Page 75 of First Light

Carys laughed. “Hardly.”

They turned another corner, and Carys could feel a draft coming from an open outer door at the end of the hall. They were near the courtyard, and the chilly morning air gusted into the castle.

“We’re closer to the working part of the place now,” Duncan said. “Alchemy can be messy. Aisling works here.”

Carys kept her voice low. “Cadell said that she learned alchemy because she probably wouldn’t make a good arranged marriage. Is that true?”

“Oh.” Duncan shrugged. “Maybe withherfamily, yes. But she’s a brilliant woman. I think she always preferred books to politics.”

They approached the end of the hall, and Carys saw a wooden door cracked open. Two voices were raised inside.

“…don’t think that’s appropriate, Lachlan.”

“Why not? I think Seren would want you to get to know her better. After all, she’s her sister.”

“You’re not just talking about me getting to know her. You’re talking about?—”

“Company.” Duncan pushed the door open, uninterested in eavesdropping the way Carys would have. “Lachlan, Aisling.”

Aisling was standing in the middle of the room, her arms crossed, looking uncomfortable with Lachlan standing across from her. She was wearing a plain blue dress and a white apron that looked like it had seen burns and tears aplenty.

Lachlan was wearing clothes Carys hadn’t seen before, wool leggings like Duncan, but his jacket and kilt were fitted, and his boots reached up to his knees. His hair was bound firmly at his neck, and he wore a leather vest over his chest.

His eyes landed on Carys immediately, and he turned to face her. “Carys.”

God, he was so beautiful she wanted to weep. She wanted to run to him and kiss him good morning. Her body wanted to know why he wasn’t waking beside her. She wanted…

She wanted him so much.

“Lachlan,” she said his name quietly. “How are you?”

“Better for seeing you.” His eyes spoke volumes that weren’t for others to hear.

Aisling wore a stiff smile, and Duncan cleared his throat.

“Duncan.” Lachlan frowned. “Why are you holding a chicken bone?”

Duncan grunted but he didn’t answer.

Lachlan spoke to Carys. “I was just telling Aisling that I think it would be nice for her to spend some time with you while you’re here.” He glanced at Aisling, and the look they exchanged made all of Carys’s antennae go up.

“After all,” he continued, “she and Seren were like sisters.”

“That part is true.” Aisling uncrossed her arms and smiled brightly. “Good morning, Carys. I’m so glad Duncan brought you. I was hoping I could lure you into my lair.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Aisling bustled toward them while Lachlan hung back. “Watch the floor just there. It’s a mess.”

Carys glanced at the spot where she was pointing and saw a steaming liquid spilled on the floor. It looked as if it was eating away at the stone.

“I dropped a bottle of acid when I was working earlier,” Aisling said. “I was about to clean it up when Lachlan interrupted me.” She tossed a handful of something that looked like grain over the steaming liquid. “You can go, Lachlan. Let me show Duncan and Carys my workroom.”

Aisling’s castle workroom looked like a wizard’s laboratory, and Carys was more than a little jealous.

“This is so cool,” Carys murmured.

“Cool is good, correct?” Aisling smiled as she worked. “I believe I have that right, that you’re not speaking of temperature.”

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