(#2)
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Release Date: October 3, 2023
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic
In this unforgettable sequel to the fantasy thriller Blood and Moonlight,
sizzling romance, dangerous magic, and deadly secrets collide when
Catrin and Simon face a cunning new serial killer who threatens to tear
them apart.
Forced to flee for their lives after an explosive confrontation with a
depraved killer, Selenae novice Catrin and brilliant criminal profiler
Simon arrive in the sprawling city of Londunium, hoping for a fresh
start and an opportunity for Catrin to hone her newfound magic. To avoid
raising suspicion, they pretend to be a married couple, but don’t
expect to keep up the ruse for long. Until a ruthless council of magical
leaders at the local Selenae university discover Catrin's forbidden
“marriage” to an outsider and threaten to erase Simon’s memories to
protect their secrets.
Terrified to lose each other, Catrin and
Simon take desperate steps to keep him safe, like playing the parts of
husband and wife for longer than they had anticipated. But when a string
of bodies turns up in the woods outside the city, and Simon is
recruited to profile the killer, Catrin is pulled back into a world of
murder, mayhem, and magic . . .
Erin Beaty's Silence and Shadow is the second and apparent final installment in the authors Blood and Moonlight duology.
Forced to flee for their lives after an explosive confrontation with a
depraved killer in the first installment, Selenae novice Catrin who is just learning about her abilities, and brilliant criminal profiler
Simon of Mesanus who is now a fugitive, arrive in the sprawling city of Londunium, hoping for a fresh
start and an opportunity for Catrin to hone her newfound magic.
To avoid
raising suspicion, they pretend to be a married couple, but don’t
expect to keep up the ruse for long. After Cat is attacked by a man who stalked them, they end up befriending a man named Martin who is local law enforcement. It seems as though dozens of innocent men and women have been murder, and with Simon's background of understanding the minds of killers, he is the prefect partner for Martin to try and solve what is happening and who is to blame.
raising suspicion, they pretend to be a married couple, but don’t
expect to keep up the ruse for long. After Cat is attacked by a man who stalked them, they end up befriending a man named Martin who is local law enforcement. It seems as though dozens of innocent men and women have been murder, and with Simon's background of understanding the minds of killers, he is the prefect partner for Martin to try and solve what is happening and who is to blame.
With Cat's help, the group gets entangled in a deeply troubling mystery that may point to the people that Cat is trying to learn from. Cat is sometimes looked down upon because she's half Selenae, but with a bit of pushing by her would be instructors like Hespera, Catrin may end up being extremely powerful unless the ruthless council of magical
leaders at the local Selenae university takes away her relationship with Simon while erasing Simon’s memories of Cat and their true love.
leaders at the local Selenae university takes away her relationship with Simon while erasing Simon’s memories of Cat and their true love.
It is fair to say that even when pushed to her limits by the thoughts of being separated from Simon, Cat seems to have really come into her own being. She's more confident, and more determined to do what's right even if it means she loses her powers in an effort to help find out who is murdering dozens of men and women and leaving them in a variety of states mimicking former Gods and Goddess that were once the centerpiece of this civilization. She fights tooth and nail against her would be teachers and council members who seem to be keeping their own secrets.
And, even though she is far from home, she didn't forget the man who supported her when she needed it to find his former wife and daugher who are living in the city. This story is party mystery, party suspense, and part romance between Cat and Simon which is pretty unbreakable even after all the challenges they face. Some curious twists also occur and you have to really pay attention to who you can trust, and who would gladly steal your powers, and leave you a shadow of your former self.
At this point, I do not think this series needs another novel. The ending wraps up nicely, and all the key storylines are wrapped up.
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HAPTER 1
I know the moment something is wrong.
Simon’s
hand grips mine with a sudden intensity, but it’s not a squeeze for my
attention or an expression of affection. It’s urgent with an edge of
fear.
His movements haven’t indicated we need to flee, though,
which means I shouldn’t react. We’re standing off to the side of an open
area where several streets intersect, watching a group of children
perform a traditional dance, their ribbons on the ends of sticks more or
less in sync with the festival music and each other. Not one child is
over eight years old, so they must have practiced several weeks for this
amount of coordination.
