On the side of the house, there was a stone well along with makeshift horse stalls constructed of logs and rocks.
“Here we are.” Raul tugged the horses to a stop. “Our new home.”
My brow furrowed. “It can definitely use work.” Gram said one of her friends from the village had been keeping an eye on it to keep looters away, but suddenly I doubted how well of a job they’d done.
“Let’s hope the inside has held up.”
While Raul took care of the horses, I carried my pack to the cabin. The door groaned as I pushed it open, and I slipped inside. The single room dwelling housed a large river rock hearth, which took up the entire back wall. An old cauldron hung on a hook over decades old ashes. Dust lay thick over the sheets covering the furniture, while dishes were stacked neatly on shelves, layered with dirt and grime. A large four-poster bed sat against the far wall, its drapes faded and littered with cobwebs.
With a sigh, I stepped farther in. The dank scent of mildew accosted me and I wrinkled my nose. I moved to the heavy washbasin, intent on getting the house clean as soon as possible.
Raul sauntered in behind me. “It could be worse.”
I snorted. “Not likely. I’m going to draw some water.”
“While you do that, I’ll strip the sheets from the furniture then try and find a bucket to catch the water leaking in.” He pointed at the moisture dripping down the rafters. “Once I get the firewood cut, I’ll get on the roof and see about patching it.”
I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head, then trudged through the weeds. When I came to the well, I noticed a wooden pail already attached to the rope. I clutched hold of the handle and lowered it down, hoping the well hadn’t dried up. To my relief, I heard a splash as the bucket hit water.
I cranked the handle again, this time raising the now full pail. I carried it back to the house and got to work cleaning. For several hours, I scrubbed the floors, dishes, and furniture. My arms ached from the exertion.
My stomach let out a low growl. It’d been a long time since our last meal. After drying my hands, I fetched the loaf of bread and salted pork from a wooden barrel and cut thick slabs of both. It took me a few minutes to get a fire going, but once I did, I slapped the pork into a pan to fry. When it was done, I put it on a plate with the bread.
The steady rhythm of an axe hitting wood echoed from outside. With food in hand, I walked outdoors, where I found Raul shirtless and cutting firewood.
I swallowed hard, watching the corded muscles as he swung the heavy blade. Sweat glistened off his bronzed skin, his hair tied at the nape of his neck with a strip of leather. My heart clattered in my chest like someone pounding on a cast-iron pan.
As if sensing me watching, he glanced up. A smile tugged at his lips and he gave me a wink.
“I-I brought you dinner.” I strolled to his side, trying not to watch as he used his tunic to wipe his neck.
He set the axe down and took the plate from me. “You have good timing. I just finished chopping this last log.”
I glanced at the good-sized pile of wood. “I think this will last us a few days.”
“I’ll stack it against the house when I’m done eating.”
I attempted to keep my gaze averted from him as I chomped down my food, which made him chuckle.
“Do I make you nervous?” he asked.
“N-no. Why would you think that?”
He took a couple steps toward me. “Because you’re blushing something furious and refuse to meet my eye.”
I touched my cheeks. “I’m just warm.”
“Maybe I ought to fetch you a cool cloth then.” Amusement was evident in his voice.
“No. I’m fine. Really. I’ll take our dishes in and get them washed.”
I grabbed the plate from him and stumbled backward as I maneuvered to the cabin.
He raised an eyebrow then went to work stacking the firewood. Raul was going to prove to be not only a distraction, but a temptation. No wonder there were so many rumors about women throwing themselves at him. Besides being handsome, he seemed so sure of himself. And when he smiled, it made my insides dance.
Gram might have a bigger problem on her hands if she didn’t meet up with us soon. But I realized deep down that I welcomed the distraction. It gave me something to focus on other than the pain of Rhyne’s death.
I scrambled through the brush, the sound of soldiers close behind me. The moonlight cascaded through the woodland, leaving me nowhere to hide. I was vulnerable. And they were coming for me.
