The Vampire & Her Witch

There was a long moment of silence as Loghlan studied Eira’s face, his expression unreadable. Then, unexpectedly, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he leaned in closer, matching her quiet tone.

”I know that you and Lady Morwen were up late into the night gossiping,” he said, and there was something pointed in his voice that made Eira’s stomach flip nervously. ”Tell me honestly, Lady Eira, did you share anything with her that you shouldn’t have?”

Eira felt her cheeks flush, but she met his gaze steadily. She knew exactly what he was asking. Had she told Morwen about Sir Ollie’s true nature? About the fact that he was a witch, not just a knight with some knowledge about the Eldritch and their ways?

”No, my lord,” she said firmly, and it was the truth. She had been careful in her conversation with Morwen, sharing her impressions and observations without revealing the specific secret that Lord Loghlan had entrusted to his inner circle. ”I’ve told her nothing that would compromise anyone’s safety or the... delicate nature of our current situation,” she said, choosing her words with care.

Loghlan continued to study her for another moment, and Eira forced herself to remain calm under his scrutiny. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision.

”And you believe that Lady Morwen can be trusted?” he asked quietly. ”That she can keep secrets as well as her brother can?”

”I do, my lord,” Eira said without hesitation. ”Morwen is intelligent, discreet, and loyal to her family. If her brother can be trusted with sensitive information, then so can she,” she said, hammering home the fact that the younger Cadeyrn had been entrusted with bringing Lady Cerys back while his older sister had been left out of the inner circle.

”Perhaps even more so,” Eira added, refusing to yield ground now that she’d committed to making a stand for her friend. ”She’s had more practice navigating complicated social situations where discretion is required.”

That last part was perhaps a bit bold, but Eira believed it to be true. Cadeyrn was a good young man and clearly loyal, but he was also young and relatively inexperienced in the subtle arts of managing information and keeping secrets.

Morwen, however, had taken up the art of tea and found herself frequently invited to gatherings of young ladies of the Lothian Court whenever her father brought her to Lothian City. If she were the sort to spill the secrets she overheard as the most junior noblewoman at the table, she would have quickly found herself excluded from future gatherings.

Loghlan let out a long breath, and Eira could see him weighing his options. Finally, he nodded slowly.

”Very well,” he said, speaking loudly enough now that others could hear again. ”Lady Morwen may accompany you. Just remember that this isn’t a ladies’ outing. I doubt that Lady Cerys will want to talk much, but any comfort you can offer will surely be welcome.”

”It might actually be for the best,” he added in a quieter voice that only Eira could hear. ”Sir Ollie is going to need just as much tending to as Lady Cerys will, and it would be good to have someone with Lady Morwen’s... discretion... present to help manage that situation. Just make sure that she understands what can and cannot be said before you reach Lady Cerys and Sir Ollie.”

Eira felt a jolt of concern at those words. Sir Ollie needed tending to? What did that mean? Was he injured? Had something happened that Loghlan wasn’t telling the rest of the camp?

But before she could ask any questions, Loghlan was already turning away, raising his voice to address the crowd once more.

”Sir Gavin, if you would gather what supplies might be needed for the journey back? Lady Eira, Lady Morwen, please prepare yourselves for a ride. Cadeyrn, get one of the smaller wagons ready, something that can handle rough terrain but will still provide a smooth enough ride for an injured woman. We’ll want plenty of blankets and cushioning to make Lady Cerys as comfortable as possible. Liam, I’ll need you to retrieve something as well,” he said, throwing an arm around Liam’s shoulder before speaking to him in hushed tones as they walked away.

People immediately sprang into action, eager to have specific tasks to occupy themselves with. The crowd began to disperse as everyone returned to their duties, the immediate crisis of uncertainty resolved now that they had clear information and a plan of action.

Eira caught Morwen’s eye across the clearing and gave her a small nod. Morwen’s expression brightened immediately, relief and eagerness mixing on her face as she realized she was being included in the rescue party. She quickly made her way over to where Eira stood, carefully skirting around the people who were still milling about.

”Thank you,” Morwen said quietly when she reached Eira’s side. ”I’ve been so worried about Cadeyrn, and now I’ll at least be able to see with my own eyes that he’s alright.”

”I understand completely,” Eira assured her. ”I told you last night that I wouldn’t leave you behind, didn’t I? And I think Lord Loghlan is right, Lady Cerys will be more comfortable with both of us there to help her.”

What she didn’t say, what she couldn’t say in the middle of the camp with so many ears around, was that Lord Loghlan’s cryptic comment about Sir Ollie had left her deeply concerned. If the young knight needed tending to, if he was injured or ill or in some kind of trouble, then having two pairs of capable hands would certainly be better than one, but what the pair of them could do for a powerful witch, Eira couldn’t begin to guess.

The important part, however, was that she’d succeeded in both of her goals. Lord Loghlan was extending his trust to her and giving her the opportunity to prove that she could be as useful to Lord Liam as Lady Mairwen was to Baron Loghlan. And, just as importantly, she’d managed to convince the Dunn Baron to expand the circle of trust to include Morwen.

Now, she just had to figure out how to explain the previous night’s secrets to Morwen in the handful of minutes that they would have before they reached Lady Cerys and Sir Ollie...