Tomorrow night...the wind spoke in a whisper. Or perhaps it was the rush of blood in my ears, reminding me of the promise I’d made earlier.
A gust snapped at my hood. I scrabbled with one hand to pull it back into place when another found me, this time from the opposite direction. The wool slipped from my fingers, and rain pelted my cheeks. An icy breath whipped through my curls, cutting a swift path over my nape. The short hairs stood rigid, and I shook as though touched by an electric shock.
Taken unaware, my boot slid from the stirrup, shifting my weight over the edge of the saddle. At the last second, I grabbed the pommel to keep from tumbling backward.
Henry moved closer until our horses almost touched. “Are you all right?”
Regaining my foothold, I tightened my grip on the reins and used my free hand to yank the hood over my head. Residual prickles crawled over my skin. “I’m fine. Just a wayward boot.”
He watched me for a moment longer before returning his gaze to the forest. The first trees appeared on our sides, their bare branches rattling from the wind. The incline grew noticeably steeper with the thickening tree line. A little farther and the storm slackened behind the natural barrier of massive trunks and a smattering of evergreen boughs.
Tom reined once we were all well inside. A shower of sparks flew from the shelter of his hand a second before his lantern sprang to life. Several other lanterns followed, casting our party in a soft yellow glow.
“These woods have a feel of the Tuatha Dé to them,” he said.
Cate pulled back her hood. “They’re ancient for certain, and infused with the memory of their power.” She glanced around, first at the woods, and then at each member of our party. “It’s got the feel of something else, though I can’t quite put my finger on it.” Her gaze slowed over Sean and Julian, a faint shadow coloring her face. It lingered for a moment before the shadow cleared, and she continued to Henry. “Is this where you fought Lugh, my lord?”
He pointed a gloved finger along the path that wound over the crest of the hill. “In a small valley on the other side there.”
A low whistle came from James at the notion of swordplay with the sun god, and I marveled yet again at how well he had taken the news of Henry’s ancestry. Sean didn’t say anything, just kept near Marin, his eyes averted to the leaf-strewn ground.
Tom looked at me. “Tell us again Deidre’s directions to the dolmen.”
I obliged though there really wasn’t much to say. “We are to follow this path past the charred tree stump until we reach an oak grove. Once there, we travel due north.”
His stare turned searching. “Is that all?”
“So far as I know. She hasn’t actually been there herself, but didn’t believe it would be too difficult to find.”
Julian shifted in his saddle. “Do you think she’s telling the truth?”
Annoyance bent my mouth down. “Deidre Byrne has as much to lose as we do. Probably more, since her home is in the same woods.”
“How can you be sure?” he persisted. “For all we know, we’re being led straight to a pack of Cailleach’s hounds.”
Cate considered him for a moment, before turning to Marin. “Did you speak true about the druid’s message? I’ve been away from Ireland for some time, so perhaps I misunderstood the urgency of the situation when you relayed it to me at the inn.”
“You have the right of it, milady,” Marin answered. “He saw signs o’ great evil that’s to come from Wexford. And me dreams show the same.”
“Fianna MacCabe saw something similar,” I added. “Her grandfather was a druid and raised her in the old ways.”
“So I thought.” Cate circled the group with another penetrating gaze. “Let it be known that either the witch Carmen or something equally vile and powerful is imprisoned between our two worlds. And if the druids are right, then this creature is vying for freedom at Ireland’s peril.”
A curse drifted from Julian, eliciting a tight smile from Tom. “You’re right there, my lord. We may all be damned before this night is through.”
“Which is why everyone must decide now whether they proceed or turn back.” Cate’s eyes came to rest on me. “Think carefully on the matter. There will be no judgment for anyone who chooses to wait at the inn.” A mirthless laugh spilled from her lovely mouth. “I promise, if we fail here tonight, everyone will have their chance to fight.”
I lifted my chin to a stubborn line but said nothing. Cate and Tom glanced between Sean and me. Henry also drilled me with a stare, though to his credit, he refrained from starting an argument he’d no hope to win.
Sean whispered something to Marin. She shook her head vigorously. “I’ll do no such thing,” she hissed and reined her horse back several steps.
No one else spoke or showed any sign of leaving.