Magnus and a Love Beyond Words

by Knightley, Diana

  Zach was moaning beside Emma who was still completely unconscious. A child was crying, a loud plaintive wailing. My eyes were drawn across the rooftop where a soldier was crouched beside Ben trying to calm him. Beside me lay the vessel and the book. I stuffed them inside the handbag fastened around my waist.

  Quentin was crouched, shaking his head, trying to become fully conscious.

  A soldier patted Beaty’s back. She rolled to her stomach and vomited onto the rooftop. I stumbled over to Quentin. “You’re bleeding, your arm.”

  He looked surprised. Blood flowed down his shirtsleeve.

  A soldier got to him just then. “Sit down sir, let us check you out.”

  Quentin said, “We shouldn’t have left him.”

  I nodded and patted his leg. A soldier thrust an earpiece toward me. “Colonel Donahoe,” he said.

  There was a lot of static. “Hello?”

  More static. “… I’m at the… helicop…soon.”

  “Hammond, Magnus isn’t with me.”

  The radio static squawked and I couldn’t tell if he could hear me. “…going… tomorrow…”

  I shook my head at the soldier, my eyes wide. “I can’t hear him. I can’t tell what he’s saying.”

  The soldier grabbed the earpiece from my head, rushed away and returned a moment later with a new one. He placed it on my ear, pulling the microphone in front of my mouth. “Hammond, can you hear me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t have Mag—”

  “Don’t say anything to be traced. Get on the helicopter. I’ll meet you by morning.”

  “I have my family with—”

  “How many need transport?”

  “Everyone.” I made a mental count. “Six, including me. Hayley is hurt and Quentin. Ben is crying. Beaty is…” My eyes went back to Beaty, convulsing on the ground. Quentin saying to a soldier, “It’s just a graze man, no big deal. Help Beaty.” Hayley had a fucking head wound. I couldn’t believe that psychopath hit her. Zach and Emma were moving around, but weren’t actually up yet.

  “Put Major Dell back on,” Hammond said.

  I took the earpiece off and passed it to the soldier beside me.

  My eyes went to the tree line beyond the lavish gardens past the woods, and beyond, miles away to a fiery explosion and rising above it a ballooning cloud. I watched it, terrified, but it wasn’t one of our dark storm clouds. It was just a fiery bomb exploding something. I felt a certain kind of relief and that really sucked.

  Major Dell finished his conversation with Colonel Donahoe then stood and commanded, “Everyone on the helicopter, now!”

  Hayley was pushed by me on a stretcher and loaded on.

  I asked Major Dell, “Where is Colonel Donahoe?"

  “He’s been gone fighting in the Meadows for the last three days.”

  “The meadows?”

  “That’s what we call the east side. Magnus’s son is trapped in there by the fighting.”

  “Oh. Crap. Okay. Did he say when he would have Archie? When we would know?”

  “By morning, but I have to insist, Queen Kaitlyn, you get into a helicopter now. This area is not secured and we’ve been exposed for too long.”

  I ran to get Ben. “Shhhh, shhhh, it’s going to be okay.” I picked him up and draped him across Emma’s chest. She wasn’t fully aware, but her arms wrapped around him anyway. Zach was holding his head groaning. “Zach, focus! We need to get Emma and Ben to that helicopter.”

  Zach clamored up. He wobbled. “Where the fuck are we?”

  “Magnus’s castle, the year 2382. But we can’t stay, we have to get out of here. The soldiers are taking us to a safe house but we have to move.” An explosion rocked the ground right then.

  “Shit,” he said. He and I pulled Emma to her feet and we held on around Emma’s back and fought against the wind to the helicopter, Ben screaming the whole time.

  Emma stopped, dug her heels in, and pulled against our hands. “I don’t want to go in it.”

  “You have to Emma, I’m sorry, but we have to get in it. We aren’t safe here.”

  She struggled against Zach. “No, I don’t want to. It’s so bright, it’s too loud.” She desperately tried to pull away. Ben was totally worked up, his little face turning red from it all.

