Gemma came close but the gray mare nipped the air near her face and her sister wisely backed away. “Is this one of the wild horses near the farm?”

“It is. She has some unfinished business.” Keeley pressed her forehead against the mare’s neck. “I’m the only one who’ll handle her. If one morning we wake up and she’s gone, I’ll find another horse. Is everyone clear?”

There was muttered agreement and Keeley accepted that. She didn’t have time to explain the relationship she had with the gray mare.

“Samuel,” Keeley called out. “Help Beatrix mount her horse, please. You can leave my saddle where you stand.”

Samuel, happy not to be crushed under the mare’s hooves, ran over to Beatrix’s side and walked with her to her horse.

“You do know he’s my squire?” Gemma asked. “I don’t appreciate you giving him orders.”

Keeley started to say something to her sister but decided against it. They hadn’t even gotten on the road yet and she didn’t want to start arguing this early on their trip. Even she didn’t have the patience for that.

“I’ll let Mum and Da know we’re leaving.”

Keeley started toward the castle, briefly glancing back. That’s when she saw the look on Gemma’s face as she turned away from the horses. A glower that was, to say the least, off-putting.

“What?” Keeley asked her sister.

Gemma shook her head. “Nothing.”

But Keeley knew her gods-loving sister was lying.

* * *

It was an accident really. That Gemma just happened to look over at Beatrix when Keeley mentioned that she was going to get their parents. She’d actually been looking at Samuel, hoping he wasn’t going to fall “madly in love” with Beatrix since the boy seemed to fall madly in love with any woman who showed him the slightest interest. So she saw what no one else saw.

An eye roll. As if the idea of saying good-bye to their parents was a waste of Beatrix’s precious time.

It was a small gesture—and one all of her siblings had made before, even herself—but Gemma knew there was something different about this eye roll. Something . . . meaner. If nothing else, Gemma knew she didn’t like it. She also knew there was no point in telling Keeley about it. Not yet anyway.

When their parents came out of the castle with the children and Uncle Archie, their father was already crying.

“Father,” Gemma soothed, “we’re coming back.”

“I know. I know.” He wrapped her in one of his big hugs, something she’d missed greatly during her years of training and battle. “But I’ll still miss me girls until I see you again.”

“Don’t worry, Daddy.” She squeezed him hard. “We’ll watch out for each other.”

“I know you will.” He kissed her on the cheek and whispered, “And don’t let Keeley make you so mad all the time.”

“I’ll try,” she whispered back.

Giggling, they stepped away from each other.

Her mother was next, those strong arms of hers nearly crushing Gemma’s ribs.

“Don’t forget what we talked about,” her mother whispered against her ear.

“I won’t, Mum.”

Emma stepped back. “Love you, sweets.”

Gemma joined Keeley in saying good-bye to all the children. Beatrix just waved from the back of her horse, although she did lean down and kiss both her parents on their cheeks.

Once they were all mounted and ready, the centaurs rode off first, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of riding horses but doing it anyway. Keeley rode beside Beatrix. And Gemma brought up the rear with Samuel.

But as they neared the drawbridge, Keeley suddenly yelled out, “Hold!”

They all did, and Keeley looked over her shoulder. “Keran!” she barked out, annoyed. “Get your ass out here!” That’s when Gemma realized they’d forgotten their cousin.

When there was no immediate answer, their mother bellowed, “Keran Smythe! You answer right this second!”

“I’m here,” a voice from behind the stables announced. “I’m here.”

Keran stumbled out into the courtyard, pulling her horse behind her. They waited while she put the saddle on the large beast and took some supplies from Archibald.

She started to mount her horse but abruptly stopped, went over to the side of the stables, and threw up against the building.

All the children screamed or retched or both, then ran back into the castle. Gemma’s father and uncle lowered their heads so they could laugh in peace and her mother just shook her head in disgust, her lip angrily curled.

“I’m all right,” Keran announced as she stumbled back to her horse. “I’m all right.” She mounted and got comfortable in the saddle. “Let’s go,” she said, weaving a bit in her seat before she settled in again.

“Really?” Gemma had to ask her sister.

