Spirits

Chapter 1

Warning: There are some scenes in the novel that may be disturbing including references to assault, fighting and graphic depictions.

Time was running out as the carriage flew down the desolate road. My heart hammered in my chest as time dragged by like thick honey on my life. They would be after me, and I had one, desperate chance to escape their talons.

The air seemed to hum with the approaching storm, dark thunder clouds hovering on the horizon. It could have been my imagination, but it felt like it was following me, circling slowly.

Without the carriages jarring motion and the incessant beating of my heart, I would have been content to relax into the thin woolen cushions and enjoy the view. I was in desperate need of sleep, but the growing pit in the base of my stomach kept my eyes from resting.

I sighed, looking away from the dingy curtains that hid me from the outer world and toward the folds of my dress.

The loud banging from the front of the box startled me and I jumped. The case rattled in my shaking hands and I slipped it into my skirt, the cold metal bleeding through the fabric.

"We're almost to the wharf. Get your things," the driver said, his gruff voice mixed with the horse's hooves.

I pulled the burlap bag onto my lap and sunk my fingers into it. My only possessions were inside. While none of the objects had material worth, they were the only treasures I could carry with me. With everything I had ever known behind me, the anxious tick of unresolve swept in.

The carriage shook as the dirt road gave way to cobbled streets and the warm country morphed into tall buildings that shadowed our small vehicle.

The lights flashing as we passed building after building sending shadows reeling around me.

The waterfront city was small and most of the buildings were dedicated to manufacturing and trade. The newer constructions were decorated with intricate designs while the old ones had been worn away through years of weather and neglect.

Clusters of smoke lifted from the large mills, hiding the city from the sky. It was like I had entered another, dirtier world. I was no longer in the expansive woods and high ceilings of my family's estate.

The horses protested as the wheels came to a stop in front of the long, crowded docks.

Clouded windows hid the products resting inside the closed doors while peeling paint hung on every storefront. Everywhere I looked, poverty and hunger rampaged.

Beggars lined every back alley ranging from ancient faces to children barely old enough to walk on their own. Greasy faces, smudged with dirt and grime from years of street life were fixed on the worn passersby.

I averted my eyes before the pity I felt for the children clouded my judgment and pressed me into making a fatal mistake. I couldn't afford to think with my heart when my brain was the only thing keeping me one step ahead of my pursuers.

"Get out," the driver complained. "I can't hang around all day, waiting for a spoiled rich girl to take in the slums. Get out or pay me another coin."

His words woke me to reality and I looked away from the windows, letting the moth-eaten curtain fall back in place.

I stood, angling the metal folds of my dress around the seats, and propped the door open. The wind swept through the door sending goose-flesh up my arms.

Stepping out of the carriage, I felt the pull pressure of the sea and air and tightened my overcoat. The cool breeze from the ocean mixed with mist and chilled me to the bone. The smell of fish and salt was overwhelming and invaded my nostrils.