Donagan moves me away from the two guards. Lowers his voice. ‘It’s the girl. Master Tóla’s daughter, Cara. Lady Flidais says she’s not sure how long she and the prince will be away, and she wants Blackthorn to keep an eye on Cara while she’s gone. Maybe come over here to stay for a bit, if she can manage that. Seems Blackthorn’s got a knack with the girl that nobody else has.’

First thing that pops into my head is: why can’t Cara go back to Wolf Glen? That’s what I’d ask if I didn’t already know the answer. So all I say is, ‘I’ll pass the message on.’ Thinking how tangled up things get when folk start telling lies. ‘When I find Blackthorn.’ If I find her. ‘Safe journey.’ Before I turn to go, I see Donagan put his arm around Deirdre’s shoulders. She gives him a sad sort of smile. Kind folk, the two of them. If bad things didn’t happen to kind folk, it’d be a better world.

I go round the settlement, getting wetter and colder with every step. She’s nowhere to be found. Couple of folk saw her in the afternoon with Emer and Cara, but not after. It’s like she’s vanished. I remember something. Wish I hadn’t. About going to the Otherworld to find Conmael. Joke, wasn’t it? That’s what I thought. Now I’m wondering. And while I’m wondering my feet are carrying me back home. Might be wrong. Hope I’m wrong. She could be out on one of the farms or over in Silverlake. She wouldn’t thank me for making a fuss, getting half the settlement out searching in the wet, if it turned out she was busy delivering a baby or sitting by some old fellow’s deathbed.

It rains. I keep walking. Out of the settlement, along the farm track past Scannal’s. The bull’s a darker patch in his dark field, just standing there. Can’t see far ahead, but that light in the cottage window’s a welcome sight. Stupid voice in my head’s talking again. She doesn’t belong to you, Bonehead. You’re not her keeper. If she wants to go off and get herself killed, that’s her business.

‘Shut it!’ I say out loud, hitting myself on the head. Voice just keeps on. You know what your problem is? You care too much. She wouldn’t like that.

By the time I get to the door I’m in quite a state. Ripple’s barking, but nobody opens the door. I know before I go in that Blackthorn isn’t there.