Fear of Fire and Shadow (The Fade #1) - Samantha Young Page 0,30

I found myself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. It was dark, nighttime. There were a few lit candles in the room.

Where the hell was I?

“Ah, Miss Rogan, you’re awake.”

Calming instantly at Lieutenant Chaeron’s voice, I turned my head on a soft pillow and saw him sitting in a chair by my bedside. His brow creased with worry as he leaned into me, offering a glass of water. He helped me sip it and then settled back in the chair.

“What happened?” I asked hoarsely. “Where are we?”

He made a clucking sound with his tongue, disapproval marring his usually friendly expression. “You should have told us how exhausted you were. You could have been killed.”

Now I was very confused. All I could remember was talking to Wolfe outside Grof Krill’s mansion. “What happened?”

“You fell asleep on your horse.” He sighed like a wearied parent. “If I hadn’t been at your side to catch you, you would have landed on the ground and possibly been trampled.”

I swore softly at the thought, chastising myself for my stupid pride and hell-bent determination to get to Alvernia in record time. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

He nodded and patted the hand I reached out to him. “No need to thank me. For now, we’ve stopped at a farm. We’ve all been resting. We’re going to stay here through the night. Captain is not at all pleased with you.”

I groaned. “I’ve slowed us down.”

Chaeron patted my hand again. “That’s not why he’s angry. He wishes you had told him you were exhausted. He takes your safety very seriously. We all do.”

I nodded vaguely, annoyed somewhere inside but too tired to cling to the emotion. Feeling my lids grow heavy again, I mumbled, “He needs to find himself a pastime.”

Distantly I heard the lieutenant chuckle, and then he whispered, “Sleep well, Miss Rogan.”

Chapter 10

Guilt was an emotion I disliked greatly. So I smothered the feeling with anger and directed it at Wolfe. The next morning he barely acknowledged me. He was cold, distant, and it irritated me more than it should have because generally, I preferred his indifference. But his annoyance only compounded how stupidly I had behaved, making me feel like the simpering handmaiden I was so adamant I wasn’t.

Lieutenant Chaeron threw a few bolstering looks my way and as usual tried to keep up a pleasant conversation as we rode through Raphizya. Wolfe controlled our pace, and it was deliberately slow. It smacked of condescension. I huffed in the saddle, wanting to speed up, and poor Midnight faltered a little at my mixed signals. I leaned over to stroke her face, apologizing quietly in her ear. I forced myself to relax in my seat and ignored Chaeron’s knowing grin.

With my renewed energy, time seemed to pass a little more quickly. Before I knew it, we were crossing the stone bridge across the River Kral, called so because it was the longest in Phaedra, passing through not only Raphizya but Vasterya too. We were closing in on Ryl, the second-largest city in Raphizya, famous for being the only city in Phaedra that wasn’t a capital, and also for its factories.

Almost as large as Peza, it was home to factories that mass-produced textiles, paintings, pottery, and lots of other knickknacks, designed by the artisans of Peza. They sustained much of Raphizya, supplying employment and a large exportation income.

Knowing the plan was to stay with Matai’s cousins, Mr. Zanst and his wife and their two small children, I wasn’t surprised when Wolfe led us through the outskirts of the city toward the Factory District. Ironically, the Factory District wasn’t in fact where the manufacturing took place. The Factory District was home to the mansions and large townhouses of the owners of the mills and plants. Mr. Zanst owned a large textile mill and was said to be wealthier than his vikomt cousin, Matai. I had met Mr. Zanst and his wife at court. They were a nice couple, friendly and open, and a refreshing diversion from the titled nobility and all their manners and dos and don’ts.

When we arrived, Mrs. Zanst was there to greet us, her husband not yet returned from his office at the factory. She was young and attractive. I hid a smile as some of the Guard tried not to stare at her. They had been deprived of female companionship for longer than some of them were used to, and she was a lovely sight. Sighing, I dismounted with Chaeron’s aid and was enveloped in a friendly