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“We won’t take it,” Nua said quickly. “It’s yours.”
I slowly relaxed my fingers, eyeing them both suspiciously.
Nua swallowed, glancing at Gillie before saying, “Ash, you… Last night, you were saying that you couldn’t remember the Carlin’s youngest son visiting you.”
I frowned, still fingering the tiny feather pendant. “Do you mean Cethlen? No, he never visited me.”
“Not Cethlen. Lonan.” Nua was watching me intently. “Prince Lonan, with the black hair and black eyes.”
I stared at him. “I don’t remember any prince with black hair and black eyes. Do you mean Odran? The kelpie? He visited me once. To bring me theSpellsmithsbook and your messages.”
“No, not Odran.” Worry was bleeding into Nua’s eyes, making my stomach clench. “Lonan. The Carlin’s son. The assassin. He visited you at the cottageall the time, Ash. We thought… we thought maybe you were involved with him.”
I blinked. “The only person I remember visiting me all the time was Caom. The gancanagh. He was blond.”
I’d spent most of my time in that cottage alone. Long months of crippling loneliness, just sitting there. I’d tried to make the best of it, reading and cooking and tending to the little herb garden. Making potions. But I’d been alone for all of it.
Nua and Gillie were both eyeing me with concern.
“What about the wolf?” Gillie asked. “And the cat. They visited you almost every day.”
“What?” I wanted to laugh at the thought of having visits from awolf.
“You sat outside with the wolf almost every night, Ash.”
Sat outside with awolf? I only remembered sitting outside alone every night, staring into the dark forest that I couldn’t reach.
My face tightened as I glared at them. “What are you trying to do? Stop.”
“We’re not trying to do anything, Ash.” Nua held up his hands. “We’re telling the truth.”
“I don’t remember any wolf,” I snarled, huddling closer to the wall and away from them. “Or cat. Or black-eyed son. Stop trying to make me believe things that weren’t real.”
“We’renot,” Nua said desperately, shooting a troubled look to Gillie. “We—”
“It’s alright, lad,” Gillie interrupted calmly. “It’s fine. We’ll work it out.”
“Workwhatout?” I snapped. “There’s nothing to work out. The Carlin took me and shoved me into that cottage and left me there.”
There was a long moment of silence.
“Alright,” Nua said softly. “It doesn’t matter now. You’re safe. You’re away from her—from all of them.”
“How do I know I’m safe?” I tried to make my voice hard, but it came out painfully unsteady. “How can I trust you any more than anyone else?”
“We know you won’t straight away,” Gillie said calmly. “We know it will take time. But Nua is telling the truth, Ash. Youaresafe here. We’ll look after you.”
A small, weak part of me desperately wanted to believe them. But I didn’t, so I said nothing.
“Well.” Gillie slapped his hands on his thighs and gave me a beaming smile, sharp teeth flashing. “Why don’t we get ready for the day? Find you some clothes. Do you want a bath? And I bet you’d like some mint to freshen your mouth, eh?” He chuckled. “I know all too well what whisky mouth is like. At least I never get whiskydick, eh, Nua?”
Nua’s face deepened in colour. “Gillie.”
“Let’s get you feeling a bit more normal.” Gillie was grabbing the empty plate and standing up. “I’ve got some water heating for a bath already. Do you need a hand getting up?”
“No,” I said shakily, but I struggled rising onto unsteady legs with only one arm.
My knees trembled as I stood there, toes curling into the soft fur under my feet. A wave of lightheaded nausea made me sway, and then Nua was jumping up and steadying me with a hand cupped under my one remaining elbow. I flinched away, and his mouth pulled down as he let go.
