And when she met his gaze, Carice was direct in her silent orders.Take her with you. In this, we have no choice.
He gave a slight shake of his head.I don’t want to leave your side.
Her mouth tightened, and she lifted her chin in defiance.Do this for me, Killian.
He didn’t back down, and neither did she. But she released his palm in farewell. “Trahern MacEgan will come for me,” she whispered. “Trust in that.”
“And if he doesn’t?” he demanded.
“Then you can save me before we reach Tara.” She tightened her grip and commanded, “Let me go, Killian. And perhaps this night, I will be gone from here.”
He didn’t like the way she was speaking, as if she expected to die within hours. But her resolve was unshakable.
“Stay behind with Killian, Lady Taryn,” Carice continued. “Trust in him, and he will bring you to safety. I hope to see you within a day or two.”
Taryn walked beside Killian toward the tower, forcing herself to stand tall, while her knees were shaking. Brodie Faoilin continued on with his traveling party, but only after he peered inside the litter to verify that Carice hadn’t left. Taryn let the chieftain believe she intended to speak with her mother.
Killian won’t stay with you, her mind warned. Why would he? He had already said that his only loyalty was toward Carice. His promise to bring her to Tara had fallen apart, now that her mother’s men were in pursuit. Her only hope was to get help from the MacEgan tribe.
The wagons continued on the main road while they waited. “Go with your sister,” she told him. “I know that’s what you’re wanting to do.”
“It is,” he admitted. “But Carice is right. I cannot leave a woman behind unprotected.” He took her hand and led her toward the stone chapel. “You should have told me about your mother’s soldiers.”
She hadn’t, for he would never have agreed to help her. “I had hoped she would not find me this quickly.” There was naught to be done for it now.
It was late afternoon, and she studied their surroundings. The stone chapel was quite small, with rectangular blocks fitted together, and a wooden roof. She detected the scent of incense, and it reminded her of the Holy Mass she’d attended at her father’s side.
Sunlight filtered through the open windows of the chapel, casting shadows upon the stone floor. Behind Killian, she spied Carice’s cat, Harold, who apparently had decided to stay with them.
It shouldn’t have bothered her, but she remained wary. The feline nudged at her skirts, circling her slowly. Almost as if he were contemplating the best time to attack. She remained frozen in place, and Killian bent down to rub the animal’s ears.
An old priest was on his knees praying, and neither of them spoke, waiting for him to finish. At last, he rose to his feet and greeted them. “May the peace of God be with you both.”
Taryn murmured her own offer of peace, and Killian greeted the old man with the same. Then he said, “Soldiers are pursuing us, Father. We would ask if you might grant us a place to hide until nightfall.”
“Of course, you may seek the sanctuary of the church,” the old man began, but Taryn could see that he didn’t understand the dire nature of their circumstances.
She moved closer and said, “They are searching for me, Father. I would not wish to bring danger upon you. All I ask is that you give us leave to hide ourselves, and you need not know where we are. You may let the soldiers search where they will, and they will not harm you if you allow it.”
The old priest’s face grew grave. “What have you done that would cause soldiers to be in pursuit of you, my child?”
Taryn regarded him with honesty. “I am trying to save my father’s life. And there are those who want to stop me from helping him.”
The priest studied her as if searching for a lie, but she had given none. “Then go. If this is true, then God will hide you beneath the shadow of his wings.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, offering him a small pearl from her gown by way of thanks.
The priest took it and said, “Go wherever you wish, and I will pray for you both.”
Killian nodded his thanks and took her hand. “We’ll leave now.” As he passed the doorway, Taryn hurried past the cat to avoid him.
“‘Tis only Harold,” he told her, scooping up the animal in his arms again. “He won’t harm you.”
While she knew that, she’d had her ankles and skirts attacked by felines for no reason at all. Best to keep her distance from the animal. Even so, the cat trailed after them while Killian was hurrying toward the round tower. “We’ll hide in here.”
Taryn didn’t like that idea at all. “It’s too easy to find us inside.”
“It will take them a while to get in,” Killian predicted. He led her to a smaller storage building, where he located a ladder. Then he brought her toward the round tower. The high pillar stretched tall above the land, and its diameter was narrow. The doorway was high above her head, and at the moment, it was sealed.
