Behind her, the quilts rustled.
“Daenae run from me,” Kayden murmured, voice thick with sleep.
She froze.
“I am not running,” she said quickly, though her pulse betrayed her.
He only chuckled softly.
When she turned again, he was watching her with an unreadable expression. Not demanding, not distant, but simply… aware.
The air between them felt different now. Charged. Heavy.
Outside, the horses shifted restlessly, reminding them both of the journey ahead.
Kayden watched Lilliana out of the corner of his eye as they rode home. It’d been at least twenty minutes since they’d left Old Fergus’s cottage, and yet he could still feel the ghost of her fingers on his arm.
He suppressed a shiver, wondering what she had been thinking when she had caressed him like that.
Does she want me?
He probably would have given in to her if she did.
He could not help but wonder what Jacob would say, and he almost smirked.
“Why would ye nae want to give her what she wants?” his cousin would have asked, probably looking at him as if he had lost his mind.
Kayden was not a fool. He knew that he had run away from intimacy since the death of his sister. It had been the final straw in a long history of loss. But there was something about Lilliana that truly made him afraid for his heart.
Why would I nae give her what she wants?
It’s because I daenae ken if I would survive if something happened to her.
He stared at Lilliana as the realization hit him. He’d been keeping her at arm’s length because he did not want her to worm her way into his heart.
I think she did that anyway.
His heart sank. He was not ready to confront those feelings. Thankfully, they arrived at the castle, and Rua appeared, barking loudly in greeting. He followed the horse all the way to the stables.
Lilliana sighed. “At least your pet likes you. Mine has abandoned me for a warm kitchen and a never-ending supply of food.”
Kayden laughed. “Doesnae she still seek ye out to sleep?”
“About half the time, sure. The rest of the time, I fear she’s seeking out other felines to fornicate with.”
Kayden could not help chuckling louder.
He stepped out of the carriage, rubbing Rua’s ears in greeting while the dog barked happily. He straightened up and stretched out a hand to help Lilliana down, before collecting her bags and handing them over to the groom to be taken to the castle.
“What’s next, then?” he asked her.
“Hmm.” She pursed her lips. “I think that once I’ve tested the samples we collected, we have to look for the source. I’m already sure there’s a poisoner, but now we have to get the particulars.”
“And how do we do that?”
“We must visit every source of water the villagers use. Especially the ones who have fallen ill.”
Kayden nodded. “Fair enough.”
