“What’s happened?” she asked again. Her first thought was that Adaira’s father was about to die, and Sidra sought to prepare herself for that moment.

“I’ll tell you when we reach Sloane,” Adaira replied, urging her horse onward.

The ride to the city felt unbearably long. Sidra’s mind was laden with worry when they reached the courtyard. Adaira helped her down to the cobblestones, and she helplessly looked for Torin. There was no sign of him as Sidra followed Adaira into the hall and down winding corridors, eventually coming to a small private chamber where they could talk.

Sidra stood in a slant of morning light, watching as Adaira poured them each a knuckle of whiskey.

“What’s this about, Adi?” she asked, warily accepting the glass.

“Drink,” Adaira replied. “You’re going to need it.”

Sidra didn’t often partake of whiskey, but she tossed back the burning liquid. Her sight felt sharper, her hearing keener as she swallowed. She winced and set her gaze on Adaira, expectant.

Adaira held her stare, her blue eyes bloodshot. “Eliza Elliott was found early this morning.”

Sidra startled. It felt like the ground quaked beneath her feet as she whispered, “Where?”

She listened as Adaira told her of the raid, the burning croft, and Eliza’s miraculous return. She paced the small chamber, overwhelmed and full of questions that wanted to burst out of her.

“I think the lasses are in the west, Sidra,” Adaira finally concluded. “I think the Breccans have somehow figured out a way to cross the clan line without Torin’s knowledge, and they have been stealing our girls, one by one.”

Sidra halted. The thought of Maisie being held in the west turned her blood to ice. But it made sense, as if the last piece of a puzzle had snapped into place. “It’s why we can’t find the lasses here in the east, isn’t it? They’ve been with the Breccans the entire time.”

Adaira nodded. “And I think the Breccans are harnessing the power of the Orenna flower to accomplish this. Perhaps the flower grants them the ability to cross over undetected.”

Sidra rubbed the ache in her brow. “You still have the flower I gave you?”

“Yes, although I am afraid to consume it and test this theory, as it is the only one we have and my presumption could be false.”

“What does Torin think?”

Adaira hesitated a beat. “I’m not sure yet. But he did mention something odd to Jack during the raid. Torin felt only five Breccans crossing the clan line, but Jack counted twice as many, riding past the valley by Mirin’s croft. It’s apparent that they have some secret way of crossing over now. Five of them drew the watchmen, the guard, and Torin to the Elliotts’, while the rest of them clandestinely crossed farther down the territory boundary and dropped Eliza off.”