanted to know where you were. I told her that we’d bumped into Raul in the woods and he’d joined us, along with Sarah and Kenrick, and that after we found the body in the woods, you took Gertie home, while Raul saw me home.”
“Guess we need to be more careful, eh?”
“We need more pork,” Bowman shouted from behind the counter.
Rhyne frowned. “Sorry. I’ve got get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.”
“See you.” I smiled, as he leapt over the counter, his bloodied apron flapping like a sheet caught in the wind.
Once in place, he gave me a wink, and I hurried from the crowded shop. I crossed the busy street, trying to dodge horse carts as I made my way toward the church.
“Lady Brielle,” Kenrick called from the side of the road.
I went to him, unable to hide my smile. The rest of the village was falling into chaos, but he could still find a bright spot. “Good day, milord.”
“I’m surprised to see you up and about today. Should you be out of bed?”
I was still feeling out of sorts, mostly fa
tigued in a way that wouldn’t seem to go away. But then, after the events of yesterday, I hadn’t expected to sleep well anyway.
“I’m headed to the church for more research. Perhaps you’d like to come with me?”
“I wish I could join you. Unfortunately, I have a creature to hunt. Last night yielded nothing but tracks and trails.”
“Maybe some other time.” My voice faltered and I peered up at him. “I wanted to apologize for my gram last night. She was kind of abrupt.”
“No need to apologize, she’s looking after you. I suppose I’d do the same if I was in her place.” He smiled. “I should be off.”
I forced a smile in an attempt to hide my disappointment. “Good luck today.”
I turned to go, but he caught my arm. The warmth of his fingers seeped through the fabric of my sleeve. I inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. Pine and rosemary.
“The festival is coming up,” he said softly. “Do you plan to attend?”
“Yes. And you?”
His hand slid down my arm, until his fingers gently gripped mine. I tilted my face and stared up at him. My heart pounded in my ears, and each beat threatened to explode through my body.
“Yes, I will be there. Perhaps you would allow me a dance or two?”
“Of course.” As long as Gram wasn’t in view.
He grinned at me. “Good, because I’d like to see more of you.”
Sarah came toward us, flapping her arms back and forth like an excited chicken beating its wings. “Lord Kenrick.”
Swallowing hard, I took a step back and curtsied. “I-I’ll see you, milord.”
Before I could leave, he leaned closer to me. “We’ll talk more later, Lady Brielle.”
Somehow I doubted it, because Sarah was on the prowl. And he thinks he’s hunting. The eagerness on her face was undeniable. She planned on landing Lord Kenrick and wouldn’t stop until she succeeded. The only good thing that’d come from this was at least now she’d let Rhyne be.
I hurried to the church, cursing the day Sarah Weaver was born. A brisk wind swept down the nape of my neck as I slipped through the doors. The sanctuary was empty, save for some candles burning near the altar, however voices drifted from the hallway near the back of the room.
“Perhaps you’d like me to stay on and help you rid your village of the Beast,” a voice said.
“I thank you for your concern, Brother Reynaldo. But I assure you, things are under control. I pray every night to our Lord. He’ll watch over us,” Father Machai said. “Our town has taken precautions and has hunting parties out as we speak.”
I pressed myself against the wall and inched closer.
“Several deaths does not sound like things are under control. Do not make the same mistakes other villages and churches have. Do not underestimate the power of this creature.” A robust frame passed the doorway to the hall. I caught sight of a bald head, a roll of fat folded up near his neck. “If you don’t believe me, look at the ruins of the church outside the western woods. There is still evidence of the monster’s wrath upon the stone walls.”
I froze in place. This had happened in Dark Pines before? Why didn’t I know of this? My mind raced as I tried to remember where the ruins were; maybe it’d be a good idea to investigate them myself. Possibly they contained more answers.
“For now, I will forego your offer of help,” Father Machai said. “But I promise, should I need you, I’ll send word to Fire Ridge. Now, perhaps I can offer you some bread and cheese before I head out.”
“Of course, Father,” the man said.
I backed closer to the main entrance and took a seat in one of the pews so they wouldn’t know I’d eavesdropped.
The oversized priest emerged first. Cold seeped up my spine when I met his dark, beady eyes. My stomach knotted. Darkness seemed to halo him. His black beard was trimmed into point at his chin, his fat, sausage-like lips curved up at the corners. His gaze swept over me, making me pull my cloak tighter. “Good day, milady.”
My fingers gripped the fabric as I stood. “Father.” Something about this man frightened me.
After long minutes, his scrutiny of me ended. “Thank you again for your hospitality,” he said to Father Machai. “I’ll see myself out.”
This man knew something. I could feel it in my bones. He spoke with such assurance, as if he alone knew how to defeat the Beast—that he knew where to find it. And it was my curiosity that led me out the door, trailing after him.
