The wind blew inside through the cracked windows, making the torn curtains dance. It was dark outside. New Moon.
I couldn’t move, couldn’t make a sound. The pain in my limbs was the only sign of life in me. I looked down at my naked body and gasped at the protruding bones and papery skin. Was I dead after all?
Where was he? Had he left me here? Had he ever existed? Had I dreamed him up, delirious, just before I left this world for good?
Movement by the foot of the bed sent a shudder of dread up my spine. If only I could scream. Maybe he’d hear me and take me away from here. Stony claws reached the blanket bunched up around my trembling feet. The creature pulled itself up on the bed, and another followed. One more. Four of them. They crawled up my body, their hard, cold feet bruising my flesh.
The gargoyles. A wolf, a toad, a snake, and a lion with an eagle’s head.
Their teeth seemed to lengthen the closer they got to my throat.
“Rees.”
I was freezing, my hands shaking so hard I couldn’t even reach for the covers.
“Rees, darling.”
His voice.
“Come here, my darling boy.”
His scent. His hands on my arms, my back. I sighed when he snuggled me close to his chest. His warmth permeated my skin, and I stopped shaking. As my muscles softened, fatigue flooded me again, weighing me down.
He was here. He hadn’t left me.
“Rees.” A kiss to my forehead. Another.
He was real.
The relief I felt was so profound my whole body slumped.
“Say something, my boy.”
His hand cupped my head, cradling me to his chest.
“Just a dream,” I whispered.
More kisses in my hair.
“Your skin is cold again. Sleep, my dear. I’ll hold you.”
My heart throbbed painfully at his words. I wouldn’t forget my dream. It wasn’t death and illness I feared, though. I feared being in this world alive, without him.
I loved him.
9
The Dark Rider
I was afraid, and my weakness annoyed me. A few nights ago, he had cried out and trembled in his sleep. His skin had been chilly, his voice weak. Since then, I had never left the bed during the nights, always touching him while he slept. The beast inside me insisted I guard him when he was defenseless. For once, I didn’t fight its urges. I loved watching Rees sleep, feeling him in my arms.
Only when the sun was up, and Rees opened his eyes, smiling at me, would the animal calm down. I’d kiss my darling lover and leave quietly, letting him rest for a little longer. I looked forward to spending the day with him. Maybe seeing him out and about, enjoying himself, would lessen my worry.
On Sunday, when the fields were empty and churches full, Rees and I rode out together. He was jittery with excitement when he climbed into the saddle. Even Troll seemed happy, Rees’s exhilaration infectious. They set out down the path at a quick pace, Rees murmuring cheerful, silly words to the horse, who listened as if he understood, ears twitching. My mare, Sera, seemed to observe them from her superior height with calm dignity.
Once we left the gardens and ventured out into the fields, the path got wide enough so we could ride next to each other.
“You’re a fast learner,” I told Rees. He seemed at ease in the saddle already, controlling the horse in a trot with confidence.
“Jona is a good teacher. And Troll is patient with me.”
I smiled. “He likes you. You’ve found yourself a good friend.”
Rees’s eyes grew giddy with the praise. He reached down and patted the animal. “I like you too, Troll. You’re the kindest.”
The sun wasn’t as sharp as it could have been this late in May, and a gentle breeze cooled our skin. I’d brought water for Rees, and when we paused in the fields after half an hour, he took the bag from me and drank eagerly.
“How far does the estate go?” he asked when he handed me the water back. “Can we go around?”
“It would take ten days at this pace.”
“Ten days? No wonder you’re gone every day, working. How many people live on your land?”
“Five thousand by the last census.”
“Oh.” Rees stared into the distance, deep in thought. What made him frown? “And how long have you lived here?”
“Seven hundred years.”
“Seven hundred years,” he repeated, his voice muted, hollow. Troll whinnied softly, immediately picking up on Rees’s unease.
“What are you thinking?”
Rees shook his head and prompted the horse to move faster.
I was