Alannah went cold. “What?”
“I found it in their cottage, laid out like it was meant to be found,” she explained. “It didn’t seem odd to me then, but after what you’ve said—”
Alannah took the dagger into her clammy hands. It was beautiful. The gold handle was engraved with a deer curled up to sleep—the same picture as the inn’s sign. The Hart’s Rest. Turning it over, the other side held the image of a harp.
Deep in her bones, Alannah knew it was a parting gift. He’d said they were leaving soon, hadn’t he?
“They’re going to do it tonight.” Alannah didn’t have much time. “I need to go.”
With a quick farewell to Emer, Alannah sprinted back toward the bridge, praying a plan would form as she ran.
*
“What do youmean it’sgone?” Illadan growled at the three men hidden beneath the bridge.
“I mean that it is no longer here,” Dallan retorted. “There’s nothing. No sticks, no hay, no leaves. It’s as though we never did any of it.”
“Did it fall into the river?” Conan asked.
“No sign of it anywhere,” Ardál answered.
A sinking feeling settled in the pit of Conan’s stomach. “Someone must have found it.” And he thought he knew who.
Alannah had stumbled upon them collecting the last of the tinder. Perhaps Dallan’s clever excuse hadn’t been as convincing as they’d thought, even though they’d left some of the wood on her pile.
“You think she figured it out.” Illadan had clearly drawn the same conclusion.
“She caught us in the forest,” Conan said. “I don’t think it’s out of the question.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Finn interrupted. “No matter who moved it, we need to get this finished and get out of here.”
Illadan nodded. “Ardál, have a quick run up and down the nearby banks to see if you can find any of the tinder. You two get started lighting it from underneath.”
Ardál took off down the western bank. Finn and Dallan stepped toward the water and Conan followed Illadan onto the causeway. Then all hell broke loose.
Shouts erupted around them, followed by shadowed figures rushing the bridge. Three here, four there. Once they came close enough, Conan could make out the members of the watch that Alannah assembled to guard the bridge. The vengeful angel herself stormed toward him, dagger in hand.
Conan didn’t want to fight them. They were so few in number, though, that he and the Fianna could hopefully disarm them without doing much harm.
“So much for keeping our involvement a secret,” Dallan muttered from a few feet away. “At this rate, the entire town will be able to tell Cahill exactly what had happened to the causeway.”
“You will step away from the bridge and get out of our town,” Alannah demanded, loud enough for all to hear. She had no lack of bravery, he’d give her that.
“We cannot.” Conan’s chest felt as though it would shatter into a thousand tiny shards.
“Why?” she cried, her voice breaking. “Why must you destroy it? What cause could that possibly serve?”
Conan turned to Illadan. He wasn’t about to spill their entire plan without his leader’s approval, but he’d also sworn to Alannah that he wouldn’t lie to her again.
Illadan pinched the bridge of his nose. “You may as well just tell her.”
“Your king built the bridge as a blockade, not to help travelers cross the river,” Conan explained. “He did it to incite Brian to rash action.”
“And it appears he has succeeded,” Alannah shot back, crossing her arms.
“We were meant to remain hidden,” Conan swallowed. “Obviously, that has gone awry.”
“You have told me nothing but lies since the moment we met.” She took a step forward.
