Legend of Me

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  Our savior has come. A knight to slay our beast.

  A rough drawing revealed a tiny picture of a man in full armor sitting upon his steed. A crest containing a griffin holding a serpent in its mouth surrounded by four stars was etched in the corner of the page. I examined it closer. Kenrick’s crest.

  With careful strokes, I scribbled the new information on the parchment Father Machai had left for me. The timelines of the attacks showed that the beast struck every thirty-five to forty years.

  But why?

  I tapped my fingers on the table, then glanced back at the small book. I turned the page and found several pages torn from the book. Only one remained.

  We are free at last. The good knight has slain the Beast, just as the dark haired lady said he would. The curse is broken.

  I went still. If the knight had slain the Beast, then what stalked our woods? My skin prickled and erupted in patches of gooseflesh.

  Could the beast come back to life? Or were there several of them? A new one for a new generation?

  And what of Kenrick’s crest? How was he involved in the curse?

  “You’re still here.”

  I jumped, then turned to find Kenrick leaning against the wall behind me.

  “So it would appear.” I gestured for him to come in.

  He sauntered across the room, his shaggy hair sticking up in messy tufts. “Have you found anything?” He bent over the map, tracing the X’s I’d marked.

  “Yes. I located a book hidden on the shelves. It delves into the attacks in Moorhaven.” I paused, then decided if I wanted answers, I had to ask questions. “The documents show that someone with your family crest has hunted the Beast before.”

  He nodded. “Of course they do. Because we have. Every generation in my family is trained for this purpose.”

  A simple enough answer. But one thing didn’t fit. “The documents show that the Beast only appears every thirty-five to forty years. What does your family do until the Beast appears?”

  “We never know when it will return,” he said. “From the moment we are born, thus begins our watch.” He stroked his chin as if in deep thought then shifted his gaze to me. “According to these markings, it looks like the creature is circling round.”

  I gasped. The symbol wasn’t a horseshoe after all. And he was right, if I plotted Moorhaven next, it made a complete circle. At the center of the circle was the town of Crawford. My late Aunt Narcissa had owned an estate there. The place where both she and my cousin were murdered. Maybe there was a connection.

  Kenrick lowered himself into the chair next to mine, scrutinizing my notes. He picked up the sheepskin book and flipped through it. He stopped momentarily to rub his temples.

  “Are you well?” I asked.

  He glanced my way, his eyes unfocused. “Yes, sorry. It seems I’m not feeling very well. It’s odd, ever since I got here, I’ve been having symptoms of sickness. I wake up some nights from strange dreams, feeling as if I’ve lost time and don’t know where I am.”

  “Perhaps you should have my grandmother call on you,” I said.

  He turned his attentions back to the book. “Thank you for your offer, but I’ll be fine.”

  He continued to thumb through the transcript. When he got to the page with the knight on it, I asked, “Is this your family crest?”

  “Yes.” He grinned. “Likely one of my ancestors fought the Beast before me.”

  “And won.” My finger pointed to the text regarding the monster’s death.

  He frowned. “Then there must be more than one.”

  “My thoughts exactly. But if you read the next line, it mentions a curse. Have you come across any other details in regards to that?”

  “No. Perhaps it’s another clue. The only good news is, at least we know the creatures can be killed. But with how many casualties, I don’t know.”

  “You’ll succeed.”

  He tilted his head and watched me closely. Nervous, I reached for a parchment and a quill. The need to stay focused on research hummed in my ears, but Kenrick caught my hand and raised my fingers to his lips.

  The beat of my heart drowned everything out. My gaze met his. The air around us seemed to ignite.

  He lowered my hand but did not release it. My skin blazed, and I could still feel where his mouth touched.

  “I’m glad to have met you, Brielle Healer. You are intelligent. Quick witted.” His thumb traced my palm. “And in all my nineteen years, I’ve never come across anyone as beautiful as you.”

  I swallowed and pulled my hand back. “Do you whisper such niceties to Sarah Weaver as well?”

