The manor's iron gates creaked shut behind Jasper as he strode into the gray morning. His coat swept about his legs, his expression unreadable but his jaw locked with thought. The memory of Nicole trembling in bed lingered in his chest like a thorn.
He made his way through the narrow path leading to Lord Vicar's estate, the fog heavy and the air damp. Crows shifted from branch to branch overhead, their wings whispering like omens. By the time he reached the dark stone archway of Vicar's library, he had already steeled his thoughts.
The doors opened before he could knock.
Lord Vicar stood within, his hair falling loose around his shoulders, his crimson-lined cloak drawn close. His pale eyes studied Jasper with a knowing heaviness.
"You don't come here unless you've been rattled," Vicar murmured, stepping aside. "Come in, brother."
