She snorted. “Like you listen. Now off with you, so I can tend to Father Machai.”
What did Gram and Father Machai have to discuss? As of late, they seemed to be meeting more frequently. I wondered if it had to do with her research. For some reason, I was certain she was looking for information on the Beast too. With a sigh, I pulled on my cloak then grabbed a basket for the laurel.
“Good day, Brielle.” Father Machai nodded as I passed him in the doorway.
“Father.”
“Don’t be too late,” Gram called after me.
“I won’t.” With one last wave over my shoulder, I strode into the woods.
The wind howled, whipping through the treetops, while the branches bent beneath the unmerciful gusts. Leaves skittered at my feet as if trying to run away from the fast approaching storm. The forest darkened, plunging everything into shadows. I swallowed hard, looking behind me.
“Just focus on getting to the market,” I whispered.
The breeze tugged at my cloak, wrapping it about me as I walked, while tendrils of my hair escaped their clasp. Twigs snapped and I picked up my pace, eager to get out of the woods.
Right as the gate came into view, a large raindrop spattered against my cheek, followed by several more. I pulled my hood over my head and rushed into Dark Pines.
People scattered when a rumble of thunder shook the ground. Bolts of lightning zig-zagged across the sky like barbed weapons being flung to the earth. Sheets of cold rain pelted me as I rounded the corner into the market.
Ahead of me, I noticed that the Wanderers’ carriages were not parked in their normal spots. Shite. I’d come all this way for nothing. But as I started to walk away, I remembered Rhyne saying they’d moved to the western woods. With a sigh, I hurried back through town—puddles of muddied water splashed across my boots and dress.
I kept to the main path, not daring any shortcuts with all that I’d witnessed lately. As I rounded the bend in the road, I heard music drifting on the wind. The scent of campfires led me through a more recent trail and into the woodland.
At last, I came upon the Wanderers. Their colorful carriages were circled up. A few younger men had sticks with fire on them and they spit in the air, causing them to flame up. Some of the women did intricate dances, sending sprays of mud on their bare feet.
My gaze shifted over the busy group. Some made food, while others worked on performances. A group of acrobats tossed a younger man into the air. He did a flip, then came back down in their arms.
After a moment’s hesitation, I spotted Raul’s colorful carriage. His canopies were already tied down, and he hurried to put the last of his goods away. The downpour drenched him, plastering his white tunic to his chest. He glanced at me, eyes twinkling. From beside him, I caught sight of Rhyne.
Rhyne’s eyes widened when he saw me. “Bri? What are you doing here?”
“I came to get a few things for Gram.”
“Raul?” Rhyne cast him a wary glance.
“Brielle, what a surprise.” Raul grinned. “Quick, come in.” He secured the shutters and ushered me inside away from the noise.
The crimson décor darkened the interior. Within seconds, he lit a lantern and the flicker of flames danced, illuminating the small room.
My eyes trailed down his jawline to his tunic and I gasped. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s just a scratch.”
“He’ll be fine,” Rhyne said, slipping in behind us.
Raul took my drenched cloak from me and hung it over a beam of wood at the center of the carriage.
“That’s more than a scratch. He’s lost a lot of blood.” Before Raul could stop me, I closed the short distance between us and tugged up his tunic. My gaze swept his sculpted chest to the gashes just above his heart and upper shoulder.
He cringed as I touched the tender flesh. “I’ll heal, Brielle.”
I scowled at him. “These wounds need to be treated before they fester.”
Not waiting for him to reply, I rushed out of the makeshift home and into the steady drizzle once more. Slipping in the mud, I pulled several wooden crates from beneath Raul’s carriage and rummaged through them. At last I found the camphor, which would keep the infection at bay. Once I shoved everything back in place, I ran around the carriage and in out of the rain.
“Change out of those wet clothes before you catch your death.” Raul set a black tunic on one of the seats.
A blush raced to my cheeks. “Pardon me?”