“At least we know she can fight,” Keeley said before motioning to the centaurs. “Let’s go.”

They set off again, and as soon as they crossed the drawbridge, Archibald pulled it up and closed the gates behind them.

* * *

They rode hard for four days, stopping only when the suns went down, and moving again before the suns rose the next morning.

They skirted towns and cities as best they could, taking the route that Beatrix had suggested from the beginning. They even went through Duke Sangor’s lands without meeting one guard or soldier.

On the fifth day, Caid woke up before anyone else. Samuel was on watch but he’d fallen asleep in the tree he’d been perched in. Caid knew he should yell at the boy, but he seemed to be having enough trouble managing his role as a future War Monk. It wasn’t for everyone.

Gemma, however, seemed to have chosen her life perfectly.

Thankfully, they were moving so much during the day and so exhausted when they finally camped for the night that fighting among the three sisters was kept to a minimum. Although Caid did notice how closely Gemma watched her younger sister.

Caid wasn’t sure how he felt about that until one morning when he was standing behind a large tree to take his morning piss and saw Beatrix making her way back to camp. She moved silently and picked up her step when she saw that the sky was lightening, announcing that the suns were beginning to rise.

She passed right by the tree he was standing behind and he was tempted to jump out and startle her, but he really just wanted to know what she was up to. Because he could sense she was up to something.

Just as Caid finished his business and came around the tree, the rest of the party began to awaken and Beatrix was standing among them.

“What are you doing up?” Keeley asked as she got to her feet.

Beatrix gave that small smile and replied, “Just taking my morning walk.”

“Well, don’t go far when you do that.” Keeley passed her sister and tugged on a strand of her long hair. “All right?”

“Of course.”

Caid watched Keeley head toward a nearby stream and he followed, crouching beside her as she used handfuls of the clear rushing water to wet her hair and face and a rag to scrub her neck.

“I saw your sister coming back to camp before everyone woke.”

Keeley took several gulps of the water before asking, “What is going on with you and Gemma?”

“Pardon?”

“Both of you keep watching where Beatrix goes. I’m not sure what you two are worried about.”

“Gemma’s seen her go off on her own too?”

“Just once. Our second day on the road. But she always takes a morning walk. When we were home, she’d take her walk and then spend the rest of the day reading or going into town to shop at the dressmaker.”

“Keeley—”

“She’s a creature of habit. Stop worrying.”

It might have sounded as though Keeley was arguing with Caid, but he knew she was actually arguing with herself.

“I just want to make sure she’s safe,” he lied.

Keeley let out a breath, placed her hand on his forearm. “Sorry. I’m being snappy. I don’t mean to be.”

“It’s fine. We’re all tired. Good news is we should arrive in the valley by tomorrow.”

“Thank the gods. I’ve never traveled so far or so long before. My back is getting a tad cranky.”

Caid stood and held his hand out for Keeley. She looked at it and he explained, “I thought I’d help since your back is bothering you.”

“Oh. That’s nice.”

He rolled his eyes, but she only giggled and slipped her hand into his. He pulled her up and tried to take his hand back, but Keeley didn’t seem in the mood to release him.

“Let’s hold hands for a little while,” she teased.

“Woman, give me my hand.”

She laughed harder. “You are so easy to irritate.” She tossed his hand away. “Has anyone told you that?”

“Everyone has told me that. You’re not so special.”

“Awwwww,” she said, stepping away, “we both know you’re lying about that.”

* * *

The valley came into view and Keeley had to halt the gray mare so she could gaze in wonder.

She really hadn’t known what to expect. Ever since she was a child, she’d heard about the Witches of Amhuinn and the valley they lived in. She’d heard they lived in caves so she was expecting . . . caves. What she didn’t expect was that the side of the entire mountain at the end of the valley had been carved into some sort of castle. Not like her uncle’s, which was mostly tower, but an actual castle. Like something the king himself would have.

“By the gods,” she breathed out. “That’s . . . astounding.”

“It is,” Caid agreed. “I never tire of coming here.”

“I can understand why.”

Beatrix rode her horse up to Caid’s side, her gaze moving over the travel party before she asked, “What are we doing?”