31. The Ferrier

Chapter 31

The Ferrier

I stayed in the library all through the day, reading and researching until the text blurred. When Katrin woke, she joined me. And so, we continued combing through the massive library until the third night when a familiar, insistent tug altered our course. As I had the previous nights, I met Katrin in the library, this time handing her cloak over as soon as she entered.

She took one look at the cloak and another at my attire and lit up like the sun.

"We're leaving?" she asked, rocking forward on her toes as she awaited my reply.

I nodded. Her resultant squeal of delight set the window panes rattling. She danced as she donned her cloak, jumping and twirling to a song I couldn't hear.

"Are you always so excited to leave places?" I asked, chuckling. I didn't always know what I would walk into while ferrying. I'd had more bad experiences than good. So much so that I'd come to dread leaving the peace of Tyr Anigh , but Katrin's good mood was infectious.

"I wouldn't know," she said. "I so rarely get a chance to go anywhere even before coming here."

"You should know, the times you've accompanied me have been among the more pleasant souls that I have ferried. They are not often like that." Flashes of memories appeared inside my head, nights I wished forgotten and souls that continued to haunt me long after they'd crossed over.

Katrin sobered as she looked at me, her smile faltering at what she saw. "I have no expectations, Evander. The souls are not a reflection of you nor is my excitement reliant on their behavior. I wish only to experience what I may."

Days had passed since Katrin had learned my name and yet, the effects of hearing it from her lips had not diminished with time. Each repetition tore at my inner walls, threatening to tear them down entirely. I'd rarely conceded to calling her by her forename, enjoying the fire that sparked in her eyes whenever I called her Miss Fil'Owen. Her aversion to her family name was still a mystery even as I learned more about the woman behind the moniker.

Said woman danced her way down the hall and out the front door where she abruptly stopped. A small noise of surprise escaped her, and I lunged from my position close behind her, placing my body between Katrin and whatever had alarmed her. Shadows rose up around us, a barricade, but also a way out, should we need it. Looking around, I could see only the horses and carriage, my scythe gleaming at the driver's seat too far to be of use. Still, I did not let down my guard until her hand landed on my shoulder.

"I didn't realize you'd fetched the carriage already," she said, sweeping to my side.

Her hand did not immediately move from my shoulder, and the casual gesture pulled my focus more than it ought. Several breaths passed before I registered her comment. "I had the shadows ready the horses," I replied.

Placing my hand at the small of her back, I guided her toward the coach and opened the door. Every place we connected tingled with tiny sparks of electricity, but Katrin's gaze had fallen to the shadows drifting around us.

"Do they mind being ordered about?"

Her question caught me by surprise. My hands flinched away from her body, and I shoved them in my pockets. "I…" I was at a loss for words. Only since she'd come into my life had the shadows appeared anything more than extension of my power. I'd never considered their feelings because they'd hardly seemed alive, let alone sentient beings. I shrugged. "I don't know."

"They talk to you. Don't they?" She tilted her head at me from where she stood unmoving.

I blew out a breath and closed the coach door. "I'm not speaking through that tiny window the whole journey." Helping her into the driver's seat gave me another excuse to put my hands on her. The way my fingers sat perfectly in the dip of her waist had me biting my lip.

I watched as she settled herself onto the bench seat, fanning her skirts out before tucking them close. Her back was ramrod straight, her chin high as she turned and regarded me where I lingered on the step. For an instant, she was the picture of imperious grace, a dark queen staring down at me. Then her brows arched toward her hairline and her head jutted forward in an expression of impatience.

"Does the mighty Hand of Death require assistance?"

Laughing, I pulled myself up, taking hold of the reins and sitting beside her. If I sat closer than was necessary, she didn't remark upon it. I was intoxicated by her presence, by casual touches and small talk and looking up to find someone else looking back at me. It was addictive. I felt myself falling under her spell and did nothing to resist.

We set off and I explained how the shadow creatures communicated with me via images that appeared directly in my mind. "It's why I always thought they were an extension of me. I can see what they see."

"Then it's a good thing I send them out during my baths," she quipped.

"I will never observe shadow images of you in such a compromising position," I assured her.

She laughed nervously. "That's a relief."

"When I see you naked, I want to be able to run my hands over every inch of your body, followed by my tongue." I kept my tone casual, my expression neutral.

Katrin's gaze bore into the side of my face, but I kept my eyes trained on the road ahead, clicking my tongue to urge the horses on. I wanted to look, wanted to see if I affected her as much as she affected me, but I also feared what I would see. This playfulness developing between us could be nothing more. In less than a year, she would be gone, off to make a life for herself with some other man while I remained in The Between.

Always between.

The thought grounded me enough to quiet any further comments I had on the matter. We rode in silence for the remainder of the journey, though neither of us moved to create distance between our touching limbs.

When I finally brought the carriage to a stop, we were nowhere near any town. A great expanse of field stretched out around us, dotted with the occasional tree and shrub. We dismounted into tall grasses that brushed the tips of my fingers as I walked. The scythe in my hand seemed a mockery of its intended purpose.

Katrin followed closely at my heels. From her stumbling gait and the occasional muffled curse, I knew she was having a difficult time navigating the terrain. I didn't waste my breath asking her to remain at the carriage. She wouldn't.

A whisper of sound carried on the gentle breeze and I halted, forcing Katrin to do the same. Lifting one hand to prevent the expected barrage of questions, I turned my ear to the wind and listened. At first, the only sound was the susurrus of swaying grasses. Then came the unmistakable sound of human anguish.

I twisted, but Katrin moved first, hiking up her skirts and sprinting into the night. Her crashing footfalls were a beacon in the darkness. Calling forth my shadows, I stepped into their embrace and flew after her, exiting several paces in front of her. I thrust out my hand holding the scythe, and she skidded to a stop. Her eyes were saucers, but she wasn't looking at me or the scythe. She was looking past me.

Turning, I switched my grip on the scythe to a defensive one and took in the scene before us. We had found our recently departed soul, and he wasn't alone.