He threw his hands up in the air. “For God’s sake, Brielle, put on my tunic and hand me your dress.”
When I still didn’t move, he turned to face the opposite way. “I won’t look, I promise. Rhyne, turn your head too.”
My eyes widened. “But I can’t—”
“Now do as I say, Loreen will slit my throat if you get sick.”
“I doubt she’ll end your life if I become ill. Besides, she’s the one who sent me here.” After long minutes of me hopping up and down, and wriggling, I finally kicked the clothing off. Self-conscious, I quickly tugged the tunic over my head. “I-I’m done now. You can turn around.”
His tunic hung to my knees, making far too much of me visible. Raul’s mahogany colored eyes trailed over me, a small smirk playing at his lips. “I do say you look ravishing in my clothes.”
“Raul,” Rhyne growled. “Don’t start this. Not now.”
In one quick motion, Raul bent down, picked up my wet dress, and hung it next to my cloak.
I raised an eyebrow as he stared at me. “Well?” I gestured to him.
“Well what?”
“Are you going to disrobe?”
He slowly pulled his shirt over his head. I didn’t miss the wince as the fabric brushed against his wound, nor did I miss the amused glance he gave me as he moved to unlace his breeches. For a second, I stood and stared before remembering my manners.
If Gram walked in now, she’d murder us all. Loud claps of thunder reverberated around us and the carriage trembled, nearly making me jump out of my skin. The shutters creaked as the wind pounded unmercifully against the wooden structure.
“You can look. I’m dressed.”
Raul knelt on the floor in a pair of tan breeches, tiny drops of blood slid down his shoulder like crimson tears. He pulled out a fur rug, while Rhyne moved to stir the coals of the small woodstove in the corner.
“You need to lie down.” I stepped to Raul’s side, giving him a gentle push.
“Brielle, I’m fine, really.”
“No, you’re not. Now you can either tell me where you keep your pans and water or I’ll pull this carriage apart to find them.” I glared, giving him my best Gram look.
He settled onto the furs. “My, she’s a bossy one, isn’t she? Well, my little Brielle, the water-skin is hanging outside the door, and I have a pan stored beneath the seat.”
I went to work boiling water and mixing the camphor. Once the concoction was done, I found a cloth and sat next to Raul, while Rhyne watched us. As gently as I could, I cleaned the wounds. His skin felt like fire, so hot beneath my fingers. “Shite. You’re with fever. Why didn’t you send for me or Gram?”
His muscles tightened and his jaw clenched. “Because I’m not sick.”
“Damn it, Raul. You’re being a bloody fool. You’re injured and burning up.” The more I studied his injury the more apparent it became that the markings upon his skin were claw marks. I went still. “Ho-how did you get these?” I daubed the camphor upon the opened gashes.
“I don’t know.”
Setting the medicine down, I leaned over him and clutched his jaw, forcing him to look at me. “Don’t lie to me.”
He sighed. “I volunteered to go with Lord Kenrick and his men last night to hunt this so-called Beast. When we got into the thicket we split up.” He caught my hand in his, pressing it to his cheek. His skin was so hot. “As I stepped into a clearing, I heard a low growl from behind me.
I spun to face it, but it was too dark to see anything. Then I felt the claws. I don’t know what it was, but it let me get away.”
My throat tightened as I examined him closer. “You must be more careful. Promise me you won’t wander the woods alone,” I said, bandaging the abrasions.
The Beast doesn’t let its victims get away. But what reason would he have to lie to me?
“Little Brielle, don’t worry for me. Besides, I wasn’t alone in the woods when this happened. There were soldiers all around.”
“Then there is no safe place.”
“No.” Raul gave me a forced smile, his fingers clasping mine tight. “But I thank you for your concern. You are my truest friend.”
The carriage rattled as the storm outside strengthened. “Do you have any blankets?” I glanced around.
“Yes, in the trunk, fastened above the seats.”
“Rhyne, can you help me?”
“Sure.”
