“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—”
Cynthia stood, cutting me off with a firm shake of her head. She moved toward the door, pausing on the threshold.
“Derrick and the others are still closeted away in the study. I have a few things to take care of. I’m afraid you’re going to have to entertain yourself. If you aren’t tired, there are some lovely walking trails along the property. Maybe you’d like to get some fresh air before dinner?” With a glance at the still steaming tea, she schooled her features and swept from the room, tossing her final words over her shoulder. “I’ll have Mae bring your coat.”
Chapter 3
Afew hours at Fairwood, and I’d already been banished to the outdoors. At the rate things were going, I’d be lucky if they didn’t move my bed to the stables. It figured I’d have to spend the night with the horses.
My boots crunched over the frozen path at the entrance to the gardens. I rubbed my hands together and blew hot air into my palms. A walk would do me good. I needed to clear my head and regain my patience before I saw Derrick. He’d probably take one look at me and demand a carriage; we’d be on the road before I could protest. For the sake of this trip, I had to put on a brave face no matter what petty scenarios they threw at me. His family was an important part of his life, and if I was going to be too, then I had to find a way to make peace.
A tingle prickled my neck, and I glanced over my shoulder at the mansion. It loomed over me, as forbidding as the occupants inside. For some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
My gaze tracked down the length of the windows on the third floor. Which room was Isabelle’s?
I forcibly shook the question from my mind. It didn’t matter which room was hers; I was being paranoid. For the next hour, I planned to forget she existed and enjoy a bit of exercise.
At the far end of the house, I noticed the small balcony outside my room. The heavy drapes twitched, and I squinted, making out a figure behind the glass. It was there one instant and gone the next.
Someonewaswatching me.
A shiver ran down my spine. It was probably Mae or one of the other servants unpacking my bags. Nothing to worry about. I exhaled an icy breath and started my walk.
Overhead, the clouds were thick and gray, and a breeze blew the edges of my cloak around my ankles. The path weaved through the gardens, creating a wintry maze of snow-capped shrubs. A lantern hung at the base of a tunnel formed by interwoven branches, and I ducked beneath a low-hanging limb to cross through the archway.
I set a fast pace, only slowing when I reached the edge of the forest. The footpath continued deeper into the trees, and since it seemed to be well-traveled, I kept walking, keeping to the right whenever the trail forked.
“Magic is forbidden,” I mimicked in my best Cynthia imitation. “The tea is cold. Ha! Cold, my foot.” The only thing cold in that room had been their attitudes toward me.
Wiggling my fingers, I watched sparks burst into the air. “Magic might be forbidden in the house, but she didn’t say anything about the woods.” I zapped the ground, melting a hole through the snow. The small act of defiance felt liberating! I did it again, carving my initials, then admired my handiwork with a devious grin.
A branch snapped.
I went still, trying to pinpoint the sound. The wind picked up, howling through the barren trees. Thick evergreens and the low light made it difficult to see too far ahead, and I rubbed the back of my neck where a chill prickled my skin.
Was something out there? An animal perhaps?
Another snap, this time closer. I whirled in its direction and scanned the forest.
The feeling of being watched returned with a vengeance. I wasn’t alone—I was sure of it. Had someone followed me from the house, or was there another presence already in the woods, lurking in the shadows?
“Hello?” I called out.
When no one answered, I stepped over a fallen log and retraced my steps back toward the mansion.
Behind me, a boot crunched through the snow, and my muscles tensed.Definitely not an animal.I sidestepped to the left, taking cover behind a massive tree. The footsteps stopped, and I held my breath, pressed against the trunk.
“Is someone there? Show yourself!”
There was a long moment of silence, then something whistled past my face. The bark on the tree next to me splintered, and wooden shards exploded into the air. A fragment struck my cheek, and I pressed reflexively at the wound. Blood smeared my fingers as I stared in horror at the arrow embedded in the tree’s trunk.
The next arrow sank into the ground near my feet. I wasn’t waiting around to be struck down by the third.
Swallowing a scream, I ran, boots kicking up snow. The cold air froze my lungs as I picked up speed, trying not to run in a straight line.
Another arrow sliced through the air—so close my legs turned to jelly and threatened to give out beneath me.
In the distance, I spotted the mansion peeking out from between the trees.Only a little farther!I leaped over a small boulder and landed hard, sliding on a patch of ice. As I reached for something to keep my balance, my cloak snagged on a branch, nearly bringing me to my knees. I struggled to untangle it, but my fingers were shaking and slick with blood. Panic made the struggle worse. Any second now, an arrow would carve through my chest.
