Chapter 9

CORDELIA

One Thousand Years Ago

I untether the horse, jump back on and nudge him in the ribs. He jerks forward straight into a trot. I dig a little harder, and he shifts into a canter. The next village is an hour's ride away. I shan't waste any more time.

The sun is high in the sky by the time I reach the village, and I'm exhausted. My backside aches, and I haven't slept at all since yesterday and only a few fitful hours before the men came into Eleanor's house.

Alas, I also don't remember the last time I took any form of sustenance. I must stop and drink a little before I have a dizzy spell.

But I can't wait. I have to find the firefighters.

There's a little market in the middle of the village, so I approach the first seller, who's hollering about vegetables.

He's a rugged-looking chap, his cheeks and nose ruddy from always being outdoors, I suspect.

"Alright, miss?"

"I don't suppose you've encountered any firefighters in your village?"

"Yes, miss, there's a station of sorts. They do training on the other side of the village. Can I interest you in some fruit?"

I go to leave, but I'm awash with guilt because I asked for something from him and provided nothing in return. I hand over a small silver coin, and he passes me an apple as rosy as his cheeks.

My lips sink over the flesh, and I take a bite, instantly perking up. My tummy gurgles in protest, but I eat half of it and then give the rest to my horse.

"You need a name, don't you, boy?" I say. "Rather wish I'd bothered to check with the stables before I took you. I'll call you Teddy." The colour of his coat reminds me of a bear Mama gave me as a child.

I pat his neck as he chomps on the apple before sucking it entirely into his mouth.

Finally, after what seems like a millennium, I find the station the market man was talking about.

It's nestled in the most adorable and picturesque part of the village. Little grey stone cottages with thatched roofs and gardens bursting with potted plants and lush shrubs line the main road and side streets.

Among them sits a larger, squarer building where several men are training in the courtyard. Some hoist buckets of water and run with them up and down the expanse. Others lift logs or unfold ladders and scurry up them to the building's second-floor window.

I tie up Teddy on the outer gate, and I make my way into the yard.

"Excuse me," I say.

One man, a rather muscular fellow, turns and cocks his head at me. "Corr, what's a pretty little thing like you doing here?" he says.

Another, a man on the ladder, whistles a swit-swoo sound. It takes quite the effort of self-control for me not to roll my eyes at him.

"I'm looking for the men who attended to the dhampir healer's house yesterday. It was on fire."

"Ah, yes, quite tragic that. It was a beautiful house."

Tragic? My stomach turns in on itself and the mouthfuls of apple threaten to spill out and onto the cobbled yard.

"You alright there, miss? You're a little pale."

I pat my stomach and raise a hand to cover my mouth as I swallow down the urge to be sick.

Another man, shorter and blonder, appears at the first's shoulder.

"How can we help, miss? I'm Deyrn and this is Alanin."

"I'd like to know if the woman who was inside the house is alive."

Deyrn glances at Alanin. The way their expressions soften makes another round of bile crawl up the back of my throat. I can't do this. I can't hear the words I'm dreading.

"We… It's, ahh… Would you like a cup of tea, miss? Something to help the nerves? We don't have much here, like, but a cuppa we can do," Deyrn says.

"Thank you, no. That's kind of you, but I'd rather be on my way. I must find her, you see."

"Right, oh," Deyrn continues. "In that case, we can't tell you what became of her. But she weren't looking too good when we pulled her out. A lot of smoke inhalation. Some of her skin was burned up real good, and honestly, it looked like she'd been beaten, too."

"We weren't too hopeful of her survival, truth be known," Alanin adds. Deyrn elbows him in the ribs. Alanin shrugs like he has no idea of how inconsiderate he's been.

My eyes water. Every time I hear more news of her, it breaks another piece of my heart. I can't take this. I need someone to tell me if she's dead or if she survived.

"Where did she go? Who took her after you pulled her out?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Aye," Deyrn says. "To a village a few miles away. It's got more medical facilities there. Specialist dhampirs and the like. We couldn't do nothing for her. I can't tell you if she lived, but if she did, then it's because of them. Best in the world there."

"Thank you. What's the name of the village? How do I get there?"

"It's about a day's ride in that direction. Follow the coastline. Make your way to the water's edge. Use the cliff as a guide and you'll eventually see the forest in the distance. The village is in the heart of it."

"Thank you," I say.

And with that, I'm back on Teddy, cantering towards the ocean. I make it to the cliff. The wind is refreshing. It almost feels like it's washing away all the awful things I've been churning over, all the worries, all the fears I have that she's gone.

The sun sets as the forest comes into focus on the horizon. It's further inland than I am now and while it seems close, I know it's still several hours' ride away. The horse is foamy around the mouth. His belly is wet and salty, and I know the pair of us need to rest. So I begin looking for somewhere to stop for the night. I weave back inland, heading towards the trees. We roam long enough that the ocean becomes a brackish marsh and then a river. I regret not purchasing more food, but at least the horse can feed and drink river water.

Eventually, he eats his fill and settles on the grass near me. I nestle against a boulder, trying to gather any warmth they soaked up from the sun. Eventually, I close my eyes for a few hours of fitful sleep.