“Protective,” stressed the baron. “Someday when you have children you’ll understand. Fathers are protective before all else.”
“Pardon me, sir,” said Will coldly. “I never had a father to serve as an example.”
Mark Nerrow’s eyes grew angry for a moment, but he suppressed the feeling. “You have every cause to be angry with me, William. I won’t begrudge you that. If things had been different—”
Will thought the man looked remorseful, and that irritated him even more. It was your decision, not mine that led us here, he reminded himself. “But they weren’t,” he interrupted.
“Exactly,” agreed the baron with a sharp, decisive nod. “I think you realize it’s too dangerous for you to spend time around my family. Sooner or later the secret will be out, and I won’t risk the problems that would cause my wife and children.”
“You’re worried about your marriage,” said Will.
His father waved a hand dismissively. “You were born before I met Agnes. It isn’t as if I was unfaithful. Still, your existence would be a pain for her, and an uncertainty I would spare her from, not to mention my daughters.”
The lump in Will’s throat was so large he could barely speak. “I can’t speak for your wife, but don’t you think Laina and Tabitha have a right to know about me? I am their bro—”
“They’re my children,” snapped the baron. “It’s my decision—not theirs—not yours. Mine.”
That remark washed over him like a cold wave. “I see,” he said noncommittally.
“I’ll expect you to ignore my wife’s invitation. It’s nothing against you, William, and I am grateful for what you did, but it would be better if you aren’t around them. Growing attached to them will only complicate things for everyone involved.”
His stomach knotted, and he felt the urge to vomit up the breakfast he had only just finished, but he didn’t give up completely. “What about Selene?” he asked. “In the future there will probably be occasions where—”
“When possible, make an excuse,” directed the baron. “If it’s unavoidable we’ll simply have to make the best of it, but with some effort on your part those events should be rare. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Excellency,” said Will coldly. “Can you ask your driver to stop? I’d like to get out.”
“You aren’t upset, are you, William?”
“No, I’m fine,” he lied.
The baron signaled for the driver and gave the order to stop. As Will stepped out onto the street, he looked back. The look of relief on Mark Nerrow’s face made him want to slam the carriage door. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay away from you and your family,” he reiterated, then he walked away.
He made the rest of his way home on foot while his inner turmoil ate at his composure. By the time he reached his house, he could barely contain it any longer.
Blake was on him the moment he passed through the door. “Where have you been? I worried you might be dead when you didn’t return.”
Will paused, holding up a hand. “I apologize for worrying you. Things happened. I’ll explain later, but for now I need to be alone.”
Blake started to argue, but then he saw the look in Will’s eyes and the words died in his mouth. He stepped back and let Will pass unhindered.
Will managed to reach the top of the stairs before his control began to fail and his chest spasmed. A single heaving sob escaped his lips as he hurried for the bedroom door. Once inside, he locked the door and went to the bed where he snatched up one of the pillows and held it against his mouth.
And then, he broke down. Completely.
The stress and pain of the previous evening played a part, but it wasn’t what drove him to tears. The trauma of Lognion’s whipping would probably leave mental scars, but it was Mark Nerrow’s rejection that had broken him. Two days ago, he wouldn’t have cared if the man had told him to stay away from his family. Now it felt like the end of the world.
Just a tiny bit of kindness from them and I’m undone.
He let his misery run its course, and after a while it emptied itself out, leaving him feeling cold and dead. What should he do next? I have to find Tailtiu, and after that… His mind went blank. He wanted to make sure Laina was safe. After that I’ll do whatever is necessary, and Mark Nerrow can be damned if he doesn’t like it.
Opening his mouth, he spoke his grandmother’s name three times and immediately felt a connection. She was coming. Many times in the past she had delayed or sent Tailtiu instead when he called, but not this time. She must know something is wrong, he thought.
That done, he called up the limnthal so he could speak with the ring. “I have a problem,” he began.
“Nothing new there,” replied Arrogan. “You were born a problem.”
That hit a little too close to home, and Will was still feeling sensitive. “I’m not in the mood today. I need you to listen.”
Something in his tone must have convinced Arrogan, for the ring refrained from making a snappy comeback. “All right. Let’s hear it.”
“Tailtiu is missing.”
“Ordinarily I’d tell you to thank your lucky stars, but that sounded ominous. Explain.”
Will jumped into an involved explanation, beginning with Laina’s first visit to ask for Selene’s help and continuing on until he left the Nerrow household. He stuck to the facts but left out the effect that some of it had had on him. When he got to the baron’s farewell, he kept it simple. “He told me to stay away from his family.”
“That was cold,” remarked the ring. “I can understand his reasoning, but he certainly made an ass of himself there.”
It felt good to hear his mentor’s agreement, but Will didn’t want to talk about it. “That’s the least of my worries right now,” he said, wishing he believed it. “Aislinn is already on her way. I called her a short while ago.”
“Aislinn, eh? You don’t shy away from danger, do you?”
“She seems like the one most likely to help. It’s her daughter after all, and yours too.”
“I’m trying not to think about it in those terms,” said Arrogan. “If I start down that path I’ll be too upset to offer you any worthwhile advice. The first question is—”
“Where is she?” cut in Will.
“No, you dumb bastard! Don’t interrupt me again. Yes, her location is what you want to know, but it isn’t the first thing to ask, because it isn’t helpful. You have no goddamn idea where she is. A better question is—how was she captured? Along those same lines, when and where was she captured? Those questions are more manageable, and they will hopefully lead to the next question you should be asking—”