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I dug in, but with less enthusiasm. In a few minutes, I pushed my empty plate away. Ben had finished his meal ahead of me and was gazing out the windows at the road. The traffic had increased with the rising sun and a steady stream of people passed by the establishment. A few new patrons had sauntered into the bar for a drink and early meal, and by the time Aida came to take our plates, she was looking slightly more ragged.
Ben set a coin on the table and stood. “Thank you for the admirable service.”
Aida’s eyes widened as she beheld the coinage. “A half baron? Sir, that’s too much, especially with the trouble with those men. . .”
He grinned as he pulled my seat back. “They’re not a stain on the cooking or your service. Besides, the money is for the info, as well, and any future help we may need.”
She pocketed the coin and nodded. “Of course, sir. Whatever you’re needing.”
We slipped out of the pub, mindful to step aside as a small group of farmers sauntered inside, and stepped out into the warm light of the sun. I stretched my arms above my head and sighed. “Now that’s a good way to start the day.”
“We may be grateful to venture northward today,” Ben mused as he studied the cloudless sky. “It may prove to be a rather stifling afternoon.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Why do you say that?”
“The weather here is as predictable as a farmer’s schedule,” Ben told me as he nodded to the east. “There are clouds lurking on the horizon there that will bring quite a storm tonight.”
My face drooped. “So we’re going to have a dark and stormy night?”
“Undoubtedly.”
I sighed and shrugged. “Of course there is. Well, I guess if the werewolves eat us then we won’t have to worry about that.”
Ben grinned as he helped me into the carriage and draped his arms over the walls on either side of the gap into the seat. “Would you like to meet them?”
I winced. “I’m not so sure. I like being at the top of the food chain.”
“Some of them are quite harmless,” Ben assured me as he climbed into the seat beside me.
“And others? Didn’t you tell me they were different from the rest of society?”
“More or less. Come on, Ferox, to the Gebur farm!” The horse nickered and trotted forward down the street.
I grasped the side to keep myself from being flung backward and gave Ben a scowl. “Is it more or less?”
His eyes sparkled as he gave me a wink. “You’ll see.”
We rolled through the quaint town and our path soon took a turn northward. The neighborhoods gave way to dotted farmhouses, fields, and the ever-present looming forest. A few side roads on either side of the road led off to farther fields and meadows.
I noticed there was none of the fog that surrounded Rookwood, and I looked up at Ben to comment on that fact. There was a such look of distraction on his face, however, that all thoughts of the fog were driven from my mind. I leaned forward to catch his intense eyes. “You okay?”
He didn’t turn his head as his words came out in a tense tone. “Don’t look behind us, but we’re being followed.”
I had to resist the urge to disobey him and dearly wished for a rearview mirror. Instead, I whipped my face forward and clasped my hands in my lap. “Any idea who it is?”
Ben shook his head. “Only that they’ve been following us since we left the pub. It’s a black covered carriage without ornamentation and driven by a pair of black horses.”
“Somebody likes monochrome, but are you sure they’re not just going our way?”
“There’s one way to find out,” Ben mused as he tightened his grip on the reins so that the slack tightened on the left-hand side.
Ferox took the hint and turned at the first left-hand road. The new road turned out to be quite bumpy and full of ruts. I grabbed hold of the carriage wall and made a quick look over my shoulder. A black-as-night carriage passed by our road and slowed to a stop a few yards beyond the mouth.
I squinted at the windows, but they were not only tinted but blacked out with thick curtains. One of the heavy clothes shifted and I glimpsed some white thing.
A gasp escaped me and I clutched my chest over my heart. Ben grasped my shoulders and his voice betrayed his worry. “What is it?”
I shook my head. “I-I’m not sure. I swear I felt someone wrap a cold hand around my heart.” The carriage rolled forward and the feeling lifted. The vehicle disappeared around a wooded bend in a few moments and I dropped my hand into my lap.
