“What sort of monster–as you called it–gave you that wound?” She blurted. “What did it look like exactly?”
He gave her an assessing look. “It was a demon.”
Her spine stiffened at his words, nostrils flaring. That was exactly what he had said in the forest, but it wasn’t possible. “A demon? I don’t understand. Demons don’t exist.”
“Have you been living under a rock?” His eyebrows rose, and he sat upright, crossing his arms over his broad chest, snorting in stunned amusement. “Demons have been roaming these lands since I was a boy.”
Oriana looked down at her hands resting in her lap. She was gripping them together so tightly her knuckles turned white. “How long?” she whispered, her gaze fixed on her bloodless knuckles. She loosened her grip and fidgeted her thumbs, twirling them around one another as she waited for his reply.
“How long? Are you telling me you truly don’t know of the demons? Do you not have history books?” His silver eyes glowed with curiosity as he got up, moving closer to her to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Rarely do we get a visitor here in Sardorf. Have you not noticed the assembly of townspeople beneath your window? They are all hoping for a glimpse of the stranger that made it through the forest. And not many people leave. If they do, they never come back. The forest has a way of keeping people in and out if you don’t know how to maneuver through it.”
She watched as Garren rose and took two steps to the window, glancing down at the street below where she knew the flock of people was undoubtedly still standing. He chuckled, coming back to sit on the bed and propping himself against the wall behind it as he stretched his legs out in front of him and laced his hands behind his head. “So, you really have never heard of the demons roaming through Svakland?”
She shook her head. “We only know of the age-old demon that was first written in our history books centuries ago.”
“But if no one comes or goes, how do you trade and get the supplies you need?” he pried further.
“Centuries of isolation have made our town incredibly self-reliant. We have everything we could need. No one has the need to leave.” His head tilted at her words, and he brought his hands down to rest on his lap. She could tell he wanted to ask more about the town and her forest. But she needed to know exactly when these demons he spoke of began to appear, and what they looked like, for the suspicion evolving in her mind couldn’t possibly be true. “Can you tell me what these demons look like?”
“Why are you so interested in such things?”
“I haven’t seen much of this world. It’s been many years since I ventured outside of Sardorf. I’m curious to know what has changed.”
“So, you have traveled through the Phantom Wood and back again?” One of his dark brows arched.
Oriana inwardly cursed herself. “The Phantom Wood surrounds Sardorf and the only way in or out is through it. I have successfully maneuvered my way through it before, yes. It is possible.” She chose her next words carefully. “I mean, you made it through, didn’t you? I wouldn’t advise it to anyone, or try again myself. Like I said, the people feel safe here. They have no reason to leave and don’t want to.” She was babbling now. She stopped, clamping her lips shut before saying anything else that his discerning ears might pick up on.
“Hmmm.” He grumbled again. And that one sound, the one she again felt deep in her bones, had her jumping up from her seat and reaching for the door latch. “I should go. Let you rest.”
“Leaving so soon?” He chuckled in the same deep tenor.
“It’s getting late. I must head home before dark.” The words rushed from her mouth. “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she added before swiftly opening the door and leaving.
Gods, she needed to find out more about these demons, but it would have to be another night. She hadn’t gotten anything out of him tonight, and she could barely even concentrate on the task at hand while he was so casual, so relaxed, so unclothed. It had been far too intimate. He might as well have been naked with what he was wearing and the way he had laid in that bed. She shivered at the thought. And that deep rumbling voice. Why did it have such an effect on her? She squeezed her thighs together. Fuck. A soft blush spread through her cheeks. Maybe her body was telling her it was finally time to move on and find someone new.
She sighed, leaning against the wall opposite his door, her palms flush against the cool surface. She would try again in the morning at breakfast, hopefully when he was fully dressed.
11
Garren
3rd day of the Eleventh Month, 1774
The golden glow of sunlight streamed through the windows in Garren’s room. The rays casting shadows from the great oak tree just outside across the wooden walls of the room. They danced and swayed on the worn floorboards as the morning breeze brushed by the oak’s branches.
It had been a long time since Garren had slept past sunrise. He pushed himself up from the bed, stretching his arms above his head. He felt good–rejuvenated from such a restful night's sleep.
The aroma of freshly baked bread and lemon peel filled the room. A steaming pot of tea sat on the bedside table alongside a bowl of the most beautifully ripe strawberries, and a loaf of bread. Garren’s stomach rumbled. He dove into the strawberries and almost groaned from the sheer bliss they caused him. The last time he had strawberries this good was…he couldn’t even remember. Life on the road didn’t always bring the most appetizing meals.
As he plucked another from the bowl, he wondered how this secluded town with no means of trade managed a strawberry harvest in such a late month. It was winter, and he was quite certain strawberries didn’t grow in these temperatures, especially this far north. He stored the curiosity in the far reaches of his mind, letting it sit until he could investigate it further.
After he finished his meal, he promptly dressed and headed for the door. Just as he was about to open it, a knock sounded on the other side. Pulling it open, he found Haldis standing at the entrance.
She glanced at the empty tray by his bedside. “Good,” she said. “You’ve eaten. Now come let me take a look at how you're healing.”
“Oh, that’s not…” he began, but she held up a bony finger and pointed toward the bed.
