Voices reached me before I cleared the stairs, so I ducked into the door leading to the lower roof of the palace and waited. The two guards walked past with wood, their laughter echoing in the narrow tower.

Once they passed, I tugged the hoodie of the cloak over my head and left my hiding place. Downstairs, workers scurried past without slowing down. Regardless of whether they worked in the kitchen or took care of the rooms, they wore the same navy blue tunic, white blouses or chemises, and aprons. There were male servants in blue uniforms, then the ones in black. I had a feeling those ones were higher up the staff hierarchy. Whether dressed in blue or black, their vests and coats were not decorated with embroideries like the lords’.

I made it past a busy kitchen without being stopped. Not that there were guards in the back rooms. In the last four days, I hadn’t met one whenever I ventured downstairs. But then again, I’d never gone past the restroom and had zero interest in exploring the rest of the palace. The sooner I left the island, the better I’d feel.

I made it to the back entrance.

There were empty baskets piled by the door and stacks of barrels. Images of the winery and the buttery in the Great Hall drifted through my head. Storm and the sailors carrying their loot from the ships.

My chest tightened, and I pushed the painful memories away.

A man and a boy carried barrels and baskets of fruit from a donkey cart when I stepped outside. The boy reminded me so much of Tommy I found myself smiling at him as I held the door open for them.

“Do you need help carrying those? I’m strong.” I flexed an arm.

The older man chuckled. He had a bushy beard and twinkling brown eyes. “I’m sure you are, lass, but my lad and I can manage. Thank you for holding the door. That’s a big help.”

They placed their wares inside the door and hauled out the empty basket and barrels. Bushy Beard stopped and studied me.

“Such unusual eyes. You must be new around here, lass,” he said. “Or I would have remembered seeing you before.”

“I’m visiting my aunt who works here. I’m hoping to find a position.” The lies. Damn, I was good. That popped in my head like a daisy, but if these two got into the compound, they’d be leaving. They could be my ticket out of here.

“You are a sight for these tired eyes, lass,” the man said, his gaze lingering on my jaw. I knew he saw the bruises there because something flashed in his eyes, but it happened so fast I couldn’t read it.

“All I see are long faces whenever I come here,” he continued. “Don’t let them turn you into a sourpuss.”

“They could try.” I winked at the boy.

Gah, I missed my brother. Would he be walking by the time I made it back to Vaarda? I hoped so. By now Moria had told him about what they were, and knowing my brother, he’d roll with it. He’d loved video games with shape-shifters. Hopefully, Moria kept him away from the others, or he’d know I had been kidnapped, again. That would be too much for him.

The boy kept shooting me side glances whenever he walked past me, until they finished.

“Thank you, lass,” the older man said. “I hope to see your smiling face next week.”

“You will.”

I inched closer to the cart as they secured the barrels with a rope. Goose bumps raced on the surface of my skin despite the cloak. Thick clouds and fog hid the sun, making the day cooler than usual.

“Where are you two headed?” I asked.

“Back to the farm at the base of Dumha na Aine,” he said.

“Is it, by any chance, in the direction of the marketplace by the docks?”

“No, lass, but we’re headed that way. Then we go east,” he said. “Why?”

“I need to buy a few things at the marketplace. Can I hitch a ride until you get to where you head east? I promise I don’t weigh much.”

This time, even the boy chuckled.

“Come and sit in front with me,” the father said. “The lad can sit in the back.”

“Oh no, sir. I’ll be okay in the back. He belongs right there in front with you. I have a brother around his age, and all he ever wanted was to have a father so he could learn cool things from him.” My throat constricted. “He never got that. Our father died when he was a baby.”

“Where are you from? You have eyes I’ve only seen among Frislanders, but you don’t speak like them.”

Yeah, where did I come from now? I couldn’t just say Vaarda. No, maybe I should start saying Frisland. Before I could think up a response, the son whispered to the dad, and recognition flashed in his eyes.

“You are a Tuh’ren,” the man said, lowering his voice.

Was that going to be a problem? I couldn’t tell by studying their expressions. I nodded. Breaking into a smile, he walked to the back of the wagon, where I stood, and offered me his hand.

“Lachlan. And that’s my lad, Muir.”

“Lexi.” I shook his hand and gave him a sheepish smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“Someone hurt you, lass?”

I frowned. “No.”

“Your face.”

