“And ye are a MacFinnan spellweaver,” he countered. “And ye’ve already threatened to turn me into a frog.”
Rose laughed. “It was a toad, actually. And that was only if you didn’t behave yourself.”
His expression turned grave. “And have I? Behaved myself?”
Rose nodded somberly, mirroring his expression. “You have been the picture of the gentlemanly host.”
Cailean blew out an exaggerated breath. “Thank goodness for that. I dinna much fancy life as a toad. Too cold and slimy. And besides, my people would likely skin me if I dared to offend a MacFinnan spellweaver. In case ye hadnae noticed, they hold ye in high esteem, lass.”
Rose snorted. “Why do I get the feeling you’re now making fun of me?”
“Not at all. They do hold ye in high esteem.” His eyes met hers across the desk. “As do I.”
Rose said nothing. It was there again, that something in his eyesthat had been there last night. But last night he was drunk and he wasn’t now. A tingling sensation went through her, and she felt heat rushing to her cheeks.
She cleared her throat and looked down at the map, suddenly realizing there were no more reports to read. The map of the island was now covered with lots of little tally charts. Rose swallowed. There were an awful lot of them.
She rose to her feet so she could get a better look at the map and Cailean came to stand beside her.
“So many,” he breathed.
“So many,” she echoed.
How was she supposed to fix this? The curse was a magic strong enough to affect an entire people and she was a thirty-something divorcee who just happened to have a few tricks at her disposal. How could she expect to make a difference?
A hand settling on her shoulder startled her out of her thoughts. She hadn’t realized she’d closed her eyes or clenched her fists until Cailean rumbled, “Relax, lass.”
She let out a slow breath, trying for a calm she didn’t feel, and forced her attention back to the map. There were cases of sickness all over the island as she’d expected and they were concentrated along the coast, again as she’d expected considering this was where most settlements were found.
But there seemed to be more along the west coast and a cluster in one place in particular. Rose tapped the spot on the map.
“What is this place?”
“Hemkirk,” Cailean replied. He frowned. “I dinna know why there’s such a high concentration there. The place is tiny. Little more than a fishing hamlet.”
“Then I think we’d better find out, don’t you? We were looking for a place to start, weren’t we? Hemkirk it is.”
*
For the secondtime in as many days, Cailean found himself riding with Rose MacFinnan. He could have had some of his men accompany them, but he’d decided against it. They were needed back at Dun Mallach he told himself, although deep down he knew that wasn’t the real reason he had left them behind.
He wanted to be alone with Rose.
As they left Dun Mallach and took the inland path that would take them through the heart of the island to the west coast, he wondered what in all the fates he’d been thinking. It was reckless to be alone with her after what had almost happened between them last night.
He glanced in her direction. She was riding by his side, keeping her seat with more confidence than yesterday although she kept grimacing from time to time as though she still had aching muscles.
To be honest, he would much rather have had her riding with him on Arrow but he could think of no good reason to suggest she do so, so she was mounted on Snip once more. The mare plodded docilely along by Arrow’s side, content to follow the bigger horse’s lead.
It was a good job Snipwasso docile, he reflected, seeing as her rider was giving her very little guidance and paying her scant attention. Instead, ever since they’d left the castle, Rose’s attention had been fixed on the map that she was holding awkwardly in front of her, arms wide as she held it out, studying it with fierce determination.
“It willnae change,” he said. “No matter how much ye stare at it.”
“No, but I might see something I’ve missed,” she said without looking up.
“Lass, with the amount ye’ve been studying that map it’s a wonder ye dinna see it in yer sleep.”
She sighed. “All right. Point taken.” She folded the map and twisted around to stow it in the saddle bag behind her. “Happy?”
