CHAPTER 12
The journeyto Inverness had been uneventful, at least. That was something.
Evander’s head ached, and his eyes were gritty from lack of sleep. He was sure he hadn’t had more than two minutes’ sleep the previous night, to say nothing of other things that had occurred.
He clenched his jaw to stifle a yawn, resolutely refusing to let himself think of the kiss, of the way Skye had felt under his hands, the way she’d kissed him back?—
Nay. Stop it. Now isnae the time.
He smothered another yawn, trying resolutely not to think of the ache in the pit of his belly, and concentrated on pushing his way through the crowds.
Inverness was crowded, as usual. Market stalls lined the streets, the air was full of shouts and laughter, and sellers called out their wares indiscriminately to any passers-by. They yelled prices—ludicrous prices for the most part, obviously intending to drop the amount to a more ordinary level once a little haggling had taken place.
Here, just about anything could be bought for the right amount. There was the usual array of fabrics, tools, trinkets, perfumes, and jewelry, but also more exotic goods.
One stall was laden with furs, the patterns and textures of which didn’t seem to belong to any animal in the Highlands. Skye, who had darted ahead, criss-crossing the space between stalls to peer at the wares at random, slowed down beside the fur stall, frowning.
The seller, a craggy-looking man with a shiny bald head and small, mean eyes, leaned forward and named an eyewatering price. Shivering, Skye pulled back.
“Those poor creatures,” she whispered, nudging her shoulder against Evander’s. “I daenae mind using deerskins and such, because I ken that we use every part of the animal. I daenae mind wool because the sheep doesnae die. But I think it’s such a crying shame to strip an animal of its coat just… justbecause.”
“Cruelty is a second language for some people,” he responded briskly. “Ye’ll nae change their minds.”
“Nae if I daenae try,” she murmured, twisting around to look over her shoulder.
For one horrifying moment, he thought that she was going to plunge back into the crowd and confront the man. However, at the last minute, she shook her head and mercifully faced forward once more.
“Stay focused,” he instructed. “We’re here to get ye a dress, and then we can move on. Look for a stall selling ready-made clothes. We daenae have time to buy fabric and make something for ye.”
She hummed to herself, and he eyed her warily.
“Did ye hear me, lass? We arenae here to shop.”
She clicked her tongue. “I’m naeshopping. I’m just looking.”
Abruptly, she tore away from him, hurrying over to yet another jewelry stall. He followed, smothering a sigh.
This stall sold a variety of jewels. Nothing precious, no gold or silver or valuable stones, only polished wooden beads, intricately braided twine or thread, and smooth stones. Hagstones, mostly. Evander wandered over to stand beside Skye. She was poring over the jewels, gasping and cooing.
The seller was a round-faced woman, aged anywhere between forty and sixty, with iron-gray hair and a placid smile on herface. She made no move to make any offers, nor did she bother sitting forward and eagerly trying to make a sale.
“Hagstones are popular,” she remarked, gesturing. “They’re portals, ye ken. Ye can look straight through and see that which is usually unseen. Useful, ye ken?”
Evander glanced down. The hagstones were piled up in a wooden box. They were all different sizes, colors, and shapes. Some were smooth and had clearly been carved into a polished shape. Others were as rough and ugly as if they’d been picked up from the dirt, brushed clean, and slipped onto the end of a braided leather string.
To make her point, the woman picked up a stone, roughly triangular, and held it up over her eye. The eye landed squarely on Evander.
“Now I can see ye as ye truly are,” she whispered softly.
Evander flinched. “Come away, lass. We’ve got no time to waste.”
He didn’t wait for a response, turning instead and striding off through the crowd. He couldn’t move fast, of course, what with all the people crowding around them and the two horses trooping behind him.
Skye gave an annoyed tut, hurrying to catch up with him.
“I was justlooking.”
“Well, we daenae have much time,” Evander shot back. “Less chatting, more walking.”
