“Interesting,” he murmured. “Very interesting indeed.”
Kai frowned. “What is, my lord?”
Lord Alasdair looked up, his eyes twinkling. “Why, the fact that ye’ve come all this way to warn me, of course. It means ye still have some loyalty to me after all these years.”
Kai stiffened. “I have loyalty to the Order of the Osprey, my lord. Nothing more.”
Lord Alasdair chuckled. “Of course, of course. But tell me, Kai, how do ye feel about Lorna these days?”
Kai paused, caught off balance by the sudden change in topic. “I beg yer pardon?”
The old man leaned forward, his eyes flickering with a mischievous light. “Dinna play coy with me, boy. I may be old, but I’m not an idiot. After what happened between ye, I didnae expect ye to ever return to Dun Cator. Yet here ye are.”
Kai shook his head, his expression hardening. “My feelings for Lorna are irrelevant to the matter at hand, my lord. I came here to warn ye of an impending attack, not to reminisce about the past.”
Lord Alasdair waved a hand dismissively. “Very well, very well. But tell me, Kai, have ye loved anyone since her? From what I hear of yer reputation, ye’ve had no shortage of opportunity.”
Kai scowled at him. “I dinna wish to discuss this.”
Lord Alasdair leaned back in his chair, grinning. “Ah, so thereissomeone! Is it that lass who came with ye? I met her yesterday. Caitlin, is it? She struck me as a rare kind of woman.”
“Aye, she’s... different all right,” Kai said slowly. “She challenges me, makes me face things I’d rather ignore. But she also makes me feel things I havenae felt in a long time.”
Kai blinked, surprised to be saying these things. Where had that come from?
This meeting had been a mistake. He should never have come here; the old man always had a way of getting under his skin. He mumbled something about having other errands to run and quickly made for the door, not wanting Lord Alasdair to see the flush in his cheeks.
As he reached for the door handle, Lord Alasdair’s voice stopped him. “Ye are running away, boy. Running away from what ye feel for that girl. That is a mistake. If ye have a chance at happiness ye should seize it or spend yer life regretting it. Take it from someone who knows.”
Kai turned back to the old man, his eyes narrowed. “Ye dinna know anything about my life. I would thank ye to keep yer opinions to yerself.”
With that, he walked out, letting the door slam behind him.
Chapter 17
Caitlin sat staringout of the window. The view from her room was mesmerizing. The sea stretched away to the horizon in a great gray-green blanket. On a day like today, when the sun shone and made the waves sparkle like jade, it seemed full of endless possibilities.
