"We cannae just wait!" Breana protested. "We cannae?—"
"We wait," Kier repeated firmly. "And we trust Cailean."
As soon as night fell, Breana snuck out of the castle, knowing that what she was about to do was foolish but also knowing thatshe had no other choice. Her fear for Maeve was all-consuming, and she could not just sit idly by and wait around while her sister might be in danger. She had only just gotten her back, and the idea that she might lose her again was completely unacceptable.
Most of the horses were asleep in the stable, and Breana had no idea which belonged to someone and which were just for all of the rebels, but she didn't have time to think about that now. She walked along the row until she found a horse that was awake, and she took that as a sign that this was the one to get her where she needed to go. She led the horse out of the stall, thanking God she'd learned to ride as a child, and attached her pack hastily to the saddle.
"Are ye stealin' that horse?" a voice asked from the shadows.
Breana yelped and spun around to face the corner from where the voice had come. Eoin came out from the shadows, his arms folded, an inscrutable expression on his face.
"I kent ye'd be here," he said. "I came tae wait. Ye're more like Maeve than ye think. She wouldnae have just waited, either." He shook his head. "Ye cannae just ride off alone."
"Please." Breana stepped toward him, pleading as she did. Part of her wanted to back down as she had done her whole life, but she couldn't do that. Not when Maeve's life was on the line. "Please understand. I need tae go. I need tae warn me sister. And it isnae just her—this whole rebellion will fall if we dinnae help Cailean. None of us want that. Please, Eoin—dinnae try tae stop me."
There was a crystalline silence, then Eoin sighed. "Nothin' I say is goin' tae stop ye, I suppose."
"Nothin'," she agreed.
He took a step toward her, looming over her. "I could stop ye. I could make ye stay, physically."
Breana took a breath, a newfound determination filling her. "Do it," she challenged. "And at the first opportunity, I'll slipaway again. I am scared to death for me sister, and I willnae stop until I ken I've done everythin' I can tae keep her safe."
Eoin's expression finally cracked, and it relaxed into something like admiration. "I understand," he told her. "And I ken I cannae keep ye here. So, come on."
"What?"
"Come on," he repeated. "I'm comin' with ye."
Breana could barely believe what she was hearing. "I…ye dinnae have tae do that for me."
Eoin nodded. "I ken. Let's go."
He had a horse saddled in just a few minutes, and as the two of them rode out into the night, Breana's heart was hammering wildly in her chest. There was fear there, of course, but that wasn't all that it was. She couldn't stop thinking about the way that Eoin had looked at her.
For the first time, she'd believed that someone could see her. For the first time, someone had looked at her not just with concern, but with admiration. Like she was an equal. Like she was a partner. For the first time in her whole life, those blue eyes had made her feel like she had found her place.
As though she'd finally found what she was looking for. And now, she needed to make sure she didn't lose it again.
6
Cailean was gone by the time Maeve woke up the next morning, though he'd left a note on her pillow.
My love,
It pains me to leave your side, but I cannot bear to wake you while you're sleeping so peacefully. I'll sneak back to my rooms now to be sure we are not caught and accused of anything wrong (though how could being together ever be wrong is impossible to consider), but know you'll be with me every moment until I see you again tomorrow.
I'm going to be in a meeting with Murtagh all morning, so take some time to explore the castle. See who you can learn about the McKenzies. Talk to the servants, to the residents, whatever you must. I know you don’t feel sure here—so find out what you can and bring it back to me.
Don’t fear, darling. Know we're already a dozen steps forward toward a brighter tomorrow—together.
Always yours,
Cailean.
Maeve finished reading and smiled at the informal style of his writing and the wild declarations of love he was giving hereven for such a short time apart. He really made her feel whole, and she was glad he'd come to her the night before. His presence had kept the bad dreams away.
Now, though, she had a task. She slipped out of bed, washed, and dressed in a casual day dress that would allow her to both be practical and look feminine and approachable for the day. She knew that today was a day for making friends, even if a large part of her wistfully wished she and Cailean were back home in their room in Bruce Castle.
