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Wesson watched his father leave with a shake of his head. “I haven’t the heart to tell him, but even I’ve seen. . .something out on the loading docks.”
“When?” Ben asked him.
“Last night,” Wesson revealed as he tilted his head to face Ben. “I was unloading the freight with some of my brothers when I noticed something slip into the alley between the store and the livery. I hurried to the opening but the alley was empty.”
“And you’re sure you saw a bent shadow?” Ben persisted.
Wesson nodded. “As sure as I see you, but I should get back to work. If I don’t start on that freight it won’t get done before dark.”
Ben clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Regardless of the hour, we’ll keep Rookwood open for you when you arrive, and my aunt will be sure to have a warm meal for you, as well.”
Wesson grinned. “I expect some of her famous cookies like when we were kids.”
“You bring the flour and we’ll provide the rest,” Ben agreed before we left him to finish his duties.
We returned to the front desk and found Feormere the elder working as a cashier. He caught our eye and nodded at the door. “I had your goods taken out to your carriage. Your spirited animal gave them quite a tough time as they loaded it.”
Ben grinned as he rummaged through his pocket and drew out his coin purse. “Sorry for the trouble.” He took out a few coins and tossed them onto the counter. “Tell them this is my apology and my thanks for the quick fulfillment. How much do I owe you?”
Feormere pushed the coins back to him and shook his head. “It’s all part of the business and your aunt’s account has been charged.”
A woman pushed her way past us and up to the counter. She practically shoved her list into Feormere’s face. “Quick! Fulfill this before the storm comes!”
“If you’ll excuse me,” he apologized before he turned his attention to the frantic woman. Ben and I stepped away, but Feormere’s voice called us back. “Your coins, Ben.”
Ben looped an arm through mine and winked at me. “Walk fast.”
CHAPTERNINETEEN
We scurried out the door,leaving behind the tip. I could see what had the woman worried. The clouds on the horizon had already reached the outskirts of town, courtesy of a blustery wind. The gale cut through my clothes and felt as cold as ice.
Ferox stood nearby with his hooves clapping the hard ground. “We were hardly gone more than twenty minutes,” Ben countered as we climbed aboard.
The horse neighed his disagreement before he shot off down the road.
Normally Ferox’s fury would have garnered a smile from me, but my thoughts lay elsewhere. More specifically, to the conversation we’d had with the young Feormere.
“A bent shadow,” I mused as we rolled down the street with a heavy sack slung over the back of the small carriage. The bag bulged with all the goodies Fysan requested, sans flour. “That sound familiar to you?”
Ben nodded. “It’s an apt description of the thing we saw in the gardens of Rookwood last night.”
I stifled a yawn. “That feels like forever-” I suddenly found myself choking.
Ben cast a worried look at me. “Are you alright?”
I nodded up at the sky. “A raindrop dropped into my mouth. I think it’s trying to tell me to not talk so much.”
My companion smiled. “Then I’ll have to happily disagree with its comment but we’ll take its warning to heart. Ferox.”
The horse took the hint and quickened his speed so we bounced through the town. Unfortunately, not even the swift hooves of Ferox could outrun the billowing clouds that followed us. The storm overtook our little carriage halfway to the crossroads and dumped a load of rain down on our heads. Ben drew out a blanket and covered both of us as the world faded into the mist.
The road turned to mud and forced Ferox to slow his pace or risk slipping. Even then he lost his footing here and there, and the carriage slid to and fro, forcing him to adapt and shift his weight against the hard, unexpected tugs from the vehicle. The formerly bright day turned to night and I could barely make out the trees on either side of the road. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I imagined the carriage careening into a ditch and the fog creeping out from the brush and slithering over to us.
Ben drew me closer against him and I was glad for his warmth against the chill. “Have faith. Ferox has never failed to reach his destination and a little rainstorm isn’t going to stop him now.”
Maybe not a little rainstorm, but the sudden appearance of an oncoming carriage nearly did that. The covered carriage loomed out of the darkness like a behemoth and the four black horses that pulled it panicked at seeing us. In a mirror of my fearful thoughts, the leads threw themselves into the ditch and nearly overturned the vehicle. Only the shallow hole prevented it from tumbling head over wheels, though two of those wheels now hung in the air.
For us, Ferox managed to veer off to one side without ditching us into the ditch. The carriage ended up sliding sideways and Ben threw himself over me to keep me from being ejected. I clung to him even after we came to a stop. My whole body was shaking and the rain quickly soaked us to the skin.
