as it would on Sarah nearly a thousand years later.
“Not me. You, lass,” Iosbail said.
Still caught up in confusing thoughts, Mildred looked down haphazardly. While not completely dry, her hair now hung soft and full down her chest. Though there was no mirror to confirm, she felt rather… pretty?
Iosbail walked around her and made adjustments here and there before finally saying, “Aye, yer a fine sight, lass!”
A bit stunned, Mildred did what came naturally and shook her head. “Obviously you haven’t seen yourself.”
Iosbail gave a small smile and shook her head. “Sure I have, one too many times.” Before Mildred could respond, the other woman headed for the door. “Let’s go then.”
Frustrated but somewhat used to the emotion when it came to all-things-Iosbail, Mildred followed. Obviously it didn’t occur to Adlin’s sister to try to break her in slowly, to be a tad compassionate?
Determined to stay strong, Mildred followed her down the hall. How had they within an hourgone from being equals to Iosbail clearly being in charge? Somehow, all she’d thought she’d established had slipped right through her fingers.
Yet the truth was Mildred was suddenly okay with Iosbail once more taking the reins. The situation would most likely be terrifying otherwise. Interesting, when a person felt their most vulnerable it was fine being controlled by another, especially if that ‘other’ knew their environment.
The great hall was somewhat quiet which surprised her. Shouldn’t there be people down here to greet Iosbail in awe? To congratulate her? Apparently not. About thirty clansmen and women filtered around. That was it. Iosbail didn’t seem bothered in the least but urged Mildred to follow her outside.
They’d just exited the door when Iosbail made a loose flourish with her hand. “See, I told you.”
Shocked, she watched as the courtyard filled with horses. The men didn’t wear the MacLeod tartan but instead, the blues and greens of the MacLomains. Chest tight, she scanned them all. Where was Adlin? As if on cue, he trotted through the gates. Was it her imagination or did his eyes go straight to hers?
Right behind him, Bruce MacLeod and his men cantered in. Adlin and Bruce swung off their horses simultaneously. With a smile on his face, Adlin offered his arm. With a scowl on his, Bruce did the same. The men locked arms then pulled away.
Mildred released a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
Adlin turned to his men. Bruce headed her way. His eyes skimmed briefly over Iosbail before landing on her. Dusty and speckled with dry blood he approached them and said to her, “Glad you were well cared for.”
She’d never heard anything more disingenuous but replied, “Thank you.”
With a brief nod and a long eyeful, he passed and entered the castle.
Iosbail, with a straight back and calm eyes said, “You did well.”
I did? She’d done nothing at all, at least as far as she was concerned.
“Come.”
Mildred followed Iosbail into the castle when all she really wanted to do was go look for Adlin. Why hadn’t he come right over? What sort of game did these people play?
“Where are we going?” she whispered.
Iosbail said nothing as they went back up the stairs. Once they’d returned to their original chamber, Adlin’s sister said, “We wait a bit then go down.”
“Why didn’t we stay down there?”
“Because our purpose was to greet the laird when he returned.”
Oh wonderful. This was ridiculous. So she decided against it. “I’m going to look for Adlin, I’ll be back.”
Like a vise grip, Iosbail grabbed her forearm. “Good way to get killed.”
Mildred met her eye to eye. “Then talk to me. Tell me what’s going on. Because I guarantee Adlin will.”
“If you make it alive to talk to him,” Iosbail muttered and released her arm. “The way this clan works is the laird rules. All we little people obey.”
Iosbail walked to the window, her posture stiff, expression unforgiving, brogue all but gone. “Follow me and you’ll be fine. Right now, Bruce is under the assumption you’re here for me. You are currently being given the rights of a second to me. Considering I’m marrying his brother, that makes you near royalty in these times, even if you are of Adlin’s clan.”
“And you couldn’t tell me this to begin with!” Mildred blurted. “Or would that have made too much sense?”
“Everything I do and say makes sense,” she said calmly. Before Mildred could say another word, Iosbail’s cool eyes turned her way. “Are you not a Broun witch? Do you not descend from me?”
Her eyes went dry. Her