Chimehour (The Faire Curiosities #1) - Sample Chapters

Prologue

May 6th, 1901

Dublin, Ireland

Bealtaine. The words came to Barnabas Halward in a moment of clarity. Something rare and tangible through the soft buzz that often filled his mind. Bealtaine; May Day. The dawning of summer. A time of freedom and celebration. When the Veil lifted, leaving magic to mingle alongside the festival-goers and fire.

He'd forgotten about Bealtaine. Bloody hell.

The cart bounced, drawing Halward from his thoughts. He looked back, his gaze following the road's path along the mountainside, into the sinking sun that clung to the horizon. The cart was quiet, summer wind sending ripples across the deerskin tarpaulin that covered it.

His cargo remained undisturbed.

Shadows played against the light when he looked forward, casting strange colors on the clouds, shaping the not-so-distant Dublin into an ominous silhouette. His tightened his grip on the reins, coaxing the horse forward. He would find a graveyard before nightfall. Before the festivals started. He'd already spent too long in the mountains, chasing the sun through the bogs and wilds.

Of all days...

The village outskirts appeared, morphing the settled shadows to browns and grays. The wheels ached as dirt turned to fresh cobble. He trailed into Rathgar, its bricked buildings small and close. Hawthorn and cooking meat beckoned around his nose. Locals teemed from their homes in masquerade garb, oblivious to the lone driver as he parted the marketplace crowds. Halward remained equally unaware of them. A few miles ahead was St. Joseph's, and its consecrated ground with it. The blessed earth was still new, but it would suit his needs for today.

A grin carved across his face. He could make it. He could win.

A muffled sound cut the silence. The tarpaulin jolted, making him startle.

The horse threw its head with a snort. The tarpaulin jumped again, and people stopped, eyes wider behind the masks and fanfare.

Halward shuddered a breath, urging the nag around a corner until he located a quieter alleyway. Away from prying eyes and warm smells. He'd barely dropped the reins when he looked again.

The tarpaulin now rolled, pushing into shapes which resembled feet. Two of its knotted corners unhitched, falling and tangling in the same swift motion.

Halward rolled his eyes through another sigh. His fingers curled over his palm, tracing the interlocked rings of his tattoo. Magic sparked through the Five-Folds, his mind becoming overrun by its comforting darkness. He'd already wasted too much time, covering his tracks and redirecting the crows. He hoisted himself out of the cart and sliding the hand into his coat pocket.

"Luvvie." His voice clicked with brogue. "I thought we had an agreement..."

He stopped behind the cart, watching the tarpaulin roll. Before another hook could break, he gripped into deerskin and yanked it away. The tied ends shredded before the tarpaulin fell to the ground.

Lavender eyes glimmered back with defiance from the cart bed. The girl's silvery hair had pulled from its braid, loose strands catching in the rope that bound her wrists. Her right leg was still in the air, half-tangled in bindings.

Halward watched her defiance falter as his tall frame cast its shadow over hers. He grabbed her freed calf, dragging her forward. Producing the small knife from his pocket, he leveled it at her face.

Her eyes widened at him, then to the knife. She still fought to regain her glare.

Halward scowled. "You'd think one spell would be well enough to quiet you. Can't you just—"