It took us a moment to get the trunk open, but when we did, I found an array of quilts stacked neatly inside. I pulled out two then closed the lid.
“Here, let’s get you settled in.” My fingers shook as I bent to cover him. I needed to get some tea in him, a medicinal one to help him sleep.
Raul clutched hold of my bare ankle. “You must stay with me.”
“And what pray tell do you suppose I ought to tell Gram come morning? It’s bad enough that I already stayed out once when the bridge went out.”
A tired smile tugged at his lips. “The most scandalous of stories, of course. She’d believe nothing less.”
“Maybe I ought to show her that book of yours while I’m at it.”
Raul gave me a sly wink. “If you’d like, I can pull it out.”
“Raul, I swear, if you lay one hand on Brielle while we’re here, I will hurt you.” Rhyne glowered from the doorway.
Raul turned to me once more. “Please stay, Bri. I can’t have you wandering about the woods. Night will fall soon enough. You mustn’t be out there, not with all that’s happened recently. Besides, Loreen would appreciate me keeping her only living relative safe.”
His fevered eyes pleaded with me. I knew it wasn’t a romantic invitation, in fact, he could barely hold his head up. If not for my own safety, I realized I must stay for his.
“Rhyne do you think the Wanderers would mind if I stayed on?”
“No. Probably not.”
I glanced back at Raul, who was curled up under his blankets.
“My home is your home. No one will bother us.”
“I can’t very well leave you like this,” I said. “I’ll take care of you through the night.”
After heating a cup of tea for him, I watched him fall fast asleep. If I hadn’t come along, would the Wanderers have been able to help heal him? I stared at Rhyne.
“Worry not, Brielle, he will have a fast recovery.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
We sat in silence for a while, before Rhyne spoke again. “Get some rest, I’ll keep the fire stoked.” He gestured to the place on the floor next to Raul, while he climbed onto a nearby bench seat and tugged a cover about his shoulders.
I stared at Raul. His long lashes touched his cheeks like angel feathers. His bronzed skin glistened with sweat. He looked so innocent, almost serene in his slumber. Moments later, I blew out the lantern and laid on the furs next to Raul, listening to his steady breathing.
Turning on my side, I touched his cheek, biting back tears. “Sometimes you can be so foolish.”
A sigh escaped his lips and he reached out, drawing me closer. I went still. Bedded down next to a man like this placed me in a compromising position. What would happen if the wrong person found out? I pushed the thought from my mind. Raul’s health was far more important than my reputation.
My heart skittered out of control when he shifted in his sleep, and as his arm tightened about my waist, I sucked in a deep breath, not needing these kinds of reactions to him. But I didn’t dare pull away, for fear of waking him. Instead, I nestled into him. Perhaps the nightmares would stay away tonight.
Gram had been far more lenient on Rhyne and Raul than I thought she’d be. She sent them on their way with a scolding for letting the villagers see me come out of Raul’s carriage. Other than that, she’d handed them each a loaf of bread and thanked them for keeping me out of the storm. I’m not sure who’d been more surprised, them or me.
After I dropped a salve off with Carlton Blacksmith, I caught sight of the Butcher’s Shop. I was half-tempted to stop in and see Rhyne, but wasn’t sure if Bowman was upset with us for being with Raul.
“There she is.” I heard Sarah’s voice before I saw her. “Can you believe what she did with that Wanderer? Mother said she was practically naked when she came out of his carriage.”
My fists clenched at my side as I searched for another path around her and her “flock” of sheep.
“At least now I know why all the men in town sniff after her.” She smirked.
I stopped abruptly and stared her down. “As opposed to faking an attack to gain attention?”
Lydia Milkmaid gasped. “How dare you accuse Sarah of such nonsense? She still has the scar on her arm.”
“Oh, yes, the ever brutal self-inflicted knife wound. Although, I’m surprised you were brave enough to do even that.”
