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His eyes narrow at me, dark and piercing, as if searching for something deeper in my words. “What do ye mean? Ye went in there for him.”
My stomach churns as the memory of the forest comes rushing back. “I ran for as long as I could, but I lost him. I tried to stop long enough to sense what direction he’d went, but that was a mistake because... because I was attacked.”
Casey, who had been pacing nearby, stops dead in his tracks. Bran, leaning against a tree, straightens instantly, his easygoing demeanour melting away.
“What?” Casey says, his voice sharp.
“Attacked?” Bran asks, his usual smirk replaced with a furrowed brow.
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to meet their incredulous stares. “There were men in the woods. They—” I swallow hard, the words sticking in my throat. “They tried to...”
Finn steps forward, his presence solid and reassuring. He places his powerful hands on my shoulders. “She fought them,” he says firmly, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “And when she couldnae fight anymore, someone else... something else stepped in.”
Their gazes snap to Finn, disbelief etched across their faces.
“Something else?” Casey asks, his voice tinged with confusion and skepticism.
“It looked like a… woman. But it wasn’t human. It… it might have been long ago, but not anymore,” I breathe. “She killed them. All of them.”
The weight of my words settles heavily over the group. Casey and Bran stare at me, their disbelief palpable. Bran opens his mouth to say something but closes it again, his usual quick wit failing him.
But Callan, he doesn’t look surprised.
His jaw tightens, his expression unreadable as his gaze flicks to Finn and back to me.
“Callan,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him. “You’re not surprised. Why aren’t you surprised?”
He clenches his fists, the muscles in his jaw twitching. “Not tonight, Triona,” he says tersely. “We’ll discuss it tomorrow.”
“No,” I press, stepping closer to him. “You know something. You knew something. Why won’t you—”
“Not tonight,” he snaps, his voice low and final.
“We leave now,” he says, his tone brooking no argument. “We cannae stay in this area for the night.”
“It sounds like everything was handled, Cal. Why move?” Casey argues.
“Casey,” I interject, my voice trembling slightly as I look at him and then back at Callan. “Those men… they knew me. They’ve been following us.”
The weight of my words crashes over the group. Casey’s face pales as Finn stiffens beside me, his hand resting instinctively on the hilt of his dagger.
“They knew exactly where I’d be,” I continue, my words rushing out in a mix of fear and anger. “One of them even said they split into groups to find us faster.”
Finn steps forward, his voice tight with barely restrained fury. “They wernae after just anyone,” he growls, his gaze flicking to Callan. “They knew her. And they knew her movements.”
Callan’s jaw works as though he’s waging a silent battle with himself. Finally, he exhales sharply. “It’s not safe to talk about here,” he says, his tone clipped. “Jus trust me when I say we cannae risk stayin’ another night.”
Finn’s glare sharpens. “Ye’re holding something back, Callan. Spit it out now, for her sake.”
Callan rounds on him, his temper flaring. “Dinnae start with me, Finn. I’ve been tryin’ to keep this from turnin’ into something worse!”
“Aye, well, felicitations,” Finn bites out. “It’s damn near worse.”
“Stop it!” I shout, stepping between them. My heart is pounding, the reality of everything crashing down on me. “Arguing will not help.”
Finn’s nostrils flare, his jaw clenched tight, but before he can speak, I turn to him. “Finn. We can wait to discuss when things have… settled.”
His chest rises and falls with slow, measured breaths. Anger still lingers in his eyes, but when he looks at me—really looks at me—something shifts. He exhales sharply through his nose, nodding once.
