“Very strong,” Lindsay agreed.
“And were we not friends long before love found us?” Conall asked Lindsay.
“We were,” she concurred.
“Bloody hell, just come out with it already,” Graham grunted before he drank more whisky. “’Tis clear you two arenae quite on the same page as Adlin and Grant though you should be.”
“We should,” Lindsay agreed.
“Aye,” Conall said. “But we’re not.”
“Nope.” Lindsay’s eyes met Graham’s. “We’re on your and Christina’s page.”
“A page that ends with this country in ruins,” Graham reminded. Though already set on his path, he couldn’t help but be grateful. It meant a lot that someone else believed in what they had. What they had found.
Something that could no longer exist.
“While I truly appreciate your support,” Graham began, but Conall cut him off.
“’Tis not just support, Cousin.” His eyes were deadly serious as they met Graham’s. “We believe you and Christina have found the same love that Lindsay and I share and intend to make sure it doesnae end before it has a chance to begin.”
“That’s right,” Lindsay said.
“And how do you intend to do that without driving our country into ruin?” His eyes went from Conall to Lindsay. “Because this is every inch your country now too, aye?”
“Absolutely.” She nodded. “While we haven’t got all the details worked out yet, we’ve got a plan starting tonight.” She shrugged. “Hopefully, after that and the battle tomorrow it won’t matter.”
“And what’s your plan this eve?” he asked, intrigued.
“Simple,” Conall said. “Divide and conquer.”
“Or at least divide,” Lindsay stated as they stood. “Not sure about the conquer part, but something is better than nothing, yes?”
Graham shook his head, still not following.
“We’re going to see that Christina sleeps alone tonight, sweetheart,” Lindsay murmured, her hand on his shoulder again as her eyes met his. “She will be with me, and Conall will make sure Bryce steers clear. As to Robert the Bruce...” She shrugged. “He won’t be with Christina, and that’s all that matters.”
“Ye shouldnae,” Graham murmured. “’Tis wrong and ye know it. If Bryce and Christina are meant to come together to save Scotland, then nothing should stop them.”
Neither responded just left.
He sighed and stared at the fire. Though he should not be, he could admit to a sense of relief at their mission even if it was only temporary. While, yes, Bryce and Christina might very well be meant for one another, an extra night apart wouldn’t do any harm. Not in the scheme of things.
Or so he hoped.
Not in the mood to sit alone and dwell, he went to bed and tried to stop thinking about not only Kenna’s death but Christina’s absence. Thus far, nothing had gone as it should. Aye, history seemed to be correcting itself but at a great toll.
Sleep didn’t come easy. When it did, it was filled with flashes of battle. Losing Kenna all over again. Pain and heartache. Then realizing how much he wanted Christina. How he had let her into his heart in a way he never meant to.
Suddenly, he was with her again after she first ran through him at the beginning.
Their eyes met then he was somewhere else.
Her dream....before she met Graham.
Or was it at the same time?
He couldn’t tell. All he did know was that she was face to face with Robert the Bruce in the stone dwelling at Mystery Hill. A younger Robert. The age he had been at the last battle. The age he was when he first dreamt of Christina.
Then, strangely enough, she was in two places at once. With the Bruce and beside Graham.
“What’s going on, Graham?” she whispered.
“I dinnae know,” he responded. “If I were to guess, I’d say we’re viewing the dream you had before you traveled back in time.”
She nodded. “It’s odd seeing myself like this.”
“Aye,” he murmured and slipped his hand into hers as they watched.
She and Robert stared at each other, at first seemingly unfamiliar, before he said, “I’m promised to ye, aye?”
“I think so.” She nodded. “And I’m promised to you...” A frown settled on her face as her eyes swept over something they couldn’t see. “We’ll make history...change history.”
“Aye.” Robert nodded. “Just as long as ye stay promised to me.”
“I will,” she assured before a startled expression flickered across her face, and her eyes shot to Graham. “Unless I’m already promised to another.”
By the time Graham glanced from the Christina standing next to him to the one caught in a dream, her other self had vanished.
“That was weird,” she whispered. “Why are we seeing this?”
Seconds later, he knew as he caught something out of the corner of his eye. A dark shadowy figure was fleeing the stone dwelling. Worse yet, it appeared to be scrambling obediently after a petite figure he recognized as Jessie.
Half a breath later, his eyes shot open and he awoke from his dream.
“Oh, God,” Christina whispered. “We were at the Stonehenge in New Hampshire again, and that was Jessie, wasn’t it?”
“Aye,” he replied and nodded, only to realize morning light was filtering through the tent opening and Christina was not with him. Yet she still heard him. Or was that just remnants of the dream?
“Christina?” he said into her mind as he sat up. “Can you hear me, lass?”
“I sure can!” There was no missing the smile in her internal voice. “What does this mean?”
He grinned even though she couldn’t see him. “I dinnae know, but it cannae be all bad, aye?”
Beyond hopeful, he dressed and went in search of Adlin or Grant.