  The helicopter was loud and windy and so fucking loud.

  “Come on babe, you can do this. Keep your eyes shut like Magnus. Right, Katie?”

  “Yes, of course, close your eyes, I’m so sorry it’s scary but we have to do it.”

  Emma moaned. “I don’t want to!”

  Zach clasped his hands over Ben’s ears. “Baby, ya gotta get in the copter. Ya gotta take care of Ben. It’s gonna fuckin’ be okay. I’ve got you, I promise.”

  She let him lead her inside.

  Another explosion, this one sounded closer. A soldier began yelling, “Everyone into the copter! Inside, now!”

  A soldier, pressing a compress to Quentin’s shoulder, and a second soldier carrying Beaty, loaded them onto the aircraft. They put Beaty onto a stretcher and strapped her in.

  The rooftop was now devoid of all of us. If Magnus was coming, this is where he would come. I didn’t want to leave, but I had to. I had to climb in that helicopter and go with them to safety.

  So I climbed inside. Those of us in seats began strapping on seatbelts.

  I looked around at this helicopter filled with all the people I loved. Most of them.

  Except Magnus.

  I gulped in some air.

  I had to be the motherfucking matriarch. Because all these people needed me.

  I needed to get Archie, make sure he was safe.

  I needed to rescue Magnus, but I had no idea how.

  I had to kill me an asshole. But I had to find him first.

  And I had to Queen Kaitlyn all of this.

  Possibly alone.

  Starting now.

  Our helicopter lifted into the night air.

  Chapter 70

  The helicopter landed on the lawn of the safe house. The night was pitch-black but the house foyer was lit with only a few lights further in.

  Quentin said, “Holy shit, that’s a big house. Where are we?”

  I stood beside a soldier, helping everyone climb from the helicopter. “This is Magnus’s country house. Apparently it’s safe here. Make yourself comfortable but don’t sit on the couch until you get that arm bandaged.”

  “His country house — shit, that’s bigger than the White House.” He asked one of the soldiers. “You guys have fluids? She’s not keeping anything down.” A soldier carried Beaty inside, followed by Quentin, followed by another soldier carrying a large medical kit. Then Hayley scrambled out holding her head with a soldier helping her to the house.

  She paused looking at me through her one non-swollen eye. “What’s going to happen to Mags?”

  “I don’t know…”

  “I will never forgive myself if—”

  “How were you to know Hayley? You couldn’t have. None of this is your fault.”

  Zach climbed out with his arms around Emma and Ben and we all went in through the front door together.

  * * *

  “Fuck,” said Zach, “What’s up with this smug-ass?” He gestured toward a giant photo of Donnan in his military regalia in the gigantic front foyer.

  I said, “That’s Donnan, the one who raped me.”

  “Oh no, that is some serious bullshit.” Zach walked over and with a struggle pulled the giant photo off the wall. “We get to do this right?”

  I said, “I like that you did it first, asked later. And yes, I suppose we do.”

  He went to another large framed photo and pulled it down too. He leaned both against the wall. “I’d break them but it seems like too much work. You are not kidding about the pain. That shit sucked, didn’t it, babe?”

  Emma said, “So much.”

  I said, “How’s Ben?”

  Emma lifted her shirt. Ben was cozied up to her
breast, nursing, carried in the sling, under her shirt. He looked at me. I looked at him.

  “Hey Ben, I know that was awful, but hey, it’s all good now right?”

  He nursed, watching me, his little mouth moving.

  Emma said, “I think the loud helicopter drowned out his crying and he forgot to keep going.”

  I said, “Well, I guess that’s good.”

  Chapter 71

  Mrs Johnstone brought us food and drinks and another dress for me to change into. I did it quickly, without the full shower I probably definitely needed. Instead I spot-cleaned myself and got out of my 18th century clothes. Beaty lay on the same gurney Magnus had been on a few weeks earlier right in the middle of the room. She had an iv drip of fluids flowing into her arm to guard against dehydration. Quentin beside her on a stool, holding her hand. His arm bandaged now, but still — blood. He was talking to her in low murmurs. Telling her it would be okay. Assuring her.

