“Like the flower.” Thalia smiled. “Did ye ken that daisies are very good for healin’ cuts and scrapes?”
Daisy shook her head.
Thalia continued, “Well, it’s true. So the next time ye’re out playin’, and ye fall and get hurt, just take some daisies and crush them between yer hands. Like this.”
She rubbed the palms of her hands together, and Daisy mimicked the action.
“Very good!” Thalia praised. “Then, once they’re all nice and crushed, put them on yer cut, or wherever ye’re hurtin’, and they will take the pain away.”
Daisy’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Really. I’m a healer. Ye can trust me.” Thalia winked.
Daisy smiled widely, her anger forgotten.
The rain slowed to a stop around them, and a few rays of sunlight began filtering through the leaves. The storm was finally about to pass.
Thalia stood, attempting to brush off excess dirt before giving up.
“Well, Daisy, I think we had better take ye back home before it gets dark. Ye said ye werenae lost earlier, did ye mean it? Do ye ken how to get back home?”
Daisy nodded. “Aye, I do.”
“Then I’ll help ye get there. And maybe ye’d be so kind as to give me shelter for the night? I’m sort of lost meself.”
“Aye, I kent that already.”
Thalia cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? Did ye now?”
“Ye look like ye’ve been sleepin’ in the woods. Nae to mention ye also smell,” Daisy said. “I didnae say anything before because me faither says it’s nae polite to comment on someone’s appearance.”
Thalia laughed. “Yer faither sounds like a smart man.”
“Were ye also runnin’ away from something?” Daisy asked.
“Aye. I was,” Thalia admitted. “Still am, I suppose.”
Daisy raised her chin proudly. “Then I’d love to help ye.”
CHAPTER 3
Finlay Hunt wasready to rip apart MacAinsley Castle.
His adopted daughter, Daisy, was nowhere to be found. All of his servants were scattered across the estate looking for her, and yet none of them had managed to find her. She had been missing for the better part of the day, and now that the sun was going down, he was beginning to fear the worst.
What if she had gotten lost in the woods? What if a group of bandits had stumbled upon her and taken her as a captive?
Finlay tried to push such thoughts from his mind. This wasn’t the first time Daisy had run away, and it surely wouldn’t be the last.
The sky had started to turn violet. Thick clouds followed the sun’s journey as it sank beneath the hills. At the very least, the storm that had raged through had passed, but it wouldn’t makethe search for Daisy any easier now that they were losing the light.
He sighed, pulling at his horse’s reins and steering him back towards the castle. He would need to restock his supplies; grab lanterns, extra blankets, and clothes to keep the girl warm. He would also need to inform the cook to keep dinner hot for as long as possible.
“Hah!” He kicked the horse into a gallop, and they raced back home.
He ran through the different locations in his mind again. The first time she had run away, he had found her within a few hours in the gardens. However, she had grown more cunning, and Finlay had to expand the search radius more and more each time. He wished he knew how to get her to trust him. He had never been the most patient man, but Daisy was forcing him to expand his limits every day.
Despite the trouble she caused, he really did care for the little girl. There were moments when she would start to bloom, and he got glimpses of the witty, brilliant child that she hid away. He loved those moments, and there had been a few more in recent weeks that made him think they had been making progress.
