Helena jolted awake by the screech of a black grouse. It took her an instant to realize the bird was outside the window of the inn’s bedchambers. Sitting up, she rubbed her tired eyes. Morning sun streamed into through the window.

She frowned. Where was her cloak? Hadn’t she left it at the foot of the bed? She tossed off the covers and leapt to her feet. God help her, where was the cloak?

“Are ye looking for this?”

Helena spun. Kaden sat, back against the wall near the far corner, her cloak in hand.

The hope that he hadn’t found the Faery Flag was dispelled by the raise of his brow.

She took a step toward him. “Please, Kaden, I can explain.”

“Explain that you’re a thief?”

Tears filled her eyes.

He shoved to his feet. “Christ, do no’ dare cry. Have ye any idea what Caeleb will do to you if he catches ye with this?” He shook the cloak. “The fact ye are a woman willnae matter.” His gaze flicked to her breasts, which strained against the thick linen of her nightshift, and heat flashed through her. She whirled and yanked a blanket from the bed, then hung is around her shoulders. “Caeleb will hang you,” he said when she turned. “Ye must return the flag.”

She shook her head. “The flag is going to save me.”

His brows shot up. “Ye are putting your faith in a legend.”

“Legends originate from truth. Without it, there would be no hope. I must do this.”

He shook his head. “There is always another way. We are returning this flag. But first, I want ye to tell me the truth. Why did you take it?”

Helena sat on the bed. “I was orphaned at seven years old. At nine, I went to live at Glenwood Abbey.”

He frowned. “Is that the abbey for lost girls?”

She nodded. “You have heard of it. What you probably havenae heard is that Malcolm Donald recruits girls from the abbey to do his bidding.”

Kayden’s gaze sharpened. “His bidding? What do you mean?”

“I am trained as a thief.”

He scowled. “Trained? As a thief? I never heard of such a thing.”

She shrugged. “I imagine no’. But it is true. I am trained as a thief. Another girl is trained as a spy, another girl as—”

“By God,” he burst out. “Are you saying Malcolm told you to steal the Faery Flag?”

She nodded.

Shock registered on his face. “Is one of the women who Malcolm trained, Caeleb's wife?”

Helena drew a sharp breath. “How did you know?”

Fury played across his features. “Tell me everything about Malcolm Donald.”

 

They sat at the table in front of the fire while Helena finished her story. she hung her head. “If ye must turn me over to the MacLeods, I understand.”

His mouth remained a grim line, but he said, “I am the last man to cast judgement. I am no’ going to turn ye over to Caeleb. I plan to help you.”

“Help me? After what I have done to your clan?”

“My clan?” His eyes narrowed. “Ye are too smart for your own good, lass.”

Heat crept up her cheeks. His gaze seemed to pause on her mouth, but then he looked into her eyes, and she wasn’t certain.

“I dinnae want ye to make the same mistake I did,” he said. “Malcolm has manipulated ye with lies. I swear by God and heaven, so long as I have breath in me, ye need never fear him again.”

Helena stared for a long moment. Tears threatened again, but she fought the urge to cry and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. She drew back and her gaze snagged on his mouth. Helena licked her lips. Kaden stood, and she released the breath she held.

“We should get an early start,” he said. “Maggie will have packed biscuits we can eat on the way.”

Unable to speak, Helena nodded. He waited outside the room while she dressed and put on her boots, then held up her cloak for her. She turned and allowed him to settle it around her shoulders. Heat radiated from his body. Helena swallowed then turned. 

“Come on, lass.”

They left the room and descended the stairs to the tavern. Mrs. Hays fussed over them, insisting they eat, but Kaden finally hustled Helena out to the stables. He saddled the horse in silence, then faced her.

“Are ye ready?” he asked.

Trepidation caused her heart to thud. “Where are ye going?”

“Tis best for now to return to my cottage.”

He wasn’t taking her back to Dunvegan? “What about the flag?”

“I need time to think about how we are going to return it.”

He vaulted into the saddle, then extended his hand to her. She placed her hand in his and couldn’t help but notice the calloused palm that clasped her hand. He was an honest, hard-working man. What would it take to win the heart of a man like him?