  Zach and Emma were cuddled on the couch, heads back on the pillows. A sweet family moment after all that danger.

  All of that was a little melancholy for me.

  Hayley was sitting on an armchair with a sheet spread over it to protect the fabric because she had been bleeding a lot. She held a cold pack to her bandaged forehead, tears streaming down her face. Every now and then she pulled the ice pack off to say, “What the fuck?”

  Emma would say, “I know.”

  Or Zach would say, “Fuckin’ right man, that shit sucked.”

  Hayley asked, “So when are we?”

  Zach said, “Katie says it’s the year 2382.”

  “So everyone we know is dead?”

  “Except us.”

  I had been sitting on another chair but could not calm myself. My first thought, Archie. My every thought, Magnus.

  I was surrounded but felt so alone.

  I stood, too nervous to sit.

  I walked around the room looking at things without actually looking at anything.

  I finally paused, my hands on the back of Hayley’s chair. “I want to say to you all, Magnus and I are so very sorry about the disruption in your lives, the danger. I never meant to put you in this position, I couldn’t think of what else to do and—”

  Quentin said, “What else could we have done? Nothing. I’m your security guard and there was nothing I could do. If anyone is to blame, it’s me.”

  Hayley lowered her icepack and raised her chin to look at me. “We all know this is all my fault.”

  I held her hand over the back of the chair.

  I said, “Nah sweetie, it’s not at all. How could you have known he was a psychopath? Everyone liked him.”

  “I hate him so much. And you know what? From this moment I’ve decided I have amnesia from this head wound, so I don’t even know who you’re talking about.”

  I said, “That’s an excellent idea but also, tomorrow, I may need to ask you a million questions about what he knows, what he might have guessed, and what he might be planning, so I’ll need you to have a good memory.”

  “Fine, I’ll have selective recollection for you and Mags.”

  Zach said, “I would like to say none of this is me and Emma’s fault.” He shook his head. “Though I did tell Hayley I thought Nick was great. I did tell him too much about our lives. I fucking cooked for him. Man, I hate him so much.” He gave Hayley a sad smile.

  “That being said, we just survived a shitstorm and we’re all alive.” His eyes took in the pretentiously decorated room. “Apparently we live in Trump Tower now. This is all unexpected.”

  Emma said, “I’d like to say this is nobody’s fault but Nick Reyes’s, so let’s stop the victim blaming and strategize how to help Magnus.” She leveled her eyes on me. “You’ve been in some dire situations before, and I really really hate to ask this, but do you think he’s still alive?”

  I took a deep breath. My whole body was shaking. “I don’t know, but I… I don’t know.”

  Quentin said, “If Reyes wanted him dead he would have shot him right then. I think he wanted him alive for some reason and that’s good news because every minute Magnus is alive he’s a minute closer to killing that asshole.”

  Zach said, “I completely agree.”

  I said, “Thank you Quentin. Thank you Zach. That really helps a lot. Okay, Emma, yes, he might be alive.”

  “Good, then tomorrow we need to come up with some ideas for ways to help him and I’ll be praying for him, if anyone wants to join me.”

  I said, “Thank you I really appreciate it.”

  A soldier entered the room. “Queen Kaitlyn, a call from Colonel Donahoe.”

  I took the earphones from him. “Hello?”

  “I have him.”

  “Good.”

  “He’s accompanied.”

  “Yes, of course. Of course. Bring everyone.”

  When I turned back to the room, Emma asked, “What was that?”

  “Colonel Donahoe has Magnus’s son. He’s safe.”

  Emma’s eyes went wide. “Magnus’s son?”

  Zach asked, “When the hell did Magnus have a son?”

  “It’s a very long story and I…” I took a jagged difficult breath. “I can’t really talk about it but he’s verra wee and he was in the war and he might be all who’s left…” I burst into tears and Emma came to wrap her arms around me with Ben sandwiched between us.