Simon isn’t looking at me or the colorful celebration, however. His eyes are narrowed at something across the square.
Trying
not to be obvious, I lean into his side, close enough to feel the hum
of magick coming from the bloodstones in his pocket. Their focused
energy makes my skin numb, so he usually carries them for me. “What is
it?”
“That man.” Simon replies in a much lower voice, but we’re
standing in the shadow of a three-story building so I can hear him
clearly.
I follow his line of sight over the crowd. With the
Solstice festival celebrating the longest and holiest day of the year,
outsiders are common as sparrows, which works both to our advantage and
disadvantage. We’d arrived on the island of Brinsulli several days ago,
then traveled to the capital city of Londunium on foot. The journey to
the coast of Gallia from Collis was much faster—traveling at night on
horses we then sold to buy passage across the Narrow Sea. It’s not
likely any word about Simon as a fugitive has reached Brinsulli, let
alone Londunium, in those three weeks, especially as he’s believed to be
dead, but there’s always a chance he’ll be recognized. His unusual
eyes—light blue with a wedge of brown in the left—are impossible to
hide.
“The one in the gray tunic and black cap,” Simon whispers.
I
find the man. His blond hair hangs in greasy strings over his forehead,
and his sallow skin glistens with a sheen of sweat. Something has him
agitated, and he rubs his hands in a washing motion almost compulsively.
I have to speak much louder for Simon to hear me, so I stand on my toes
to put my mouth closer to his ear as I pretend to watch the dance
again. “Has he been staring at you?”
“No. He keeps looking around the crowd. Stopped on you twice.”
That doesn’t make any sense. “How is that a problem?”
“Because
he’s searching for a target. Someone easy and worth the effort.” Simon
pauses. “Third look. He thinks you have potential, but you’re fine as
long as you’re with me.”
“Are you sure?” No one would take Simon
for a fighter—he’s as thin as a garden rake and stands in a way that
takes up little space. I grimace as I peek at the man again before
putting my chin on Simon’s shoulder. “No offense, but he could probably
overpower you.”
He doesn’t argue with that. “Yes, but two against
one is riskier, especially when we look like a couple who might fight
to protect each other. He’ll go for an easier mark, especially with as
many as he could find here.”
“So why are you worried?” I ask,
tucking my travel bag firmly between us. “There’s probably a half dozen
other thieves in the square with the same mindset.”
Simon finally
allows himself to glance down at me. “Because he’s not just a
pickpocket. He’s got violence on his mind, too. It’s in his eyes, in his
movements.”
I don’t have to ask how he can read the man’s
intentions. Simon spent six years recording the work of a man determined
to understand the motivations of criminals—mostly the violently insane
kind—as well as how they chose their victims. In Collis, he used that
absorbed knowledge to find the murderer of several women. A murderer who
happened to be his cousin.
“Perhaps his last robbery or two drew
blood.” Simon turns his gaze back to the crowd as he continues. “Maybe
unexpectedly. But he liked the thrill and sense of power it gave him.”
“And now he wants to feel that way again,” I finish. “Theft isn’t what drives him anymore.”
Simon
nods once. “He’s wondering what it would be like to actually kill
someone. With all the noise and commotion today, he could probably get
away with it.”
I study the crowd, which has over a dozen women
and older men who would be easy to force into an alley or empty
building. One of them was going to become the man’s victim unless we did
something. “Well, then.” I pull away and heft my travel bag onto my
shoulder. “We should separate so he comes after me rather than someone
else.”
“What?” Simon’s blue eyes widen. “Cat, no—that’s a terrible idea.”
I expected his objection, and I’m not angry, though I act like it. “You don’t think I can defend myself?”
He
refuses to play along, shaking his head. “The two of us can’t take him
down. You just pointed out he could probably overpower me, and he
undoubtedly has a knife.”
“Then get help.” I use only my eyes to
point to another corner of the square where two red-haired men sit on
horseback, watching over the festivities. One of the first things we’d
done on arriving in Brinsulli was identify those charged with law
enforcement, so we knew who to avoid. “There’s two of those reeves over
there. The ones with the gold braid on their shoulders.”
