‘Mm-hm.’ Not a word of I told you so. ‘Horse’ll be fine. I left him with the others, couple of lads keeping an eye on him. Couldn’t believe it. Conmael just snapped his fingers, and there Storm was.’

I’d have to ask some time. ‘Conmael. He was at the cottage?’

Grim shuffled his feet again; looked away over the lake. ‘I saw the kerchief, knew what it meant. Couldn’t hold everything in, shouted a bit, his name and an oath or two. The fey, they’ve got magic at their fingertips. They can do whatever they want. Made me angry. He should have stopped you.’

‘Nothing would have stopped me. Not even threats of seven years turning to eight or nine. Not even the possibility that Conmael could get me thrown back in Mathuin’s lockup. I’ve already broken my promise.’

‘Don’t know about that. Yelled his name and there he was, right next to me. Came out of nowhere. Knew you were gone without being told. And knew where you’d be, though I didn’t believe him. Told him I didn’t have a hope of catching up on foot, and he conjured up the horse. Don’t trust the fellow, don’t know what his game is, but this time around he was useful.’

‘Grim. Thanks. For coming after me.’ It was hard to get the words out. ‘And sorry.’

‘Just doing my job.’ His tone was gruff. ‘One thing you could do for me, if you want.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Think of something to tell Scannal tomorrow about his horse.’

36 Grim

36

~GRIM~

Abhan’s folk make us welcome. Food, drink, a spot by the fire. The old woman’s been sleeping. Don’t expect her to come out, but after supper she does, and the folk settle her on a pile of bedding, with Emer on one side and me on the other. Good ale, roast meat, music too – a whistle, a bodhran, a fiddle, a little harp. Some of the lads and lasses dance. The rain holds off, only a drop here and there. Feels like the place knows there’s a party and doesn’t want to spoil it.

I can breathe again. No need to race off south. She’s coming home. Going to sort it all out. I hope. She doesn’t like being wrong; doesn’t like folk to tell her so. Doesn’t like being stopped in her tracks. Mathuin, his crime, burning her man and her little one, that’s so vile I can hardly think about it. But her man, Cass, he wouldn’t want her taking Mathuin on all by herself. If he was here, he’d tell her getting herself killed won’t bring him and Brennan back. All it’ll do is give Mathuin another victory. Not something I can tell her. Deep down, she knows. But sometimes, when the past catches up, you just can’t stop yourself.