“You have been here a while, George. I think it’s time for you to go see your wife. Don’t you, old friend?” Gray says, crouching down next to the man.
“Why are you out here?” I couldn't help but ask. The old man laughs but starts to cough up blood.
“I buried my wife out here many years ago and I came to visit. Just this time, I'm sick and only getting sicker. Ready to join her.” He laughs again, but it trails into a wheezing, bloody cough.
“Evelyn, come take his hand.” I look at Gray and he nods encouragingly. I take his place and go to hold the man’s hand. George smiles at me.
“You’re a beauty, aren’t ya?” He manages to smile and say before coughing up more blood. I smile at him and hold his hand a little harder.
“You are ready? Aren't you?” I ask him. He nods to me and looks up to Gray.
“Let me go see my dear sweet Susan, I’ve waited so many years for this.” His coughing is getting worse now.
“He’s ready, Evelyn,” Gray tells me. I look at him with panicked eyes, but he nods at me, letting me know I can do this. I look back at George, who smiles at me one last time and closes his eyes, waiting for me, for us. I look at his hand and grab itwith both hands. My hands start to go through the old man’s and I feel the cold, alivingcold that seems happy to snuggle in my cupped palms. I clasp my hands together gently and raise them from George, standing up and turning to Gray. I hear one final breath as I turn from George and that’s it. It’s over. I open my hand and a little blue ball of light floats happily. I lean forward a bit, looking closer at it and feeling like I can almost feel or hear something of the old man’s voice and life in the small mote of living light.
“How did you know I was able to do that? I’m not a god.”
“No, but you have half my pendant. Put the soul close to it.” I listen to Gray and do as I’m told. My half crow pendant’s eye glows with all the glitter of a diamond in the sunlight as it absorbs the soul and I feel a strange sensation wash over me; I feel stronger, more alert.
I like this.
The pendant glows all over now, the same cool icy blue of his rune.
“Now, when you next take lives, by killing or by something like this, you will absorb the soul and feel the power. Donotabuse this, Evelyn. That is important. It will come with time. Now, let’s head home.”
Home.
I lift my half crow from my chest and look at it; there’s still a slight blue glow around it but it’s fading slowly. I walk side by side with Gray towards my cottage, asking him more questions and not really getting many answers in return. There is a lot he can't tell me and there is a lot I don’t understand.
But as he said, and keeps saying, answers will come with time.
Chapter Seventeen
The soundof Benny screeching outside wakes me up, and I crawl out of bed to look out the window. Gray. He is taking the hen’s eggs and Benny isn’t happy he’s there. I chuckle. Having Gray around when I wake up is surprisingly good, my heart seems to thump harder and louder and Iamhappy—I can admit that. All my worries seem to disappear when he’s around. It doesn’t hide the bad thoughts from haunting me, but I won’t let them take over this happy moment. Gray looks and seems like a normal human man, although I can’t imagine he does this type of work in his day-to-day life.
Yesterday showed me just what Gray can do, how he is seen to others in my world, and that violence isn’t always the answer to death. He showed me there are more gentle ways of dying, especially to those who deserve peace, like that rabbit or the old man. George just wanted to visit his wife’s grave and be with her again—like Romeo and Juliet, he died to be with her.
I freshen up, pour a glass of water and watch Gray through the window. He strokes Ada and she seems to really like him. Ada’s coat is streaked with grey now, irregular stripe-like patterns like smoke twining through the remaining chestnut of her short hair. Her mane and tail both have little threads of grey shot throughout too, and I find it beautiful now that I understand it has something to do with my growing bond to Gray.
Ada nudges Gray, wrapping her head around his body like she does with me when I hug her. My smile is so wide, it starts to hurt.
This morning, I need to do the stableboy’s horseshoe—I didn’t forget, I just…lost track of the days. I put on my raggy clothes, apron over them, and head out to Gray. He watches my every move as I walk closer to him, resting his head on Ada’s neck while continuing to stroke her; he just gets more attractive as the days go by.
“Good morning, my love,” he greets me.
“Good morning to you, too. And good morning, Ada.” Ada neighs and bows her head a little. Benny is still cawing loudly and tries to peck around Gray—so defensive, he’s not used to another male around. Gray and I chuckle at his antics, and I walk over to my blacksmithing area.
“And what do you think you’re doing, my crow?” Gray asks me while he follows me.
“I have some work to complete for the stableboy.” Gray's smile quickly fades away, his eyes darkening a little. “What? What is it?” I ask him quickly. Gray shakes his head and his features go back to how they were before.
“Nothing, sorry, don’t worry about me. Today, you’re not blacksmithing. No, we are going to go into town. You can collect more souls as and when people need us. I haven't collected nearly enough souls recently, just the two yesterday, so I need to focus on continuing, but someone is rather distracting me.” He looks me up and down. I huff out a small laugh and place my hands on my hips.
“Yeah? I’m distracting? You’re the one who's been stalking me for a while now and made me fall in—” I stop myself.
What was that?
What was I going to say?
