Chapter 9

9

F inn strode through the narrow, dimly lit corridors of the inn, the weight of what he had to do settling heavily on his shoulders. The moment he ducked into the pub, the men fell silent, sensing the urgency in his stride.

“Cillian. Brian,” Finn said, his voice low and commanding. They both looked up, and their expressions were instantly sober, the lazy smile vanishing from Cillian’s lips.

“What is it?” Cillian asked, pushing his mug aside and rising to his feet.

Finn glanced around the room, ensuring no one was listening in. “We’re going back to the Pemberton estate,” he said, keeping his voice low but firm. “Thalia’s sisters are still there, and we’re bringing them back.”

Cillian’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and for a moment, Finn saw a flicker of something in his friend’s eyes — concern, maybe even disbelief. “Ye are serious, Finn? Ye want to risk going back there after what happened?”

Finn’s jaw tightened. He didn’t have time for doubts, not now. “Aye,” he said, his tone brooking no argument. “I’m serious. We’re going back, and we’re bringing them here. I’m not leaving them in that place, not with that man.”

Cillian stared at him for a moment longer, as if trying to gauge the depth of his resolve. Then he nodded though his eyes still held a hint of wariness. “Alright, I’m with ye. But ye know this isn’t just about the lassies, right? You’ve got more riding on this than just a sense of duty.”

Finn shot him a warning look. “This isn’t up for debate, Cillian. We’re doing this, and we’re doing it now.”

Cillian raised his hands in mock surrender, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Fair enough. Just making sure your head’s in the right place.”

Finn ignored the jab and turned to the other men at the table. “Get ready to go,” he ordered. “We leave in ten minutes.”

The men nodded and quickly dispersed to carry out his command. Finn watched them go, his mind already racing ahead to the task at hand.

The Viscount’s estate wasn’t heavily guarded, her uncle’s dwindling finances had seen to that, but that didn’t mean it would be easy. They’d have to move quickly, efficiently, and without alerting anyone to their presence. If they were caught, it would mean war. And while Finn wasn’t afraid of a fight, he knew that the goal here wasn’t to start one. The goal was to get in, find the girls, and get out.

As the minutes ticked by, Finn’s men began to gather in the small common area of the inn. Cillian was the last to arrive. They were all seasoned warriors, men who had fought alongside Finn for years. There were no questions, no doubts, just a shared understanding of what needed to be done.

“Listen up,” Finn said, addressing the group. “We’re heading back to the Viscount’s estate. The goal is to find Thalia’s sisters and bring them back here. We do this quickly and quietly. No unnecessary risks, no bloodshed unless it’s absolutely needed. Understood?”

The men nodded. Their expressions serious.

“Good,” Finn said. “Let’s move.”

They slipped out of the inn under the cover of darkness, the cool night air biting at their skin as they made their way through the quiet streets. Finn led the way, his senses on high alert, every shadow and sound scrutinized as they neared the Viscount’s estate. The large, once-grand mansion loomed ahead, its windows dark and foreboding, the faint light from within barely illuminating the grounds. Finn could see the signs of neglect — the overgrown gardens, the cracked and weathered stone of the walls. It was clear that Maximilian had fallen on hard times, and the state of his estate was a reflection of that decline.

When they reached the outer wall, Finn motioned for his men to stop. “We split up here,” he whispered. “Cillian, take Brian’s sons and cover the north side. We will take the south,” he said pointing to Brian. “We’ll meet in the courtyard once we have the girls. Stay sharp.”

Cillian nodded, and they parted ways. Finn moved with practiced stealth, his eyes scanning every inch of the terrain as he led his group along the south wall. They encountered no guards, only the occasional servant rushing through the corridors, too preoccupied with their own tasks to notice the intruders.

The estate was eerily silent, the kind of silence that seemed to press in on Finn, making him acutely aware of every creak of the floorboards beneath his boots, every rustle of his clothing. His mind was focused on the mission, but there was a part of him that couldn’t shake the image of Thalia’s face as she’d looked at him after the confrontation with her uncle. She had been angry, hurt, and something else that made Finn’s chest tighten with a mix of emotions he couldn’t afford to dwell on right now.

