Page 23 of A Vow of Shadows
“I’ve been told I’m quite charming actually.”
My sharp retort died on my tongue as the edges of the world darkened. I blinked in an attempt to clear my vision, but my head was fuzzy. A bout of dizziness struck me. I swayed, thrusting out my arms for balance. My right hand made contact with something solid, and I grappled for the strength to hold on, my fingers refusing to do what my mind commanded. My knees buckled, and I braced for impact as the ground raced up to meet me. Or was it the other way around?
I collided but not with the ground. Something soft yet unyielding halted my fall, and I knew it was the Ferrier before the dark spots could fade from my sight. As the world came back into focus, I found myself once again in the Ferrier’s arms. His proximity was all the more arresting without the hood and cloak. I leaned into his strength, breathing in the faint smell of ozoneand pine. The sense of falling intensified as I glanced up to find him peering down at me, an inscrutable expression on his face.
My feet found the ground, and he stepped away, keeping his hands braced on my shoulders until I got my balance. I caught myself still leaning into his touch as his fingers slipped away. Balling my fists in my skirts, I fought the urge to chase after the sensation, knowing it was my extended seclusion and not any sort of desire for the Ferrier that had me yearning for his touch.
“I’m fine.” I stepped back, waving him off though he showed no sign of following. “I don’t know what’s come over me. I ate before I left my home, and my water should have been plenty for two days.”
“This is the third day you’ve been here, Miss Fil’Owen.”
I did the math in my head. “No, it’s only the start of my second day.”
The Ferrier shook his head, and I gaped. The first time I’d slept, I’d awoken and thought it was later the same day, but I could have been mistaken. I rearranged my mental timeline to account for sleeping an entire day and realized I’d missed several meals instead of the few I’d thought.
“I haven’t needed to eat for years. I assumed whatever life-extending properties this place possesses would extend to you as well.” A line appeared between his brows. “Apparently, I was wrong.” Glancing at the sky, he sighed and scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “I cannot enter the world of the living until sundown, but I’ll try to grab some provisions when I’m out tonight.”
“Whenwe’reout.”
“Not happening.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Fine.”
“Fine,” he echoed.
I glared at him. “Are you ever going to tell me your name?”
Rolling his eyes, he turned back to the stables. “It’s of little consequence. I’ve already told you what you may call me.”
“I am not calling you ‘Master of Shadows,’” I called after him. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll just have to make something up! I think Ferry has a nice ring to it, don’t you?”
The man in question threw a particularly vulgar gesture over his shoulder before he disappeared from view.
Laughing, I returned the gesture, an act my mother would be appalled by, and left to track down one of the water pumps.
Chapter 19
The Ferrier
Hooking the last of the horses to the carriage, I watched as the last of the sun’s pale light dipped below the horizon.
Another night, another soul. But first, I had other plans.
The cursed woman had found something else to occupy her for the remainder of the day, but my mind wouldn’t let me forget the feel of her body pressed to mine. The morning’s interaction replayed in a constant loop inside my head, and my body thrummed with barely-restrained energy.
I had to admit she had courage, but she was also foolish and entitled and utterly maddening. I'd barely escaped our early encounter without calling the whole thing off. Still, I admired her tenacity in the face of such circumstances.
What Death wanted with her, I didn't know, but I had more than one debt with him and this vow would go a long way towards settling both.
First, I needed to keep her alive. Somehow, I knew that feat would be more difficult than expected.
With the sun fully gone from the sky, my shadows crowded in around me, and I exhaled in relief. They’d come with theposition—the shadows, the power. I was ashamed to admit that I’d become accustomed to their presence. I found comfort in their shroud, in disappearing from the world. Though, I couldn’t say the same for the cowl and scythe of the Ferrier uniform.
I grabbed the latter as I mounted the steps, settling into the driver’s seat. I’d make a quick trip to procure food for Miss Fil’Owen, and then I’d complete my task.
With one command the carriage burst into motion, the beasts at the front needing little direction to understand my desires.
I’d never bothered to name them, the four black horses. They were titans in their own right. Enormous steeds of unknown power, they were as old as me, if not older still. I suspected they’d been at their job for a very long time.