Chapter 19
Cailean could see his home directly ahead of him, closer now than it had been in more than twenty years.
The last time he had seen McNair Castle, it had been aflame.
Now, it stood as tall and proud as it had once done in his memories.
Here, in the pre-arranged spot where they had set up camp in the nearby forest, it was now so close that he could touch.
His heart tore in his chest as he fought against the urge to simply run across the field toward it, half expecting to find his parents and siblings and even Morag just waiting for him inside.
Rain poured down heavily from above, and a rolling crash of thunder echoed through the trees, drawing Cailean away from his dreamlike state.
He had already sent scouts out ahead, warning them to be careful and avoid the spots that Ferda indicated where Morag and Ann had been caught and Dina killed.
The rest of the camp was hidden deeper in the forest, but Cailean had not been able to resist coming right out to the treeline to catch sight of his old home.
The familiar dream was in the back of his mind. The flames. The screaming. The panicked flight in Morag's arms. He felt his eyes prickle, and had to clear his throat to stop himself from getting lost in it.
A gentle hand on his arm distracted him from the dark thoughts. He looked down and saw Maeve standing there, staring up at him with concern in her eyes.
"I had a wee doll. Barry and Graham used tae mock me for it; they said I was too old for such things," Cailean told her roughly.
"I had it in me hands when Morag helped me flee.
I lost it somewhere as we rode away. Every time I have the dream, I remember that doll even more clearly than I do me own mother's face.
Is that nae the silliest thing ye've ever heard? "
"It's nae silly," Maeve told him gently. "I often think of the books Bre and I would read together, or the rare times that Nessa would join us and play our games. These were the happy spots in a dark time. It's nae wonder ye remember it."
Cailean smiled at her and looked out toward the castle again. "It's so… strange tae see it like this. Standin' as if unblemished. Last time I saw it, it was on its way tae bein' a ruin."
"We'll rebuild all of it. Nae just the stones they've put back on the walls, but everythin' on the inside as well.
We'll find the heart and soul inside again," Maeve promised.
"We're almost there, me love. Just a little longer.
And… and when Eoin and Breana return, we'll be able tae bring Neala home, as well. "
Cailean's soul jolted at the thought, his whole body seeming to vibrate with longing and hope.
His sister may be with him soon. His home might soon be his again.
It was overwhelming, more than he could ever have imagined.
He thought of Morag, currently trapped in Blackthorn Castle, the woman who had risked everything to save his life.
He'd save her, too, and once they were reunited, they'd all come here and breathe life into their home again.
"We werenae allowed tae play in this forest often," he recalled. "But sometimes me father would bring me brothers out here. I wasnae old enough tae join them, though I did come once or twice. I always felt so honored."
Maeve smiled. "Aye?"
Cailean followed the memory. He remembered following the treeline to the east wall of the castle, near where the sewers were.
He remembered his mother scolding the boys to stay away from there, and being completely ignored as soon as Barry was old enough to figure out how to sneak out.
His eyes trailed in that direction, and the memory suddenly hit like lightning.
"There's a passage," he said. "An underground one that links intae the catacombs through which Morag helped me escape, and tyin' intae the secret corridors.
It was a wee passage that me brothers used tae use when they played at hidin' and seekin'.
If it's still there, we could sneak the army in small groups without bein' noticed—at least some of us. "
Maeve chewed on her lip, studying the area toward which he was pointing. "Are ye certain?"
"I'm certain," he replied. "If ye trust me memory, that is."
Her expression relaxed into a smile. She took his hand, and pulled him slightly back toward the main camp. "I trust ye more than anythin'. Now let's get yer home back."
"Stop where ye are! I'm warnin' ye!" a threatening voice called out.
Breana pulled her horse to a halt, and behind her, Eoin did too.
She squinted at the treeline, trying to ignore the looming image of McNair Castle in the near distance and focus on whoever had just called out to her.
She slid down from her horse, glancing worriedly at how pale Eoin was on his own mount, and took a few steps forward with her hands raised palm forward.
"Ferda? Is that ye?" she called.
There was a silence, then the scout woman darted out from the trees, looking thoroughly astonished.
It was clear that despite her still-injured arm, the Bruce woman had been acting as the main guard for the rebel guard just a little deeper into the forest, and Breana felt a thrill of relief at the fact they had located them on time.
"Breana!" Ferda exclaimed. "What on earth—oh, God! Eoin looks like he's about tae fall off his horse, what's happened?"
Letting out a shaky breath, Breana said, "The attack hasnae started yet, has it? Cailean and Maeve are still here?"
Ferda's facial expression was calculating, and then with a quick nod, she disappeared. Breana hurried to Eoin's side.
"I shouldnae have let ye ride here," she fretted. "Ye're bleedin'. Ye should have let me bring a Sparrow instead."
"I'm fine," he insisted, though his voice sounded more than a little pained. "Dinnae worry so much. We got here, did we nae?"
Before Breana could argue any further, Ferda returned, bringing Cailean, Maeve, Darren, and Fergus behind her. Maeve let out a little cry of relief and ran straight to Breana, and for a moment Breana lost track of everything else as her sister caught her in a tight embrace.
