The guards moved quickly, guiding their horses through the tall grass and scattered trees. For a time, they followed the trail easily enough, the hoofprints marking a clear path through the valley.
Then the ground hardened. The tracks grew faint. Finally, they vanished entirely among a stretch of rocky terrain.Ian dismounted again and searched the ground, frustration tightening his jaw. “Damned clever bastards.”
Callum rode a slow circle nearby. “They knew where the rock would swallow their trail.”
Ian scanned the surrounding hills, his eyes narrowing as he studied the landscape.
Nothing moved. No riders. No smoke. No sound beyond the wind whispering through the grass.
“We lost them,” Flynn said grimly.
Ian’s jaw clenched. He had ridden hard for the fight, eager to burn off the fury simmering inside him. Instead, the raiders had slipped through his grasp like shadows once again.
Callum spat into the dirt. “Ghosts again.”
Ian turned his gaze toward the distant hills. “Nay,” he said quietly.
His voice carried a dangerous promise. “Next time we’ll catch them.”
Yet even as he spoke, his mind betrayed him. Not with thoughts of pursuit or strategy, but with the memory of Arianna’s guarded eyes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The warmth of the kitchens wrapped around Arianna the moment she stepped through the narrow doorway leading into the scullery. The scent of bread and simmering broth hung in the air, mingling with the sound of water splashing into basins. Servants moved quickly between tables, their hands busy with bowls and cloths. Arianna’s gaze searched the room until it landed upon the familiar figure she sought.
Melissa stood near a long wooden table, sleeves rolled high as she rinsed a basket of herbs beneath a stream of water.
“Melissa,” Arianna called softly.
Melissa turned immediately, her face lighting with gentle surprise. “Me lady,” she said warmly, wiping her hands upon her apron as she stepped forward. “I was just preparing yer bathin' herbs. What brings ye down to the scullery?”
Arianna offered a small smile. “I was hopin' ye might walk with me a while.”
Melissa tilted her head slightly. “A walk?”
“Aye,” Arianna said quietly. “In the garden.”
Melissa glanced briefly around the busy room before nodding. “I would be glad to. Give me but a moment.”
She quickly finished with the herbs and murmured a few words to the cook before joining Arianna near the doorway. Together they slipped out of the warmth of the kitchen and into the cool stone corridor. Arianna walked slowly beside her, though her mind churned restlessly.
Servants’ ears were everywhere within the castle walls. That was precisely why she had chosen the garden. They stepped through the back archway and into the open air. The castle garden spread before them in neat rows of herbs and flowers bordered by low stone walls. Lavender bushes brushed the edges of the path, their scent drifting softly on the breeze.
Bees hummed lazily among the blossoms. The late afternoon sun painted everything in warm gold. Melissa folded her hands before her as they walked the winding path between the beds.
“Is somethin' amiss?” Melissa asked.
Arianna hesitated before answering. She glanced around the garden, ensuring no one lingered nearby.
“Melissa,” she said slowly, “do I have yer trust?”
Melissa stopped walking and looked at her in surprise. “Of course ye do, me Lady.”
Arianna studied her face carefully. Melissa had always shown her kindness since the day she arrived at the castle. Yet a quiet voice inside Arianna reminded her of something difficult to ignore. Melissa might be her friend, but she was also loyal to Clan McGuire.
The conflict twisted painfully inside her chest. Arianna forced a faint smile and continued walking.
“I fear… me family may have been placed in a situation because of me marriage,” she said carefully.
