"Cormac."
"Aye."
"We are heading toward the castle gates."
"We are."
Her stomach tightened."We should not be going anywhere near the castle.'Tis not safe for ye.If the king's men recognize ye..."
"Dinnae fash, love," Cormac replied.
"How can I not worry?Ye are the Shadow.If they catch ye—"
"Una.I promise ye.All is well."
She pressed her lips together and looked at his men.Not one of them seemed worried about being arrested.She glanced back at Cormac.He was watching the gate ahead.
***
THE GATE GUARD LOOKEDup as they approached.His expression shifted when he saw Cormac.He spoke to the man beside him.The second guard nodded.
To Una's surprise, the gates opened.
No challenge.No question.
Una sat very still in the cart.
They passed through into a quieter side courtyard, away from the main entrances.A groom came forward immediately for the horses and a stableman appeared for the cart.The blacksmith at the far end of the yard looked up from his work and raised a hand at Cormac.Cormac waved in return.
"Ye know the blacksmith?"Una asked.
"The Shadow knows a great many people," Seumas said from behind her.
Cormac helped her down and clasped her hand as they crossed the yard toward a side entrance in the castle wall.
***
THE CORRIDOR INSIDEwas stone-flagged and clean, lit by torches, and it led them away from the public areas of the castle toward a quieter wing.A servant passed and nodded to Cormac.A steward at a corner did the same.
Una kept her hand in Cormac's.
They came to a corridor of heavy oak doors.Seumas produced a key and unlocked two side by side.Cormac led Una through the first, then lit candles and opened a window.
The chamber was large.Stone walls hung with good tapestries, a fire already burning in the hearth, a wide curtained bed, a writing table, two chairs, a clothes press.A garderobe passage off to the left.
Una stood in the middle of it and looked around slowly.
"Seumas," she said.
"Aye, mistress?"
"Where are we?"
"The master's chambers," he replied, already moving toward the adjoining room where she could hear Ros and Tam setting down bags and discussing guard rotation in low voices."The master uses these rooms when he's in Edinburgh.Guntar and Hilde maintain them."He paused at the door."There's water in the barrels for warming, mistress.Supper across the corridor before long."He disappeared.
Una turned to look at Cormac.
He met her eyes without flinching.