"Yer head is injured," Maeve fussed. "And Eoin looks half-dead. What happened tae ye?"
The sisters pulled apart, and Breana saw Darren and Fergus hurrying to tend the horses while Cailean helped Eoin down from the saddle.
"Steady, me friend," Cailean said softly, slinging Eoin's arm around his shoulder. Ferda hurried to the other side to offer more support. "We'll have a healer look at ye soon. Ye can stay back with the scouts during the siege. What happened? Were ye attacked?"
Maeve touched Breana's cheek. "What brought ye racin' back?"
Breana shook her head, her tongue-tied. She could not formulate what she needed to say as they led them deeper into the forest until the reached the small rebel camp. Maeve told her that they would rest until sundown when the siege would begin.
"We still need tae work out the way tae go about it," Maeve explained. "Now that ye're here, ye can help."
As they laid Eoin down and a healer went to work on him, the others swarmed upon them. Someone tried to offer Breana food, while Senan offered her a swig of the whisky he was drinking for courage.
Maeve gently led Breana to a log to sit on. "Rest for a while. Once ye're ready, ye can tell us what happened. Or if ye want, ye can wait until we've taken the castle back."
The confidence with which Maeve spoke was enough to break the spell that had held Breana's tongue in check. She impatiently swept away the hand of someone who was examining the healing wound beneath her hair.
"There's nae time for this," she exclaimed, more loudly than she'd intended. "Cailean, ye must call off the attack."
The whole camp seemed to still. Cailean, who had been talking in a low voice to Ewan, stopped, turning his head toward her. "What?"
"Bre? What are ye sayin'?" Maeve asked, her brow furrowed.
"This isnae what ye thought, Cailean," Breana told him urgently. "This isnae just a trainin' ground ripe for the takin'. The False King kens ye're here."
"That isnae possible." Cailean shook his head. "Ye're mistaken."
"I'm nae," Breana insisted. "This is nae a force of unseasoned soldiers in trainin' waitin' inside. Some of the False King's deadliest warriors are waitin' tae ambush ye inside, and they're led by the deadliest of them all. Ansel Ashkirk is in command."
"The killer prince," Senan said darkly, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "If this is a trap, it was his design. They say he has all the wit his father lacks, and twice the brutality beside. They say he's a true monster."
Cailean's expression grew serious. "I can handle Ansel Ashkirk."
Maeve touched his arm. "Be sensible. If Breana is right, this changes everythin'. It's nae just him, but perhaps a whole army of prepared soldiers ready tae slaughter us. They may have reinforced the castle walls, or set physical traps, or… anythin'."
"But how can ye ken this?" Fergus asked, speaking up for the first time. "How can ye be so sure?"
"Listen tae her," Eoin's weak voice gasped from the place he lay nearby. "Listen… we found it…"
The healer scolded him not to talk, but Cailean and Maeve looked from him to Breana, obviously awaiting an explanation.
"Ye found what?" Cailean asked, a sudden flare of hope suddenly so clear in his voice that it made Breana almost want to weep. "Ye dinnae mean…?"
"The convent," Breana confirmed. Sudden exhaustion weighed down upon her shoulders, but she forced herself to remain standing.
"We found the convent. Laura and the trainin' Sparrows, they saved our lives.
They got a message directly from their agent in Blackthorn Castle, and it confirmed the truth.
The False King kens ye're comin'. Ansel Ashkirk is prepared. "
Maeve moved forward, offering Breana her arm for support. Breana took it gratefully, leaning against her sister.
"Ye found it!" Ferda exclaimed. "Did ye tell them about Ann? And Morag? And poor Dina?"
"We did, but—" Breana started.
"Did ye find her?" Maeve asked, sounding a little scared of the answer.
Breana saw a look she had never seen before on Cailean's face. He looked so vulnerable, so hopeful and yet pained, as he leaned toward her in search of the answer. She hated that she had to shatter that hope with her next words.
"Neala wasnae there," she whispered.
Cailean looked crestfallen. He turned his back, and Breana suspected he didn't want anyone to see his expression at that moment.
"Is she alive?" Maeve asked.
"She wasnae there because she's here," Breana explained, not even trying to hide the fear in her voice. "Neala was at Blackthorn Castle this whole time, and now Ansel Ashkirk has brought her here. She is a White Sparrow, a spy, servin' as a maid right now inside that castle."
Cailean spun around, his face drained of all color. "Neala is here? Ashkirk has her?"
"If we attack, she may try tae intervene. She may be hurt in the crossfire," Maeve said slowly. "If only there was a way…"
"What if ye're mistaken?" Darren asked. "Or misled? What if the message was intercepted somehow, and Neala isnae even inside?"
"But if she is, and we dinnae attack, we must consider she's in danger there too. Every second she spends under them is a second where she may be discovered," Senan pointed out.
"We need tae alter the plan," Ewan said urgently. "Cailean, we—Cailean!"
But Cailean ignored them all. Sword in hand, he was already marching toward the treeline, with a look in his eyes that said he was ready to slaughter anyone who stood in his way.