away from him, what then? Who might stand beside him for the rest of his life and remind him to breathe in, and then out again? Because he would need reminding.
But if he couldn’t find the strength to move his bloody feet, he would never know.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Juliet laughed at something the lad said and for Quinn it was magic enough. Just enough.
He kicked a foot forward, then the other one, as if he were kicking his way out of his own grave. His boots stomped loudly on the packed earth of the street. With no attention to spare his horse, he dropped the leads as he went, determined to face Juliet again, no matter what reaction he might see there.
“Juliet!” he cried as he strode, feeling like a man walking into a wall of spears aimed at his heart. If he stayed back, he’d be safe—he’d never know if she’d forgotten him. But what would it matter? He’d win her heart all over again, even if he had to enlist the aid of a Muir witch to slip him back into her dreams. Even if he had to bide his time while she grew a half-dozen years.
The lad pointed at him. Juliet turned, her eyes following the small filthy finger. Then she straightened and waved to Quinn, waving off that wall of spears.
She knows me!
When he heard Ewan laugh, only then did he realize his distant cousin was still at his side.
“Quinn,” she called, and in her smile, he saw the reflection of all the relief he felt himself.
No one would need to bid him breathe again.
“Quinn! Ewan! Come and meet this young man. His name is Percy. He’s a terribly brave boy who saved me. I was lost in a cave, and he saved me.”
“Jillian Ross!” Montgomery’s bellow filled the misty air.
Quinn turned in the direction of the sound and saw Jillian running from the road to the right, toward her sister. The Mhairi and Margot appeared next. Montgomery, on horse, was headed up the street behind them. James followed.
Jillian and Juliet embraced as the older sisters slowed and stopped behind them. Quinn was a little disappointed she had yet to throw herself into his arms. He closed the distance to make it easier for her to do so, but she only winked at him and turned back to her sister.
After a flurry of conversation that was too fast for Quinn to understand, Juliet stood speechless while Jillian moved over to the little wall and bent to speak with Percy. The Muirs patted Juliet on the shoulders and laughed.
Quinn prepared to shoo them away just as soon as Juliet gave him permission to do it, but it looked as if Montgomery wanted that pleasure all to himself.
“Mhairi Muir,” he shouted as he dismounted. “Ye’re done for, do ye hear? That goes for yer sister too. But ye’ll be placed in separate dungeons. Mayhap even separate centuries.”
The very pale laird pushed the twins aside to get to his wife, then physically wrenched her attention from young Percy—he took her by the shoulders and gave the slightest shake. “Why would you risk such a thing, Jillian? Why?”
Though Quinn was thrilled to find Juliet untouched by the tunnel’s curse, he, too, was shocked by the risk Jilly had taken.
The woman smiled and patted Monty’s chest. “There was no danger, husband. Because the tunnel holds no curse for Muirs. My grandfather Wickham was a Muir if you remember. Just a drop of Muir blood is enough, so the children were never in danger either.”
Monty suddenly looked around, then sat abruptly on the short wall next to Percy. It took him a moment to catch his breath.
“Children, ye say? Ye ken it for certain?” He smiled, but he still looked a little sick. “That’s grand, aye? But Muirs?”
The last bit he whispered to Jillian but everyone in the vicinity of the well heard it and laughed.
Jillian shook her head. “Only a little bit.”
Monty moaned. Percy offered him a filthy wet cloth and the man took it and pressed it to his head.
The look Jilly then turned on Quinn made him wonder if there was more room on the wall, next to the lad.
“Quinn,” she said. “I’ve just broken the news to Juliet that our grandfather was a Muir. It’s the reason the tunnel had no effect on her. But I think she might need a little consoling too.”
Juliet stood just out of reach looking a mite green, but he couldn’t seem to cover the