Cailean swallowed. “Is that what’s going to happen to Barra?”
Rose met his gaze. Her eyes flashed, and he saw a glint of the power of the MacFinnan spellweavers. “No,” she said, lifting her chin. “It isn’t. Because we are going to stop it.”
“We?”
“Yes,we. That’s why I’m here, remember?”
“Lass, ye were brought here to cure a sickness. Now there is no sickness—”
“No. I was brought here to help a people in need,” she cut in. “Regardless of what that help entails. I intend to discover what this curse is and end it.” Her words were fierce, her expression defiant.
“Ye… ye would do that?”
“Of course.” She looked a little puzzled by the question. “I’m a MacFinnan spellweaver. It’s what we do.”
No, he thought.It’s whatyoudo, Rose MacFinnan.
He stepped closer, so close she had to crane her head back to look up at him. The breeze whispered around them, and the waves lapped at his boots, but Cailean barely noticed. He stared down into her bottomless eyes.
“Thank ye, lass,” he said softly.
Her lips parted, and a soft breath hissed through them. “I…”
She trailed off, staring up at him. In that moment, Cailean felt something shift inside him. He could not have named what it was, only that it felt… good.
Rose cleared her throat, stepped back. “Um. We’d better get back to Dun Mallach. I’m going to need a map of the island, and markers, and a list of everyone who has fallen ill.”
“Aye. I’ll send out riders to survey every settlement.”
She nodded, then turned and began walking away. But she’d not gone more than three steps when she stumbled, almost pitching her face-first into the sand and dead fish. Cailean darted forward, got his hands around her waist and steadied her.
Her skin was waxy pale and there was a thin covering of sweat across her forehead. She was pushing herself too hard, he realized. She was exhausted. Her hands shook a little.
“I’m fine,” she protested. “Honestly.”
“Ye are a poor liar, Rose MacFinnan,” he replied. “And I would thank ye to temper that MacFinnan stubbornness and let me help ye.”
She shot him a flat look but clamped her lips shut and didn’t protest as he helped her up the sand dunes to where the horses were waiting.
“Thanks, but I’m okay now,” she said, pushing away from his aid. “The confrontation with the curse just knocked the stuffing out of me a little. I’ll be fine from here.”
He studied her. There were dark circles around her eyes, and she looked fit to drop.
“Ye are in no fit state to ride,” he announced. “Ye will ride with me.”
Before she could protest, he got his arms around her waist and hoisted her up into Arrow’s saddle.
She yelped. “Wait! What are you doing?”
He swung up behind her, settling himself into the saddle. Reaching around her, he gathered up Arrow’s reins.
“Dinna worry about Snip. She will follow us.”
He nudged Arrow’s ribs and sent the gelding off at a canter back towards the southern road, Snip following behind. Rose gripped thesaddle horn but not before she was pushed backwards in the saddle so she was pressed right up against him.
The warmth of her body seeped into him, and thatsomethinghe’d felt on the beach uncoiled in his belly again. He didn’t know what it was.
But he knew he liked it.
