A dreamless night. An unusual occurrence for nights like the one she had just experienced, but she wasn't about to complain. Perhaps the only thing that could make this morning even better would be not having to deal with the mess her hair always became upon waking. She might not have perfectly defined curls, but her long, wavy mane was more than enough to give birth to a few knots, each carrying a dose of pain she could do without.
Lucía stared at herself in the mirror for a moment as she brushed her hair, absorbed in the image before her. The steel-gray color of her hair wasn't natural, but it suited her so well that she never considered dyeing it another shade. "There are far wilder hair colors out there," she thought with a smile, grateful to have been born in an era where there was much more freedom in such things.
Ten minutes—that was all it took for Lucía to be ready to start her day. Dressed in a pair of black athletic leggings with red stripes running up the outer sides of her thighs and a matching top, her first goal of the day was to go for a run.
A part of her believed that running was the ideal exercise. Something she could do anywhere she traveled to maintain good cardio. Another part of her thought that such a thing was unnecessary for someone like her. But in the end, Lucía made it part of her routine because, ultimately, it was a way to explore and get to know every place she visited.
Running at six in the morning in practically any location in the British Isles wasn't the best idea. Not with its perpetually overcast skies, cold winds, and an almost omnipresent humidity that more often than not heralded the day's rain. Not that any of that bothered Lucía, who simply remembered to grab a jacket before heading out.
It wasn't even a surprise to Lucía when, upon leaving her inn, she saw that she wasn't the only one awake in the small town of Hertford. In fact, she might have been the one who woke up the latest, at least among the early risers.
During her light jog through Hertford's town center, Lucía saw various shops in the commercial district being opened by their respective owners or managers. A man she recognized as Tom was carrying boxes, which she assumed were supplies, through the front door of his pub. A dark-skinned woman in her forties with short, curly hair was cleaning the display windows of a small herbal shop alongside a younger girl who seemed to be her daughter.
Supplies, deliveries, cleaning, anything needed to have businesses up and running first thing in the morning. Lucía even spotted a milk deliveryman making his rounds right behind the newspaper boy. None of it was her concern, but it was still entertaining to observe. It also served as a reminder of why she did her job.
Her work was also part of the reason she decided to go for a run, but she didn't find anything that caught her attention, at least not in the way she had expected. Sure, she found it both strange and disappointing that she hadn't come across a single café during her run, but she doubted that was a sign of any foul play, at least of the kind she was looking for.
Since her brief exploration of Hertford's interior proved unproductive, Lucía changed course, heading toward the outskirts of town to enjoy more of the natural scenery, something she could genuinely appreciate. It would also help clear her mind and stop her from thinking about work for a moment.
"Now that's what I'm talking about." Lucía felt it immediately, the fresh air filling her lungs, accompanied by the rich scent of damp earth and a plethora of herbal aromas. This was how nature smelled, and she loved it.
The slightly cushioned impact beneath her feet, the gentle burn caused by the faint sunlight hitting her skin, the delicious tension in every muscle involved in the physicality of the moment, followed by a sweet, cathartic release. Nothing but the sound of her own breathing and the powerful rhythm of her heartbeat. Running always made Lucía's blood boil, and this time was no exception.
The terrain added its own touch of excitement to Lucía's run. The path was somewhat rugged, with inclines and declines, massive roots cutting across the trail, and the occasional bush forcing her to take a detour. In Lucía's opinion, it was the perfect way to start the day.
"And here I thought my day couldn't get any better," Lucía said after stopping to wash her face in a stream of cool water. It was just a small whim of the moment, to feel the sweet freshness of the water cooling her skin while the muscles beneath still burned with power. One could imagine her surprise when she spotted police tape cordoning off an area just at the edge of her line of sight.
Her instincts kicked in immediately, altering the way she walked and moved, leaving barely a sound behind as she hurried to conceal herself from the officers' line of sight using the foliage. From her small hiding spot, farther from the action than she would have preferred, Lucía barely managed to catch a few words.
"Blackthorn.""The family has already been notified.""Animal attack.""Unusual tracks."
Those were the phrases that stood out to Lucía the most, as they essentially confirmed that there was indeed work to be done in this town, and they also gave her a few clues about the kind of work it would be.
CRACK
Unfortunately, in her eagerness to hear more, Lucía had tried to inch closer to the cordoned-off area, only to step on a dry branch that betrayed her position with a loud snap.
"Who's there?" One of the officers at the scene heard the sound and sprang into action, grabbing a flashlight and pointing it in the direction of the noise's origin. But there was nothing there, and no matter where he looked, there didn't seem to be a single trace that anything had been there at all.
"Phew, that was close," Lucía muttered under her breath as soon as the police returned to their business.
Perched on a thick tree branch a couple of meters above the ground, Lucía realized she had even less visibility of her target now, with all the branches and leaves obstructing her line of sight. That annoyed her a little.
"I'll come back later to investigate."
With that decision made, Lucía climbed down from the tree and resumed her run through the outskirts of Hertford for at least another half hour before she felt satisfied. And it wasn't exhaustion that stopped her, no, it would take much more than that to wear her out. Rather, it was the growl of her stomach that told her it was time for breakfast.
The return to the inn was quicker and far less eventful, but Lucía wasn't about to complain. Truthfully, she enjoyed Hertford's calmer atmosphere compared to what she was used to.
Besides, she was getting plenty of attention, thanks to the tight athletic wear she had on and the sensual sheen of sweat covering her skin, so it wasn't like she would miss the ego boost she usually received elsewhere. The only downside was that among the people openly admiring her, mostly men, but also a girl or two, there was no sign of a certain redhead who had occupied her thoughts since last night.
"On the bright side, at least people here are more reserved," Lucía remarked as she made her way to Cassidy's inn. As much as she enjoyed the vanity of receiving attention, she didn't particularly appreciate everything that came with it, from requests for her phone number to crude compliments.
Setting those thoughts aside, Lucía entered the inn and headed straight to her room for a refreshing cold shower, stopping only to greet Cassidy at the reception. The innkeeper informed her that breakfast would be waiting for her in the small café-restaurant at the back of the building.
As she climbed the stairs to her room after bidding Cassidy farewell, Lucía couldn't help but smile wholeheartedly and murmur to herself, "They even have a café, this inn is almost perfect."
Of course, she kept to herself the thought that having a certain redhead as room service would be the only thing missing to make the place truly perfect.