Blood And Breath

4

With practiced stealth, I approached the house unseen and rummaged through the basket of clothes set below the drying line. I located a tunic that stretched in a similar fashion to my leathers, and pants that were coarse but would hopefully be protective against any scrub. Some of the pants were cut unusually short such that only half of the leg would be covered. I could not imagine a reason for such an odd garment. I left those articles in the basket.

I had not worn shoes for so long that I did not bother locating a pair. Instead, I took the items that looked my size and hurried from the property. When I found a safe place to dress, I was pleased with the comfort of the tunic but disappointed at the restrictive, angry blue fabric used to make the pants. They impeded my movements, and I could only say to their benefit that they contained several well-designed pockets that would be handy in my travels. Once I had changed, I added my leathers to my pack. They symbolized all I had accomplished in Faery, and I was not yet ready to discard them. I walked for the better part of the morning, wary of each metal carriage and structure I passed. For so long, I had been forced to fear the unknown—in the Shadow Lands, an encounter with something new was rarely a good thing. Reminding myself that this place was not the same, I acknowledged my apprehension but did not let it rule over me. I found the river that signaled my approach to the town. Not far from it was a cluster of buildings where a gathering of children carried on boisterously. Their carefree nature was reassuring, but it was also somewhat unsettling. I rarely witnessed any creature openly draw such attention to itself. While Rebecca had assured me these lands were safe, her words did not dissipate years of ingrained caution. I would never be as openly gregarious as the children. Still, I hoped that I would be able to live without the constant anticipation of danger one day. A few young people gazed in my direction out of apparent curiosity. Despite my updated wardrobe, my differences were still noticeable— whether it was my lack of shoes, long-grown hair, or merely the way I carried myself. I would need to accept that I might stand out for some time until I acclimated to the modern culture. The red-roofed inn was easy to spot, and relief eased the tension in my shoulders. I would feel better knowing I had somewhere safe to retreat, notwithstanding the apparent lack of threats. I cautiously made my way past the slumbering carriages lined in rows in front of the establishment. Just inside the front door, an older man stood behind a counter and greeted me with a wary look. “Good morning, sir. Checkin’ in?” He spoke with a heavily slurred Irish accent that was hard to decipher. Not only had it been ages since I had been on Earth, but my time spent there previously had been primarily in the Nordic region. I gave him a respectful bow before approaching. “Yes, I am in need of a room.” “You’re in luck. It just so happens I have one available. I’ll just need your license and a card for incidentals, and you can shore up at check out.” He looked at me expectantly, but I had no idea what he had said. Even if I could decipher his words, their meaning was lost on me. Reaching into my pack, I pulled out the stash of papers given to me by Rebecca and handed the pile over to the man. “I need a room, please,” I repeated, keeping my voice from showing my growing frustration. The man’s eyes rounded as he gingerly accepted the currency. “A room it is. Let me get yer key.” He pointed with one hand, and with the other, he handed over a thin rectangular object that looked nothing like any key I had ever seen. “That’ll be for room fifteen, just down the hall,” he said warmly, pointing at a hallway behind the front counter. Not wanting to draw further attention to myself, I accepted with a tight smile and walked in the direction he had indicated. I found a door labeled with a fifteen and stared at the black box beneath the handle. There was a small slit just the size of the rectangular object, so I inserted it into the hole, and a small light briefly shone green. I heard a lock unfasten and then, a moment later, re-latch. Again, I inserted the key, but this time I turned the handle when the light went green, and I was rewarded as the heavy door pushed open. OceanofPDF.com Chapter One OceanofPDF.com CAT I knew what my mother would have said. You’re no daughter of mine with your fierce notions that you know better than the hundreds who came before ya. Scarlet for your mother for havin’ ya. She would think I was too stupid to breathe. A small part of me wondered if she wouldn’t be right. After all, the Druids had successfully hidden from the Fae for hundreds of years. Here I was, about to spend a weekend in their stronghold, making friends with them and ignoring everything I’d ever been taught. My mother would s**t herself if she knew. But she didn’t, and I planned to keep it that way. “We really do have the building to ourselves, don’t we?” I asked Rebecca as she led me into the locked Huntsman building. All of the warriors who comprised the Wild Hunt had left for Faery to induct her boyfriend, Lochlan, as the new Erlking. Rebecca and her best friend Ashley had decided to use the opportunity to have a girls’ weekend, and I was thrilled to have been included. I adored both of them. Mom constantly warned me to keep away because they were Fae, but I didn’t see the danger. Becca had become the closest friend I’d ever had. Now, the men were another story. They were born hunters. My logical mind told me they weren’t a danger to me, but my gut churned every time I was near them. Years of my mother’s warnings weren’t so easily overcome where they were concerned. But tonight, the men were gone, and it was just us girls. I couldn’t wait. “Yes, and as you know, we are locking ourselves in while the guys are gone. We don’t want to face any catastrophes without the guys here. I’m decently capable of defending us, but that’s not how I want to spend my night.” “I suppose fighting for your life probably isn’t a typical girls’ night,” I teased as the elevator lifted us toward the third floor. “Actually,” Becca mused thoughtfully, “that’s not all that uncommon for Ash and me lately. But tonight, we’re aiming for the traditional spa treatments and girl talk—more like what you’re used to.”