Page 1 of Grave Devil
Thebefore, before.
Evigheden, early 1600s.
WILLA HARKER
We built them stables for their horses. We hunt and cook for them and wash their clothes. We do it in exchange for their loyalty and protection. The tiny blonde girl, the one they worship, saw to this.
There are whispers of magic. Oaths and ancient pacts. This girl with the horsemen has an old soul, sprung from the Wild Hunt. One who has seen and felt more than the land itself. My darling Enzo suspects she’s a witch. Her sister, too, the one with hair spun from rose gold.
Some are fearful. Suspicious even. But I give them my gratitude. I lay flower crowns and pomegranates outside their cottage doors every morning. For they found us in our decaying villages, saved us from cold and hunger, and brought us here to Evigheden so we may start anew.
My brother, Vlad, and his wife, Lydia, are also suspicious of the Bishop sisters, but they keep quiet out of fear of the horsemen. The Wild Hunt may be over, but the ones who huntedstill seem ravenous for bloodshed. Their nostrils flare when I pass them, their fingers trembling on the hilts of their swords. They wouldn’t hesitate to slit any of our throats if they perceive us to be a threat.
The sister is even stranger. Grave things have happened to her. I’m sure of it. She stares into nothing for hours, her thoughts lost in the wind. I approach her with caution, as usual, this crisp autumn evening. “My Enzo has finished building the bonfire, my lady. Come before you catch a cold.”
Her face cracks, a small smile offered. She turns slightly toward me while still keeping her gaze trained on the forest. “Ah. A fine man. Thank you for telling me. And when are you and Mr. Crane to be married, Miss Harker? Seems you are of ripe age to start a family.”
I nod and pull up the ends of my shawl. The wind is biting, sharp, and unforgiving. “Indeed. After winter passes. We should like the sun’s blessing on our union. These current days are cold and…”
“Ominous,” Lucy offers. Her gaze finds mine. “I couldn’t agree more. Winter is full of violence and sorrow and death. A summer wedding will be much needed.”
I draw in a sharp breath as I search her expression. There are tales to be told on her face. Secrets and stories that haunt her sparkly blue irises.
“What would you like to ask me, Willa?” Her tone is gentle yet reluctant as she trails off while saying my name.
I feel my cheeks flush, and my breath blows hot, resembling smoke in the icy air between us. “Nothing, my lady. I do not wish to pry. But if you should ever need an ear, I have two reliable ones to lend you. Not everything should be locked away.”
Without warning, she clasps my hands in hers. Her eyes narrow as she lowers her head. “Some things should never be spoken aloud,” she whispers.
Her fingers are ice, marble, stone statues that grip like iron. I bite my tongue. I nod and hope I haven’t offended her. We don’t speak of her behind her back in this village. It’s understood but never expressed. We don’t talk about her men or the mysterious journey that led her to the three of them. She has her reasons. They watch us now from afar, guarding her the way the horsemen do her sister.
I blow out a breath dusted in snowflakes. “Of course, my lady. Forgive me for even suggesting it.”
In the blink of an eye, it’s forgotten. She releases my hands. Her lips curl into a warm smile even though her expression remains stoic. “Will you sing us a song by the fire? I do love the sound of your angelic voice, Miss Harker.”
I let her lock her arm through mine and lead me over to Miss Thorn, who is pouring cups of spiced honey mead from a steaming cauldron.
A warm, effervescent rush glides over my skin after the first sip. I stifle a little moan. “Thank you, Astrid. This is delightful.”
She whips her blonde braid back off her shoulder. “I’ve been cultivating a new flower. I added just a drop of its essence into this batch.”
Lucy’s face flushes pink while she swallows it down. “Delicious. And what might this flower be?”
The gorgeous Thorn girl with the blue-green eyes beams with pride. “It grows only in one part of the forest. It was rather difficult to get there, I might add. So I have named it baneberry because getting it was the bane of my existence. But its berries are delectable little jewels bursting in your mouth like temptation.”
“Well, that is lovely, Miss Thorn. Thank you for risking your patience so that we may enjoy this tasty elixir.” Everything Lucy says melts out of her mouth like butter. She’s polite andcharming, and yet, I can’t help but detect the darkness it’s laced with.
She holds tighter to my arm as she nudges me forward. As if she hears my thoughts aloud. “I pray that you never know what it is to have secrets, Miss Harker. They will eat you alive from the inside out.”
I swallow hard. Vlad is always on me about asking questions. He says I’m too inquisitive for my own good. “Miss Bishop… I hope I haven’t offended you in any way.”
“Nonsense. It is I who hopes to not offend. Enough with all the cryptic conversation. Let us drink and sing and dance around the flames.” Her eyes sparkle this time when she smiles. And her warmth radiates, her beauty unmatchable.
A fuzzy sensation spreads throughout my belly with each sip of the baneberry mead. I am no stranger to drink, so I’m taken aback at how quickly this one is making me dizzy.
Enzo wraps his arms around my waist from behind. “Are you drunk, mi amor?”
I giggle and sway into him. “Perhaps. Shhh, don’t tell anyone,” I tease.