As they approached a dimly lit corridor, Finn caught sight of movement ahead. He signaled to halt, his hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his blade. But as the figure stepped into the light, Finn recognized the familiar, terrified face of Herbert. The lad looked as if he’d seen a ghost, his eyes wide with fear, his pale face even whiter under the dim glow of the oil lamps.

Finn felt a surge of cold, hard anger as he stepped forward, his eyes locking onto Herbert’s. The boy froze, his breath hitching in his throat as Finn closed the distance between them. All bravado from earlier had shed, quickly.

“You,” Finn growled, his voice low and menacing. “Where are the lassies?”

Herbert’s mouth opened and closed several times, but no sound came out. He looked as if he might faint at any moment.

“Speak!” Finn barked, grabbing the boy by the collar and hoisting him off the ground. Herbert let out a choked gasp, his hands clawing at Finn’s grip as he tried to find his voice.

“I — I don’t know!” Herbert stammered; his eyes wide with terror. “Please, I don’t know anything!”

Finn’s grip tightened, and he leaned in closer, his voice a dangerous whisper. “Ye are a liar. Ye know exactly where they are. Now take me to them, or I swear ye will regret it.”

Herbert’s eyes filled with tears, and he nodded frantically. “All right, all right! I’ll take you to them, just — please don’t hurt me!”

Finn dropped him unceremoniously to the floor. “After ye.”

Herbert scrambled to his feet, casting nervous glances over his shoulder as he led Finn and his men down a series of twisting, narrow corridors. Finn stayed close behind him, every sense on high alert. His heart pounded with a mixture of anger and determination. This was not how he had wanted things to go, but he had no choice. The safety of Thalia’s sisters was the only thing that mattered now.

Finally, they reached a set of heavy wooden doors at the end of a long hallway. Herbert hesitated, his hand trembling as he reached for the latch.

“They’re in here. Their rooms . They aren’t locked up or anything,” he whispered disdainfully, his voice barely audible.

Finn nodded to his men, and they positioned themselves on either side of the door, weapons ready. Finn motioned for Herbert to open it, and the boy obeyed, his movements slow and shaky.

The door creaked open, revealing a small, dimly lit room beyond. Inside, huddled together on a narrow bed, were two young girls— Thalia’s sisters. Their wide eyes reflected the dim light as their sleepy gazes met his.

Their screams echoed off the cold, damp stone, and Herbert jumped into action.

“Quiet down, now — Quiet!” he hissed. “Where’s Diana?”

One of the twin girls shifted her gaze to the opposite corner, and Finn angled his body behind Herbert to see the fiery gaze of the elder sister. She held in both hands the broken legs of a chair, the splintered wood pointed directly at Herbert’s neck.

His hands flew up, as if to protect himself from the attack, and for a moment, no one moved.

“What are you doing in here, cousin?” Diana hissed and thrust her weapon closer to her target. Finn could see the mix of anger and fear in the girls’ eyes and the way they clutched each other as if they expected the worst, but each of their eyes narrowed at Herbert’s silence. They all reminded Finn so much of Thalia in their own way — caring for each other, strong, and defiant.

“I… um…” he started to say, but Finn interrupted.

“Thalia sent us,” Finn said softly, trying to keep his voice as gentle as possible. “We’re here to take ye lassies to her.” He stayed in the shadows so as not to scare them further.

The girls exchanged a look, their fear slowly giving way to a flicker of hope. “Thalia?” one of them whispered, her voice trembling. “She’s… she’s all right?”

Finn nodded. “Aye, she’s alright. She’s waiting for ye.”

For a moment, the girls remained where they were, their distrust still evident in their eyes. Finn shoved Herbert into the room, and he understood what he was to do instantly. Finn watched as Diana adjusted so that one of her weapons stayed trained on her cousin while the other pointed where he was standing in the shadow.

“Yes, these are Thalia’s men. She was here earlier, and she sent them to bring you to her,” Herbert said distractedly.

Liars always lie so easily.

The promise of seeing their sister again seemed to break through their fear, and they hesitantly stood up, taking small, cautious steps toward where Finn was standing. He took one tentative step backward but then held his ground.