Fear gripped hold of me as I thrashed across the shallow stream.
“You can’t outrun me, Beast.” Kenrick stepped out from behind a boulder, his chain mail glimmering beneath the ethereal light above.
His blade flashed in the air and he brought it down, stabbing into my flesh.
“No!” I screamed, lids flying open. My breath came in gasps as I clutched tight to my blanket.
“Brielle?” Raul shoved the bed curtains aside.
“Sorry, I had a nightmare.”
He sat next to me, his hands gathering me into his arms. “Do you want me to get you a cup of water?”
“No. I’m all right now.”
“What frightened you so much?”
“I dreamt that Kenrick stabbed me.” A part of me wished he really had. That he ended my agony. My guilt.
Raul’s grip on me tightened and he pressed his lips to my hair. “He won’t succeed this time.”
I nodded. But there were some things even he didn’t have control over. What made him so certain things would be different this time? Gram had tried for centuries to find a way around the curse, but to no avail. It was only a matter of time before I found myself at the end of Kenrick’s blade. The more time I spent around Raul, the more I realized that if I died again, I’d lose him too. And that was something I couldn’t bear to let happen. I loved him, which made me all the more determined to break this curse. Not to mention, I owed it to Rhyne to find away to make things right. I didn’t want his death to be in vain.
“Lay back down, I’ll hold you until you fall asleep again.”
But rest would not find me this night. And as dawn blazed in on her colorful palette, I readied myself for a trip into Fire Ridge. If I was stuck here, I might as well make good use of my time. There had to be a clue to unravel my curse somewhere. If I recalled correctly, someone in Fire Ridge knew a lot about the Beast. Maybe even enough to have information stocked away somewhere. I quivered, remembering my first encounter with Father Reynaldo. He wasn’t a person I wanted to spend too much time around. I also had the worry of running into Lord Kenrick again as well … The need to find answers overruled my qualms.
Raul decided to stay back and hunt so I trudged down the trail on foot, not wanting to waste time readying the carriage. Even with the sun peeking through the clouds, the monastery sat in darkness beside the mountain. I followed a stone footpath to the entrance. The heavy wooden doors had carvings of angels and demons in them. Battles between good and evil. Ghastly stone winged creatures cowered along the archway into the church. Their bulging smiles seemed to follow my every move.
“What kind of church is this?” I muttered under my breath, making the sign of the cross.
I understood angels doing battle, but to have the gargoyle-like sculptures posing at the entrance made me think of darker things.
Cool air met me when I stepped over the threshold. Rows of pews lined the room, facing an altar with candles ablaze. A wooden crucifix hung over the pulpit.
“Good morning. May I help you?” A sickly sweet, familiar voice called to me.
I turned to find the heavyset priest I’d seen in Dark Pines standing in the doorway at the back, staring at me. His bald head gleamed in contrast to the black beard which hung from his chin in the shape of a sharpened arrow, but it was his dark, soulless eyes that drew me. I found no comfort in them. The thin smile he gave me made me uneasy.
“Hello. I wondered if I might use your library?” My hand clamped down on the back of a nearby bench. Unlike at Father Machai’s church, I felt off balance here.
“Of course. If you’ll follow me, I’ll escort you.” He grabbed a candle from a sconce on the wall and ushered me through a narrow hallway. “You look awfully familiar, have we met before?”
Play innocent. Pretend you don’t remember him.
“I don’t believe so, Father.”
The scent of food instantly caught my attention and I glanced into a dining area where trays adorned a long oak table. Steaming pheasant, golden potatoes, carrots, mince meat pies, apple tarts, fresh bread. Did they not consider gluttony a sin?
Someone shifted at the back of the room and I stilled. There, standing in the shadows, was the woman I’d seen at the sites of the attacks. Lucia. Had Lucia’s ghost followed me here? Or was she warning me against dangers to come?