Simon hardly spares them a glance. “Why would they listen to me? I’m a stranger.”
“Yes, but protecting people is their job. Pretend you’re worried about my safety. Be persuasive.”
“I
wouldn’t have to pretend.” He catches my elbow as I start to walk away,
the first signs of anger on his pale face. “I can’t let you do this.”
“Can’t let me?” I tear my arm from his hold. “You aren’t actually my husband, Simon. You have no right to tell me what to do.”
“Stop it, Cat,” he snaps. “I know this is for show. We’ll figure out another way to stop him.” Simon reaches for me again.
I dodge his grasp. “There’s no time. He’s watching us now, isn’t he?”
Simon’s
eyes flash over my shoulder, and he clenches his jaw so hard a vein
bulges from his neck. “Yes. He’s already coming closer.”
“Then hurry. I’ll head toward the river.”
His expression almost breaks my resolve. “Please don’t do this,” he whispers.
I take a step backward. “Keep talking. I’ll listen for you.”
And I whirl around and disappear into the crowd.
* * *
My
silver voidstone bracelet is in my bag, and I dig inside as I storm
away, staying in.ade of awnings and buildings as much as possible so the
sun can’t wash away the magick constantly provided by the moonstone
around my neck. As soon as my fingers touch the smooth, black stone, I
push all my senses but hearing into its bottomless depths. Smell isn’t
that much of a loss, especially surrounded by sweaty bodies and
waste-filled alleys, but reducing touch makes me stumble when my foot
hits the street with less force than I anticipate. Enhanced sight will
probably come in handy, but I need to focus on what I can hear more, so I
only reduce it by about half. I can still see better than everyone
around me, but now none of those voided senses can come back until I see
the moon, which won’t rise for several hours.
I strain to listen
for footsteps behind me, but there are many, and I stop for a second to
reclose my bag and hoist it back onto my shoulder. The pause allows me
to pick out the gait that halts and resumes when I do. His breathing is
then easy to connect to the steps. Beneath is a rapid, excited
heartbeat. I have him.
The streets ahead are lined with shops and
stalls, but the crowds are already thinning out. Beyond, the city docks
on the tidal river are nearly empty of workers and sailors. It is a
holiday, after all. I’ve overestimated how long it will be before I’m
isolated enough to be at risk, so I slow my pace and pause at a fruit
stand. When I turn, I’m careful to keep my expression annoyed, like the
argument with Simon is still on my mind rather than the look in his
eyes. He was terrified. I try to tell myself that’s better, because then
his urgency in getting help will be genuine.
In the corner of my
vision, the blond man also stops, pretending to admire a display of
colorful scarves embroidered with golden suns. He’s shorter than me by
at least an inch but stockier than I’d realized. My fingers
unconsciously itch for my belt, where not long ago I carried a
hammer—ostensibly for work at the construction site, but really to smash
hands that had a tendency to reach into my skirt as I went by. The
master architect always sided with me, even when I actually broke
fingers. I don’t have a way to defend myself now.
“See anything you like?” The merchant behind the counter startles me out of my thoughts.
I
decide another minute is worth parting with a few coins. “How much for
the apples?” I ask. It’s too early in the season for most varieties, but
he has a few green ones.
The man names a price, and I’m so
nervous I can’t make the conversion to know if it’s a fair sum or I’m
being robbed. It’s probably too much; my Gallian-style clothes
practically shout that I’m a foreigner. Rather than haggle, I rummage
into my bag, making a show of reaching to the very bottom to fish out
the smaller of my purses. No sense in attracting the attention of any
other thieves who might be watching by showing how much I really carry.
Then I deliberately offer slightly less than the seller said, thinking
to drag the interaction out. “Is this enough?”
Either I
miscounted what I hold or he expected me to talk him down, because he
accepts the coins and sweeps his other hand over the fruit. “Take your
pick.”
I make a show of selecting a plump one with a more golden
hue, then rub it on my sleeve until the skin shines before biting into
it. The intense flavor brings tears to my eyes as I chew and then
swallow. “Tart,” I manage to say around pinched lips.
He chuckles like he was waiting for my reaction. “Sweeter ones won’t be ready for a month.”
