"Good." Ada pressed a kiss to his chest, right over his heart. "Because I meant what I said. I love ye, Magnus Haraldson. All of ye. Even the broken parts."
Something in his chest tightened. "The broken parts are most of me."
"Then I love most of ye." She smiled against his skin. "The rest is just a bonus."
Despite himself, Magnus laughed. "Ye're ridiculous."
"Ye love me anyway."
"Aye." He tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear. "I dae."
They lay in silence for a few more moments before Magnus finally, reluctantly, acknowledged reality. "We need to go. It's almost full dark, and ye're shiverin'."
"I'm fine."
"Ye're nae fine. Ye're turnin' blue." Magnus sat up, taking Ada with him. "Come on. Before ye catch yer death and Mairi has me head fer bein' irresponsible."
Ada sighed but didn't argue. They dressed quickly, their clothes still damp and uncomfortable. Magnus wrapped one of the blankets around Ada's shoulders.
They mounted their horses, Ada settling into her saddle with visible reluctance. Magnus understood—he felt it too, that pull to stay in this place where nothing could touch them. But duty called. Responsibility. The prisoner waiting in his dungeons who might hold answers they desperately needed.
They rode in comfortable silence, picking their way carefully through the darkening forest. The path was treacherous at night, roots and rocks hidden in shadow, but Magnus's stallion knew the way by heart.
They'd been riding for perhaps twenty minutes when Magnus caught it—the faint scent of woodsmoke on the wind.
He reined in immediately, his hand going up to signal Ada to stop.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"Smoke." Magnus scanned the trees, his eyes adjusting to the gloom. There, beyond the next ridge, he saw a faint orange glow against the darkening sky. "There's a fire. But we're too far from the keep for it to be from there."
"Could be travelers," Ada suggested. "Merchants campin' fer the night?"
"Maybe. But merchants dinnae usually camp on me land without permission." Magnus dismounted, and moved to tie his horse to a nearby tree. "Wait here. I'm goin' tae check."
"Nay." Ada was already sliding from her saddle. "I'm comin' with ye."
"Ada."
"Dinnae 'Ada' me. If there's danger, I'm nae stayin' here alone in the dark." She tied her mare beside his stallion, her expression stubborn. "We go taegether or nae at all."
Magnus wanted to argue. Every instinct screamed at him to keep her safe, to leave her somewhere protected while he investigated. But he also knew that look in her eyes—the one that said arguing would waste time they didn't have.
"Stay behind me," he said finally. "And if I tell ye to run, ye run. Understood?"
"Understood."
CHAPTER 29
They moved through the trees on foot, Magnus leading the way with practiced silence. Ada followed close behind, her steps quiet as usual.
The smoke grew stronger as they climbed the ridge. Voices carried on the wind—low, indistinct. Too many for a simple merchant camp.
Magnus crouched behind a large boulder near the ridge's crest, Ada settling beside him. From there, they could see down into the hollow below.
A camp. Small but organized. Five or six tents arranged in a loose circle, a fire burning in the center. Armed men moved between them—at least a dozen that Magnus could count, maybe more hidden in the tents.
This was no merchant caravan.
