For a moment she stared unblinking at the creamy plastered walls of the Lion’s common room. It couldn’t be true, of course. Chiron was more likely to fall in love with her than Jason was. But something about his attitude must have changed in the encampment. When she’d told the story of her amulet, he hadn’t interrupted her to insist the fellow was a MacCallum, not a Leslie.
Gypsy magic? Would it wear off? Or might he be feeling more kindly toward her?
“Ready?” He shot another glance out the window. “We should be going.”
They quickly packed up the backgammon set and slipped it into its burlap bag. She followed him toward the back door to the courtyard and stables. Once there, she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “My hat.” She touched her bare head. “I’ve forgotten it.”
“There it is.” He gestured to where it sat on the wide window ledge, right where she’d left it. “I’ll get it,” he volunteered, handing her the backgammon set.
She pushed through the door.
Someone lunged at her.
She saw a flash of silver and heard the shout of a stable boy before she screamed. Though the man jerked back, she felt a sharp sting on her upper arm.
The backgammon set fell with a bang! and markers rolled out of the bag, bumping across the cobblestones as she curled a hand into a fist and propelled it into the short man’s face. He yowled and grabbed his jaw, dropping his sword. A metallic twang rang out as it clattered to the stones.
Wat Gothard.
“You murdering cur!” She planted her feet, aiming to follow up with a deadly knee.
“Dunderhead!” a man shouted, thundering into the courtyard on a horse. He scooped up Wat, wheeled around, and rode out the gateway and out of sight.
The stable boy rushed forward as Jason burst out the door, rapier at the ready.
“Go!” Caithren yelled, gesturing out the gateway. The stable boy took off running. She turned on Jason. “Go! It was the Gothards, and he’ll never catch them on foot. Get Chiron and go!”
His eyes frantically searched her. “You’re bleeding.” He dropped his rapier and reached to make a ginger exploration.
“I’m fine!” Bending to sweep his sword off the ground, she shoved it into his hands. “Just go, will you?”
A torn look in his eyes, he backed away a few stumbling steps, then turned and raced for the stables. Moments later, he galloped bareback out of the courtyard.
Reeling with both relief and disbelief, Cait sank to the cobblestones. She gripped her upper arm. It didn’t hurt too badly, considering.
The stable boy limped back into the courtyard, puffing from exertion. “They’re gone,” he said. “No one out front saw what happened, so they were able to flee unscathed.” He knelt to collect all the backgammon pieces, then looked up at her, shoving blond hair from his face. “Are you quite all right, madam?”
She waved aside his concern. “My…friend”—how was she to describe Jason, anyway?—“went after them on a horse. Maybe he will catch them.”
She hoped so. If they got away, he’d likely blame her once again.
At the sound of hooves on the cobblestones, her heart sank.
“They disappeared,” Jason said. “Just disappeared.” He slid off Chiron, and Cait scrambled to her feet as he came close. “Besides this”—one finger skimmed her upper arm, making her wince—“are you hurt?”
“Go back!” With her good arm, she gestured sharply. “You cannot have looked well enough. You cannot give up so soon.”
“What I cannot do is leave you bleeding while I play hide-and-seek. I never did make a very good It.” He tugged at the neckline of her bodice and scowled when it wouldn’t budge. His fingers went to loosen the laces. “What on earth happened?”
“Wat,” she said. “He sliced me, but I think he was going for you. He pulled back when he saw who I was.” Frantically she pushed at his hands. “Oh, will you not just leave? Go after them! I can tell you the story later!”
Stuffing the backgammon pieces into the bag, the stable boy glanced up. “She punched the ruffian but good,” he told Jason.
“You what?” Jason’s gaze shot from her arm to her face. “You hit him?”
“You want I should stand there and let him kill me?”
Tossing the hair from his eyes, the boy stood straight and snorted in approval. “She was fixing to unman him as well, I believe.”
Jason stared at her a moment, then reached for her laces again.
“Jason!” Her gaze flickered toward the stable boy.
Jason’s green eyes flashed with impatience. “Come inside, then.” He leaned to retrieve Wat’s sword. The stable boy thrust the burlap sack into his hands and moved to take Chiron.
The innkeeper stood gaping in the doorway.
“If I may see to the lady’s wound,” Jason prompted him.
“Of course.” He ushered them indoors, alternately scratching his head and clucking with sympathy. “Buckden is a quiet town.”
“I will require a room for the lady.”
The lady? Since when did Jason refer to her so?
And in such a masculine, authoritative tone?
The innkeeper showed them up a flight of wooden stairs to a small chamber. “Shall I bring water and towels?”
“Please do.”
“As you wish, my lord.” The man bowed and backed away.
My lord. Jason didn’t seem wont to correct the mistaken form of address. He simply shut the door, turned, and met Cait’s eyes.
Her head swam. From the pain, the shock, the intensity of Jason’s beautiful green gaze locked on her own? She couldn’t tell. It all seemed muddled in her brain.
She stood silent and limp while his fingers went to unlace her bodice. He eased it loose so he draw her shift’s sleeve down to expose the cut on her arm.
His breath hissed in. “Sliced you good, didn’t he?”
She held her bodice to her chest and glanced down. “Not too bad, I’m hoping.”
A knock came at the door, and Jason went to answer, returning with a bowl of warm water, towels,
