Page 11 of A Vow of Shadows

“I have delayed too long, Miss Fil’Owen.” The Ferrier gestured with his free hand, guiding me toward the awaiting carriage.

“Katrin, please. Or Kat, if you prefer.” I had no idea why I’d just offered my nickname to the Ferrier of Souls. We were hardly on a first-name basis, but I hated being addressed so formally. It reminded me too much of the life I was meant to have.

Miss Fil’Owenwas a lady of fine standing with a long line of suitors and a substantial dowry.Katwas a forgotten girl who hid from the world and had just traded her entire dowry for a year-long sentence in the world between.

The Ferrier made no remark at my request as he helped me into the coach, but it mattered not what he called me so long as he kept his word.

I paused on the step and turned to look into the dark depths of the reaper’s cowl. Even inches apart, I could see nothing of the creature beneath. I hesitated, my hands itching to pull back his hood, to know something about the man behind the title.

Not that it would have changed anything.

Perhaps the shadows hid a disfigurement similar to my own. Perhaps, as rumor claimed, he was nothing more than a skeleton reanimated by magic, though I certainly hoped that was not the case. I could respect his desire to remain hidden when I’d spent much of my life doing the same.

Once inside, the door shut swiftly behind me. I whirled, watching through the small window as the Ferrier disappeared to the front of the carriage.

Tears came unbidden, an insistent stinging behind my eyes that threatened to spill over. I blinked them back, refusing to cry over something that was literally saving my life. After all, this was my chance to step out from under the dark cloud that had followed me since I’d first found the marks upon my fingers.

Finally, I would have the chance at a normal life. I just had to make it through one year with the most terrifying creature I’d ever known. One year and I could return to my family and live the life I’d always hoped for.

The carriage shifted, and I toppled onto the tufted velvet cushion as the horses sprang into motion. I forced myself to face forward, though everything in me yearned to glance back. There was no use reminiscing about the life I’d led until now.Those memories were nothing but ripples in a pond, and I had just thrown an enormous stone. Even if I’d only prolonged the inevitable, it was sure to make a great splash.

Chapter 8

The Ferrier

She was a pretty thing—entitled yet clever.

And Death wanted her.

For what she offered, I’d play this game through to the end.

She was a pretty thing.

Chapter 9

Katrin

The carriage bounced and swayed as it headed into Felwyck, the cantering horses becoming a dull roaring in my ears. I watched the familiar landscape pass by without a hint of nostalgia. Yes, it was my home, but lately, it had been more prison than manor. It didn’t matter that it was a self-imposed sentence. No one but my parents had balked at my departure from society.

The mark had been easy to hide beneath sleeves and gloves at first, but as soon as the affliction had climbed my neck, I became the scorn of the town. The social effects had been worse than the shadows themselves to the point that by the age of fifteen, I was mostly sequestered to the estate.

Children can be particularly cruel, and my father pulled me out of school before we even knew what ailed me. I’d had a private tutor for my studies and rarely made an appearance when guests visited. Even those I saw regularly treated me differently—my parents included. Either I was a delicate flower to be protected at all costs, or I was infected with a highlycontagious illness that was sure to kill any who came in contact with me.

Though I hoped for considerable changes upon my return, I also feared what my future would look like then. Would I be cast out once again? Would I still beother? Would I go from being the girl who was marked by Death to the woman who cheated him?

It was a risk I was willing to take. Any life would be better than the one I’d lived these last several years. At least on my return, I would no longer have to bear the constant threat of Death.

The carriage rolled to a stop, pulling me from my morose thoughts. I recognized the dwelling immediately as that of the Rencourts. Black drapes had been drawn over the windows, signifying their loss. I owed thanks to the late Lord Rencourt. Without his death, I would never have been able to summon the Ferrier. I hadn’t known the man personally, but I still felt a pang of sympathy at the thought of his family living on without him.

I didn’t want to think about the possibility of one or both of my parents passing while I was gone. Our relationships were complicated, but they loved me, and I them.

The Ferrier stepped down from the carriage, and I made to follow, making it as far as opening the door before his voice floated back to me on a phantom wind.

“Wait here.”

Fearing what would happen if I disobeyed him this soon into our arrangement, I closed the door and settled in to wait.

I watched, unsure how he planned to enter. It was customary to leave one window open for the reaper to enter, but I couldn’t picture this hulking man climbing through such a small opening.