Yikes. Prince A-hole must have left a lot of his fingerprints on my skin.

“It’s nothing.”

“It never is,” Lachlan muttered, his jaw tense. “Up you go.”

“Thank you,” I added after he helped me onto the wagon. I moved past the loosely roped barrels to the baskets and sat. I was perfectly hidden by the barrels, and from the way Lachlan shifted the barrels, he knew exactly what I was doing.

Taking his seat, he clicked his tongue and whipped the donkeys. The wagon rocked as they turned and headed toward the side gate. When Gwyn had said an enclosure, I’d expected a small inner court. Instead it was huge. It had wire lines with laundry on one side, a well for drawing water, and several doors leading from it. It was obviously a service entrance, and the gate looked ancient like medieval gates that were controlled from above, so it was either lifted or lowered down.

I’d started to suspect that the queen mother’s tower had been part of an ancient castle. Tullius must have built the palace around it because the front two towers with dome roofs looked different from the two in the back. 

“How long have you been in Port Hy’Brasil, lass?” Lachlan asked.

“Four days. I was on a different island before I was brought here.”

“And your brother?”

“He’s at home.” My throat tightened again.

“We’re coming to the gate,” he said from the corner of his mouth. “Keep your head low.”

I tucked my legs and held my breath. He spoke with the guards and even cracked a few jokes about the ride up hill from his farm and his age. At least they didn’t inspect his empty containers.

The soft whoosh of a well-greased hinged followed as the massive gates open and closed, and I sighed with relief. First the marketplace, then a quick peek at the ships if I had time, and the trek back here. Hopefully, I would not have problems when I returned.

The two guiding the donkeys didn’t speak for a while, so I kept quiet, too.

“You okay back there, lass?” Lachlan asked.

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

“Just Lachlan, lass. Are you in trouble?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” But they might be my ticket out of here in a few days.

“I’ve met Tuh’rens scared for their lives and on the run, so if you need help, we have an extra bed and place at our table. Our lands are up yonder.”

I stood to look. He was pointing at the ridge on the hill east of the city. “The best fruit farm this side of the island, thanks to Goddess Aine. That’s why we supply the palace.”

“I love fruit. Maybe I’ll stop by for a visit.” I sat on top of one of the barrels and got comfortable.

He threw me a glance over his shoulder, eyes lingering on my bruises. “You sure you’re not in trouble, Lexi?”

“Not today, Lachlan. Not yet anyway, but the day is still young.”

He chuckled. “You are an unusual lass.”

“Not really, but I’ve learned that laughter is the best medicine sometimes when you find yourself trapped between a rock and a hard place. Thank you for being kind. Who knows? I might need your help and come looking for you.”

“Just ask for Lachlan Tuathanas.”

“I will, if I ever need it. Or if I feel the urge to get some amazing fruit. Right now, I want to get to the marketplace and get an elixir from the healer Athol.”

Lachlan chuckled. “Aah, old man Athol. He is the best. Blessed by Aine. May she always stay sweet. My lovely lass swears by his elixirs and salves. No, we’ll take you to Athol. I can pick up a few things for her.”

As we left the palace and the large mansions with walled courtyards behind and continued downhill, Lachlan got off the main street, which seemed to be reserved for horse-drawn carriages. Instead, he used side roads, talking nonstop about his farm. He kept thanking Aine for everything.

“Who is Aine?” I asked when he paused.

His son threw me a surprised glance, and when Lachlan answered, there was reverence in his voice.

“Aine is our fairy queen, goddess of love and fertility. Without her, our farms would wither and not provide us with such abundant fruits. She is as sweet as the juices she creates, but when angry, watch out. The fruit turn sour, the oceans swell, and the rivers flood our lands.Our mountain, Dumha na Aine, is named after her.”

Swelling oceans meant change in tide. “She’s also the goddess of the moon?”

Lachlan chuckled. “Oh, yes. And herbs and their healing powers. While her father watches over our sailors at sea, she watches over us on land. Keeping us healthy.”

“She is Manannan’s daughter?”

Lachlan grinned. “Aah, so you know our gods, lass.”

“Some. Not all.”

Talking about the gods was obviously Lachlan’s thing because he introduced me to Irish pantheon. From Danu, the Mother Earth Goddess to the Great Queen Morrigan, the supreme goddess of war.

