Keeley couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “I wouldn’t put the Amichais through that. A trip with you two. But, more importantly, you are not the one who will be there for her when she finds out the truth. You’ll rub it in her face before you comfort her.”
“Keeley—”
“I’ve made up my mind, Gemma. I know what this means to her. To be queen of the Hill Lands. And when that dream crumbles into dust, she’ll need someone who actually likes her to be there for her. That, dear sister, is definitely not you.”
* * *
“I’m not letting you go off with strangers!” Angus raged, pacing like a caged bear. “You’re my daughter! It’s my job to protect you.”
“I can care for myself,” Beatrix softly argued. “Besides, I won’t be alone. I’ll have Keeley with me.”
“And me,” Gemma suddenly piped up.
“Like hells you will!”
“Da!”
Beatrix’s flat gaze had locked onto Gemma. “I didn’t ask you to come with me.”
Gemma clapped her hands together and cheered, “Then this is a fun surprise!”
Caid cleared his throat to stop from laughing. The way she’d said that and the look her younger sister had given her revealed a brutal battle of wills. A battle their parents were completely unaware of as Angus continued to rage.
“None of you are going anywhere!” Angus bellowed. “You’ll stay here where you’re safe! With me! And your mum.”
“If you want my opinion . . .” began Archibald, who stood against a far wall.
“Gemma,” Keeley said, without even looking at her sister. And Gemma pulled a small blade from her sword belt and threw it in her uncle’s direction. She didn’t hit him, but she landed the blade in a spot quite close to his head.
Caid was impressed. The older man didn’t flinch, but he did put up his hands, palms out, and said, “I’ll mind me own.”
So he wasn’t always irrational. That was good to know.
Angus’s wife put her arm around his shoulders. “Are you done?”
Angus did look exhausted. He was breathing heavily, big shoulders heaving, concern etched into his face. “I can’t lose me girls, Em. I can’t.”
“And you won’t.” She kissed his forehead and moved so she stood in the middle of the hall. “This is what we’re going to do and none of you are going to argue with me.”
“Well—” Laila began but a raised finger stopped her.
“None of you,” the older woman insisted.
“You two”—Emma pointed at Caid and Laila—“are going to take our Beatrix to the Witches of Amhuinn. Get everything confirmed and solidified. We’ll make all our big decisions then. Keeley, Gemma, and Keran will travel with you.”
“Mum—”
“Mother—”
There went that terse finger again and both immediately fell silent. “The two centaurs, Fartness and Cud-filled—”
“Farlan and Cadell,” Laila corrected.
“—will stay here and protect the family.”
“My lady—” Laila began.
“I am no lady, centaur. I still have bits of brain and blood stuck under me tits because I have not had the time nor inclination to bathe, due to our travels. So don’t attempt your soft words with me.”
“Fine,” Laila shot back. “Farlan and Cadell are here to protect the future queen. Not her less-than-noble siblings.”
“You want the queen, lady pony, you protect the family. We’re a unit. I won’t have our youngest dragged across the lands, but I won’t leave them defenseless either.”
“You lot are hardly defenseless.”
“Without Keeley and Gemma? We’re practically naked. So, these are your choices. We all go . . . a slow, plodding way to travel with children. Or you leave those two hearty stallions to my tender care and you make great haste to the Witches of Amhuinn. Which is it?”
Laila had no choice. Not now. Not with the Devourer’s men still searching for Beatrix.
“Farlan and Cadell will stay here.”
“Good.” She returned to her husband’s side, putting her arms around him. “Now all of you might as well get as much sleep as you can. Tomorrow will be a hard, long day.”
“I’m still worried about you,” Keeley said. “What if the Devourer’s men come here?”
“So little faith in me, niece?” Archibald asked.
* * *
“If they come,” he said, leading Keeley and Caid deep into the bowels under his home, “I will get the family out this way.”
“Including my father?” Keeley asked.
“If I must.”
“You must, Uncle.”
He stopped walking, forcing Keeley to stop behind him. He looked at her over his shoulder. “You should have been my daughter, you know. All of you should have been mine.”
“That’s such a strange thing to say! Why would you say that to me?”
“Because you should know that