Page 25 of The Unseen Hour

I held my breath so it wouldn’t fog in front of me, swaying awkwardly even as the figure drew closer.

He reached up, grabbed onto his hood and pulled it back.

Brown hair with just a hint of a wave framed his face, a loose piece falling over his forehead.

My arm jerked as I fought an instinctive reaction to reach out and fix it.

He had a defined jaw with the shadow of stubble, and sharp cheekbones that would have made him look severe if not for the warmth in his eyes.

He was handsome. Undeniably so.

I hadn’t expected handsome.

Then again, wouldn’t the gods have given themselves a face that could tempt people?

His eyes were wide as he pointedly gazed at me, his eyes moving from the top of my head down to my boots. Then he looked back to my face.

Maybe it was the Thipp’s and its lingering effects, but I was short of breath. During the season I had done what I could to avoid drawing too much attention, but now I couldn’t help but look boldly back at him. If anything, I wanted to get closer, to trace my finger along his jaw and see if he was as solid as I was.

The space around us was quiet enough that I heard the soft whoosh of his breath as he gasped and then uttered one word.

“Starlight.”

I looked around me, trying to figure out what he meant. I craned my neck upward, only then noticing there were no stars to be seen.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”

One of his hands reached for me, but he stopped before he touched my skin, pulling back.

My breath caught, and a part of me wished he’d kept reaching.

If I’d already been found out, I should at least try to make a good impression.

I dipped into a curtsey.

“Hello. I’m Celia Hipnosi, and⁠—”

He threw out an arm, cutting me off.

The other individuals surrounding us still wore blank expressions, but a handful of them had turned to look.

Without a response, he turned away from me, and my heart sank.

I’d already upset him. If he was indeed Death—and who else could he be?—then I needed to fix this. More than that, I wanted to fix it. The very air felt more frigid as he walked away.

I scrambled for something else to say. Something to do.

Before I could manage anything, he glanced around at the individuals getting out of line and snapped his head in their direction.

“Back as you were!” he yelled, turning on his heel and marching back to the front of the formation.

I let out several quick, shallow breaths as I regained my composure.

Starlight, he had said.

What did he mean? Had it been a test? Had I failed?

At the front of the group, his voice boomed over the crowd once more.