  He sat straighter, then leaned closer so our eyes were level. “No. I am being a gentleman to her because of her parents. I examined her arm more closely, and you were right. She lied about the Beast attack.”

  “Will you let her know that you’re aware of her falsehood?”

  “No, I’d rather she realize her own mistake. And she will, in time.”

  “And what of her … other intentions?”

  Kenrick looked at me until I met his gaze. “She has eyes for me. I am not a fool. But she is of no consequence to me.”

  The hallway door slammed and echoed in the library. Startled, I leapt to my feet.

  “Stay here.” Kenrick unsheathed his sword and hurried from the room, then moments later returned, his brows knit. “I didn’t find anyone. Maybe a draft caught the door.”

  “I’m sure that’s all it was.” Hands shaking, I gathered my notes, then put the books away, except for the one I’d found hidden, which I tucked safely into my leather purse. When everything was cleaned up, I pulled on my cloak.

  Kenrick watched me from across the room. “It’s getting late. Let me see you home safely.”

  “Are you sure it’s not an inconvenience?”

  “You, Lady Brielle, will never be an inconvenience.”

  In two long strides, he stood at my side, offering me his arm. As we left the church together, the shadowy hands of dusk clutched the sky. Soon it’d be dark.

  Kenrick led me toward the mayor’s house where his horse stood tethered out front. Before we reached there, though, a strange sensation ran through my body, almost as if someone had brushed strands of thread across my skin. My arms puckered with gooseflesh. From above me, I heard the undeniable sound of a loud crack.

  Raul peeled from the side of the building and raced into the square. “Brielle! Look out!” He shoved Kenrick and me to the side right as a large chunk of rock fell from a nearby structure.

  The stone hit the ground and burst into several pieces in the place I’d just been standing. My legs quaked as I realized how close I’d come to being harmed. As I scanned the square, I noticed a woman, half-hidden against the edge of the stables, slip away into the night.

  This was now the second time I’d been caught in a nearly fatal accident. And if the last few days had taught me anything, it was not to ignore what seemed like coincidence.

  “Raul, how can I ever thank you?”

  “No need for gratitude, my little Brielle, I’m just glad I was in the right place, at the right time.” He helped me to my feet and held me at arm’s length. “Are you injured?”

  From behind him, I saw Rhyne step forward. “Does Bowman know you’re wandering about tonight?” I said to Rhyne.

  He frowned. “No. And it’d be best if we could keep it that way.”

  “Why are you with Raul?”

  He shrugged. “He’s helping me sort some things out. So if you’re looking for me, and can’t find me, I’ll likely be with the Wanderers in the western woods.”

  “I think Brielle has had a trying night. Perhaps we should let her get home,” Raul said. His gaze shifted between me and Kenrick, his eyes glowing like they’d been lit by flames. “Does Loreen know you’re with Lord Kenrick tonight?”

  “I—um, no … ” I stepped closer to him. “What is wrong with your eyes?”
/>   “My eyes?”

  “They’re glowing,” I whispered under my breath.

  He turned his head from me. “Nothing. It’s likely just a play of the light.”

  “Raul, we need to return to camp now.” Rhyne tugged him away from me.

  I blinked, and when I looked again, Raul’s eyes had turned back to their normal mahogany color. Maybe it was a play of the light, but somehow, I believed not. What was Raul hiding from me? And why was he all of a sudden so interested in having Rhyne come out to the Wanderer camp?

  Rhyne and Raul moved further away from me as Kenrick joined us.

  “I owe you a life debt,” Kenrick said, his palm resting against the small of my back. “It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to even react.”

  Raul gave a slight bow and glanced toward the stables. “My honor. Now, I must get back to my carriage. Be safe.”

  I watched him and Rhyne disappear in the same direction I’d seen the woman go. Had they seen her, too?

  “Are you all right?” Kenrick touched my shoulder.

  “Yes,” I said. “Thank you. I’m a little shaken up, that’s all.”

  “Well then, let’s get you home.”

