it rivaled the flames.
She stood up. Through the wavering heat, she could see Jonathon being assaulted by three of the guards. They kicked him. He rolled over. Blood smeared his face. Anger flashed. In her mind, she saw the fire sweep out toward the guards. And so it did.
They flapped their arms in a futile attempt to put out their burning clothing. They dropped to the ground and flailed. She turned her attention to the crowd who had gone silent.
“This ends now. If any of you even look at a woman the wrong way again, I will find you.”
The crowd bolted. Rowena couldn’t help but take a little satisfaction from hearing them screaming all the way down the hill. Rowena ran to Jonathon and untied him. “I thought you were dead!” he said, his voice breaking.
She wrapped her arms around him and thought about the one thing she wanted more than anything. Home.
Rowena opened her eyes. Hawthorn sat in a wicker rocking chair by the fire. “You’re late. Supper’s almost ready.” The cavalier way Hawthorn greeted them brought tears to Rowena’s eyes. Nothing had changed even though everything had.
The familiar savory smell of Hawthorn’s stew teased her senses. The crackle of the fireplace was a welcome contrast to the sinister fire she had just escaped. It didn’t surprise Rowena that Hawthorn’s cottage was what came to mind when she thought of home.
“Hawthorn!”
“Well done. Both of you.” Hawthorn stood and opened her arms. Rowena surrendered to her embrace, feeling some of the stress melt away. “There’s somebody outside who would like to see you.”
Buttercup brayed at her from the stable. Rowena went to the mule and hugged her gently. “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” she said to the mule.
Hawthorn cackled from the doorway. “Touching. But she isn’t who I meant.” Hawthorn nodded in the direction behind the cottage. Rowena and Jonathon made their way behind the cottage. There in the clearing, sat the women they had saved from the wagons and the prison. Rowena’s throat clogged up. Tears stung her eyes once more.
“They are safe because of you both,” Hawthorn said, squeezing their shoulders.
“Not for long. That horrible judge is tormenting us all in the future.”
“One battle at a time. If Brenna is anywhere near as canny as you are, she’ll see it through.”
Chapter Seventeen
Oakwoods Now
Brenna’s sleep-blurred eyes strained to see Maggie. She was snoring softly. Unable to see herself going back to sleep, Brenna swung her feet out of bed. She made her way to the door with her arms out in front like a zombie to avoid crashing into anything. The sound of rain falling made her shiver as she walked out into the hallway, seeing a crack of light spilling out from behind a partially closed door. Her bare feet landed on a wet spot on the floor. Her eyes cleared up enough to see a trail of wet footprints leading to the door.
She pushed the door, wincing as it made a creak. Ronan was sitting on a huge bed reading a book. A pile of sodden clothes lay on the floor. Kiba lay in front of a roaring fire. Oddly enough his fur was damp.
“Can’t sleep?” Ronan asked, putting down what he was reading.
“I was asleep, well I had another dream.”
“So, you didn’t sleep much.”
“I guess not.” She walked further into the room. “Can I sit?”
“Sure.”
“What you reading?”
“I’m going over the ingredients we need.” He showed her the old spell written by Hawthorn.
“Oh, shouldn’t you be asleep?”
“I should be. But when there’s something on my mind I have trouble sleeping.”
“Worried about the judge?”
“That wasn’t what was on my mind.” He raised an eyebrow, looked her in the eyes. She blushed.
“Oh, well uh any, anything I can help you with?” she stammered.
“Is Maggie asleep?”
Brenna nodded. “I don’t want to seem creepy or anything, but I feel a connection to you, Brenna.”
“I probably don’t need to say anything. Even somebody who can’t read minds could tell I feel the same.”
Ronan smirked. “I think Maggie will be okay alone for the rest of the night. Don’t you?”
Brenna did.
The sun tried to shine through thick dark clouds. Fog had risen early in the morning and was still strong at lunchtime. Brenna turned away from the window and glanced at Maggie who was shoving a filled croissant into her mouth. On the table in front of them, Brenna’s grandmother’s photos were laid out.
“So,” Maggie said with her mouth full. “Where were you last night?”
“Huh?”
Maggie gave Brenna a knowing look.
“What?” Brenna said,