He pulled his hood up over his head and trudged through the busy thoroughfare, but instead of stopping in town, he pushed to the outskirts. He glanced behind him, and I quickly ducked behind a cart.
Did he know I trailed him? I took a deep breath and dared to peek around the side of my hiding place. He was moving again, his large body wobbling like a broken wheel. A moment later, I saw him standing in the tree line, peering into the shadows.
Then she stepped out. Lucia. Or rather, her ghost. What was she doing here now? Was it possible she was appearing to Reynaldo as well?
Reynaldo leaned forward as if to speak to her, then dropped to his knees as if in prayer.
What did they say? Could he even see her? I swallowed hard and pushed closer, tugging my own hood up over my head. I walked alongside a couple soldiers who were heading down the rut filled road. When we passed the spot where Reynaldo was, I slowed my pace and came back around, pushing myself against the tree.
It was then that I heard the voices.
“Father Machai refuses our help with the Beast,” Reynaldo said. “What should I do?”
“The Beast will keep attacking, and soon they’ll be forced to run. He’ll come for her. Mark my words. He always does.”
The whisper came out like the hiss of the wind, and the air grew suddenly colder.
“Tell me,” Reynaldo said. “Where can we hope to stop this madness?”
“Fire Ridge. They will come. And when they do, you must be ready.”
“Then I shall go there and wait,” Reynaldo said. I heard the sound of his heavy footsteps leaving the woods. Then and only then did I poke my head around the tree to survey the forest.
Fog swept in like eerie fingers, reaching toward me, and I saw the retreating form of the woman. She seemed to evaporate before my very eyes, disappearing into the mist, as though her form lost all substance and returned to the afterlife.
If I’d been doubtful about the purpose of Lucia’s ghost, I wasn’t any longer. She’d been brief when she’d passed her warning to Reynaldo, but it had been clear. There were people working with the Beast, and it was up to Reynaldo to be ready when they came to Fire Ridge.
Relief flooded me when I got back to the church. The shroud of darkness I’d felt in the woods had dissipated. I could breathe again.
Father Machai came from the corridor; a warm smile enveloping his face when he saw me.
“Do I even need to ask why you’re here?” he teased. He took out his ring of keys and handed them to me. “There is ink, parchment, and quills in the library, should you need it. No one will bother you today, what with all the lunacy surrounding the Beast.”
“Thank you.” Now, more than ever, I needed to find out more about the Beast.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said, “I have to step out for a bit. Daniel Barber has requested I call upon his brother to read him his last rites.” He clutched a worn bible to his chest and skirted past me.
Silence settled over the stone building as I made my way down to the library, trying to forget about Father Reynaldo and the ghostly woman. I carried a small candle to light the way. The flame flickered, casting eerie crimson shadows, which pooled near the floor like puddles of blood. A chill writhed beneath my skin and I shuddered.
Stay calm. I’m in a house of God, not the bowels of hell.
But my fingers trembled as I pushed open the door to the library. I clambered inside and lit as many candles as I could find, yet they did little to cha
se away the bleakness.
Once my cloak was off, I searched through several rolled parchments until I found a wooden tube containing Father Machai’s maps. As carefully as possible, I slid the largest one out then returned the rest.
My skirts swished against my ankles as I moved across the room, then set the map on the worktable, holding it in place with a small book at each corner. My teeth grazed my bottom lip as I picked up a quill and dipped it into the inkwell. From memory, I marked X’s along the villages with known attacks, places Kenrick had found mention of in letters. Fire Ridge Mountain, Dark Pines, Candle Shore, and Moxley Way. When I put down the quill, I realized the pattern made a horseshoe shape. But I was no closer to understanding anything beyond what I already knew.
There had to be more clues. More texts. I wondered if there would be any information about the local church ruins and what’d happened to it. With my mind running wild, I scoured the shelves, searching through titles for anything remotely close to the Beast or creature. But I found nothing until I noticed a much thinner book hidden at the back of a shelf, behind the rest of the parchments and leather bound volumes.
My hand closed around the sheepskin cover and flipped it open. I gasped.
The attacks continue. Two more bodies have been found. The Beast draws ever closer to our fortification. We have sent for reinforcements.
My palms grew slick with sweat as I made my way to the table to sit. I pulled a candle closer and leaned over the book to read on. A total of twenty attacks from the village of Moorhaven had been recorded. The unknown author described the mutilated bodies in great detail. Limbs torn from them. Heads missing. Strange claw marks.
“It can’t be,” I whispered. I traced the date at the bottom of the page. 1299. Three hundred years ago.
The dank air became heavier. From outside, the low howl of wind beat against the church like an angry mob and I closed my eyes. Visions of Liam and Margaret clawed at me. Blood. Bones. Screams. So many victims.
Waves of nausea washed over me, and I gripped tight to the table to steady myself. I took several deep breaths, then opened my eyes once more and continued to read.
Legend of Me Page 8
