Jude would survive the Abbey’s prying eyes. He would surviveher.
He had to.
Much of his time at the Abbey had been lost to memory, but not everything. There were some things his mind refused to relinquish. The words pressed to his ear as a boy while hands held him flat to a stone floor, the smell of blood in the air, was one of them—
‘You have made your choice, Jude, and now you will reap the consequences.’
8
Maeve
Maeve sagged against the wall at the foot of the stairs and shoved her hand into the pocket of her chemise. She just needed a little bit of comfort. Even a touch of the metal icon would be enough to soothe – until she remembered her favourite icon was in her cloak pocket, the rest still in her bag. She’d left it in a heap by the front door, hadn’t she?
Embarrassment surged in. She couldn’tbelievehow she’d treated Jude. He was still a saint, no matter what he’d been accused of. Every particle of her being screamed at her for the blatant disrespect she’d shown him. And in his own home, of all places. Whether or not he expected her piety – he had turned his back on sainthood, after all, let his magic become tainted – his position required deference. Her behaviour was a reflection of the Abbey. She couldn’t bear the thought that she’d already displayed its image in such a sacrilegious light.
What must he think of her?
She’d tracked mud into the house and left the horse for him to care for, even asked him when she’d meetthe saint. She refused to think about the reverence that had no doubt suffused her voice with that particular question.
Maeve shuddered. She’ddisrobed.
The memories from the night prior were waterlogged and hazy, but she was confident he’d admonished her for her lack of self-awareness. A rebuke she’d most certainly deserved.
At least her chemise wasn’t as sheer as it’d been last night.
She shoved the reminder firmly away as she peeled herself off the wall. If she was going to accomplish her tasks here, she couldn’t allow herself to get caught up in mistakes she couldn’t change. She could only move forward.
With that thought in mind, she followed the faint sound of rattling pots towards the kitchen.
The room was snug and humid, with warm wooden cupboards and an iron range topped with something faintly smoking. The fogged window looked out to a vegetable patch beyond and a greenhouse silhouetted against the gentle slope of the heather-laden moors. Beside the range, a man had his back to her, his entire focus on a knife clamped tightly in his left hand.
Maeve cleared her throat. ‘Hello?’
He turned, knocking into a precariously balanced pitcher in the process. Milk slopped over the side of the blue and white ceramic. Maeve rushed to steady it, smiling at his hasty thanks.
He wiped his hands on a dishcloth before presenting one to her. His palm was warm and dry, enveloping hers completely. Sandy blond curls flopped over blue eyes as he smiled. She smiled back. He wasn’t much taller than her, with shoulders broad enough to take up a doorframe. He looked around thirty, if not younger.
‘Maeve, I’m guessing?’
She nodded, remembering the name Jude had given her. ‘And you’re Elden.’
‘That I am.’ He squeezed her hand one final time before releasing it. ‘You’ve met him?’
‘Last night,’ she replied, not wanting to get into the specifics. ‘I, ah – arrived quite late. He let me in. I think he stabled the horse, as well?’
Elden frowned. ‘Don’t have a stable. He must have taken it to the neighbours.’
Last night?
Maeve chewed her lip, remembering the intensity of the storm. She hadn’t seen another home for miles. A dart of guilt ran through her stomach.
‘How are you finding Ánhaga?’ Elden asked, his thick northern accent rolling off the word.
‘I haven’t seen much of it so far. But it’s, ah – very cosy.’ Maeve paused awkwardly, wondering how to word her request. ‘But I need to find a room to set up my things. Did Jude tell you I’m here to paint his icon?’
Elden nodded. He rolled his lips, studying her for a long moment. Abruptly, he turned away. ‘I’ll leave finding a room up to him.’
Somehow, she doubted the saint would be very helpful – not after their previous interactions, at least.
