“There’s a shipping company that docks in Lagavulin Bay. Go talk to them. They can tell you about Mull. There may be someone there who can help you. Dyna Grant is her name, I believe.”
“How?”
“Dyna is a seer and so are her daughters. I know little more than that, but they also have many warriors. So if you think it could be mercenaries who took your bairns, then you’ll need help.”
“And she’ll help us?” Catrina asked. “How soon can we go to Mull?”
“The Brotherhood of the Black Keel is a shipping operation that runs out of our bay. Ask for Cormac MacLean. He runsthe Mull Cog and heads to Mull a few times a sennight. The other two can help you if you ask them. They say one has more knowledge of faeries than anyone.”
“Who? Which one?” Catrina’s face paled, so Edan took her hand to calm her.
Arne wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “Tell me who to ask for. We have the coin to hire him to take us to Mull. Who is the man who knows of the faeries?”
Edan added, “Give us all their names, if you please.”
“Cormac runs the Mull Cog, and Dyna’s brother runs the Sea Raven. That’s all I know. The Mull Cog should be here shortly. Look for him. He can give you answers I can’t.”
“Is Cormac the faery expert?”
“Nay. The man who runs the hulk is the faery expert.”
Edan took his sister’s elbow and said, “Come, we’ll not take any more of his time. We’ll search the area, see if the Mull Cog is docking soon.”
Arne said, “Many thanks to you, MacKay.”
They left the keep and headed out through the gates of the castle. Roger approached as soon as they came through the gates. “What did you learn? Anything?”
Edan said, “Not much. Too much talk about faeries. A faery did not steal Heilyn.”
Catrina turned on her brother. “You don’t know that. I think we have to consider it, Edan. Stop being bull-headed about this. We need to go to Mull and find the faery expert. Roger, tell him to stop being a fool.”
Roger took her hand and said, “What exactly did MacKay say? And I’ll ask Arne to tell me. I don’t wish to hear Edan’s answer.” He cast a sideways glance at his brother, but Edan decided to let it go. Catrina was upset enough. He decided to pace instead.
Arne explained, “He said they are missing some bairns under the age of five. They’ve looked everywhere but cannot find them. They’re now searching the rest of Islay. No wreaths were left, but he said that indicated faery involvement to him.”
“There are no faeries.” His father’s words echoed in his mind every single time he refused to believe in faeries.
Watch out for the faeries, son.
“Quiet, Edan.”
“There was mention of mercenaries and selling bairns across the water, but they’ve seen no evidence here. They suggested talking to the men of the shipping company.”
Edan closed his mouth and let Arne finish, pausing when he saw another basket of flowers on a stoop. He was about to near it to see what happened when his sister came flying toward him, shoving him. “There are faeries, and I’m going to Mull. You don’t have to come. Deny all you want because Da lost his mind, but Scots believe in the fae.”
Edan looked to his brother. “What say you?”
“I say we explore every possibility. The Mull Cog just docked. I say we talk to them. See if they have any idea. If bairns were taken by ship, they’d know. And I say we go to Duart and speak to someone who knows more about faeries than we do.”
“There are no faeries, Roger. I’m ready to return home. You can ask about the mercenaries, but asking about faeries is foolish.” Edan’s fist clenched, his knuckles white. What did he have to do to convince them of it?
Catrina shoved his chest hard, and he nearly lost his footing. “No faeries? Is that why the flowers wilted? And what of the fact that your milk never soured? Ours did. Goat’s milk. Cow’s milk. They all sour but yours.”
“Heilyn drinks it before it sours.” He’d heard this accusation before but dismissed it as foolish. “What does this have to do with faeries?”
She whirled away from it, facing her husband. “Arne, we’re going to speak to the men with the ships. I’m going to Mull.”
Edan looked from his sister to his brother.
