The Sun and Her Shadow (Tales of the Forsaken Realm #1)
Chapter 1 – Raelyn
Chapter One
RAELYN
The ancient grandfather clock’s jarring chimes announce the late hour, though considering I live my life in the dark, the night is still full of possibility.
Stretching from my curled-up position on the chair, I stifle a yawn.
Perhaps not so full. Father told us at dinner that he had an important announcement for us in the morning, which piqued my curiosity, but I’m prepared to be disappointed.
Regardless, I’m going to regret staying up—skipping breakfast is not an option.
After returning my books to their shelves, I fold my blanket over the chair and open the door to the hallway.
Most of the lamps are out, with the exception of one or two turned extremely low, and the house is silent but for the subtle tick of the clock.
I’m the only person awake as far as I can tell.
Tiptoeing down the hallway, I try to avoid the creaky floorboards.
I’ve spent enough nights staying up later than Father likes to know how to be quiet.
Just as I’m about to step onto the staircase, the floorboards creak.
I whip my head around. Who else is awake at this ungodly hour?
My eyes try to pierce through the dim light, but I see nothing.
Did I imagine it? Another creak. Should I call out?
No. I bite my lip. The smart move would be to run up to my bed.
I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. Damn me for being the responsible and nosy eldest sibling.
Could it be Chessa snooping where she doesn’t belong? I can admit the thought of catching her and having something to hold over her is very appealing.
The creak sounded like it came from the hall near Father’s study, so that’s where I go. I’m fairly certain I’m the only one who knows how to avoid the noisy spots. She’ll never hear me coming.
I creep down the hall toward the study, and sure enough, his door is cracked. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when I catch her.
Without pausing to think, I push the door open and dart across the threshold. “Chess—”
Her name fizzles out on my tongue as I look around the room and find it empty. What in the gods’ names?
I walk around, looking for something out of place in Father’s usually immaculate study, but as far as I can tell, nothing is. A sigh leaves me as I turn to go, until the kiss of a draft followed by the whisper of a breath turns my blood to ice.
I freeze.
“Who’s there?” I speak and whirl back around. “Show yourself,” I command.
A figure drops from the ceiling, and before a scream can leave my lips, I’m pulled into a rock-solid chest and a gloved hand covers my mouth, blocking my cry.
“Uh-uh-uh. Do not make a sound.”
I squirm as a chill snakes through me at the vibrations of my captor’s low dulcet tone.
“I will let go of your pretty mouth as soon as you stop moving,” he purrs.
The hint of amusement in his voice gives me pause. I reposition my feet and still my body, curious to let this play out. When my breathing slows, he relaxes his hold and his hand drops away from my mouth.
“Who are you? What do you think you’re doing here?” I ask.
He murmurs against the back of my head, “Nothing that concerns you, my lady.”
“Let me go. Please.”
His arm tightens around me. “I don’t know. Perhaps I enjoy having a beautiful woman captive in my arms.”
That’s it. I’ve had enough of him. Who does he think he is, coming into my home to steal from my father?
With a quick, practiced move, I grab his arms, tuck a foot behind his leg, and use my weight to knock him off balance, flipping him onto the floor.
A surprised grunt comes out of his mouth, and before he can move, I straddle his torso, pinning his arms with my knees.
My hand darts down to pull one of the blades from his thigh, and I hold it to his throat. “Who’s captive now?”
A delighted chuckle escapes him, and his full lips twist into a grin. The dim light doesn’t reveal much and an onyx mask covers most of this face, but I can see a chiseled jaw covered in a light dusting of stubble.
The thief relaxes under me. It’s almost insulting. As if he thinks I couldn’t possibly be a threat.
I position the blade under his chin and tilt it toward myself.
“I’ll ask one more time. What do you think you’re doing here?
” The dagger digs into his skin, and a drop of blood wells up.
The scent of something rich and woodsy fills my nose, and I find myself salivating, my jaw aching.
I shake my head. My eyes bore into his despite being obscured by the mask.
His are dark, like thick, black smoke. I press in closer. “What is your business here, thief?”
His eyes practically smolder as they pierce right back into mine. “The lord of this house has something of value to me.”
I roll my eyes. “Obviously, or you wouldn’t be here in the middle of the night, trying to steal from him.”
A dark laugh bursts out of him. “You amuse me. Now be a good girl and get off me.”
“Or what?” I dig the blade a little farther, and another drop of blood trickles down his neck. My tongue darts out to wet my lips, and the thief’s eyes follow the movement. What in the realms is wrong with me? I shift uncomfortably, and his grin only widens.
“Don’t get me wrong, my lady. There is nothing I love more than having a beautiful woman on top of me.” He winks. “But . . .”
Before I can think of a retort, he lurches forward and rolls me so that our positions are reversed.
The dagger I held to his throat clatters to the floor, and he pins my shoulders down with an arm, his legs on either side of my waist. I glare up at him, more angry at myself than anything for allowing him to get the better of me again.
He leans forward and moves his lips to my ear. “It’s best I be going now. It was lovely to make your acquaintance. Be good and don’t scream, all right? Unless we meet again . . . under different circumstances.”
“You cad,” I grit out. Anger writhes inside me at the audacity of this stranger with the smoky eyes and cocky grins.
He jumps up and blows me a kiss before pulling back the curtain and leaping out the open window into the dim light of Luna’s embrace.
I push myself to sit, and a drop of something glides down my cheek. Reaching up, I wipe the liquid off my face, holding it up to the moonlight that shines through the open window. The drop of ruby blood glimmers, and before I can stop myself, I suck it off my finger.
The smoky, spicy taste explodes in my mouth, making it water. I must be losing my mind. I’ve never tasted someone else’s blood before, but a sudden craving overwhelms me. What in the realms?
Dusting myself off and shoving the thought of blood to the back of my mind to unpack later, I get to my feet and do a quick scan of the room, looking for some kind of disturbance or a clue as to what the thief was after.
Once again, nothing looks out of place, but I haven’t spent much time in here lately, so perhaps it isn’t obvious.
The shelves look undisturbed, and Father’s desk is as tidy as he likes it.
Perhaps I will never know who the mysterious thief is or what he was after. I stifle a yawn as I close and lock the window, then peer out into the night—no sign of him anywhere. My eyes drift to the moon, and I throw up a quick thanks to Luna that the man didn’t actually seem to wish me harm.
Will he return? I should probably tell Father. He’ll know what to do.