"Probably tae keep her from runnin'." Liliane's throat tightened. "Or tae make sure she couldnae interfere with whatever he had planned."
Tòrr lifted the bar and set it aside with more force than necessary. Then he stepped back, giving Liliane space. "Go on. She needs tae see ye first."
Liliane's hand trembled as she reached for the door handle. For weeks, she'd imagined this moment, finding Nessa, bringing her to safety. But now that it was there, fear gripped her. What if Nessa blamed her for leaving? What if their father had poisoned her sister against her?
She pushed the door open.
The chamber beyond was smaller than she'd remembered, the furnishings sparse but comfortable. A narrow bed stood against one wall, a writing desk beneath a window that overlooked the courtyard. Two women sat near the hearth, their faces startled as the door swung wide.
And there, standing by the window with her back to the door, was Nessa. Her dark hair, so like their father's, hung in a braid down her back.
"I told ye," Nessa said without turning, her voice tight with suppressed fear, "I willnae go quietly. Ye can tell Faither that I'll fight whoever he's sold me tae. I'll make sure it’s nae peaceful."
"Nessa."
The name came out as barely a whisper, but it was enough. Nessa spun around, her eyes going wide. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Then recognition blazed across her sister's face.
"Lily?"
"Aye." Tears were already streaming down Liliane's face. "Aye, it's me."
Nessa crossed the room in three running steps and threw herself into Liliane's arms with enough force to make them both stumble. Her sister was sobbing, her fingers clutching at Liliane's bloodstained clothes as if afraid she might disappear.
"I thought ye'd forgotten about me," Nessa choked out. "I thought ye'd married yer Highland laird and forgotten all about yer little sister."
"Never." Liliane held her tighter, one hand stroking through her sister's hair the way she used to when Nessa had nightmares. "I could never forget ye. I've been plannin' this since the day I left. I promised I'd come back fer ye, and I kept that promise."
"But Faither, he said," Nessa pulled back enough to look at her, and Liliane saw the fear still lurking in her sister's eyes. "He said ye betrayed us. That ye chose yer new clan over yer family. That ye didnae care what happened tae me."
"He lied." Liliane cupped her sister's face, thumbs brushing away tears. "About that and so many other things. I've never stopped carin' about ye. Never stopped fightin' tae take ye somewhere safe."
"Where is he now?" Nessa's voice dropped to something small and frightened. "Will he let me go?"
Liliane opened her mouth, unsure how to answer. How did you tell your fourteen-year-old sister that your father was dead? That he'd died on the end of a sword, his blood soaking into the ground of his own courtyard?
"Yer faither's dead, lass."
Tòrr's voice came from the doorway, gentle but firm. Liliane had almost forgotten he was there, giving them privacy for their reunion. Now he stepped forward, his presence filling the small chamber.
Nessa's eyes went wide, her body going rigid in Liliane's arms. "Who... who are ye?"
"Tòrr MacDonald. Yer sister's husband." He kept his distance, clearly not wanting to spook her. "And the man who killed Roderick Munro not long ago."
The handmaids gasped. Nessa just stared, her face cycling through shock, disbelief, and something that might have been relief.
"Ye killed Faither?" Her voice was barely audible.
"Aye. In combat, outside the walls. He ambushed us when we came tae get ye, and he died fer it." Tòrr's expression was unreadable. "I'll nae apologize fer it. He was a threat tae me wife and tae ye, and I dealt with that threat the only way he'd allow."
Nessa looked at Liliane, questions written all over her face. "Is that true? Faither's really gone?"
"Aye." Liliane swallowed hard. "He's gone. And ye never have tae be afraid of him again. Ye never have tae worry about bein' sold or married off tae some stranger. Ye're free now, Nessa. Truly free."
"Free." Nessa repeated the word like she didn't quite understand its meaning. Then, to Liliane's shock, her sister started laughing. It was a broken, slightly hysterical sound, but there was genuine relief underneath it. "He's dead. He's actually dead. I thought... when he came tae me chamber this mornin', told me tae prepare meself because I'd be wed within the month... I thought that was it. That me life was over before it really began."
"It's nae over." Liliane pulled her close again. "It's just beginning. Ye're comin' with us. Back tae Keppoch, tae me home. Ye'll be safe there. Protected. Nay one will force ye intae anythin' ye dinnae want."
EPILOGUE