As they reached him, Finn felt a surge of protectiveness wash over him. He would get them out of here, no matter what it took. They had been through enough, and he wasn’t about to let anything else happen to them.

The youngest’s eyes widened as his marred face came into view in the darkness. He was sure that the shadows only intensified his scars, and he quickly turned around.

“Stay close to me,” Finn instructed over his shoulder, his voice firm but calm. “We’re leaving now.”

The girls didn’t ask any more questions, they simply followed him as he led them out of the room. The sounds of the scurrying footsteps were all Finn needed to know that they stayed close behind him.

As they made their way back through the winding corridors, Herbert followed with Brian right behind him. He kept his head down, clearly too afraid to make any sudden moves. Finn didn’t trust the boy, but he was more concerned with getting Thalia’s sisters out of the estate safely than dealing with Herbert at the moment.

When they reached the courtyard, Cillian and the Buchanan lads were already there, waiting. They had encountered no resistance, just as Finn had expected. The estate was quiet, almost deserted, a testament to the Viscount’s failing fortunes.

“Let’s go,” Finn said, motioning for his men to move out.

As they headed for the outer wall, Finn turned to Herbert one last time. The boy had been nothing but a coward, but he had served his purpose.

“Listen to me,” Finn said, his voice low and threatening, “if ye value yer life, ye’ll stay here. If ye so much as think about following us or raising the alarm, I’ll make sure ye regret it. Understand?”

Herbert nodded frantically, his face pale with fear. “I — I won’t say a word. I swear it.”

Finn didn’t bother with a response. He turned away from the boy, leading Thalia’s sisters and his men out of the estate and into the night. He heard the sounds of Diana shushing her younger sisters, but their whimpers were loud enough.

They moved quickly, the girls struggling to keep up but too scared to complain. Finn kept a firm grip on the situation, his mind focused on the task at hand. As they left the estate behind and made their way to where their horses grazed, Finn’s thoughts drifted back to Thalia.

Would she be relieved? Angry? Grateful?

He couldn’t help but wonder how she would react when she saw her sisters again. He didn’t understand the reason, but the uncertainty of her reaction gnawed at him. One thing was clear, though. He had done what needed to be done, and he wouldn’t let anyone, not even Thalia herself, question his motives.

Cillian hoisted one of the twins up on his horse, Brian lifted the other onto his, and Finn helped the oldest of the three up on his horse. Brian’s sons took lead and trailing positions, and the eight of them tore through the wooded path back toward the inn.

By the time they reached the inn, dawn was breaking over the horizon, casting a pale light over the village. Finn could feel the exhaustion setting in, but he pushed it aside. All of the girls had drifted to sleep over the rhythmic canter, but they stirred now as the horses came to a slow trot.

Finn looked at his men, and they were all glass-eyed; they all needed sleep but understood that there would be time for rest later. Right now, he needed to see this through, and they would follow his lead.

“I’m hungry,” one of the youngest sisters said as she dug into her eyes and yawned. Her gaze fell on Finn’s face again, and she seemed to be instantly awake with fear.

“Me too,” her twin said. The oldest of the three flashed a glare at her younger sisters, chastising them silently.

“Have ye nae eaten?” Finn asked Diana incredulously.

“No, sir. We refused to eat until they told us the truth about where Thalia went.”

His grip tightened around the leather reins, and Cillian echoed his thoughts aloud, “Are ye serious? Ye have nae eaten for a whole day?”

The small girl shook her head and yawned. “We haven’t eaten since yesterday breakfast.”

Finn took a deep breath, the cool morning air filling his lungs, and slowed his horse to a stop. He dismounted the horse and hoisted Diana from the saddle. Cillian and Brian followed. When they all were down, he led them toward the door and spoke, “There will be breakfast inside. Follow the innkeeper around to the dining hall. Go on.”

The girls walked up to the door, and his men knowingly followed the lassies. Finn caught one of the twins looking over at him from under her older sister’s arm. “Are you coming too?” she had asked. Her small voice caught the wind and floated over to him.

Her question took him back with an unexpected warmth, and he smiled. “I’ll be along after ye, lass. Go on ahead,” he said and tied up the rest of the horses to the carriages before heading into the inn.