An excerpt from NOCTURNE by Elaine Corvidae, available now from New Concepts Publishing
Light showed suddenly through the trees, coming from a bend in the lane behind them. "Someone else is abroad late," Anne remarked, peering in the direction of the flickering lamps.
Gerard stiffened. "Damnation," he muttered, then cast her a swift glance of apology. "Forgive me, Anne."
His reaction worried her far more than a simple curse. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"There are very few innocent travelers abroad at night in these troubled times. The only ones who travel the dark roads with any regularity are the Knights of Virtue, or other agents of the crown."
A part of her wanted to protest that any agents of the crown were employed for the protection of the kingdom, and that honest folk had nothing to fear. But the memory of the letter tucked into her reticule stilled her tongue. Instead, she said, "I wrote a letter to Minister Gammon after my experiences on the journey here. I don't think my account pleased him."
"I see." Gerard hesitated, glancing about the wood. "I want you to jump out of the carriage and hide."
"Jump out of the carriage?"
His mouth tightened. "Please, Anne. If they are looking for you ... even if they aren't, even if this has nothing to do with your letter, I fear that I would not be able to protect you. I would prefer if you hide and let them pass. I'll come back for you as soon as I may."
This is insane. Jumping out of a moving carriage, hiding in the dark woods like a frightened girl--what had her life come to?
"Quickly--they'll be in sight in moments!"
Silently uttering a curse of her own, Anne gathered up her skirts, flung open the door, and leapt out.
Fortunately, the phaeton had been moving at a sedate pace. Even so, she stumbled on the dusty road, tripped, and fell. Pain shot up her arm as a stone gashed her palm, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
As soon as she was clear, Gerard snapped the reins, urging the horses to a faster pace. Silently reflecting on how foolish she was going to feel if it turned out that they were being followed by nothing more sinister than a fish cart, Anne blindly stumbled into the trees. Branches scratched her cheeks and snarled her hair, and vines dragged at her feet. As soon as she judged herself to be well off the road, she stopped and waited.
She didn't wait long. Almost as soon as she had paused, she heard the jingle of harness, saw the gleam of lanterns. A group of riders came up, and she saw the familiar symbol of the Order of Virtue on their cloaks.
"Hold up," one said, raising his lantern higher. "There are tracks here. Somebody went into the woods. A woman, by the size of them."
The blood froze in Anne's veins, and it was all she could do to hold still. Trying to flee would only make noise, and get her caught faster. She had to rely on the dark and silence to conceal her.
One of the other knights snorted. "What are you saying, Crowley--that the King's Whore would run off into the woods? Mess up her pretty dress?"
Listen to him, she willed the rest. I'm not here. Please, God, I'm not here.
"The carriage is getting away," said a third. "Crowley, you and Jeffries check the woods. The rest of you, come with me."
The main bulk of the knights left in a thunder of hooves and rattle of harness. The remaining two dismounted, one holding up his lantern to scan the forest verge, while Crowley went down on his knees to inspect her tracks more closely.
No. Please, no. What am I going to do?
Crowley rose again, still studying the ground. "Come on," he said, and started into the woods. Only a few more feet, and they would spot her.
I have to run. I have to. But she felt frozen, rooted to the ground. There was no outrunning them, she knew, no way to defend herself--
A hand clamped down over her mouth from behind, too suddenly for her to get out a scream. "Don't move," murmured a familiar, gravelly voice in her ear.
Nocturne.
Her back was pressed against his chest, so she felt his movements as he groped for something at his belt. A moment later, he flung a small sphere away from them, toward the road. It flashed and glittered, unnaturally bright in the darkness.
"What was that?" Crowley demanded, spinning around.
"Damn me--it looks like gold! D'you think the whore dropped a bauble when she ran?"
Both knights left the wood to inspect the glittering sphere. But as they leaned over it, a puff of smoke suddenly exploded out from it, straight into their faces. They clutched their throats, gagging and coughing, then slowly slumped to the ground. Of the golden sphere, there was no remaining trace.
"They won't be waking up anytime soon," Nocturne said, letting go of her. Anne quickly stepped away from him. "Still, I wouldn't advise walking up the road, in case the rest of them return."
He took a tiny lantern from his belt and pulled back the shutter. Rather than the flickering light of oil, it put out a steady, red-tinged glow that seemed to come from no source she could see.
More chymistry, she thought, and felt a shiver walk up her back.
"M-my thanks," she forced herself to say. "But I fear that you will be disappointed--you stole all the jewelry I had, along with my dowry, at our last encounter."
The blank mask beneath the hat gave her no indication of his mood, but she thought she heard a whispery laugh. "Indeed. I suggest, my lady, that if you wish to berate me, you do so farther from the road. As I said, the other knights may return at any time. Follow me, if you wish."
He started off with a swirl of cloak, as if it was nothing to him whether she followed or not. For a moment, she simply stared at his retreating back, wondering whether or not to trust him. He had now saved her twice, and robbed her once, and there was no knowing whether he had any darker intentions in luring her away.
I'd trust his intentions over those of the knights. Gathering her cumbersome skirts, she hurried after him.