Effie flinched, her breath catching high in her throat, as Flora’s keen gaze fell upon her too. She closed her eyes, willing it to be true, but knowing that to get any sort of happy ending, she had to do more than step onto a boat. It wasn’t a distant time or another place that blocked her future from view but the threat of something unspeakable. Unthinkable. It hung over her at all times, a swinging scythe above her head as she cut the peats or hoed the beds, a shadow that crept through her dreams.

‘You’ll be free there,’ Flora said fervently.

Effie swallowed and nodded, wishing she could believe it. No one spoke for several moments. It still didn’t seem possible that horror could touch them here on their secluded isle, but this summer everything had changed.

‘There’s only a few weeks to go now, but you must be ready just in case,’ Flora said. ‘You must dig your bait while the tide is out.’

‘I know.’ Effie had been slowly gathering what she needed, taking care to spread apart the petty thefts so that no one noticed the missing length of rope or the rusted knife that used to lie in the bottom of the skiff. There was one more thing she needed but she knew it couldn’t be found anywhere on the isle. ‘And I’m almost there, if Captain McGregor will help me.’

‘When is he hauling anchor?’ Mhairi asked anxiously.

Effie glanced towards the setting sun, gauging the time. It had dropped below the Mullach Bi cliffs; there was maybe another three hours of light. But with a two-hour walk back to the other side of the isle . . . ‘Soon. I should be heading back.’ She tucked her legs in to stand but Flora reached for her hand first.

‘Before you go.’

They sat joined together in their small circle, the crash of the sea and the chatter of wrens a symphony around them.

‘I know it’s hard. Hardest of all on the two of you. In a couple of months, our lives are going to change forever. We’ll leave here and everything we know will be different. Every single thing. Some will be better, some will be worse. But I also know a day will come when we’ll look back on this moment – on the three of us sitting on the grass, with feathers in our hair and dead birds by our feet – and there’ll be something of it that still remains.’

‘What?’ Mhairi blinked.

‘Us. This.’ Flora squeezed their hands tighter. ‘We’ll always be Kilda girls, no matter where we end up. Ma’s forever saying there’s no secret if three know it, but she’s wrong in our case. What we three do, only we three will ever know.’ She pressed her finger to her lips. ‘We’re sisters. Yes?’