  I was going to object, knowing Gram would not be pleased. But he gave me no chance to argue. In one swift motion, Kenrick lifted me atop his horse, then climbed into the saddle behind me. He reached around and gathered the reins, making me all too aware of his presence.

  Kenrick dug his heels into the flanks of the horse and led it into a slow trot. Kenrick’s left arm encircled my waist as if to belt me into place.

  “You can lean back, I’ve got you,” he whispered, his breath tickling my neck.

  I sank into his chest, and his chin rested against my hair as he steered the horse through the main gate. A contented sigh escaped my lips. I loved the feel of his arms, the way I fit perfectly against him. If I turned my head just right, I could hear the sound of his heart, and I marveled at the way it beat in time with mine.

  Again, I wondered what pull he had over me. He seemed so familiar, yet shouldn’t.

  As we moved through the woodland, the trees danced as a brisk wind rattled through their branches, the gloominess of night settling at their trunks. The birds quieted, while the frogs took up their song.

  I swallowed hard. “Do you think you’ll catch the beast?”

  “It’s only a matter of time. With your research and my prowess, we’re unstoppable.”

  I giggled. “We make a great pair, don’t we?”

  “Yes.” His voice deepened.

  Kenrick urged the horse down another trail until we came in sight of the cabin. Candles glittered like tiny eyes in the windows. Gram was home.

  Kenrick dismounted first then turned to help me down. His hands caught me just under my arms and I slid down. When my feet hit the ground, he didn’t release me. Instead, I fell forward against his chest. I sucked in a deep breath. He was so close. He tipped up my chin so that I looked at him, and his fingers traced the contours of my face with feather-like gentleness.

  “I can’t stop thinking of you,” he whispered. “You haunt my every thought. It’s as if you’ve cast a spell over me.”

  I memorized his every feature, as his strong arms pulled me nearer. The tenderness splayed across his face. The way his fingers trailed along my skin.

  “I know no spells,” I said softly.

  He smiled at me. “No? Then tell me why I dream of you every night? Why my every waking moment is spent wondering about you? Why I feel as though we’ve met before?”

  My hand rested against him, every part of me drawn to him.

  His thumb swept across my lips as if to steal a kiss. “Swear to me you’ll save me a dance at the festival.”

  We leaned forward, his forehead resting against mine. “I promise.”

  As the promise escaped my lips, an image of Raul flashed in my mind. I couldn’t do this. In the end, Kenrick would leave like everyone else who came through Dark Pines.

  He was here for one purpose. To find and kill the Beast. He wouldn’t let me get in the way of that, and when his purpose was done, he’d be gone as quickly as he’d come. Tears burned my eyes, my stomach clenched. Kenrick’s hand fell back to his side and already I missed his touch. Yet, I felt a sadness that lingered within, as if perhaps our chance to be together had come and gone. Yes, he would leave one day soon. Assuming he survived his encounter with the Beast.

  At the sound of footsteps coming to the front door, we stepped apart just as Gram opened the door.

  “I bid you good evening, Lady Brielle.” He bowed, then climbed atop his mount once more.

  Gram came outside to stand beside me. When he was out of earshot, she turned to look at me.

  “Not tonight, Gram,” I said.

  “I can’t help it,” she said. “When I see you with him, I worry for you.”

  “He brought me home. That’s all.” I shrugged. “Remember, you’re the one who said I needed an escort.”

  She took one of my hands in hers. I wanted to go inside, but her touch and the way she looked at me contained such sincerity that I couldn’t turn away from her.

  “I know this doesn’t make sense to you,” she said. “But I worry you’re rushing headlong into something you’re not ready for.”

  “What would I not be ready for?”

  She shrugged. “To let go of your youth. Your innocence. It seems like several lifetimes ago, but I was once your age. This is a time you’ll never get back. And you’ll regret not savoring it while it lasted.”

  I saw the sense in her words, but we both knew this wasn’t simply about my youth and my innocence. “Gram, why do you hate Kenrick so much?”

