Page 2 of A Kiss From a Revenant
I refused him then, and I continue to deny him every few weeks when he reappears with another offer. Luckily, I’ve become very good at avoiding him, and blessedly, we’ve never been alone for more than a few minutes. Now it seems my luck has finally run out. The graveyard is remote, no one would know I was here unless—unless he followed me.
My stomach hollows at the thought even as I plaster a patient smile on my face.
“Lord Gunnar,” I say, my voice carrying in the quiet night. “You gave me a fright.”
He grins, moonlight glinting off his golden tooth. Taking long, slow strides over to me, my hands slip beneath my cloak, where I find the dull head of my simple dagger. The Snowlands have taught me better to be armed than sorry.
“You shouldn’t be out here all alone, Nory,” he chides. “Not with all those bodies going missing.”
All the moisture leaves my mouth. I had heard whispers about these strange happenings from my customers. Only a few nights ago, the local morgue had been ransacked. We had a slew of graverobbers before, but they had only been after the treasures buried with the corpses. Not the bodies themselves. In this instance, the jewels remained; it was the bodies that were pilfered. It was not long before they reappeared at the edge ofThe Woods.
The corpses seemed to have been eaten by some animal: rotten flesh had been gnawed off, bones were broken or— in some cases missing—and strange puncture wounds had been along the necks and limbs of the bodies. Then came the livestock, consumed in the same disgusting way and left to die in the open fields by whatever—or whoever—had found their way into our town.
All the more reason that coming out this late was beyond foolish.
“I was just heading home.”
Giving Lord Gunnar a slight nod, I turn from him and begin the long journey back to my cottage. I don’t make it very far when I feel a strong hand wrap around my upper arm. The scent of body odor and brandy overwhelms me as I’m pulled into Lord Gunnar’s massive body.
“Nonsense,” Gunnar purrs. “As lord of this town, it is my duty to see you back safely. Wouldn’t want something to snatch you up.”
His scent nearly makes me gag, but I manage to swallow it down. Giving him another fake smile, I gently try to dislodge from his grip.
“I appreciate the concern, sir, but really, I am fine.”
Gunnar tightens his hold on me, drawing me closer towardshim. His dark eyes swirl with desire, and the gray streaks in his hair glow in the moonlight.
“Cease your struggling, woman. I insist.”
“Lord Gunnar, please, let me go.” His nails dig into my arm as I try to yank it away. The pricks of pain steal my breath. “You’re hurting me!”
“Enough,” he growls.
“Let me go!” I yell. “Stop this—I’ll scream. Just let me go or?—”
“Scream if you’d like.” Gunnar’s eyes darken as he licks his chapped lips. “No one will hear you. Even if they did, no one would stop me. This has been long overdue.”
My stomach turns, and bile floods my mouth at the look he gives me. My struggling is futile, but I still thrash even if he does overpower me.
“What are you—stop!”
“If only you had agreed to be my wife,” he sighs, “all this unpleasantness could’ve been avoided. I was planning on being gentle. Well, as gentle as a man like me can be. But now I see that you need to be brought to heel. Maybe then you’ll remember your place.”
I cease my struggling for just a moment. I need to stay smart and not panic. Giving in to fear will make this situation worse. Gunnar will give me an opening, and I have to be alert enough to take it.
Once he feels me go still, his grin widens, and his hand on my arm loosens by a fraction. His other hand comes up to skim over my shoulder. His rough fingertip traces up my neck and jaw.
“Now you see. Good.”
His hand leaves my face to brush down my chest. Choking on bile, I stay frozen, holding on to my wits as best I can. My hand is still locked around the handle of my dagger. I wait and wait—until finally he does what I knew he would. Slip up. Hisother hand leaves my arm to work the strings at the front of my gown. That’s my chance, and I take it.
With a swiftness I wasn’t aware I possessed, the blade of my dagger whips through the darkness and slices clean across the lord’s cheek. His scream echoes around us as he clutches at his face. Crimson blood pools from between his fingers as he stumbles back.
His dark eyes blaze with anger. I can’t let fear freeze me. With haste, I gather the skirt of my dress and turn from the gruesome sight. His shock will only last so long, I must get away before?—
“Bitch!” he screams. “You will pay for that.”
I hear a click, and my whole body freezes. Dread courses through my veins as I slowly turn around. Still clutching his cheek, Lord Gunnar has produced a pistol in his other hand. It is perfectly aligned with my head. I could try and run, but he’d get a shot off before I got too far.
