I walk out into the broad hallway to find Cillian standing there, waiting for me. His expression is kind of closed-off. Guarded.
“He’s awake?” Cillian asks.
“Yes. But he needs to rest. He’s confused. Hurting.”
Cillian frowns. “I’ve given him plenty of time,” he says. “For your sake alone. It’s time I spoke to him.”
He tries to walk past me, but I step to the side and block him. “Cillian, I’m serious. He’s been through a lot. You need to give him more time.”
“I gave him enough,” he says harshly. “I have a responsibility to my clan as well. And I’ve already waited too long to question him.”
“You make him sound like a suspect.”
“He’s the only lead we have at the moment,” Cillian says simply.
“He’s still disoriented and confused…”
“I heard you in there talking to him,” he points out gruffly. “If he’s able to have a coherent conversation with you, then he can speak to me.”
“Would you show a little bit of sensitivity for once in your fucking life?” I demand, my anger igniting fast.
I’m aware that I’m emotional at the moment, but I don’t have the presence of mind to reign it in.
“Me?” he roars back, his tone rising to meet mine. “What about you? Your father’s sitting in that room safe and sound. My parents are being held by the enemy and I fucking need to get them back! Some things are not all about you, Saoirse.”
I rear back as though he’s slapped me. Before I can figure out what to say, someone interrupts.
“Ahem.”
I whirl around to see a young man leaning on crutches, looking between Cillian and me.
I’ve never seen him before but I recognize him instantly. “You must be Kian.”
“And you must be Saoirse,” he says.
He’s handsome. Every bit as handsome as Cillian and just as tall. But his features are a little heavier, a little broodier. His smile doesn’t come as easy.
There’s more darkness in him. He wears his pain differently.
“I was just heading to the garden,” he says. “Why don’t you join me? You look like you need to stretch your legs.”
He may be right about that, but I don’t appreciate his transparent attempt to get me out of the way so that Cillian can interrogate my father.
He seems to realize as much. “You know my brother, Saoirse,” he says. “You can trust him to do this delicately.”
I glance back at Cillian, who gives me a small nod. “This can’t be delayed any longer,” he says grimly.
With a sigh, I nod, conceding defeat.
Cillian looks like he’s about to say something else to me. Then, at the last minute, he changes his mind and heads into Pa’s room.
The door shuts on me. I glance towards Kian, who’s looking at me with curiosity.
“Yeah,” I say before he can fire the barb, “I’m the girl who cost him his family and his country. We can get that out of the way ahead of time.”
Kian smiles. And when he does, the smile transforms him. It’s like seeing a younger version of Cillian. One with lighter eyes, darker hair.
“I get it now,” he whispers reverently.
“Get what?”
“Why he did what he did all those years ago.”
I turn from him quickly so that he doesn’t see what those simple words do to me.