Lathir stilled. Saint’s breath, now what?
Bran lowered his arms to his sides. “I thought ’twas be best to send a messenger to King Robert to inform him of the situation.” He winked at Lathir. “I might have indicated the newscame from you.”
“Brilliant,” she said as she stood and gave the pirate a hug. His face flushed, but she didn’t care. If word reached the king in time, he could send men to aid them in rescuing her father.
Lord Torridan stood. “Does anyone else have anything to add?”
Silence filled the war chamber.
The noble nodded. “There is much to attend to. I will see you when we sup.” Footsteps firm, he departed.
Her mind filled with the details she needed to attend to prior to departing at first light, she started toward the door.
“Lathir.”
At Kieran’s voice, she turned. The solemn expression on his face hadher guard up.
“As your betrothed, I ask thatyou wait here.”
“Like a defenseless woman needing tending?”
Anger flashed in his eyes. “There is naught weak about defending your home.”
“Nor in leaving my castle in competent hands and riding to war. I believe,” she stated, her voice like ice, “I made it clear that once wed, we shallrule together.”
Face taut, he stepped before her. “Aye, but this isnot the same.”
“Far from it.”
“Blast it, if I didna give a damn about you, Iwouldna care.”
Her brow knitted. “But youlove another!”
“I do, but in the time we have spent together, I have come to care about you, to want you safe, or as safe as possible.”
She should be happy, but the heartache of not having Rónán in her life lingered. Nor, however much she and Kieran became close, would that change. “I doubt there is anywhere truly safe,” she said, the anger of moments before waning. “I will go, with or without your blessing.’Tis who I am.”
A wry smile touched his mouth. “Tighearnán warned me that youwere stubborn.”
The last of her anger faded. “I am, nor will that change.”
He chuckled. “I think I would be disappointed if it did.”
“Come,” she said with a smile, “let us prepare our troops to depart on the morrow.” In silence, they strode down the corridor side by side.
* * * *
The crash of waves sounded from far below the steep incline as large, thick flakes of snow drifted down, the rich scent of pine and chilly sea air filling Rónán’s every breath as he crawled to thecliff’s edge.
On any other day he’d find beauty in the shimmers of white, of how they coated the rough landscape within their gentle embrace. Now, with his entire focus on the upcoming rescuing of Lord Sionn, naught about this dayinvited whimsy.
He pushed aside the limb of a dense fir. Clumps of snow splatted on his head. With a muttered curse, he wiped the icy mess from his neck, then crawled under. Thankful for the cover from this vantage, he studied Murchadh Castle. The crunch of snow had himglancing back.
On his belly, Lord Craigshyre edged up beside him. Lathir moved to his other side.
She stared down the cliff. “Thank God you were able to learn of a secret passage into Murchadh Castle.”
“Aye,” agreed the earl. “I pray we can free Lord Sionn with the small contingent we will lead inside.”
