“What about Briar?” I asked, not caring to mask the alarm in my voice.
Cormac removed his phone from his jacket pocket and pressed a button. “Patricia, any word?” He glanced around the room haphazardly as he spoke.
Silence stretched between us as he listened to the response on the other end. The faint murmur of a voice crackled through the speaker, but I couldn’t tell if the news was good or bad from Cormac’s unchanged expression. I clenched my teeth together, wishing my brother kept his phone louder.
“Thank you,” he said, hanging up.
“Well?” I pressed.
“They found where Briar stayed last night,” he said. “It was right next to Harrowmont Hall, but she checked out early this morning.”
“Dammit.” I shook my head, angry that we had missed her. Even if I had left an hour ago, I wouldn’t have found her.
Cormac rested his hand on my shoulder. His voice was soft but determined. “They’ve requested video from the Derby train station, but it’s going to take them a while to get it and go through it—longer than the London station.”
“This can’t be happening,” I muttered, palming the back of my neck. My stomach bubbled. “How is it we have every resource at our disposal and still can’t find her?”
Cormac shook his head. “Patricia’s team is moving as fast as they can, Lorcan. In the meantime, we have everything else to worry about, and we don’t know which direction Aiden has gone.” He turned to Declan. “Did he give you any idea?”
Declan shook his head and shifted his weight between his legs. His voice dropped, and his hands flexed at his side. “Nothing at all. I’m worried he’s figured out I’m working with you.”
Cormac’s brows furrowed. “We’ll deal with that issue later. But even more of a reason for you to go with us. Text him and tell him we’ll collect Isla before we try to find the Cure.”
Declan nodded, removing his phone from his pocket.
Cormac continued. He glanced between Conall and me. “Rory, Declan, and I will go after the Cure. Conall, can you go with Lorcan and help him find Briar?”
Conall looked at me, his eyes searching before he broke into a genuine smile. “Yeah.”
The weight in my chest eased, just a little. I wasn’t alone in this. “Thank you, brother.”
Conall gave a firm nod. “It’ll be good to catch up. It’s been a while.”
A smile pulled at my lips, mirroring his. “Yes, it has.”
Cormac gave a curt nod. After a few clicks on his screen, he brought his phone to his ear. “Dani, get the jet ready to go to Glasgow. And let Joshua know Conall will call in a few minutes.”
Cormac caught Conall’s eye. “Where are you headed?”
“I think we should go to Derbyshire first,” Conall suggested. “See if we can get more information from the people there.”
I shook my head. “She’s already left. If she went to Harrowmont Hall, she probably headed to Lyons Hold next.”
“Why do you say that?”
“She came here to learn about her ancestor. Cormac let her know exactly where Lady Isobel lived. Harrowmont Hall is a logical stop when traveling north to Orkney—to Lyons Hold.”
Conall’s brows drew together, his arms crossing. “And you’re sure about that? Do you think we should wait for Patricia to see if they can find anything else out?”
I clenched my jaw. “They’re taking forever, and we know she’s left. It’s the only place that makes sense.”
Conall bit the inside of his cheek. “All right. We’ll head to Aberdeen, then. Let me get Joshua to prep the plane.”
“Thank you, brother,” I said. The irony wasn’t lost on me—how quickly my brothers moved to help me, even after all the times I told them I wanted no part of this life.
Less than an hour later, Conall sat in the car’s passenger seat as Joshua drove us to the airport. The ride was quick and uneventful, which I was thankful for as we pulled alongside a jet almost identical to Cormac’s—blue waves cascading along the side, blending seamlessly into the heart and seal crest on the tail.
Inside, the cabin smelled of aged leather and expensive cologne. Two crystal tumblers of whiskey sat untouched, waiting on a table between the seats on the right-hand side of the cabin after we passed the berth, just as in Cormac’s plane.
