walk away. He couldn’t decide whether to go after her or Ilinca, and the longer he stood there, the harder it was for him to go after Morvan.
He didn’t leave until he saw her reach the gates of the castle. What had he heard the people call it? Ravensclyde. It was a grand name for an impressive castle.
Stefan released a breath when Morvan was admitted into the bailey. Now that she was safe, he could focus on Ilinca. Stefan turned his back on the castle and walked to where he’d seen the gypsy.
~ ~ ~
Morvan touched her chest. There was an ache there that felt as if someone had yanked out her heart. Stefan had come into her life as quickly as he left it. She didn’t regret a single minute she’d shared with him, but that didn’t help the emptiness within her now.
She wasn’t just empty without Stefan, she was lost without the forest. Morvan closed her eyes and pictured the tall pines, the thick birch, the sturdy oaks. She imagined ferns on the ground and the constant chirping of birds. The woods would help to heal her. If she could get back to them.
How, when she was homeless? She had nothing but the clothes on her back. The Sinclairs had welcomed her into Ravensclyde, but it wasn’t her home.
“Morvan?”
Morvan opened her eyes to find herself meeting a gray gaze. The woman that addressed her was frowning, concern showing in her gray depths. Her red hair was pulled back in a loose bun. That’s when Morvan remembered entering the bailey and introducing herself to two women.
“She doesn’t look well at all,” said a second voice.
Morvan shifted her gaze to the left and saw another woman with long brown hair and sky blue eyes. “I’m fine.”
The redhead snorted. “You’re as pale as death. Come inside so we can feed you,” she said and took one of Morvan’s arms.
The brunette took the other, nodding as she did. “Food, aye. That’s what she needs.”
Morvan let them lead her into the castle, but she wasn’t seeing any of the people or the gray stones. All she could see was hazel eyes, long dark hair, and a breathtaking body.
“Eat,” said the redhead as she shoved a trencher of food at Morvan.
When had they sat? Morvan glanced around nervously.
“It’s not poisoned,” said the brunette who reached over, pulled off a piece of meat and ate it. “I’m Leana.”
“And I’m Meg. You told the guardsmen that you came to Ravensclyde from the MacKays.”
Morvan nodded as she bit into the bread. Her stomach growled loudly as she chewed and swallowed. “I came to warn you that Donald MacKay is planning to attack.”
“Again?” Leana asked worried, her gaze on Meg.
Meg’s lips thinned. “He’s already tried that once, and we defeated him.”
Morvan hadn’t known that.
“I saw Morvan’s arrival, but not another attack,” Leana said.
Morvan’s gaze jerked to Leana. “You saw me?”
“I have…dreams,” Leana explained. “I had a vision of you coming here to Ravensclyde two days ago.”
Two days ago? That’s when she was on Sinclair land and went to the cliffs. Stefan. Why did it feel as if all of this revolved around Stefan?
“Do you know why I’m here?” she asked Leana.
The brunette shook her head. “I see only glimpses. Did you just come to tell us of Donald?”
“Aye.” They didn’t need to know about Stefan. He was her secret, a stranger she’d conjured from the darkness and tamed – for a time anyway.
“Why?” asked a deep voice behind her.
Morvan turned around and saw two men standing with their arms crossed over their chests. They were imposing men, but after seeing Stefan fight, nothing could impress her anymore.
“Why?” the man with the pale green eyes and brown hair asked again.
Leana walked to the second man who had sandy blond hair and topaz eyes. “I told you about my vision. This is her.”
The first man’s gaze didn’t waver from Morvan. She set aside the bread and said. “There was a stranger that came onto MacKay land. A
He didn’t leave until he saw her reach the gates of the castle. What had he heard the people call it? Ravensclyde. It was a grand name for an impressive castle.
Stefan released a breath when Morvan was admitted into the bailey. Now that she was safe, he could focus on Ilinca. Stefan turned his back on the castle and walked to where he’d seen the gypsy.
~ ~ ~
Morvan touched her chest. There was an ache there that felt as if someone had yanked out her heart. Stefan had come into her life as quickly as he left it. She didn’t regret a single minute she’d shared with him, but that didn’t help the emptiness within her now.
She wasn’t just empty without Stefan, she was lost without the forest. Morvan closed her eyes and pictured the tall pines, the thick birch, the sturdy oaks. She imagined ferns on the ground and the constant chirping of birds. The woods would help to heal her. If she could get back to them.
How, when she was homeless? She had nothing but the clothes on her back. The Sinclairs had welcomed her into Ravensclyde, but it wasn’t her home.
“Morvan?”
Morvan opened her eyes to find herself meeting a gray gaze. The woman that addressed her was frowning, concern showing in her gray depths. Her red hair was pulled back in a loose bun. That’s when Morvan remembered entering the bailey and introducing herself to two women.
“She doesn’t look well at all,” said a second voice.
Morvan shifted her gaze to the left and saw another woman with long brown hair and sky blue eyes. “I’m fine.”
The redhead snorted. “You’re as pale as death. Come inside so we can feed you,” she said and took one of Morvan’s arms.
The brunette took the other, nodding as she did. “Food, aye. That’s what she needs.”
Morvan let them lead her into the castle, but she wasn’t seeing any of the people or the gray stones. All she could see was hazel eyes, long dark hair, and a breathtaking body.
“Eat,” said the redhead as she shoved a trencher of food at Morvan.
When had they sat? Morvan glanced around nervously.
“It’s not poisoned,” said the brunette who reached over, pulled off a piece of meat and ate it. “I’m Leana.”
“And I’m Meg. You told the guardsmen that you came to Ravensclyde from the MacKays.”
Morvan nodded as she bit into the bread. Her stomach growled loudly as she chewed and swallowed. “I came to warn you that Donald MacKay is planning to attack.”
“Again?” Leana asked worried, her gaze on Meg.
Meg’s lips thinned. “He’s already tried that once, and we defeated him.”
Morvan hadn’t known that.
“I saw Morvan’s arrival, but not another attack,” Leana said.
Morvan’s gaze jerked to Leana. “You saw me?”
“I have…dreams,” Leana explained. “I had a vision of you coming here to Ravensclyde two days ago.”
Two days ago? That’s when she was on Sinclair land and went to the cliffs. Stefan. Why did it feel as if all of this revolved around Stefan?
“Do you know why I’m here?” she asked Leana.
The brunette shook her head. “I see only glimpses. Did you just come to tell us of Donald?”
“Aye.” They didn’t need to know about Stefan. He was her secret, a stranger she’d conjured from the darkness and tamed – for a time anyway.
“Why?” asked a deep voice behind her.
Morvan turned around and saw two men standing with their arms crossed over their chests. They were imposing men, but after seeing Stefan fight, nothing could impress her anymore.
“Why?” the man with the pale green eyes and brown hair asked again.
Leana walked to the second man who had sandy blond hair and topaz eyes. “I told you about my vision. This is her.”
The first man’s gaze didn’t waver from Morvan. She set aside the bread and said. “There was a stranger that came onto MacKay land. A
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