Swallowing thickly, he took the last step to the bed and tugged the linen slowly down to reveal her features now. He did not know what he expected. Charred flesh, he supposed. The rancid stench of death…He certainly did not expect to see her lying with her eyes clenched shut and her nostrils flaring as she breathed.

“Yer alive!”

Iliana’s eyes blinked open in surprise. It had not occurred to her that her husband might assume she was dead. Now, however, the stunned little-lost-boy-quality to his voice drew her eyes to his face. Relief, joy, then confusion flickered over his face before settling finally into a perplexed frown.

“What be the matter with ye? Ye look funny somehow.” Tilting his head to the side, he narrowed his gaze, noting the hair that usually flowed sweet and fresh about her head appeared to have shrunk and melted somewhat. There were clumps of it laying about her pillow. From the fire, he realized, but could not pinpoint what else it was about her that looked so odd. Then it struck him. “Yer eyebrows and lashes are gone!”

Iliana groaned and tugged the linen back up over her head.

She heard Angus’s voice chiding her husband, “What the devil be the matter with ye, lad? Guard yer tongue! Ye’ll hurt her wee feelings.” There was a pause, and then her father-in-law spoke again to Duncan. “Come along, you. Ye shouldna be up. We’d best git ye back to bed ere ye fall over.” She heard them move toward the door. “How’s yer head?”

“Achin’,” she caught Duncan mutter, and she fought the urge to peer out at him.

“Aye, well. We’ll pour some uisgebeatha into ye and fix ye up right fine.”

Duncan’s only response was a grunt.

Sighing with relief as she heard the door close behind the two men, Iliana lowered the linen. A touch on her hair brought her glance to her mother. Her expression as she caressed the damaged tresses was mournful.

“Is it very bad?”

Lady Wildwood smiled wryly at that, then nodded. “Aye, I fear so.”

Iliana shifted in the bed, then asked, “What of my eyebrows?”

“Those will grow back. We must just be grateful that you were not burned. Your gown went up in flames. Had Angus not been a quick thinker and covered you with his own body to smother the flames…”

“Aye. We are fortunate to even be alive.” She closed her eyes wearily, then popped them back open. “What of the guard?”

“His throat was slit.”

Iliana blanched and her mother nodded solemnly. “The worst of it is that Greenweld’s man is still out there. Angus had the men search the keep again, then searched the inner and outer bailey, but they could not find him. Whoever he is, he is clever.”

“You found nothing?”