Sarah’s lips pursed as her face turned the color of a strawberry. “You—you will pay for such rumors. Come along, girls, we wouldn’t want to be seen with this trollop.”
Good riddance.
Appearing oblivious to the town gossip, Father Machai let me into the library wearing the same kind smile he always did. He left me by myself and I sat at a table rereading letters and the sheepskin book I’d found, but the more I read, the more there seemed to be missing from the puzzle.
I had a feeling both Gram and Father Machai might be able to help me, but they were becoming more secretive, while their meetings had become more frequent. Twice, I’d seen Father Machai’s nephew stop by with parchments, but he only stayed long enough to deliver the scrolls then was on his way.
What bothered me most was that if Gram truly knew what was going on in Dark Pines, why didn’t she try to put a stop to it? And Father Machai, how could a man of the cloth ignore the grisly murders?
“I hope I’m not intruding.”
I glanced up as Kenrick entered the room, several scrolls in his hand.
“On the contrary, I could use the company.” I smiled, motioning to the seat next to mine.
He sauntered to the table and slid into the chair. His leg bumped mine and my pulse quickened. I met his gaze and wondered if he understood what his presence did to me.
“I brought scrolls I found at other locations to compare with the letters and books kept here.” Kenrick set several yellowed papers on the table in front of us. “I didn’t realize until tonight that I have a letter from Father Gerard’s successor at the Fire Ridge Monastery.”
I took the parchment from him.
It is with great sorrow that I deliver the news of Father Gerard’s death. The reinforcements from the Crowhurst Order arrived mere hours after his downfall. During this time of grief, I can offer a small bit of hope, in that a young knight has slain the Beast. At last, Fire Ridge Mountain will be safe.
Father Thomas
Fire Ridge Monastery
“Where did you find this?” I turned to look at him once more.
“It came from Candle Shore, although it’s been addressed to Father Bertrum in Dark Pines.”
“That makes no sense. How would it end up in a different village?” Had someone purposely moved the documents to keep everyone from discovering the truth and if so, why not just destroy them?
Kenrick’s fingers tapped the table as he glanced down at me. “I’ve asked myself the same question several times since our discoveries. Either one of the priests took it with them when they moved on to another church or
someone is deliberately concealing information.”
Was this what Gram and Father Machai discussed in private? Or was there another involved in this cover-up?
“Perhaps, now would be a good time for me to tell you what I discovered in the woods, west of here,” I said. “There is evidence there of the creature you hunt.”
Once he agreed to accompany me, we hurried upstairs and he took his horse in the direction I pointed until the greenery got too thick for the animal to maneuver and we were forced to dismount. Even though this part of the forest seemed darker, it was warmer than the last time I’d come here. Like whatever had caused my unease had moved on.
“This is it,” I said when we came to the rubble.
His hand rested between my shoulders, and I led him to the wall with the claw marks and blood.
His eyes darkened as he traced the deep grooves in the stone. “It looks almost like someone had locked the creature in the church. And these black colorings here make me believe that perhaps someone tried to burn it down.”
Dread coiled in my gut. If the Beast survived this, how did we expect to destroy it?
“I also found something else when I was last here.” I nodded to the underbelly of the church. Kenrick joined me at the top of the stairs and stared into the dark abyss.
“Bones,” he said. He unsheathed his sword and descended farther into the ruins. Not that he could go very far because of the cave-in, but when he reached the bottom he knelt beside the pile, nudging some of them with his blade. “These have been here for years, but it looks like this might have been some sort of nest, or perhaps a breeding ground for the Beast.”
My throat thickened. “You don’t think it still uses it, do you?”
“No. But it is proof that the monster has been lurking in these woods for far longer than we first thought.” He sheathed his weapon once more and joined me. “This is a great find, Brielle. Whatever this creature is, we know it likes to come back to its past hunting grounds, which means we might have a chance to set up an ambush for it. We just need to determine if it’s still in Dark Pines or has moved on to the next point on the map.”
Legend of Me Page 13
