Silver Blood

Chapter 4

She woke before dawn, her nerves over traveling keeping her from falling back asleep. But she didn't mind, the darkness didn't scare her. Ever since her shadow magic first revealed itself, she'd quit fearing the dark.

She slipped out the front door and soaked in the last minutes of darkness. Shadow magic spread through her, feeling like a gentle caress. The darkness always felt like a comforting cloak to her, one she could slip in and out of to stay out of sight. Her magic allowed her to walk home from the temple on nights when Roan couldn't escort her without being stopped by the drunken men whose good sense had left them several drinks ago. During those nights she hid herself in the shadows where the men who refused to keep their hands to themselves couldn't see her.

Her magic gave her a blanket of safety and the more she used it, the more bereft she felt when she tried to resist it. One day she wanted nothing more than to be rid of it and the next it helped her slip away from Gerald's murderer, the perfect example of how torn her magic made her feel.

A light breeze rushed down the street and she sighed. Her magic made her feel light enough to be swept away and let the wind take her if she let it. Such an addicting feeling. One she craved whenever she felt stressed or in this case, heartbroken. Everything was changing too quickly. Roisin would be married before she knew it and Roan could be next. And then there was the murderer. As a shadow bearer he could have used his magic to hold on to her, so why did he let her escape?

The question unsettled her. She pushed her magic down and sat on the single step to the door. Having the same magic as Gerald's killer filled her with shame. Her fingers worried the edges of her cloak between them, twisting and crushing the fabric. The first rays of light peeked over the rooftops. The rest of her family would be up soon, but she didn't want to say goodbye a second time less it made fresh doubts creep in. These quiet minutes before leaving were for her and her alone.

She started for the magistrate's building, taking her time. She appreciated the quiet walk. It gave her time to come to terms with her decision, to commit herself to pushing forward. Had her brother's last walk through town been this peaceful? She stumbled over a bump in the road, the whiplash of emotions taking her by surprise. Anger at his silence warred with her guilt for choosing the same path. But she'd come back. She whispered the promise into the breeze.

When she reached the street corner she looked back at the shop. The curtains on the left window moved. Roisin's room. She lifted a hand in a solemn goodbye in case her sister was watching. She turned around, telling herself not to look back again lest she change her mind.

Shadow magic brushed her skin and she stopped in her tracks. The sensation disappeared, leaving as fast as it'd come. She glanced about the street but the fiery sky was chasing the darkness away. The remaining shadows were empty as far as she could tell. Her hands clutched at the strap of her traveling bag.

It was nothing, she told herself. Nothing but nerves about the journey ahead and the ghost of her brother troubling her. Around her life poured onto the street all at once. The baker's wife flung open the second-story windows of the bakery, a child's wail following. Ahead of her the florist's shop opened, followed by the owner sweeping dirt out the door in preparation for the day. She gave Lorana a nod.

Her feet pushed onward. By the time she reached the magistrate's building Roan was already there, bidding farewell to the man standing at the door of the building, another watchman. And then Roan was climbing atop his horse. She sped up, her shoes slapping across the cobblestones of the road as she ran to catch him before he took off. He'd said an hour after dawn. She was early. Unless he'd been planning to leave her behind he shouldn't be leaving yet. Panic tightened her chest and pushed her legs faster.