Page 47 of Fragile Oath

Mynoresoundedin the space between Davin and me, following us through the night and well into the next day.

A thousand times, I opened my mouth to take it back, but I couldn’t lie to him again, after everything. And the truth was,no.

Given the choice, I never would have told him, or anyone, what had happened with Alexei. I would have closed the door on that part of my life and never looked back, never let Davin see that small, defenseless part of me. I couldn’t explain that to someone who had known nothing but strength in his own life and in the women around him.

So I said nothing, and Davin said nothing, even as the silence ate away at us both.

Which is why I was surprised to see him trotting his horse closer to mine shortly after our midday break. Though we technically rode next to one another, Davin maintained a distance between us. He had always been watchful, but he was visibly on alert since we left, his posture wary throughout the entire journey.

He looked like that now, too, only his expression became markedly more closed off as he drew nearer to me.

“We need to talk before we get back.” His tone was impartial, absent of any ire or accusation or feeling at all.

It was worse, somehow.

Though I knew he was right, just thinking about discussing what had happened made me feel like a hand was closing around my windpipe. Alexei’s hand on my throat. My back against the door.

I gritted my teeth, looking down at my lap and adjusting my gloves, using literally any excuse to buy myself time before needing to broach that subject.

“Not about…,” Davin began, his voice pulling me back to the present. “It’s not about you,” he finished.

I turned back to him, trying to appear far less affected than I felt.

“What is it, then?”

He sighed, a muscle tensing in the sharp contours of his jaw.

“The night you le–” he cut off, correcting course. “The night of the festival, Tavish was found dead.”

My brow furrowed, the part of me that was lost in my mind scrambling to catch up.

“Where?” I asked.

“In his rooms at Lithlinglau.”

Several things dawned on me at once. His pressing need to get home. His uncle’s ire at Davin’s departure. The night of the festival, Davin had drawn his sword on Tavish. For me.

“They suspect you, because you threatened him,” I surmised.

And now he was accused of murder because of something he had done to protect me, only hours before I left. Shame ate at my gut, the choices I had been so sure of at the time growing murkier by the minute.

“I’m sure nothing will come of it,” he said dismissively, his gaze fixed on the snowy road ahead.

“That’s why your uncle wanted me to come back, because otherwise, you have no one to vouch for your whereabouts.” It was another guess, but he dipped his chin in affirmation.

Distantly, I wondered what else the lairds might ask.

I had already given Gallagher the details of my departure while we were on the road. Though I couldn’t bring myself to talk about Alexei coming into my rooms or his threats, I did manage to describe the guard who helped him take me from my balcony to the window below, then sneak out a side door. I hadn’t wanted to chance that there was anyone they had overlooked, but Gallagher assured me they were already searching for the two missing guards.

Surely that wasn’t common knowledge, though.

“In terms of…everything else,” Davin interrupted my thoughts. “I’ve received word that the magistrate you dealt with on your journey has met with an untimely demise by fire. Sadly, his official records all burned up with him, so one way or another, you’ll be free to do as you wish.”

He didn’t look at me, didn’t put any inflection in his voice at all. Still, I got the feeling he was waiting for something.

Did he want me to leave, but felt guilty forcing me out? Did he want me to stay? Would I never stop owing him for things?

Before I could find the words to ask, he cleared his throat.

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