“Hush now,” Willow cut in, putting a finger to her sister’s lips before kissing her on the cheek. “Ye daenae have much time. Ye must go now before Keegan changes his mind about the burial. Go on now.”
She would not cry this time. As much as her soul ached, and Willow dreaded the future to come, she would not cry. Lilith needed her, and on at least this one thing, Keegan and she were of the same mind.
Ye protect yer family—at all costs, personal or otherwise.
Pulling Lilith in for another embrace, Willow squeezed her and then looked at her with a smile.
“All is well. It is a sad day for the loss that has been seen on the battlefield. And I, too, regret that we will never see a kind Magnus, but he chose his path. We will honor him as best we can with a burial, and then we shall each leave the past behind us. Now, please, make yer journey, Sister. I will see you soon enough.”
Lilith looked particularly distraught, and Willow understood. Still, she couldn’t allow herself to break down any more than she already had. They embraced once more, and then Lilith hurried away with Rodrick to fetch Finley and leave the castle.
Melissa watched them go, her worried eyes finding Rodrick before swinging back around to Willow.
“I understand that ye wish to move them quickly,” she closed her eyes briefly, taking Willow’s hands, “but please daenae make any other hasty decisions. Me brother is a stubborn dobber; I ken well enough. But he isnae in his right mind the now. Please, I beg ye to give him a moment to come to his senses.”
“I understand ye, Melissa. I do.” Willow raised her brows, locking down the emotions that tried to spill over as well as the truth of her mind. “I am nae goin' anywhere for the time. But it has been alongday.”
It struck Willow that this was the same day in which she’d been married and finally given up her virtue, and suddenly the exhaustion hit her that much harder.
“A long day, indeed.” The words mumbled out of her. “And, please, I wish to be given the chance to rest.”
Willow met Melissa’s stare, and her sister-in-law nodded, lending her a sympathetic smile and pat on the shoulder.
“Of course. I understand. We…we shall talk about all of this in the mornin'.”
Nodding, Willow did her best to give a grin back. “Aye. In the mornin'. Good evenin', Melissa.”
The other woman kept up her nodding and went to the door, pulling it open. “Good evenin', Willow.”
With a hushed click, the door closed behind Melissa, and Willow was left alone, sitting atop her marriage bed and silently noting that the fire had gone out.
33
Willow smoothed her hand over the arisaid that was still draped around her shoulders even as she’d pushed herself under the covers of the bed and lay down. Sleep had not come, however, and Willow was uncertain of how much time had passed when there was a gentle knock on her door.
Sighing, she hung her head. “Melissa, I daenae wish to speak further. Please, permit me to rest.”
There was no response aside from another knock, this one more insistent. Willow grumbled to herself, throwing aside the blanket and being immediately hit with the cool air outside her coverings. She shivered as she walked up to the door, pulling the thing open.
“Melissa, we had agreed to wait until?—”
But as Willow looked up at last, it wasn’t Melissa standing in front of her. She stumbled backward once, her brows shooting to her hairline.
“Keegan?” She looked him up and down, and the man appeared as if he’d rushed her from the healer’s room, his breath still uneven. “What are ye?—”
“Please, lass,” he gestured with his head toward the interior, “may I come in? I must speak with ye.”
Swallowing, Willow considered, but if he was here, it seemed there was no better time for her to say what she had decided than the present. So, she offered a nod and pulled the door further open so that Keegan could step inside.
He did, maneuvering to the fireplace only to realize that it had gone out. Willow had not bothered to restart it or call for someone to do the same.
“Ye’ll catch yer death with it this cold in here.” Keegan furrowed his brow at her, then reached for a few of the spare logs set off to the side and the flint to get them going. “Why dinnae ye stoke the fire?”
Willow shook her head, keeping her tone as level as she could. “I wasnae chilled.”
Keegan scoffed, but in a short time, the flames were going again, and it was nearly impossible to keep the pleased sigh from escaping her as the room began to heat up again.
“Ye are always chilled, Willow. I’d have thought yer blood was ice had I not seen it for meself earlier.”