Chapter 1
“What do I do now?” Emily said into the cold air of the small room she shared with her sister, who was sleeping peacefully beside her.
Emily envied Elize’s ability to be so unbothered in the face of the uncertain future that awaited her now that she had turned eighteen.
They had spent the last twelve years in the run-down orphanage, and while they usually sent children who turned eighteen into service elsewhere, Emily had been allowed to remain by her sister’s side for some unknown reason.
But recently, she had begun hearing whispers that Elize was to be sent away to a workhouse, and while she may have wanted to dismiss them, she had overheard the words from the master himself.
If only there was something she could do.
Sitting down and looking around their shabby room, she couldn’t ignore the niggling thought at the back of her mind that she wasn’t meant to be living in such squalor, but as always, when she poked at it, it vanished.
The only thing she recalled was drowning in ice-cold water, a pair of strong arms pulling her to the surface with a promise to return, and a pendant whose pattern she could not recognize.
She took it out again and studied the intricate design in the dim moonlight filtering in through the slits on the boarded windows.
If only she could find someone who recognized this pattern, then she would find answers to the questions that had niggled at her all these years. And she would prevent the master from separating her from Elize.
“Are ye unable to sleep, Emily?” Elize asked sleepily, turning to face her. “Is it the nightmares again?”
Emily nodded and smiled at her sister’s bleary eyes, ruffling her hair. It was moments like this that the usually abrasive girl let her guard down and made Emily appreciate her youthfulness.
“Aye, ‘tis the nightmares,” she answered.
She was often grateful that Elize remembered nothing of the accident, or she would have also been plagued by the night terrors that often kept her up into the early hours of the morning.
“I thought the lavender tea helped,” Elize said worriedly, sitting up.
“It used to, but it seems it no longer works.”
“We should see the healer tomorrow,” she suggested hastily. “She may yet have another brew for ye.”
“Daenae worry about me, Elize,” Emily said softly, taking her sister’s hands in her own. “This is me burden to bear, nae yers.”
“Ye’re me only family, Emi,” Elize answered. “How can I nae worry? Especially now that we’re to be separated.”
“Daenae say that!” Emily exclaimed, harsher than she had intended. “I willnae let that happen.”
“But it is almost certain that I will be sent away, Emi. If I’m lucky, it willnae be very far, and we can—”
“I said, I willnae let it happen,” she insisted. “I willnae let us be separated. Never.”
Elize pulled her into a hug. “Ye worry too much for me, Emi,” she said with a smile. “I am an adult now, and I can take care of me—”
Their chamber door opened with a soft hiss, halting their conversation, and they turned to see a hooded figure step inside.
“Who are ye—”
“Daenae fret girls, ‘tis me,” the figure whispered, pulling back the hood.
“Hilda!” they gasped.
“Ye mustnae make so much noise,” Hilda scolded, holding a finger to her lips. “Now, come. We must leave at once.”
“Leave?” Emily frowned. “Where are we going?”
Hilda regarded them with a watery smile.
Emily felt her grief. Hilda was the closest thing to a mother they had had for the past twelve years, for she had raised them since the passerby had deposited them in the orphanage.
As they had grown, she had taught them how to knit so they could be self-sufficient.
If she hadn’t been a constant presence, Emily was sure their experience at the orphanage would have been hellish.
“I have been making preparations till ye girls were old enough to leave,” Hilda answered, stepping closer.
Now in better lighting, Emily could see the woman had a satchel in her hands.
“Here, put this on quickly and follow me,” Hilda instructed. “We must leave before we are discovered.”
The sisters rose quickly and rifled through the satchel to find two thick woolen coats, much like the one Hilda was wearing. They donned them quickly.
“If we leave, surely they will ken ye’re behind this,” Elize said, clasping Hilda’s hands.
Hilda was the only person she spared from her abrasive tongue.
“Where do we go, Hilda?” she asked.
“Anywhere but here, lass,” Hilda answered. “If ye stay here, it will swallow ye whole.”
“Oh, Hilda,” she cried. “What will we do without ye?”
“Survive,” Hilda answered sharply, withdrawing her hands.
“Now, enough of this. There is a carriage two streets down, parked by the tavern. I have paid a driver to take ye as far away from here as possible.” She reached into her pocket and took out a pouch, which she handed to Emily.
“Here’s some money as well to get a room at an inn until ye find yer footing. ”
Emily took the pouch and was surprised by its weight. “How—?”
“I have been preparing for yer departure for a long time,” Hilda answered. “Now, ye must go.”
“Aye,” Emily answered, hugging her tightly as though she never wanted to let go.
When they pulled away, she took off her precious necklace and placed it in Hilda’s hands.
“I cannae keep this, Emi,” Hilda protested.
“I want ye to have it, Hilda,” Emily insisted. “So ye daenae forget us.”
“I could never forget ye,” Hilda vowed. “And I will keep the necklace dear to me heart.”
“Do take care of yerself, Hilda,” Emily cried, hugging her again.
Hilda hugged her back just as fiercely.
“Now, go,” she urged. “The driver isnae patient.”
The sisters nodded. They snuck out of the orphanage and followed Hilda’s directions till they found the hansom she had described.
Sparing one last look at the small town, Emily climbed in after Elize and prayed that wherever they were being taken would be better than the only home they had ever known.