I was so caught up in Lachlan’s stories, I didn’t notice the houses had grown smaller as we moved farther from the palace.

The ones we passed were the size of those on Vaarda. And like Vaardanians, they worked on small gardens behind their houses, hung their laundry to dry, hauled water from wells strategically placed in centralized courtyards, and smiled when our eyes met. I forgot I was trying to keep a low profile and smiled back and nodded when I made eye contact.

We joined islanders with laden donkey carts or baskets on slings hoisted on their shoulders. Almost all the women wore either a cloak or a shawl, most of them colorful and bright against their tan skin and palettes of brown kirtles. The men’s frock coats with slops or tighter breeches and vests were also plain and earth-toned. A few here and there had gold or silver embroideries, and most men wore tricorn hats. Considering how the men I’d seen at the palace looked like peacocks, fancier outfits must be a sign of wealth.

Lachlan continued to talk about the gods. As we got closer to the marketplace, the homes had sheds and workshops with people hammering on swords and daggers, assembling furniture and hammocks, decorating pottery…

A man working on a beautiful bow caught my eye.

“Do people still use bows and arrows?” I asked.

“Oh, yes,” Lachlan said. “To hunt in the forests. There’s enough game for those who get tired of eating fish or farm animals.”

We must have been riding for forty-five minutes to an hour when the noise warned me we were close to our destination. We turned a corner, and I saw the fenced market square. I couldn’t tell what was the loudest, the human voices or the animals—dogs, goats, pigs, cows, and donkeys. Lachlan guided his to a place where other wagons and donkeys were tied, and left his son to guard them.

“It was nice meeting you, Muir,” I said, and his son’s cheeks grew pink. He quickly glanced away when our gazes met.

Lachlan sighed, a resigned expression on his face. “The lad will never settle down if he continues to stammer and blush whenever a pretty girl smiles at him.”

“He’s a handsome young man, Lachlan, so he’ll be fine. My brother had been worse.”

Tommy had been too damn cocky for his age before the accident. The only one who’d ever made him blush had been Jo.

Jo. I’d completely forgotten to ask Tommy about her. She must think we’d been abducted by aliens. Her overactive imagination was worse than mine.

We went through the gate and walked past people selling their wares from carts with makeshift covers. Colorful fruits and vegetables lined one side of a path, and preserved, dried, or smoked meats were on the other. The aroma of grilled sausages mixed with the hot, fresh bread caused my mouth to water and my stomach to growl.

I wanted a sausage.

I craned my neck and followed my nose. Where are you, vendor? A prickly feeling of being watched had me turning my head.

The place was so crowded I couldn’t tell. When I turned, a child barreled into me, one almost knocking me down. Horror crossed his face.

“It’s okay,” I reassured him, but he started to struggle against my grip, tears rushing to his eyes. “Did you get hurt?”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to make your apron dirty.”

I glanced down at the handprint he’d left behind on the white fabric. A woman called out, and he stared her way with big eyes, tears racing down his face.

“I didn’t mean to do it, Ma. I really didn’t.”

She tugged the child to her side, and he hid behind her skirt. Face flushed and eyes apologetic, she stared at me.

“Please, let me apologize for my son, lass. I swore to never bring him to the marketplace because he’s always running and spilling things on people, but he promised to behave this time and he did, until now. I can wash your apron and have it back before you leave for the palace.”

I dismissed her offer with a wave.

“No. I’ll wash it when I get back.”

She continued to look distressed.

“It’s only a handprint. Kids do much worse. I know. I used to watch over one.”

She looked around and added in a low tone, “I don’t want to get you in trouble, lass. We all know how your uniform must stay spotless at all times.”

“Well, I’m new at the palace, and I haven’t heard that yet.”

Ignoring the mother, I bent lower and played peekaboo with the boy. He couldn’t have been more than five.

“What’s your name?”

“Cascade,” he whispered.

“Nice to meet you, Cascade. I’m Lexi, and no one will know we did this.” I undid the apron and turned it inside out. “See? Problem solved.”

He frowned. “It’s inside out.”

“You mean you can tell?”

He nodded, fear receding from his eyes.

“Phooey.” I pouted while he grinned. Then I dropped the apron on the ground and stepped on it. More like wiped the ground with it. “Oops.”

His eyes widened.

“How clumsy of me. I must not have tied it properly.”

He laughed.

