Hood? Would we have been happier? Would you still be alive? What if we’d lived … a normal life?”
A sudden chill ran up her back, and she whirled to stare into the forest, narrowing her eyes. Her hands flew to the staff strapped to her back and tensed. Was there something out there? A stranger, or a creature she hadn’t sensed? An enemy? A friend?
Had the master vampire already found her?
She gripped the staff at the thought, heart racing. If the vampire had come for her, the staff would do little good against it. Wood didn’t harm a vampire, especially if it was wielded by a mortal. Red Hood she might be, but her strength was still limited. And she was very, very mortal.
She strained her ears, waiting, but didn’t hear anything in the woods, and finally relaxed a bit. No, there hadn’t been anything out there. Just a chill. Of premonition, perhaps, or simple loneliness. She glanced at the grave and wished—not for the first time—that her husband was still there in body as well as spirit, to hold her and tell her that it was going to be okay. To warm her on the nights when her soul grew cold; nights when the quilts on the bed were insufficient, and the fire brought her little comfort. Things had been easier when he was there. More complete. Without him, she was …
“Weaker,” she breathed. “I’m growing weaker, Gavin, and I don’t know what to do about it. It is time for another Red Hood to take my mantle, and I do not know if my choice will be the correct one.”
Still, this was not the time to allow herself to slow. There was a master vampire out there, and he meant to kill the innocents of her forest. He would kill her own daughters if she gave him a chance. Which was exactly why she had to find him, and stop him, before he could do any further damage.
Sighing, she brushed her fingers across the headstone, bid her husband a good night, and went home to prepare for the hunt.
12
G eoff turned onto the path home, his mind racing and his heart like lead in his chest. Behind him, he could hear Louis still laughing and making fun of him, calling him names and even criticizing his wishes for safety and security.
“I cannot believe you would rather run home and hide with your father than stay out and have the adventure of your life!” Louis called.
Geoffrey, however, refused to answer, and quickened his pace. No, he did not want adventure. Leastwise, not the sort of adventure that Louis craved. He didn’t know what was out there, but he did trust Madam Angeline, and felt that if she’d told them to go home, then it was right—and safer—that they do so. Louis was being a fool, and nothing more.
As he glanced up, however, trying to catch a glimpse of the sky, he wondered. Was Louis what a boy should be like? Was that taste for adventure and excitement more … normal? Geoff was aware enough to realize that he didn’t follow the standard lines for a boy. He’d never gone out of his way to play rough-and-tumble games with other lads, and he’d been slower than any other boy in the village to realize that girls held an attraction. He’d yet to kiss one, if he were being honest, though he would have given his right hand to have a shot at tasting Alison’s lips.
But he’d seen the way she looked at Louis. Tall, strong, and adventurous Louis. Was that what she wanted—a fool who would risk his life, and perhaps those of others around him, just to taste danger and excitement? Wouldn’t any rational girl prefer safety and the security of knowing that she had a home, and a man who would come back to her hearth every night? Was it really so wrong to think that? Was it … cowardice? Or intelligence?
Perhaps he was wrong, though. Perhaps adventure wouldn’t be so bad. He would talk to Louis in the morning, he decided. Perhaps consider joining him on one of his ridiculous plans. As long as they weren’t too outrageous. Or too dangerous.
Suddenly he realized that he’d been walking in shadow for
A sudden chill ran up her back, and she whirled to stare into the forest, narrowing her eyes. Her hands flew to the staff strapped to her back and tensed. Was there something out there? A stranger, or a creature she hadn’t sensed? An enemy? A friend?
Had the master vampire already found her?
She gripped the staff at the thought, heart racing. If the vampire had come for her, the staff would do little good against it. Wood didn’t harm a vampire, especially if it was wielded by a mortal. Red Hood she might be, but her strength was still limited. And she was very, very mortal.
She strained her ears, waiting, but didn’t hear anything in the woods, and finally relaxed a bit. No, there hadn’t been anything out there. Just a chill. Of premonition, perhaps, or simple loneliness. She glanced at the grave and wished—not for the first time—that her husband was still there in body as well as spirit, to hold her and tell her that it was going to be okay. To warm her on the nights when her soul grew cold; nights when the quilts on the bed were insufficient, and the fire brought her little comfort. Things had been easier when he was there. More complete. Without him, she was …
“Weaker,” she breathed. “I’m growing weaker, Gavin, and I don’t know what to do about it. It is time for another Red Hood to take my mantle, and I do not know if my choice will be the correct one.”
Still, this was not the time to allow herself to slow. There was a master vampire out there, and he meant to kill the innocents of her forest. He would kill her own daughters if she gave him a chance. Which was exactly why she had to find him, and stop him, before he could do any further damage.
Sighing, she brushed her fingers across the headstone, bid her husband a good night, and went home to prepare for the hunt.
12
G eoff turned onto the path home, his mind racing and his heart like lead in his chest. Behind him, he could hear Louis still laughing and making fun of him, calling him names and even criticizing his wishes for safety and security.
“I cannot believe you would rather run home and hide with your father than stay out and have the adventure of your life!” Louis called.
Geoffrey, however, refused to answer, and quickened his pace. No, he did not want adventure. Leastwise, not the sort of adventure that Louis craved. He didn’t know what was out there, but he did trust Madam Angeline, and felt that if she’d told them to go home, then it was right—and safer—that they do so. Louis was being a fool, and nothing more.
As he glanced up, however, trying to catch a glimpse of the sky, he wondered. Was Louis what a boy should be like? Was that taste for adventure and excitement more … normal? Geoff was aware enough to realize that he didn’t follow the standard lines for a boy. He’d never gone out of his way to play rough-and-tumble games with other lads, and he’d been slower than any other boy in the village to realize that girls held an attraction. He’d yet to kiss one, if he were being honest, though he would have given his right hand to have a shot at tasting Alison’s lips.
But he’d seen the way she looked at Louis. Tall, strong, and adventurous Louis. Was that what she wanted—a fool who would risk his life, and perhaps those of others around him, just to taste danger and excitement? Wouldn’t any rational girl prefer safety and the security of knowing that she had a home, and a man who would come back to her hearth every night? Was it really so wrong to think that? Was it … cowardice? Or intelligence?
Perhaps he was wrong, though. Perhaps adventure wouldn’t be so bad. He would talk to Louis in the morning, he decided. Perhaps consider joining him on one of his ridiculous plans. As long as they weren’t too outrageous. Or too dangerous.
Suddenly he realized that he’d been walking in shadow for
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