  After a moment, she said, “I don’t hate him. But I have questions about him. I fear he is not fully what he seems.”

  “He’s a knight. What else would he be?”

  “Perhaps a knight. And perhaps something more. Those Beast attacks didn’t start getting bad until he came riding into Dark Pines.”

  I went still. “So you’re saying he might be responsible for them?”

  “No, nothing like that. I believe his purpose is to find and kill the Beast. But I also believe there is more going on here than we realize.”

  I was on my way back to the cottage after dropping off medicine for Jakob Fieldhand past Champston Bridge. My gaze flitted over the thicket. Already shadows and gloom consumed everything. Twigs crunched beneath my feet as I made my way to the rut filled road.

  Even though I’d come this way dozens of times there was something unsettling about it today. My pulse thundered in my ears as I scanned the ground for blood and bones. What if the Beast lay in wait for me? Would I be able to defend myself? Goosebumps broke out over my skin. If I wanted to keep my wits about me, I needed to shut off my mind.

  Overhead, clouds gathered in the sky like a retinue of soldiers ready to do battle, and raindrops pelted my head, running down my hair and into my face, while the wind whipped this way and that.

  Cold droplets seeped through the skirt of my dress, setting my teeth chattering, and I picked up my pace, eager to get home. Fog floated about the tall grass, inching across the road ahead of me.

  As I made my way onto the bridge, the boards creaked beneath my footfalls, almost like the whine of a child. I grasped hold of the rail when my feet slid across the wet wood.

  My mouth went dry and I came to a halt and stared at what looked like the figure of a dark haired woman standing in the center of the wooden structure. I didn’t know if this was a friend, foe, or hallucination. Mist swirled around her like a billowing cloak. Her body seemed to carry an unnatural glow.

  The rush of water grew louder as I took several steps backward. My head snapped up and I watched in horror as the river rose at an alarming rate, spraying up from beneath my feet between the crevices in the boards. I fell to the side, my hands wrapped around the railing in an effort to hold on. />
  I heard a high-pitched scream as the wooden beams beneath me started to sway. Oh God.

  “Brielle!” someone yelled from the shoreline.

  My eyes came to rest on Kenrick, who jumped from his horse and raced toward the bridge. The cold river rushed against my knees, but still I attempted to move forward.

  “No! Go back, it’s too dangerous,” I shouted over the roar of wind and water.

  But he didn’t listen; instead he waded through the thigh deep water that’d already overtaken the bridge. “Hold on, I’m coming.”

  “Kenrick, go back.” My grip loosened, and I slid further down.

  “I won’t leave you.”

  My legs came out from under me as the rapids slammed into me. I sank beneath the currents, water washing over my head. Darkness surrounded me as I rammed into the other side of the bridge, where I wedged my foot against the boards, and pushed my head above water, sputtering.

  Kenrick swam toward me. After a moment, he caught my arm and tugged me closer to him. We fought against the current, which grew stronger by the moment.

  I kicked my legs beneath me in an attempt to propel myself forward to the riverbank faster, but my heavy garments made it nearly impossible to maneuver. With numb fingers, I untied my cloak from my shoulders and let it wash away.

  A loud crack reverberated from behind us. “Brielle, move.”

  Kenrick managed to shove me out of the way, right as the bridge broke free and came barreling down the river behind us. But he wasn’t quick enough to get himself out of harm’s way.

  I screeched as I watched the structure ram into him. One moment he was there, the next, he disappeared beneath the surface.

  “Kenrick!” Panic coursed through me as I grabbed for the long reeds of grass along the shoreline and pulled myself from the raging river, climbing to my feet. My chest burned as I attempted to catch my breath. I cupped my hands around my mouth. “Kenrick?”

  I dropped my satchel to the ground and rushed down the bank, searching for him. Tears blurred my vision as I scoured the murky, debris-filled waters. My chest tightened.

  Then, I saw him, his body caught up on a downed tree further up. “Hold on, I’m coming.”