Page 29 of A Kiss From a Revenant
A sharp knock at the door breaks through our tense silence. She glares up at me, and I reluctantly release her. The quicker she gets rid of whoever is at her doorstep, the better. She won’t try to flee or alert them of my presence here—of that I’m certain.
“This conversation isn’t over,” I growl, before slinking into the shadows.
“Just stay hidden,” she hisses back.
Throwing me one last exasperated look, Nory turns the brass knob and thrusts open the door. The scent from the other side sets my body on edge—it is distinctly male. From my hidden vantage point, I can see an older man there. His clothes are in disarray, with a few spots of blood marking the collar of his shirt. A fresh gash has been carved into his cheek. In his hand is the thin upper arm of an elderly woman.
Nory’s color has gone pale as the man stomps into her home, dragging the older woman along with him.
“What is the meaning of all this?” Nory demands.
Tossing the old woman to the floor, she hits the ground with a cry. The man’s hand wraps around the handle of a dagger as he points a bony finger at Nory.
“Don’t play dumb with me,” he barks. “My friends—you’ve killed them all. Everyone said I was crazy—that bad luck had just befallen them. Well, I wasn’t buying that. Knew something worse was at play.”
Unsheathing his dagger, he points it at the older woman. There is a trail of blood leaking from her temple and soaking the collar of her shirt.
“Didn’t take her long to confess after a few hours of persuasion,” he sneers. “Her husband told me just how to keep her line should he not be around to do it.”
The older woman has gone deathly pale.
“I’m so sorry, Nory. Forgive me, I never meant to?—”
“Be quiet, you old hag!” he shouts.
The man’s eyes shift on Nory, turning from angry to lecherous in an instant. My blood boils as I watch him drift closer to her. The deadly tip of his knife points directly at her. Nory remains still, her eyes never leaving him. My brave, beautiful Nory—she knows there’s no reason to fear him. Not with me here.
He assured his death the moment he walked in here.
“As for you,Nory,” he sneers. “You will die for killing my friends. I’ve told the other men in this town who haven’t left in fear and are already on their way.”
Looking her up and down, he bares his yellow teeth as he licks his lips.
“I’ll have a little fun with you.” His hands fall to the buckle of his trousers. “Before the others arrive and want a turn.”
The old woman on the floor begins crying in earnest as the man takes another step forward. Nory’s green eyes fly to where I’m hiding—able to find me even when I’m cloaked in shadow—and that’s all the urging I need.
Emerging with a growl, the man doesn’t even have the chance to scream before I pin him to the wall and bite into his throat. Hot blood flows over my lips and down my throat. Theolder woman screams at the sight. I’m vaguely aware of her rising from the floor and stumbling out the door—her sounds of terror echoing in the night.
I rip out the man’s throat and spit it on the ground. His body falls in a heap at my feet, and red blood soaks Nory’s floorboards. Blood spills down my chest and over my armor. From through the open door, I can hear voices approaching quickly.
Whirling towards Nory, her cheeks are pink as I step towards her trembling body.
“It’s not safe for you here.” I hold her by the waist, savoring the heat of her body. “You are coming with me. Now.”
Nory swallows loudly before shaking her head.
“No.” Her protest is weak.
The voices outside get louder, and if we don’t leave now, more blood will be spilled. As much as I would relish it, I’d much rather have Nory all to myself than taste one more vile drop of blood.
“Have it your way.”
My fingers tighten on her waist before hoisting her up and over my shoulder. Turning from the carnage in her front room, I push through the open door and feel the night air envelope us. Slinking into the darkness unseen, Nory comes to life on my shoulder. She screams and beats along my back. Bucking and thrashing in my grip, her attempts to escape me are futile.
The Woodsloom up ahead. My steps never falter as I walk towards it, a smile playing on my lips.
“Finally.”
