to arm themselves didn’t seem to concern the crowd, or their leader. They only waited and watched, pleased with the entertainment.
Margot moved around Ewan and came forward. She stepped in front of the old man and gave a little bow.
“Father,” she said. “These young women are of Muir blood. Surely they can be allowed to go on their way.”
“Our ways, Margot.” A gnarly finger raised and pointed at Juliet. “That one’s been in the tunnels. Even my auld nose can smell it on her, aye? And the lad as well.”
Quinn resisted the urge to give Juliet a sniff. If they’d ever gotten around to that kiss, she might have tasted of metal. But he didn’t care if she had liquid silver running through her veins; she was his.
“And mayhap it’s me yer smelling, father. I was there, on the far end of the tunnel. I ken this lass was forced inside. Surely, she shouldna be punished for it?”
The old man smiled and nodded. “As you say, daughter.” He looked at Juliet. “Come forward, Juliet. And bring yer sister.”
Quinn tried to reach for Juliet’s arm as she stepped forward, but his hand never rose. Jilly moved forward to stand next to her. Monty strained behind his wife, but couldn’t stop her either. A fizzy chill ran up Quinn’s spine and poured fresh metal into his mouth.
“Haud yer wheesht,” he heard whispered into his mind.
“Granddaughters to be sure,” the old man greeted, taking one of each lass’s hands. “I’ll allow ye to go, and take yer mighty warriors with ye, but ken that ye’ll always find a home here, and shelter, and protection. As will yer sons,” he told Jilly. “No matter the century, aye?”
He gave Juliet some sort of blessing, then turned and did the same to Jillian, pulling each low so he could end his benediction with a kiss on the forehead. When he was finished, he dropped their hands and took a step to the side, then craned his neck to see Percy.
Monty stood at frustrated attention when the boy stumbled around him as if being pulled by some invisible rope. Quinn, on the other hand, was able to move just fine and so he did. He rushed forward and planted his body between Percy and the old laird.
The latter tipped his head back on a wrinkled neck and looked Quinn in the eye.
“What foe cannot be bested as a child?” he said, echoing Mhairi’s words from earlier that day. Only now, that foe was no longer a concept, but a physical child! Quinn was horrified that the Muirs, a clan that had just proven how easily they could control an enemy, would conceive of such a curse—a curse that would end with the slaughter of children! It made no difference that those children might have been full-grown sword-wielding soldiers a half an hour before!
They were mad! All of them. Perhaps Margot and Mhairi were the sanest of the lot!
Mhairi!
Quinn looked in Ewan’s direction and found the old woman meeting his eye.
Please, Mhairi. Help us!
Mhairi, bless her, nodded.
A heartbeat later, he held both Juliet’s hand and Percy’s, and they were pushing quickly through an unresisting crowd. There was no time to wonder whether or not Mhairi was responsible.
They burst down the street with Monty, Jillian, and Ewan on their heels. The Muir sisters remained somewhere inside the mob. James waited at the bottom of the slope with horses ready.
Thank you!
He sent the thought to God, and to Mhairi and Margot, and hoped they all heard, somehow.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
It was dark when Ewan led his strangely disguised guests back into Castle Ross. He sent James on some errand and led the rest of them into the big hall, then went to work starting a small fire in the hearth. Thank heavens he’d sent everyone from the building until after the funeral—the funeral where, thank goodness, there would be no body in the coffin.
Jules was just grateful they were all accounted for, including Percy. It was easy to admit she was in love with Quinn and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him—when he’d gone down on one knee, she’d been so thrilled she could hardly breathe. But she couldn’t live with herself, or anyone else, if she couldn’t find a way to end that little boy’s suffering. The funny thing was, she’d decided to help him however she could before he’d ever become that little boy.
When he’d taken her from the workroom beneath the tomb entrance, when he’d