‘He’s waking up,’ a warrior called to Conall. Rafe saw Halion stirring.

Conall hurried over, Rafe following.

Halion was cut and battered, a dark bruise staining his jaw. His eyes fluttered open.

‘Water,’ he croaked.

Conall knelt and dripped water from a skin onto Halion’s lips, something tender about the act.

‘Where are they?’ Conall asked.

Halion’s eyes fixed on the sea. ‘They got away, then?’

‘Aye, with your help. Where are they going, brother?’

‘I don’t know,’ Halion whispered. ‘We were just running – away from you, Rhin, Domhain. The where had not been decided.’

‘You’re lying,’ Conall snarled, leaning closer.

‘Believe what you will,’ Halion shrugged. ‘Either way they’re safe from you now.’

Conall gripped Halion and pulled him close. ‘I need to find Lorcan and his bitch-mother.’ Spittle sprayed.

Halion looked at him with sorrow. ‘When did you become a killer of bairns? Lorcan’s your kin.’

‘Do you not remember what Roisin did to us? Murdered our mam, drove us from our home?’

‘Aye – Roisin, not Lorcan.’

‘She’s on that ship too. And Lorcan is her brood. If they’re not dealt with now they’ll come looking for me one day. I’ll not spend the rest of my days looking over my shoulder, and I’ll lose no sleep over shedding their blood. Either of them.’

‘What’s happened to you, Con?’

‘Me? Look at you – bowing and scraping to a spoilt girl; fighting in defence of our mam’s murderer. It’s not me that’s changed.’

‘I gave my oath to King Brenin. I’ll not be breaking it, not for anyone. Not even for you, Con.’

Conall paused then, just stared at Halion. A muscle in his cheek twitched. Then he drew his knife and cut the rope binding Halion’s ankles.

‘On your feet. I’m taking you back to Rhin. We’ll see how long it takes you to tell her everything you know. She’s more persuasive than you can imagine.’

Halion climbed to his feet. He saw Rafe.

‘You’re still alive, then,’ Halion said to him.

‘Aye. Hard to kill, me.’ The last time Rafe had spoken to Halion was in Edana’s tent, back when Rafe had been captured on the border of Domhain. The memory of it stirred a swell of anger – Corban and Dath and Farrell, all sneering at him, Edana looking down her nose, judging him.

‘Things have changed since I saw you last,’ he said as Halion was steered towards a horse.

‘And they’re likely to change some more before this is all over,’ Halion said over his shoulder.

What’s that supposed to mean?

‘Make ready,’ Conall called out. ‘We’ll bury our dead and then we’re riding back to Dun Taras.’

One of the hounds whined, staring out to sea, his body stiff and straight.

Something was bobbing in the waves, a dark smudge amidst the foam and grey of the sea.

Another body?

Rafe waded into the surf. Definitely a body. He could see limbs, a shock of hair. The water was up to his waist as he reached it, then he froze.