Grinning, I picked up the dirty apron and stood. The smile disappeared from my face when I noticed we had an audience. How long had they been standing there? I pretended not to see the pity on their faces. Damn bruises.

“You are a Frislander,” one man said.

Okay, maybe they were not looking at my bruises. Were all Frislanders violet-eyed?

“Fresh off the boat,” I said smoothly, grinning. I turned to Lachlan. “Let’s go.”

He took my arm and shooed away the gawkers. “There’s nothing to see here, folks. Let us through.”

I glanced over my shoulder and waved to Cascade. I got a toothy grin in return. Once again, I had a feeling I was being watched. I scanned the crowd, but no one stood out, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling of being followed.

“So where exactly is Frisland?” I asked as we left the colorful carts behind and entered a cobbled area with stores with arched entrances.

“Up north. They have a race of woman with rare eyes and exceptional beauty, but no one has ever seen them when they visit ports because they are not allowed to mate or mix with the males of their population.”

“Why?”

“They dedicate their lives to their goddess.”

The feeling of being watched persisted, bugging me like an itch, so I glanced back again. This time I caught sight of a familiar face. He stared back, then disappeared into the crowd.

Who was it, and why couldn’t I place the face? Sighing with frustration, I followed Lachlan, scenes in Vaarda flashing through my head as I watched people haggle over trades or prices. I wondered how many of the women were once Tuh’rens.

“Lechlan, how are Tuh’rens treated here?”

He frowned. “Some find happiness and some don’t.”

Before I could ask what happens to those who didn’t, he stopped by a wizardly-looking old man with bushy eyebrows, long gray hair, and beard. They hugged.

“Aine smiles upon you and your family, my friend,” the old man said.

“And you, Athol.” Lachlan indicated I move closer. “I’ve brought you a friend who needs your help. I promised Muir a pair of boots, so I’ll see what the market has to offer today. I’ll be back for the usual salve for my lass before we leave.” He touched my arm. “We will give you a ride back, Lexi. We forgot something at the palace.”

His pity for the poor Tuh’ren was at full throttle.

“No, you didn’t, Lachlan. I can find my way back.”

He chuckled. “Somehow I knew you’d say that. Nevertheless, I’ll be back for you too, lass.” He patted my shoulder and walked away.

Despite my situation and thorough dislike for Tully and the mad king, I couldn’t help liking these people. They were friendly. Kind. I turned and found Athol studying me with a weird expression.

“You are not from around these parts, lass, are you?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“I once knew a lass with eyes like yours.”

“Let me guess. She was from Frisland.”

He blinked. “Yes. Are you from there?”

“No, but I’ve been asked that a lot.”

“So how can I help you, lass?” Athol asked.

Not sure how much to tell him, I glanced at the people walking past us before speaking. “I need an elixir to heal pain, runny stomach, and the shakes.”

Athol frowned. “And may I ask who you need the elixir for?” he asked.

“No, you may not.”

He chuckled. “What has the person eaten?”

“Poison.”

His bushy eyebrows disappeared under his tricorn hat. “The shakes tell me it wasn’t ingested by accident or not just once. When did the person stop taking it?”

Damn, he was good.

“Four days ago.”

He frowned. “And the shakes just started?”

“She also has a high fever or chills.”

He shook his head. “I only know of one lethal combination that would do that, and it turns people into living corpses. How long has she been taking it?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know exactly, but it’s been years.”

He stared at me expectantly.

“Maybe decades,” I corrected.

 Sighing, Athol turned and retrieved two corked bottles from a box.

“Give her two spoonfuls in the morning, afternoon, and at night. Each time before she eats some broth. No solid food until the stomach stops running.” He placed the bottles in front of me.

I removed the coins from the pouch, but he shook his head.

“You don’t need to pay me, lass. You have enough on your plate.” He scratched his beard and studied the bruises on my jaw. “But I’d like to stop by your house and check on your patient.”

I shook my head. “You can’t.”

“Today is the first day of the shakes, lass. Tomorrow will be the worst. The pain gets better by the third day, but the stomach gets worse. This is the beginning of a very long journey. Can you at least come for me if the person needs help? I’m here every day.”

“Okay, I will. Thank you, Athol.”

“Here.” He handed me a clear gel. “Put that on your face twice a day, and the bruises will be gone by tomorrow.”

