Cailean clapped him on the shoulder. “So if Elise MacFinnan’s the woman who’s set yer blood alight, then hold on to her. Dinna blink. Dinna hesitate. Just hold on.”
Jamie nodded, the truth settling deep in his bones. He couldn’t let Elise go now. It would be the end of him. But war was coming and the future was uncertain.
He glanced at Cailean, thought of Elise and Rose. Aye, war was coming, but he wasn’t facing it alone.
Chapter Eighteen
The neatness ofRose’s study was like a balm to Elise’s sore nerves. The room adjoining Barra’s infirmary that Rose had taken as her domain was just like her study at home. Shelves covered the walls filled with bottles and jars of ingredients, each carefully labeled. Dried herbs in bunches hung from the ceiling, sending a delicious smell through the room, and leather-bound journals of Rose’s medical notes were carefully arranged on the shelves in alphabetical order.
But the sense of calm came not just from the room, but from Rose herself. Her steadiness, her absolute certainty that problems—no matter how large—could be untangled with patience, tea, and a well-organized stack of books.
Elise smiled to herself. Rose might live in a different time and place now, but some things hadn’t changed and likely never would. That was oddly comforting.
Right now, Elise was sitting on the floor in front of the hearth. Catriona, Rose’s ten-year-old stepdaughter, lay on her stomach on the rug, her black-and-white dog, Patch, sprawled beside her. Rose was reading, sitting at the desk behind, peering intently at an unrolled scroll she’d laid out on the desk.
They’d been at this for hours, scouring all the old records held at Dun Mallach for any mention of War Weavers. So far, they’d found exactly nothing.
Elise sat cross-legged beside her stepniece, a deck of cards in her lap. “Now,” Elise said, fanning the cards out like a rowof bright petals, “pick a card. But don’t let me see it. The magic won’t work otherwise.”
Catriona giggled. “Rose says it isnae magic at all but just a trick.”
“Does she indeed? Well, let’s see what you think, shall we?”
“If ye say so, Aunt Elise.”
Aunt Elise. She liked being called that. It showed that she was welcome, that she belonged, that Rose’s family had space carved out for her too.
Catriona plucked a card, looked at it, and held it tightly to her chest.
“Right. Now, you remember what it is? Good. Put it back.”
Catriona did so, and Elise began her patter. She spread the cards out again and began running her hands over them, muttering arcane words that she made up on the spot. Catriona’s gaze followed her hand, Patch perked up his ears, and then Elise snapped her fingers, deftly sliding a single card from the deck and flipping it over. “Is it this one?”
Catriona shrieked with delight. “Aye! How did ye do that?”
Elise grinned and waggled her fingers. “Like I said: magic.”
Behind them, Rose pushed away the scroll she’d been reading and frowned. “You’re a bad influence on her, you know that?”
Elise grinned and ruffled Cat’s hair. “I certainly hope so. How about I teach you to play poker next?”
Rose just rolled her eyes at that.
Elise laughed, liking this feeling. Right now, she was just a sister, an aunt, a woman sitting before a fire teaching card tricks to an entranced ten-year-old. It felt good.
But beneath the warmth sat a tiny burr of frustration. Every so often it jabbed her, reminding her of the truth: While Jamie and Cailean pored over maps and battle plans, she andRose were here, turning page after page of fruitless books—and getting absolutely nowhere.
Shewantedto help. Needed to. But so far their search for anything on War Weavers had yielded nothing beyond a few vague mentions and superstitions. If Cat hadn’t been present, Elise would have let forth a string of her most colorful and inventive expletives.
Rose stood and crossed to the shelf, scanning for another volume. Elise watched her, thinking of how much her sister had built here—not just the study, but the infirmary next door that hummed with quiet purpose. Elise had often helped Rose with her healing but had never quite been able to match her. Rose’s magic had a gentle touch while Elise’s had always been like a battering ram.
“You know,” Elise said, cocking her head, “when we were girls, I always knew you’d make a home out of whatever corner of the world you ended up in.”
Rose glanced her way. “And I always knew you’d be the one blowing holes in the world to see what lay beneath. To be honest, I’m surprisedIwas the one to come to this time first. I’m the sensible one, remember?You’rethe one who likes adventure.”
Elise shrugged. “Likes adventure, sure. Doesnotlike lack of plumbing and no internet.”
Patch’s head suddenly jerked up. He barked once and raced to the door, scratching frantically. Elise exchanged a glance with Catriona, then climbed to her feet and crossed the room. She opened the door—
