“How far away is Bretonwood?” Selena asked, feeling lightheaded.

“It’s—Well, she isn’t there right now. She’s traveling east to a place called Willowsbrook.” Gwynith touched Selena’s arm. “Lady, please. Let’s get some food and get warm. Then we can talk about whatever you wish.”

Selena nodded. A few minutes later she was riding beside Gwynith, the escorts who had come with Gwynith riding ahead and behind them, followed by Gwynith’s four companions with their escorts.

As they reached the clearing that held the shining road that led to Tir Alainn, Selena said, “I think I’d like to meet Lady Ashk.”

Gwynith replied softly, “I know she’ll want to meet you.”

Chapter 11

new moon

As night gave way to dawn, Breanna watched the storm swiftly coming toward them over the Mother’s Hills. She rose from the bench beside the kitchen door and stretched her stiff muscles, listening for any sound that didn’t belong. When the sun went down yesterday, she and Gwenn had spent an hour arguing with Liam and Donovan about needing to be outside in order to receive whatever message might come through the Great Mother’s branches. Neither she nor Gwenn had been able to explain well enough that the message wasn’t carried on the elements, it was in the elements—something felt on the skin, breathed into the body, tasted. They had to be outside to read it properly.

An open kitchen door and the bench beside it were as much of a compromise as either man—and Falco—was willing to make, since there were still nighthunters in the Old Place. They hadn’t seen any of the creatures, but they had found more rotting, half-eaten animals beneath dead trees. So the men led the animals to pastures in the morning and led them back to the small pasture near the stables every evening, the children were confined to the house once the sun set, and some of her kin, armed with bows and crossbows, kept watch each night—and she and Gwenn had had to promise they wouldn’t step more than a few paces away from the house until the sun rose.

Hearing quiet sounds in the kitchen, she turned toward the door. Liam stepped out, rubbing his neck.

“Gwenn’s put the kettle on for tea and is muttering about toasting some bread,” he said quietly. He leaned toward her and added, “I gathered she doesn’t greet the morning cheerfully under any circumstances.”

“Did you get any sleep?” Breanna asked, studying him. “You look a bit rumpled.” Which wasn’t surprising since he’d kept watch with her until after midnight, when Falco took his place.

“A couple of hours,” Liam replied, still rubbing his neck. “Which is more than you got, unless you dozed off out here. And since you so kindly pointed out my rumpledness, I’ll point out that you’re looking a bit disheveled yourself.”