Gah, I must be a walking ad for physical abuse. I ignored the pity in his eyes and thanked him, then wrapped the salve and the two bottles in the apron. Now for some sausage. I salivated with anticipation.

I turned, and my eyes fell on rows of beautiful bows and arrows displayed in the next shop. I didn’t realize I’d moved until I was touching one.

“Does it please the lass?” the man asked, coming out from behind the table.

“Yeah, me likey. How much?”

“One groat for the bow and six arrows,” he said. “But I could make it twelve if you tell me your name.”

He had Ryun’s charm, and Levi’s beautiful blue eyes, but he could never appeal to me. Somewhere a bell went off. The teasing smile on his face disappeared, and his attention shifted. The noise in the marketplace died down as though someone had thrown a switch. Even the animals quit their cries.

I turned and noticed the angled heads. A boy around seven squeezed between two women, tugging the skirt of one of them. The bell stopped after three rings, yet no one moved.

“Ma?” the little boy asked, and his mother pressed him against her hip.

“It’s okay, lad. Everything will be okay.”

“Are we going to the palace square?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Remember what I told you. Two long blows and we go to the square. One long one, followed by three, and we go—”

The rest of her words were swallowed by the bellow of a horn. Go where? The sound filled the air. Three short bursts followed, then another long one.

Curses and groans came from the people as they hurried in every direction, annoyance on their faces. The arrow guy almost hit me with his door as he closed his little store. I went back to Athol’s place and found him locking elixir bottles in a crest.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Hurry home, lass,” he said without looking up.

“Why?”

Athol looked up, but his gaze focused on someone behind me.

“Are they here?” he asked.

“Not yet, my friend.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the man who’d spoken, and my eyes widened. It was the same guy I’d seen watching me earlier. I didn’t like the way his dark eyes narrowed on my jaw. I had enough people feeling sorry for me.

“Have you been following me?” I asked.

“Yes, lass. I’m from the palace.” He talked like he had marbles in his mouth. “The single horn meant someone has escaped the gallows. Three short blows and a long one means the guards plan to have a house-to-house search for the escapee, so everyone must stop whatever they are doing and go home.”

Crap! There goes my plan to check out the ships. I searched for Lachlan in the pandemonium. The market was clearing quickly, but I still needed the ride he’d promised.

“If you are looking for Farmer Lachlan, he’s already gone,” the man said.

“I know you from somewhere, and it’s not the palace.”

“The bell went off because of you, lass,” he continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “He knows you left.”

“Does that mean His Royal Shitness will lock me up in my room without dinner? I hope so.” Unfortunately, he’d lock himself in, too.

“You know the lass?” Athol asked, and I wondered how much of our conversation he’d heard and understood.

“Yes. I’ll make sure she gets back to the palace.”

I studied the man claiming to know me. Why couldn’t I remember where I’d seen him? He had a bulbous nose, puffy cheeks, and a really ugly moustache that could use a trim. Like most men hurrying from the marketplace, his hair was long under his tricorn, and he was dressed in simple, unadorned clothes.

“I’ve seen you before,” I repeated.

“Whether you have or not is not important right now. Are you going back to the palace, or are you heading to the docks? I know of a ship leaving for Atlantis and the southern islands this evening. It could drop you anywhere.”

An escape sounded inviting, yet I couldn’t do it. Not without the queen mother. I clutched the bottles of elixirs.

“Of course, I’m going back to the palace. I came to the market to buy stuff.”

“Like what?”

“Like none of your business.” I walked past him and started for the gate, following the last people to leave the enclosure.

“I know of a shortcut,” the man said.

Yeah, like I was going to leave with him just because he said he was from the palace. I kept going.

“Kraken’s breath, Storm’s lass. Nereus came to ask for my help the second Gwyn told him you’d come to the marketplace.”

I stopped walking and glanced back. “Why didn’t you say so? Where is he?”

“Follow me,” he said instead of answering my question.

He walked past me, noticed I hadn’t moved, and stopped.

“Hurry up, unless you want the humiliation of being flogged in public for an attempted escape. They don’t take kindly to Tuh’rens running away from their mates.”

“I didn’t run away, and Tully is not my mate.”

Lightning crackled as though in response to my words, and my eyes flew to the sky. The sky was clear and the clouds fluffy, yet the bolts shooting from cloud to cloud were frequent and angry, the pattern familiar.

Only one person could be responsible for this. I laughed.