A loud rap on the roof of the carriage startled them awake. Surprisingly, Emily had somehow found sleep amidst the jostling of the carriage.
They looked out the window and found themselves surrounded by trees and foliage.
“Where have ye brought us, sir?” Emily asked.
“Why daenae ye get out of me carriage, and I’ll tell ye,” the driver spat.
“Such a rude little cur,” Elize muttered, but she held her tongue as they alighted.
“Up this road is a castle,” the driver told them. “It shouldnae be so long a walk that ye miss it.”
“And ye couldnae have taken us there?” Elize scoffed.
“Yer payment only brings ye this far,” he snapped. “Now, be gone, unless ye want to freeze to death.” He snapped the reins and started moving, not even giving them a chance to change their minds.
Soon, the only thing left for them to do was to follow the road as he had described.
They walked the muddy path, which was thankfully visible in the light of the full moon, and after some time, a castle appeared ahead of them.
Emily almost broke into a run, but a rustling in the bushes surrounding the path drew her to a halt.
“Well, what have we here, lads?” a tall man drawled, emerging from the tree line around the castle. “A couple of stray lassies.”
“Daenae speak so rudely, Hayden,” another tall man scolded, stepping out into the light. “I apologize on his behalf. He is a brute. Me name is Fergus. What are yer names?”
Emily didn’t answer.
A few more men stepped out into the light, causing cold fear to rise in her chest as they surrounded them. She reached out a hand and pulled Elize behind her.
“Stay back,” she warned, feeling around in her satchel for a knitting pin. When she found one, she brandished it. “I am armed.”
If they intended to hurt them, she wouldn’t make it easy for them to do so. At least, she could provide enough distraction for Elize to escape if the need arose.
The men laughed, and she felt her anger rise, but wisdom begged caution. It would be foolish to annoy these men. They were larger than her, and judging from the large swords strapped to their belts, it would take minimal effort to get rid of her.
“Rest easy, lass,” Fergus said. “We willnae hurt ye.”
“How can I trust ye when I daenae even ken who ye are?” she asked, looking around.
There was a small gap behind them. If she and Elize were quick enough, they could escape without much difficulty.
“Ye’re in Laird MacDonnell’s lands,” Fergus answered. “He doesnae take kindly to people who hurt lasses. Even if they’re strangers.”
She nodded but didn’t lower the knitting pin.
Was this where Hilda had intended to send them?
“Come, lassies,” Fergus continued. “‘Tis cold out here, and there’s a warm castle just past these gates with food and beds. Why do ye hesitate?”
Emily almost relented at the thought of curling up near a warm fire.
“If it’s so comfortable in there, why are ye out here?” Elize asked.
The men laughed.
“Ye lasses are wise nae to trust so easily,” Fergus acknowledged with a smile. “We’re on patrol. If it makes ye comfortable, I will personally escort ye to the castle, and if I try to hurt ye, ye have me permission to pierce me with that pin.”
“Will ye leave yer sword behind?” Emily demanded.
In truth, her arms were getting tired from holding up the pin in front of her, and her toes had quickly grown numb since they had trudged up the muddy path in the cold. Her well-worn boots were no match for the rigors of travel.
“If I must,” Fergus conceded.
But she still could not trust him, not even after he unstrapped his sword and handed it to the closest man.
“Come now,” he urged. “I will lead ye the rest of the way.”
Emily nodded and felt Elize squeeze her hand.
“So what is yer business in the castle?” Fergus asked when they finally stepped through the gates.
The sisters exchanged a look. They hadn’t agreed on a story to tell just yet, but one quickly came to Emily’s mind.
“We’re looking for work,” she answered.
“Oh,” Fergus said with a nod. “Alright. I will take ye to Mrs. Donnelly, the housekeeper. I can only bring ye into the castle. It is she who decides if ye get the job or nae.”
Emily nodded.
He took them to the kitchens, where they found the housekeeper deep in conversation with the cook.
“Well, what have ye brought me, Fergus?” Mrs. Donnelly asked.
“They said they’re here for work,” he answered. “I ken ye’re always looking for more hands.”
“Aye, but nae just any hands,” she answered. “Well, lasses, what can ye do?”
“We knit,” Emily answered easily.
In truth, she was better at knitting, while Elize struggled to hold a needle. But she would do the job for both of them until they found their footing, if need be.
Mrs. Donnelly looked them over for a long moment, before nodding. “We’ll see, then. I’ll take ye to yer chambers for the evening, and tomorrow we’ll see about putting ye to work.”
Emily nodded, feeling grateful that they wouldn’t be sent back into the cold.
Mrs. Donnelly rose and indicated that they should follow her. Exhaustion made Emily’s feet heavy as feeling gradually returned to them, but she pressed on.
“We’re nae safe here, Emi,” Elize muttered, falling into step beside her, looking around the halls as they were led deeper into the castle.
Emily shot her a quelling look. Still, she could not deny that she shared the sentiment.
They knew nothing of the land they had been in for as long as they could remember, and nothing of this castle that would house them until they decided to run away again, but she was content to be out of the freezing cold.
She would not complain now.
But at the first sign of danger to her sister, she would do everything in her power to get them away until they found a place they could call home.
“We’re nae safe anywhere, Elize,” she muttered under her breath.