Bryn studied him. “And what are ye offering us this time? More gold?”
“Nay, but I can offer ye something better. Retribution. Help me and ye will get the chance to pay back those who betrayed both of us. Those things they’ve accused me of? Accused the Order of the Osprey of? None of it is true and if ye help me bring the real perpetrators to justice ye will be helping stop one of Alba’s most dangerous enemies.”
“Why would I help the Order of the Osprey?”
“Self-interest. If we catch the culprits, there’s a chance we could get yer boys freed. At the very least ye wouldnae have to keep looking over yer shoulder every minute, expecting a visit from the guards.” He cocked his head, regarding Bryn. “Or perhaps I can offer ye more.”
Bryn’s eyes narrowed, his gaze flickering between Oskar and Lily. “More? What do ye mean?”
“We have a common enemy, Bryn. A foe that threatens not just the Order of the Osprey, but Alba itself. They betrayed ye and framed us; but the truth is far more sinister than ye can imagine. I dinna believe ye would allow Alba’s enemies to go unchallenged. Prove that. Prove that there’s more to ye than just a street thug and I can offer ye a different path.”
Bryn’s nostrils flared. “Ye want to throw us into the lion’s den to save yer own skin. We are not fools, Galbraith!”
Oskar shook his head. “I havenae come here to trick or deceive ye, Bryn. I was once offered a second chance, a chance to take another path. I’m offering ye and yer boys that same chance. Ye can go back to yer hideout and carry on running yer gang, intimidating and threatening people, feuding with yer rivals, and trying to stay one step ahead of the guards, or ye can choose something better.”
Irene MacAskill’s words echoed in his head.The road ye enter may lead to darkness or greatness. Choose wisely.
Was this the road she’d meant? Was he making the wise choice? He didn’t know. He only knew he had to try.
“The Order of the Osprey took a chance on me and I’m taking the same chance on ye now,” he said. “Help me. Join us.”
Bryn stared at Oskar, his expression unreadable. It was a risky move, to offer the notorious gang leader a way into the Order. Yet there was something in Bryn’s eyes that made him feel that this was not a lost cause. For the first time since he’d known him, Bryn’s eyes flickered with something other than anger and bitterness.
“Wait here,” he barked at Oskar.
He and his men retreated into an alley and Oskar could hear them whispering feverishly. A moment later, Bryn and his men returned. He hooked his thumbs in his belt as he looked Oskar over.
“All right, Galbraith,” he said. “I hope I dinna live to regret this but we’re in.”
MOONLIGHT LIT THE CITYas they set out to find the one place in all the world Lilyreallydidn’t want to see again. Her heart raced as she kept pace with Oskar, their hoods drawn up to shield them from prying eyes. The air was crisp and held thescent of wood smoke and the distant sea and her breath misted in the air before her..
“Keep close,” Oskar whispered, his voice low and steady.
She didn’t need reminding. She looked behind but saw no sign of Bryn and his crew. They were like phantoms, flitting through the alleys and backstreets with the ease of shadows.
She and Oskar paused at a corner, pressing themselves against the cool wall of a baker’s shop. Oskar’s hand found hers.
“Are ye certain of the way?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.
“I think so,” she replied, although she wasn’t sure in the least. The streets were a labyrinth, and easy to get lost in. What if she got this wrong? She tried to calm her thumping heart and looked around. No. This was right. She recognized this baker’s shop from when she’d fled.
“Watch out!” Oskar said suddenly.
They ducked into an alley just as a group of guards marched by, their red sashes a stark contrast against the plaids that wrapped their burly forms. The guardsmen’s purpose was clear. They were hunting for Oskar and Alfred Brewer. Lily felt Oskar’s muscles tense, his hand straying to the hilt of his sword.
“Patience,” Bryn’s voice floated from the shadows. “They havenae seen us.”
As the patrol passed, Lily let out a long shuddering breath. They emerged from the alley and carried carefully on their way, blending into the flow of the city’s lifeblood. Lily focused on the rhythm of her breathing, on the soft echo of their footsteps, on the vision of Emeric and Magnus who depended on them. There was no room for fear.
“This way,” she murmured, leading them through a narrow passage that opened to a street lined with merchants’ stalls now shuttered for the night. She stopped again, piecing together the faded image of the hideout’s entrance in her head.
“Almost there,” she assured them. “At least, I think so.”
They turned down a dark alley, the only sound the distant clinking of metal and occasional shouting from the inns. Lily’s heart raced, and she could feel a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. The alley emptied into a large courtyard lined with grand black and white timbered merchant’s houses.
She pointed to one in the corner. “That’s it.”
“Are ye sure?” Oskar asked softly.
