Page 26 of Bought By the Revenant
He nods and walks me to the door, relieved to see me go. Anger builds in my chest at being dismissed from the house Amity just blessed with her hard work and kindness, but I push it down. I have to find her. Outside, I climb into the carriage.
“Drive slowly through the village,” I tell Olaf. “We need to look for Amity.”
“Yes, sir. Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”
The carriage creeps through Aura Glade’s quiet streets. Most houses sit dark, their occupants still sleeping. I scan every shadow and doorway, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Maybe Katherine’s husband came home earlier than expected, and she felt like she wasn’t welcome anymore, so she started toward the mansion on foot. What sort of people treated the midwife who just saved their baby so coldly? Katherine’s husband should’ve sat her down and offered her something to drink and eat. After the night she’s had, I can’t imagine Amity walking the streets alone.
As we search, unwanted thoughts take hold of me. I want to stop them, but I can’t. She sent me away during the birth. I thought she needed her supplies, but what if she just wanted me gone? What if my presence made things harder for her? The way she looked at me when she told me to leave... Maybe she realized what a burden I was.
The thoughts grow darker. What if she planned to leave from the beginning? The wedding preparations, the dress fitting with Ms. Talia, her interest in seeing the village… Were they all just tactics to study her escape route? She couldn’t have known about Katherine’s emergency, but when it happened, did she see her chance?
Another bride who fled. No. I won’t think about the Marriage Temple now. That was different. That was years ago. This is now, and Amity chose me. She chose me at the bride market. She touched me. She kissed me.
Unless she didn’t really choose me at all…
But if Amity didn’t leave willingly, then something worse happened. The men from her village, the ones who’d hunted her through Crosshold… Could they have found her here? It seems impossible. Aura Glade sits deep in revenant territory. Humans don’t enter our lands so easily. How would they track her here? How would they even know where to look?
I can’t think of another explanation.
Dawn creeps across the sky, painting the houses in pale light, and I watch the village wake up. People begin to emerge from their homes. A baker opens his shop, and the smell of fresh bread drifts through the air. A woman sweeps her front steps. Two men greet each other on the corner. Life in Aura Glade continues its normal rhythm while mine falls apart.
“Should we check the road back to Crosshold, sir?” Olaf asks.
“Yes.”
After centuries of being alone, I finally found someone who looks at me without fear. Someone who looks past the stitches and the mismatched parts and sees whatever remains of my true self. She chose to bind herself to me. She lay in my arms and spoke of our future. She made me believe I could have something more than endless solitude.
And now she’s gone.
The fear I’ve been fighting all night wins. I’ve lost her. Just when I allowed myself to hope for happiness, just when I started to believe in the possibility of love, it’s been torn away. The universe reminds me again and again that I’m an abomination and I don’t deserve what others can easily have and take for granted.
She’s gone.
Chapter Thirteen
Amity
I close my eyes and let the water rush over my hands, washing away the last traces of blood. The birth went more smoothly than I expected, and Katherine was strong throughout the labor, even when the pain became too much to bear and she wanted to give up. Fenna proved herself a capable assistant, following my instructions without hesitation. And now, a new life breathes in the other room – a boy, small but healthy.
I splash water on my face and watch the pink-tinged droplets swirl down the drain. My reflection in Katherine’s mirror shows exhaustion in the dark circles under my eyes, but I feel satisfied, too. I can’t wait to tell Riven that everything went well. He was so worried when he left, he’ll be relieved to know both mother and baby survived.
A sound coming from outside catches my attention, a rustling in the bushes near the house. It’s probably just a night animal searching for food. I dry my hands on a clean cloth and consider going back to the bedroom to check on Katherine and the baby again, but they were both sleeping when I left them just minutes ago. My lungs crave fresh air after hours in the small, warm house where the smell of blood and sweat lingers.
I leave the bathroom and step quietly through the kitchen toward the back door, careful not to wake anyone. Fenna sits in a chair beside the baby’s crib, and I decide not to disturb her. A few minutes outside will help clear my head before Riven gets back. The door creaks gently as I open it and walk out into the garden behind the house. The night air hits my face, cool and clean after the stuffiness inside. I take deep breaths, filling my lungs with freshness and feeling my muscles relax. Katherine’s vegetable garden stretches before me in neat rows, with beans climbing stakes, leafy greens in organized patches, and whatlooks like carrots and turnips pushing up through the dark soil. The moonlight paints everything in shades of gray and silver. Crickets chirp from somewhere nearby. My fingers itch to touch the soil. Katherine’s small garden reminds me of the garden at Riven’s mansion, which is now mine, too. My mind trips over the word “mine” after a month of running and hiding and never having anything permanent.
The idea of a wedding, a husband, and a future in Aura Glade feels unreal after everything I’ve been through. The dress fitting earlier today seems like it happened to someone else. Perhaps I could establish a proper midwife practice here, once I’m settled. The local midwife, Katherine told me, could use help. I could be useful here, maybe even happy after so long, with Riven, who sees past my circumstances and accepts me despite knowing nothing about what happened in Witherglen.
The crickets go silent. I stand still when I notice it. For no reason at all, my throat feels tight, and my mouth goes dry. My instincts kick in, and I know better than to ignore them. I take a step toward the house, suddenly feeling exposed. The skin on the back of my neck prickles with awareness of danger, though I see nothing in the semi-darkness.
A twig snaps somewhere behind me. I spin around, eyes straining to see into the shadows of the trees that border the garden.
“Hello? Is someone there?”
Nothing moves, and there’s no answer. Yet I know with absolute certainty that I’m not alone out here anymore. I take another step toward the house, then another, trying not to appear frightened even though fear races through my veins. My fingers curl into fists at my sides, ready to fight if necessary. Three more steps and I’ll reach the door, then I can get inside and lock it behind me.
A shadow detaches itself from the darkness to my right, moving fast. Before I can react, before I can even draw breath to scream for help, a hand clamps over my mouth while an arm wraps around my waist and lifts me off the ground. The hand smells of dirt and sweat. Panic floods through me as I kick backward wildly, and my heel connects with something solid that might be a shin or a knee. A grunt of pain tells me I’ve hit my target, but the grip around me only tightens, squeezing so hard I can barely breathe. I thrash my head from side to side, trying to break free. I manage to part my lips just enough to bite down hard on a finger. The taste of dirt and blood fills my mouth, making me want to gag.
“Bitch!” a voice hisses in my ear.
