My hands stilled on the thread. “Ailish would never hurt me.”
“Is that a fact?” Justine shot back. “So she did just gentle you away on the Sea Witch as she claimed. From the way you explained it, I assumed it was more like having your spirit yanked out of your body. And then there’s the burn she left behind. Maybe it was different for you, but from what I recall, it hurt like the dickens the time I brushed skin with one of Death’s descendants.”
The truth hung between us, awkward and undeniable. “Well, she won’t do it again.”
Justine mumbled something into her cup, though it was Ailish’s words from earlier that filled my head. “He’ll come back, you know, and I’m afraid o’ what he’ll ask me to do.”
A door banged open at the front of the inn. A moment later Henry came into the dining room and crossed to the armchair. “It’s time to go,” he said, studiously ignoring both my brother and Julian. “Either the ladies have been successful or are in need of assistance.”
Sean straightened to his full height and strode from the room like a man possessed. The rest of his band followed close behind. Tom chuckled at the parade as he pushed to his feet, in no wise concerned that Cate required assistance. Julian shared in his mirth, while James appeared to be wound tighter than a spring, his thoughts no doubt on Nora.
Once mounted, we rode in small groups through the town, each taking a different route to avoid suspicion from any other guards or soldiers who happened to be about. No lanterns were to be used until we reached the forest, and darkness loomed large on all sides. Wind funneled from the sea between the stone and wood structures, tugging at the edges of my cloak and driving the scattered raindrops against my face. At the abbey, Henry and I proceeded south where our path soon crossed with Sean and Julian.
No one spoke as we approached the gate tower. At the last fifty paces, Sean spurred his horse to a trot, Marin’s mount on a lead behind him. He rode straight into the passageway, where the pitch black swallowed him whole. We entered a few seconds later, plunged into temporary blindness and surrounded by the chaotic din of iron horseshoes reverberating off the stone tunnel.
To be sure, we made a ruckus to stir the dead, and I prayed Cate had succeeded in her task or we would soon have additional company. My answer came on the other side when I reined to find Sean dismounted with Marin secure in his arms. A minute later, Tom and the others came through the tunnel.
He swung to the ground. “What did you do with the guards?” he asked, when Cate appeared.
“Left them inside to sleep off the wine.”
Marin patted her horse’s neck, and then with a boost from Sean, settled into the saddle. “Never seen grown men turn groggy-headed from just one cup,” she said. “‘Twas unnatural if you ask me.”
“Lucky lads,” Tom said, “to trade hours of freezing boredom for dreams of two vixens.” Rather than a boost, he lifted Cate directly onto the extra mount he had led from town, and then remounted his own.
“Oh, I’ve a fair notion fairies intend to visit tonight,” Cate said, with a mischievous note to her voice. “And come morning those guards will be begging their commanding officer to leave Ireland.”
With a chuckle, Tom turned his attention to our party. He carried a sword on his back, as did the other men, though Henry was the only one with the addition of a spear mounted on the side of his horse.
“Keep alert,” Tom said, all levity gone from his voice, “and stay to the road the best you can. We’ll light lanterns once we’re in the trees and away from prying eyes.”
He moved to the front where Cate joined him. Henry and I took our places next, and the rest of our party fell into line behind us. We set off at a steady walk that I hoped would see us to the forest within half an hour. The wind seemed to pick up speed now that we were out in the open, and I tucked my chin down to keep the rain off my face.
“The storm’s turning for the worse,” Tom said to Cate, his words drifting back to me.
“I believe you’re right.” Her dark form twisted in the saddle toward the sea, then settled back into the proper position. “It has a strange feel to it, though, something I’ve not sensed for a long time.”
“Aye, I was thinking the same. There’s more in the air than just the wind tonight.”
I leaned forward in anticipation of Cate’s response. She said nothing more, and the silence gave way to the methodic thump of horse hooves.
Glancing at Henry, I found him staring ahead at the forest line. His strong form was little more than a shadow against the night sky. He rode with his usual languid grace, and despite the current tension, my pulse quickened at the sight of him.