“Of
course.” I thank him and move on, noting that my shadow also continues.
I nibble at the apple’s almost transparent flesh as I walk. The flavor
isn’t actually that bad, just strong and unexpected. It was harder to
void taste when it wasn’t in active use.
The streets are
progressively less populated, but it’s still a rather public area. I
need to act like I have a destination, so I stop a passerby to ask the
way to the nearest inn. His drunken answer is hardly coherent, but I go
in the direction he points since it’s south, toward the river, as I said
I’d go.
“Cat, where are you?” Simon’s voice calls from somewhere
behind me. No one else around would be able to distinguish it from
crowd noise at this distance, but I can. “We’re coming.”
We’re coming. He’s found someone. There’s no way I can answer him, but knowing he’s on his way bolsters my courage.
Now to set a trap.
I
stay on the right side of the street and in the shade, glancing down
alleys as I pass to get a feel for what they’re like here. Not much
different from Collis—often narrow enough for me to touch both walls
with my arms outstretched. Buildings on either side are rough stone at
the base and patchy plaster above with occasional wooden beams.
Excellent for climbing up, though it will be more difficult in my long
skirt. He won’t expect me to try, though.
The man’s footsteps are
closer, and the brackish smell of the Tamse River is stronger. There
will be more people around when I reach the docks, so he won’t wait much
longer. I strain to hear Simon. The apple is still distractingly tart,
but he’s saying my name just loud enough.
“Catrin, Catrin, Catrin…”
Then another voice, very close to him. “I see a girl with dark hair ahead. Is it braided, going well down her back?”
“Yes.” Simon’s answer to whoever is with him is louder, and relieved. “Dark brown skirt and tan jacket.”
“That’s her, then. There’s a man right behind her—”
I’m
so focused on listening that I step into the sunlight and miss the
heavy footfalls right behind me, sudden and rushed. A meaty hand over my
mouth smothers my scream, and I’m yanked backward into an alley between
two houses.
Before I can put up much of a struggle, I’m slammed
against a wall so hard the back of my head whiplashes into the stone. I
swear I can feel my brain hit the inside of my skull and the world spins
even as I’m held upright by a hand at my throat.
With one hand
gripping my neck, however, my attacker has to back away and reach for
his belt with the other. I flail and kick, managing to connect one
boot-clad foot with his knee and my forearm knocks the knife out of his
hand before he has a good grip on it. He swears and drops me to retrieve
his weapon. I fall to my knees, clutching my neck and coughing.
It’s
darker in here than I would’ve expected at this time of day, but that’s
actually to my advantage. My magick was fully restored the instant I
was out of the sun, and I can hear again.
“Wait, I’ve lost her.”
“Cat!” Simon shouts in panic. “Where did you go?”
I
lurch to my feet, reaching for the wall—my escape—and my fingers find
holds as one foot braces against a stone to lift myself higher until I’m
violently yanked back down by my braid. I try to scream as I hit the
packed dirt, but nothing comes out, and I croak helplessly as my
attacker drags me deeper into the gloom by my thick hair, his retrieved
knife at my throat. He pulls me around a corner, out of view from the
street, where no one can see us.
Sun and skies, this was a mistake.
CHAPTER 2
At
first I hope my attacker will look through my bag or search me for
jewelry before anything else, but Simon was right. Violence is what he
wants now.
He props me up against the wall and presses his dirty
hand against my mouth as he kneels over me. Some strength is returning
to my limbs, but with his blade pressing my windpipe I don’t resist.
The way he smiles is terrifying. Tears in my eyes are half from pain, half from fear. Why can’t I hear Simon anymore?
Light
on the man’s shoulder tells me why. The sun is shining into this angle
of the alley, on my lower legs, which are exposed by the skirt that has
lifted to my knees. Even that small amount on my skin is enough to
overpower the magick provided by the moonstone on my neck.
“You’re prettier than I thought,” he whispers. “Spirited, too. Were you going to climb all the way to the roof?”
He’s
taunting me, not realizing I could have made it out of his reach if I’d
had a few more seconds. The knife slides sideways to lift the necklace
off my skin. “Is this real silver?”
