Shadows and Light

anything you’
    d like me to bring back for you.”
    She gave him her best wide-eyed sweet look—which probably didn’t look anything like what she’d intended, since all the color slowly drained out of his face. “You mean you’d shop for ribbons and lace if I asked you to?”
    That’s mean, Breanna, she scolded herself. If he faints at your feet, you’ve only yourself to blame.
    Liam cleared his throat. “I— If that’s what you might be needing.”
    He’d do it. He looked miserable right now, and probably wished he’d never offered, but he’d do it.
    “Why would you do that?”
    “You’re my sister, and—”
    Breanna stiffened. “I thought we’d settled that the other day.”
    “We settled that you wouldn’t acknowledge my father as your own. We didn’t settle if you would or wouldn’t acknowledge me.”
    As what? A brother? There were plenty of the old baron’s bastards who would be happy to acknowledge Liam as a brother. Why did he want that from her and not them?
    “I need to think on it, Liam,” she said quietly. “I’ve thought of you for a lot of years as simply the baron’s son, and that never made me feel like we were kin. I need to think on it.”
    Liam nodded.
    “I thank you for the offer, but there’s nothing we need from Durham. We have kin who are merchants, so it’s easy enough to get something if we can’t find it in the village.” He looked so discouraged, she added hesitantly, “Perhaps a book?”
    His smile was slow in coming, but it eased a strange tightness in her chest.
    “I think I can manage a book,” he said. “I won’t keep you from your work any longer.” He mounted Oakdancer, then looked down at her. “Good day to you, Breanna.”
    “Blessings of the day to you, Liam.”
    She stayed where she was, watching him until he’d ridden out of sight.
    I’ll think on it, Liam. I don’t know that I’ll give you the answer you seem to want, and I don’t understand why you want it, but I’ll think on it.

    When she went back inside the house, Rory looked up from the soup and bread he was busy shoveling into his mouth. “Nuala wants to see you. In the morning room.”
    “Don’t talk and eat at the same time,” Breanna said as she walked through the kitchen. “You’ll choke.”
    Nuala was standing by a window, just staring out at the land. On the table near her sat the letter and two large bags that must have come from Rory’s saddlebags.
    “Some of our kin will be visiting us this summer,” Nuala said quietly.
    Breanna glanced at the letter. “We’d had word of that before. They’re coming for the Solstice.”
    “Sooner than that, I think. Trevor was as careful about what he said as he was about what he didn’t say.
    But reading between the lines, I’d say he’s worried about what may be decided at the next barons’
    council, and he wants the girls to be someplace else when the new decrees are announced. He also sent enough gold and silver coins to keep us all for a couple of years if it comes to that.”
    “If the barons make a new decree, it will apply to all of Sylvalan, not just the eastern part.”
    “We’re still farther away from the troubles that have been touching the east.” Nuala turned away from the window and looked at Breanna. “And we live at the foot of the Mother’s Hills. You know as well as I do that nothing the barons decree will make any difference in the Mother’s Hills.”
    “I know.” Breanna took a deep breath, let it out in a huff. “I’d better give Glynis a hand in polishing up as many guest rooms as we can.”
    Nuala just nodded and turned back to the window to look at the land.
    All through that day, as Breanna helped Glynis prepare the rooms, her mind circled around one thought: Liam would be at the barons’ council, and if there was trouble heading toward her family, he would tell her soon enough.

Chapter Seven
    “Lady Morag, have you seen Ashk?” Morag studied the young man rapidly approaching her. She couldn
    ’t remember his name, but she’d seen him with the group of adolescents Ashk affectionately called ”the pack.“
    “She’s at the Clan house,” Morag said.
    The young man grinned. “I wanted to give her fair warning. She’s about to have visitors.” He touched two fingers to his temple, giving Morag a jaunty salute before jogging down the forest trail that led to the Clan house.
    Morag continued along the trail away from the Clan house for another minute. Paused. Looked