enjoying her surprise, and then Lily got a second shock—fangs! Fangs? Truly, there was no other explanation. His canines were long, sharp and wicked.
The man—if it was a man—stepped forward and nodded to her. She could see a nervous tic begin around his mouth. He kept himself turned slightly away from her, one hand hidden beneath his cloak, but she caught a glimpse of what lay inside: warped fingers, bent inward like claws.
A cripple. Bad luck. It almost made her pull away, suddenly sick to her stomach. There were some who cared for cripples, who embraced them as victims to be pitied—yet she was country-raised. She believed in curses. In signs from the Goddess and the old ways.
Another eerie chill settled over her shoulders, like a frosty cloak. The hair on the back of her neck stiffened.
"M-may I help you?" she asked, steeling her nerve.
He responded in an equally soft voice. "I heard there was a murder last night. This will sound strange, but I would like to see the body."
Lily nodded, feeling more and more uneasy. “I'm not sure I understand. Who are you?”
"Someone you can trust. Not a Lord, not the King's men," the man replied. His voice was unsettling. "I am hunting a very dangerous man, an assassin, and his trail has led me to this place. I thought it was no coincidence when I heard of the accident.”
“Oh.” Lily's mind raced. Lord Gracen's suspicions came suddenly to mind. Here, a complete stranger as good as confirmed the Lord's theory. He could clear Sora's name! She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. But Lord Gracen had already left...and this man was...strange. She didn't trust him yet.
“Why do you want to see the body?” she asked, eyes narrowed.
The silver-haired man bowed his head, acquiescing. Lily watched him closely, but besides his eerie appearance, he didn't seem threatening. “I can recognize the assassin's work very easily. I have been trailing him for several years now. I have simply to see the wounds, and I'll know.”
Lily thought on this. It didn't seem out of place, considering the last twenty-four hours. Since last night, her life had been one gut-wrenching surprise after another. In fact, this was perhaps a most normal thing to happen.
Anything to help Sora. “All right,” she finally said. “This way. But we must respect the body.”
She led him through the ballroom, stepping carefully around piles of glass shards, then entered the foyer and started up the first staircase. They had placed the body in her Lord's study, simply because it was close to the ballroom and fairly out of the way. Her upbringing had demanded that she hang ceremonial bells above the doorway to ensure that the body was blessed. Her Lord had been a strict man, not warm or loving; yet he, too, deserved to be carried on the Winds of the Goddess.
When they reached the doorway, the man hesitated for a minute. She noticed his hands quiver as he crossed the threshold.
This was a chamber she had cleaned and dusted many times. It was richly decorated with indoor plants in the corners, bookshelves along the walls, and a magnificent fireplace on one side, with a long couch in front. At this moment, the couch was occupied by a body shrouded in white linen. A hint of blood showed through the cloth. Lily frowned at this. They had done their best to dress the wound, but even after death, blood had seeped stubbornly down her Lord's neck.
Lily brought the strange man next to the body and carefully pulled back the sheet. She averted her gaze from the blue-tinted skin, the slightly bloated eyes, the flat jowls. “Here he is. We did nothing to the body but move it.”
The man stiffened at the sight of the blood. She could only assume that put him off, though somehow she was not reassured. “I see,” the man murmured, his voice thick. “And was there a blade?”
“Only a shard of glass. We thought it fell from the roof, but....”
“Yes?”
Lily swallowed. She could clearly hear Lord Gracen's
The man—if it was a man—stepped forward and nodded to her. She could see a nervous tic begin around his mouth. He kept himself turned slightly away from her, one hand hidden beneath his cloak, but she caught a glimpse of what lay inside: warped fingers, bent inward like claws.
A cripple. Bad luck. It almost made her pull away, suddenly sick to her stomach. There were some who cared for cripples, who embraced them as victims to be pitied—yet she was country-raised. She believed in curses. In signs from the Goddess and the old ways.
Another eerie chill settled over her shoulders, like a frosty cloak. The hair on the back of her neck stiffened.
"M-may I help you?" she asked, steeling her nerve.
He responded in an equally soft voice. "I heard there was a murder last night. This will sound strange, but I would like to see the body."
Lily nodded, feeling more and more uneasy. “I'm not sure I understand. Who are you?”
"Someone you can trust. Not a Lord, not the King's men," the man replied. His voice was unsettling. "I am hunting a very dangerous man, an assassin, and his trail has led me to this place. I thought it was no coincidence when I heard of the accident.”
“Oh.” Lily's mind raced. Lord Gracen's suspicions came suddenly to mind. Here, a complete stranger as good as confirmed the Lord's theory. He could clear Sora's name! She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. But Lord Gracen had already left...and this man was...strange. She didn't trust him yet.
“Why do you want to see the body?” she asked, eyes narrowed.
The silver-haired man bowed his head, acquiescing. Lily watched him closely, but besides his eerie appearance, he didn't seem threatening. “I can recognize the assassin's work very easily. I have been trailing him for several years now. I have simply to see the wounds, and I'll know.”
Lily thought on this. It didn't seem out of place, considering the last twenty-four hours. Since last night, her life had been one gut-wrenching surprise after another. In fact, this was perhaps a most normal thing to happen.
Anything to help Sora. “All right,” she finally said. “This way. But we must respect the body.”
She led him through the ballroom, stepping carefully around piles of glass shards, then entered the foyer and started up the first staircase. They had placed the body in her Lord's study, simply because it was close to the ballroom and fairly out of the way. Her upbringing had demanded that she hang ceremonial bells above the doorway to ensure that the body was blessed. Her Lord had been a strict man, not warm or loving; yet he, too, deserved to be carried on the Winds of the Goddess.
When they reached the doorway, the man hesitated for a minute. She noticed his hands quiver as he crossed the threshold.
This was a chamber she had cleaned and dusted many times. It was richly decorated with indoor plants in the corners, bookshelves along the walls, and a magnificent fireplace on one side, with a long couch in front. At this moment, the couch was occupied by a body shrouded in white linen. A hint of blood showed through the cloth. Lily frowned at this. They had done their best to dress the wound, but even after death, blood had seeped stubbornly down her Lord's neck.
Lily brought the strange man next to the body and carefully pulled back the sheet. She averted her gaze from the blue-tinted skin, the slightly bloated eyes, the flat jowls. “Here he is. We did nothing to the body but move it.”
The man stiffened at the sight of the blood. She could only assume that put him off, though somehow she was not reassured. “I see,” the man murmured, his voice thick. “And was there a blade?”
“Only a shard of glass. We thought it fell from the roof, but....”
“Yes?”
Lily swallowed. She could clearly hear Lord Gracen's
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