“But that is all ancient history now, is it nae?” Brigid reached over to touch her arm, but Lily shook her head quickly. “Never mind me. What’s in the past stays in the past.”
The air thickened with silence. Conall cleared his throat, ready to speak, but the words froze in his mouth as a disorienting crash rocked the carriage.
A brick shattered through the side of the wagon and landed between their feet with a dull thud. Brigid looked down andscreamed. Lily, on the other hand, gasped, her heart leaping to her throat.
Conall shot forward, his hand on his sword. “What in God’s?—”
Before he could finish, another brick slammed against the opposite side of the wagon, violently jerking it. The horses neighed in panic, pulling against the reins so hard that the carriage itself began to shake.
Brigid clutched Lily’s arm, her face deathly white. “Who—who is it?!”
Lily’s breath came fast, her eyes snapping to the window. She could see shadows darting along the path, men she couldn’t recognize running right behind the carriage. The wheels rolled down the road noisily.
“‘Tis an ambush,” Conall growled. “Get down!”
Another brick flew into the carriage and crashed against the wall. Lily ducked just in time, pulling her sister down with her.
“What in God’s name is going on?” Brigid cried.
Lily could not answer. She had no idea either.
“Stay down!” Conall barked as a fourth brick hit the carriage.
Lily’s heart rate quickened, and she could see the fear on her sister’s face. She tried to reach out and hold Brigid.
“Relax, Brigid,” she murmured amidst the uproar. “It will all end soon.”
Brigid clutched Lily’s sleeve. “What is going on? Why are they throwing bricks at us?”
“I daenae ken yet,” Conall muttered, his eyes sharp as he peered out the window. “Stay calm. I’ll handle it.”
Lily’s heart pounded. “Conall, wait—ye cannae go out there alone. We daenae ken what else is waiting.”
“Aye, at least wait until we get some help!” Brigid added quickly.
Conall shook his head. “If I wait, they’ll swarm us.”
Another brick hit the carriage, narrowly slipping through and landing at Lily’s feet. She looked down at it in horror.
Conall seemed to notice as well. “I’ll be back.”
He kicked the door open before either of them could stop him, ducking as another brick flew past his head. Lily crawled up to the window, her stomach twisting as she watched him stride into the open. Several men ran toward him, growling like wild hounds.
Her heart sank. She recognized their faces—twisted, furious.
“‘Tis them,” she whispered.
“Who?”
Lily swallowed. “The men who tried to kill me during the cèilidh. This must be the rest of them from last night.”
Brigid swallowed hard. “And what do they want this time around?”
“What else would they want?” Lily scoffed, her voice flat even as her chest burned with fear. “To kill me, of course.”
Brigid’s eyes went wide. “Ye’re saying that far too calmly.”
Outside, Conall swung his blade with quick precision. Lily watched him closely as he sliced through the men like he had no time to waste. He hit one man across the shoulder, felled another with a swift kick, then pivoted to slam into a third.
