Page 57 of A Celtic Secret
DECLÁN TORE THE pictureof Riona and Raghnall kissing out of her sketchbook and tossed it in the fire on his way through the great hall. If he never saw it again, it would be too soon.
“M’lord,” Eisibél called after him. “A moment please?”
The last thing he wanted to do was talk to anyone right now, but she sounded insistent, desperate even, so he slowed enough for her to catch up. “What is it, Eisibél?”
“’Tis just some differences I noticed this morn.” She urged him to keep walking down the front stairs rather than linger. “With the castle’s outer walls, that is.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, things are there now that were not before.” She gestured at one of the curtain walls as she steered him away from the busy courtyard. “As though ‘tis responding to what’s going on outside.”
He eyed the areas she pointed out and realized she was right.
When she rested her hand on his forearm and met his eyes, he was relieved to see only friendship in her gaze. Respect for his union with Riona. “I am sorry for whatever upsets ye this morn, but I thought ye should be aware of the changes.”
“Thank ye, lassie.” He held out his elbow. “Would ye care to walk with me to show me what else ye spied?”
“Nay.” She gave him a look that spoke volumes. “Ma would insist on it, but we both know she...well....”
“’Tis all right,” he said when she trailed off, clearly uncomfortable with Imag’s behavior as of late. Or mayhap all along. “I appreciate ye pointing these things out.”
When she nodded, smiled, and made her way back into the courtyard, he headed along the side of his castle to a spot that had long given him peace. Might it now more than ever. He wasn’t sure what it was about the forest grove in this particular area, but he’d always been able to collect his thoughts best here.
He sighed and sat on a log carved into a bench and eyed Riona’s sketchbook. Did he have the right to continue looking through it? He might be her husband but still. As if she understood his plight, Luna trotted around the corner, leapt up beside him, and clearly wondered what he would do next.
“Whatwillye do next, brother?” Cian asked, surprising him. He leaned against a nearby tree with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Yer magic’s much improved as I did not see nor sense ye there.”
“’Tis, thanks to Madison.”
“And ye somehow knew I would come here?”
“Of course,” Cian said. “’Twas where ye always thought best,ta?” He gestured in the general direction of Declán’s chamber. “And I imagine much needed after what Madison and I sensed happening earlier.”
“Happening being this.” He frowned at Riona’s sketchbook. “I should have left it, but I couldn’t help myself.” He shook his head. “Not if it....”
“What?” Cian arched a brow when he trailed off. “Contains more images that make ye push yer wife away when ye should be doing anything but right now? Push her away when ye need her more than ye’ve ever needed anyone?”
“Do I need someone who might still be in love with the enemy?” he wondered. “When ‘tis clear in her sketches some part of her still desires Raghnall?”
“Notsketches,” Cian clarified, “but a singular sketch.” His gaze dropped to Riona’s book. “’Tis but one image that ye know of. But then ye will not know unless ye look.” He cocked his head. “Something ye seemed determined to do a few short minutes ago, yet now ye hesitate? Why?”
“Because ‘twould be hard to see more betrayal,” he said honestly.
“Do ye truly think ‘twas betrayal, to begin with?” Cian asked. “Betrayal when ‘tis known this is part of yer wife’s gift? Insight that I don’t doubt for a moment is aimed to help ye rather than harm ye?” He shook his head. “Truly, I cannot imagine ye would see it otherwise, Declán, when we both know what Raghnall is capable of.”
He was right. Hell, Riona had been right. But that didn’t make this moment any easier. Didn’t make his jealousy abate any.
“Remember that ‘twas Riona’s sketch that brought Madison back to me,” Cian went on. “Riona’s sketch that saved me. Saved all of us.”
“Ta,” Declán said softly. Again, his brother was right. So he set aside his fear and jealousy and opened it only to stop short at the first image that appeared.
“’Tis what Eisibél just pointed out.” He eyed the strange slit-like exits in his curtain wall, only now he saw them a tad more clearly. Saw how they could be used to his advantage. “A means to catch our enemy off guard.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Cian urged him to turn the page. “What else did she sketch? What else is she showing us? Showingyou?”
He turned the page, and his chest tightened. “’Tis her...and me...when we were children.”
