“Oh, sweetheart, are you okay?”
The child lunged for her, wrapped his thin arms around her legs, and sobbed.
The sound broke her heart. She lowered into a squat and hugged him. “Did they hurt you?”
He shook his head. “The pixies were here. The one with the blue wings told me not to cry. She said you and Gregor would come for me. But I couldn’t stop crying. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Tev. I’m here now.”
“Where’s Gregor?”
“He’ll come.” She prayed for her words to be true.
She picked up Tevin and hugged him close, then returnedto the outer chamber. “I don’t understand,” she said to Ciaran and his brother. “Why are you keeping us prisoner?”
Ciaran glared at Tevin. “Because his father is responsible for ourdearsister’s death.”
“Maybe we should let them go,” Cinead suggested. “’Tisn’t like we can keep them, and we cannot kill them. Can we?”
Shit. These men were crazy. Emily’s heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach.Please Gregor. Come for us. If he didn’t, she didn’t want to imagine what would happen to her and Tevin.
* * *
Gregor had stalked the white stag a distance from where he left his horse when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. An uneasy dread settled in his gut. He scanned his surroundings. Afternoon waned. Shadows darkened the wood. He sensed he wasn’t alone.
He held his bow in a taut grip.
A sudden breeze blew through the trees, rustling leaves, and within its breath buzzed three pixies. The lavender pixie flew in close, hovered in front of his face, and blew dust in his face, again, then backed away quick.Tee teehee hee.
Gregor swatted at her. He didn’t want to hurt her, just wanted her to leave him alone.
She landed on his shoulder, grasped wee handfuls of his hair and, with a flutter of wings, yanked. He shook his head. She lost her hold, fell to his shoulder on her rump, tumbled backwards twice, and then lifted into the air.
The other two pixies snickered then joined the assault. All three wee creatures flew at him, each grabbing hair and pulling as if to draw him in the opposite direction from that taken by the white stag.
“Stop it!” he shouted, annoyance making his voice harsh. He attempted to fend them off without hurting them, but after several minutes, he gave in. “All right. What is it you want?”
One flew backwards, waving an arm for him to follow. The other two joined the first. He nodded and followed their erratic flight through the wood to...
His horse grazed sparse grass in the shade of an oak exactly where he staked the beast. If he hurried, they’d arrive home as the hour before gloaming shadowed the land.
Tee teehee hee. Tee teehee hee.
The pixies giggled then vanished as if they’d never been there.
He must be daft to trust the fae pixies. Gregor grimaced and straddled his horse. He reined the animal homeward. Clearing the wood, he rode along the ridge headed for the stable, beyond exhausted, eager for a hot bath, hot meal, and an eve’n within his wife’s warm embrace. When he rode into the stable yard, he found the chief and hislèine-chneasgathered, preparing to mount.
“Tevin has gone missing,” the chief exclaimed. “Lach admitted having learned in confidence that the wee lad set off with Ciaran. Stephen’sbairnbelieves they travel to Ben Nevis to hunt dragons. I doubt they have traveled to the mountain. My guess is Ciaran has something more nefarious planned, and closer to home.” The chief glanced past Gregor. “Where is Emily?”
“We parted where the woodland trail meets the ridge. She was to head directly to the stables and Castle Lachlan while I stalked the white stag. Did she not arrive at the keep?”
“Lad, did Mistress Emily return her mount?” the chief asked of a passing stable lad.
“Nae, sir. The horse wandered in alone, and lame. I have not seen the lady.”
“Why was I not informed?” he blustered. “Never mind. Bring a fresh mount for Gregor.”
Stunned by the news, Gregor stood still as stone.What the hell happened to Emily?