  “Oh honey, yeah, you have a lot to tell us but you don’t have to tell us now.” She wiped my tears. “When is he coming?”

  “I don’t know, it’s too dangerous to tell me over the thingy and…” I sniffled. “They’re bringing his mother too and I don’t know what to…”

  “Oh, oh now, okay, let’s see. This woman, the mother, we don’t want her here, right? I mean, just so I know.”

  I shook my head.

  “Right, I’m going to talk to Mrs Johnstone.”

  * * *

  A few minutes later Emma returned. “Mrs Johnstone has told me there is a whole guest area in the east wing. One across the lawn over there.” She pointed somewhere. It didn’t matter, I liked the idea of ‘across the lawn over there’. “Mrs Johnstone wanted to put me and Zach there but I told her we would all sleep here near each other that none of us minded or much wanted our own house and this — I don’t know, person, can have the other house. She has gone there now to make sure the bed is made.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome. Now what?”

  “I don’t know, but I think I have to go wait on the front stoop for him to arrive because I kind of feel like I can’t breathe.”

  “Do you need company?”

  “Not really. It just needs to be silent for a bit.” I looked around. “Will everyone be okay if I disappear for a while?”

  They all said yes or nodded and so I grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and I left them there, sprawled in the luxurious living room, and I went through the marble-floored, footstep-echoing foyer to the ostentatious front entrance. I stood on the top step wrapped in the blanket, looking across the gardens and the sweeping lawn. It was dark except for moonlight with a clear sky above. I looked up at the stars.

  See this sky, Kaitlyn? Tis always the same heavens wherever we are.

  “I love you, courageous man, please stay safe…”

  I wrapped the blanket tighter around me as I heard the hum of the helicopter approaching.

  Chapter 72

  Colonel Donahoe dismounted the helicopter and helped Bella out. She looked terrible. Her hair messy, her face with no makeup, her clothes dirty, she looked like a woman who had been through an ordeal. Exiting from the helicopter behind her was a man I hadn’t met yet. Then a soldier carrying a baby carrier. Bella looked over the front of the house and her eyes rested on me then she looked away.

  I went down the steps to meet them on the lawn.

  I said, “Mrs Johnstone has readied the guest house for you.” Archie began to cry in his carrier.

  Bell
a refused to acknowledge me.

  Her guy put forward his hand and yelled over the sound of the helicopter. “I’m John Mitchell, Your Highness.”

  I shook it. “I’m Kaitlyn Campbell.”

  Colonel Donahoe coughed and corrected. “Queen Kaitlyn.”

  “Oh yes, of course,” I said, but how could I be expected to keep all of this in my head with this woman standing beside me on my lawn? “I hope you haven’t been in too much danger?” I asked, because I didn’t know what to say. Archie was full-blown very loud crying.

  He answered, “It’s been difficult. We were under siege for the last fourteen hours.”

  Bella nestled into John Mitchell’s arms. “I’m very tired John, can we just go to sleep?”

  “Of course.”

  Colonel Donahoe pulled me aside. “Where is Magnus?”

  “He was captured in 2019, by General Reyes.”

  He winced. “Do you know the exact date?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you think he’s still there?”

  “No, General Reyes is a time traveler.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll help them get settled and then I’ll remain outside. I’ll think of something, but don’t tell anyone that Magnus is missing. You and I will talk in the morning.”

  “Yes, that sounds good, thank you.”

  I watched Bella and John Mitchell follow Hammond as he set out across the lawn. Archie screamed his head off in his carrier as the soldier followed them.

  Emma appeared beside me without her sling, without Ben. Hayley appeared on my other side. I said, “Hayley you should not be walking around.”

  “I had to see what all that bellyaching was about, figures it was a baby.”

  “Magnus’s baby.”

  Hayley squeezed me around the shoulders. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

  Emma said, “You don’t get to hold him, say hello, or anything?”

  Tears welled up in my eyes. “No, I’m not allowed to, she won’t let me unless Magnus is here.”