My hands caught the wall as I attempted to steady myself, and I shut my eyes against the dizziness. Once I opened them again, she was gone.
When the priest glanced over his shoulder and saw me staring, he stopped to shut the dining room door then continued on.
“Here we are.” He waved me into a large room. Three walls were lined floor to ceiling with shelves of books, while the final wall had floor to ceiling windows. Statues of angels and prophets stood in each of the corners. The stained glass cast bizarre, colored silhouettes on the walls. “Forgive me for my rudeness, but I seemed to have forgotten my manners. I’m Father Reynaldo.”
He reached for my hand. His cold, clammy fingers clasped tight to mine as he brought my palm to his snake-like lips. I went rigid as chills crawled across my flesh.
I gave a forced smile. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Brielle He—Tinker.”
His quirked a thin eyebrow. “Brielle Tinker?”
My stomach writhed with unease under his intense scrutiny. But the need to lie to him overwhelmed me. I didn’t want him to know my true name or anything about me. “Sorry, I was recently wed and am still getting used to the name change.”
Reynaldo released his hold on me and rubbed a hand over the front of his too tight scarlet robe. The garment reminded me far too much of blood.
“You seem so young to be married.”
“I’m sixteen, nearly seventeen.”
“And you don’t mind traveling with your Tinker husband?” He stepped closer, and I held my breath to block out the strong, sweaty odor that emanated off of him.
“It’s nice to see the countryside I’ve heard so many tales about.” Shite. Did he know I lied?
“Yes, well some of the tales aren’t just stories. The world is far more dangerous than people realize.” He flashed me a sardonic grin, as if he knew my dark secrets. “Now, can I aid you in finding anything in particular?”
My pulse surged beneath my skin. “No. I think I’ll be fine.”
“Most of our texts are in Latin, so I could help translate for you.” He pressed his hand to my shoulder. “And I must say, I know my way around the library quite well.”
“Thank you, Father, but I’m well-versed in Latin. I spent most of my days in the library growing up.”
“Ah, that’s where I remember you from. Dark Pines. Aren’t you one of Father Machai’s pupils?”
I managed to smile. “Yes, I am. You know him?”
“I was just visiting there not too long ago. Father Machai and I are good friends.”
No they weren’t. I’d heard the disdain in Father Machai’s voice when he spoke to Reynaldo. What games did this priest play?
Everything about his movements reminded me of serpents, which with his girth surprised me. The way he lumbered about the room. How his tongue darted from his mouth to wet his lips.
“Why don’t I leave you to your research?”
The thin smile left his face and his hand slid down my arm as he edged toward the exit, where he hovered for long moments staring at me. When I didn’t move, he finally slipped away.
I released my breath. Something wasn’t right with him. In order to remain inconspicuous, I grabbed two books on farming and set them on the table. After that, I read through several scrolls I found stashed away in a cubby between shelves.
The scrolls described horrific deaths in town. How the bodies had been mangled almost beyond recognition. I knew at once they meant the attacks. However, none of them indicated anything about the Beast. I swallowed hard as I stared at the yellowed parchments.
I’m responsible for these deaths. Just like I’m responsible for Rhyne’s.
Tears pooled in my eyes and I quickly wiped them away. I had to keep it together.
The candle flickered and cold air swept over my arms. I glanced around the dim room for its source, but found nothing out of place. The back of my neck prickled and the feeling of being watched overwhelmed me. I quickly shuffled the parchments beneath a couple of the books then stood and shoved them back onto the shelves. When I twisted around, I found Father Reynaldo standing in the doorway, fixated on me.
“I hope you’ve been able to find everything you need.” He clasped his beefy hands in front of him.
“Yes, thank you. I think I’m finished for today.” I gripped a hold of the back of a chair.
“Please, don’t let me interrupt.” He peeked at the table where the remainder of the books were spread out. Why was he scrutinizing me so closely?
“You aren’t. I have to head home before it gets dark. Besides, I could be here all day searching for information on farms.” The lie slipped easily from my lips and I made a mental note to ask for forgiveness for telling falsehoods in the church.
“Farms?”
I smiled. “My husband and I are interested in starting one.”
I snatched up my cloak and pulled it on, moving to the exit. To my dismay, he followed me.
“Perhaps I can gather more information for your next visit.” Father Reynaldo held open the door for me then guided me to the front entrance. He rested his hand on my back.
Not liking his touch, I moved faster. But he stayed close. When we reached the steps, I spotted Raul waiting for me outside.
A sigh of relief escaped my lips as his gaze met mine.
“I came to walk you home.” He moved next to me, offering his arm.
I clutched tight to him, my eagerness to leave Fire Ridge overwhelming.
“Ah, you must be Brielle’s husband.” Father Reynaldo glanced between us; his focus lingered on the gold hoops in Raul’s ears and his jaw clenched. It became apparent that he didn’t like the Gypsy.
In turn, Raul grinned. “Yes, Father. We recently wed.”
Father Reynaldo’s mouth drew down into a frown, his thick sausage fingers fisted at his side. “And who performed your ceremony? Perhaps I know them.”
“Father Machai,” I said, leaning against Raul. All it’d take was one messenger sent home to realize our lies, however. Would Father Machai back our story?
“You must’ve wed not long after I left Dark Pines.” He stared into the distance and I turned to see a dark-haired woman ducking into a nearby alcove. “I hope you’ll both come again. God’s children are always welcome.”
With that, he bobbled into the church and shut the door.
Raul and I walked down the road. I’d never been so happy to leave a place in my life. Everything about Fire Ridge made me nervous; the creepy monastery and its macabre exterior, not to mention Father Reynaldo with his wandering eyes and questions. He hadn’t gone to Dark Pines just to visit Father Machai. He knew something more about the darkness and the Beast, and I needed to determine what.
At last, Raul peeked down at me, a crooked smile on his face. “So, you told him we’re wed?”
“This was your idea. If I recall correctly, you started this rumor yesterday in the market.”
“Maybe we should exchange vows for real.” His voice softened as he looked over his shoulder at the ch
urch.
Where did that come from? I was silent for a moment, listening to the thud of my heart. It pounded so hard I thought it might pierce my skin.
Was he serious?
He traced the contours of my jaw and for a brief moment, I forgot about everything else. It was just him and I. No curse. No witchlike power. No haunted pasts.
He tilted my chin upward, until we stared at one another. I saw such tenderness in his gaze. Along with a hunger I couldn’t explain. He’d once said we were kindred spirits and right now I felt that connection. Need swirled through my belly and made my legs wobble beneath me as Raul pulled me into his arms, pressing me to his chest. But we could be seen, so I pushed him away and said, “We have no one to marry us. Father Reynaldo thinks we’re together, and we can’t go back to Dark Pines, not now.”
“I suppose you’re right, besides, your gram might kill me if I married you without her permission.” He gave my hair a playful tug then laced his fingers through mine.
We rounded the bend of the road, putting the monastery out of sight. “Father Reynaldo is the priest I overheard talking to Father Machai in Dark Pines. I think he might’ve been spying on me while I did research.”
Raul’s brow furrowed. “I noticed how he looked at you. There was nothing holy about it. We need to be careful of him.”
“I’ll have to get into the library at least once more.”
“Then wait until he’s away. I don’t trust him.” Raul squeezed my hand.
Neither did I. But for now, we had little other choice but to remain in the cabin until Gram came.
Raul threw another log on the fire, sending sparks up the chimney. “Remind me later to bring more quilts in from the carriage.”
I blew on my hands to warm them. We’d spent the morning outdoors stacking wood against the side of the house. Already, the dark autumn clouds threatened rain. How long had it been since we left Dark Pines? Since I’d lost Rhyne? Emptiness filled me. A coldness I couldn’t seem to outrun no matter how much I tried.
Legend of Me Page 20