Though Christina didn’t reply he could still feel her mind brushing his even more than before. She was with him in a whole new way. Sadly, as he found out a short time later, that didn’t mean as much as he had hoped it would. At least not at first.
“While ‘tis certainly interesting,” Grant said, speculative as they broke their fast in his tent. “I dinnae think ‘tis quite enough, lad.”
“We’ve true love betwixt us,” Graham argued. “That alone should be enough.”
He didn’t care if he was presumptuous about her loving him too. She could deny it telepathically anytime she liked.
Grant looked hopeful. “So she’s admitted she loves ye then?”
“Well, not in so many words,” Graham began before Grant cut him off with a potent reminder.
“Only the power of her ring can defeat the next warlock.”
“Well, that sucks,” Christina murmured into his mind. “So what’s the point of us being able to communicate like this now, then? Not that I’m complaining. You feel pretty good inside my mind.”
He almost smiled but kept a scowl on his face for Grant’s benefit as he asked the same question she just had.
Grant shook his head before something occurred to him, no doubt a more direct connection to Conall’s mind than most. “My grandson and Lindsay visited ye last night, aye?”
Though tempted to evade the question, he knew better. “Aye, they were a great comfort.”
“I’ll bet they were,” Grant murmured, a curious look in his eyes as they stayed with Graham’s. “Pray tell, what did they say to comfort ye?”
So he shared all but the part about them believing true love existed between Graham and Christina.
“’Twas just a simple kindness really to keep Christina with them.” Graham shook his head. “Whilst Christina fully intends to put Scotland before all else, ye cannae blame the lass for not wanting to share a tent with anyone but her close friend, Lindsay.”
“Nay, I suppose I cannae.” Grant’s eyes narrowed on Graham. “They're conspiring to bring ye and Christina together, aye? They believe ye love each other?”
“We do,�
� he replied hotly. “At least I do.”
“And they believe it as well?” Grant said. “Truly?”
“Aye,” Graham confirmed, finally confessing. “So it seems.”
“Well, bloody hell.” A small smile tugged at the corner of Grant’s mouth. “It seems mayhap the telepathic barrier betwixt ye and Christina might have been directly related to being caught in Conall and Lindsay’s magic after all.” He shrugged, bemused. “It also seems they arenae just giving ye the benefit of the doubt but really do believe in the love betwixt ye two.” He shook his head. “’Twould be the only way for the spell to lift.”
Graham frowned. “Ye mean they cast Christina and me under a spell?”
“Not intentionally.” Grant chuckled. “Ye just got caught up in their magic is all.” His brows perked. “A bit of magic, might I remind you, that took place while they were struggling to find their own love. If that same magic first brought ye and Christina together at the Stonehenge, then it stands to reason it might’ve made it trickier for ye to come together in the usual way MacLomains and Brouns do.”
“Aye, that’s sound reasoning, my friend,” Adlin said as he and Milly entered followed by Christina and Lindsay. “’Tis also more and more likely someone else is involved in all this too.”
Graham was never so glad to lay eyes on Christina again. Though he knew very well she was with Lindsay last night and even with Graham in his dreams, he still worried. Wondered. Would she somehow end up in Robert’s tent of her own device? More so, Bryce’s?”
A soft smile flitted across her face as their eyes met then vanished as Adlin elaborated more on the dream Graham and Christina had just experienced together.
“I think there is little doubt at this point that Jessie is involved with these warlocks.” Adlin’s troubled eyes went to Graham. “Christina shared everything with me including, with Bryce’s permission, how she saw his twin sister when she dreamt about Jessie in the woods by the river.”
She had seen his twin sister? That must have been part of the reason she wanted to speak to Bryce alone yesterday.
“What’s this?” Grant’s brows bunched together in confusion. “Ainsley?”
Adlin nodded. “’Tis interesting, aye?”
“Aye,” Grant said softly as he mulled it over.
“Do you think ‘tis relevant to why Christina’s gem matches Bryce’s eyes?” Graham couldn’t keep hope from his voice. “Could Ainsley somehow be influencing or even manipulating things from the afterlife?” This made more and more sense. “Because were her eyes not the verra shade of her brother's?”
“We cannae rule out the possibility that she played a part in this,” Grant conceded. “But we cannae assume ‘tis definite either.”
“Aye,” Adlin agreed, even as he remained optimistic. “Though the connection betwixt dragon twins is known to be verra strong, even if one dies in infancy. And we did feel the magic that ignited between Christina and Bryce was of MacLomain origin.” He nodded as the idea clearly grew on him. “So as you implied, Grant, there is always the possibility...”
“Which could mean one of several things,” Grant murmured. “Either Ainsley is, in fact, assisting somehow from the afterlife or mayhap even influenced things when we created the rings.” He shook his head. “Or there is always the possibility, as Christina’s dream implied, that Ainsley’s in contact with Jessie, who through her affiliation with the warlocks did the same.”
Christina frowned. “Isn’t Jessie being part of creating the rings kind of a leap?”
“’Tis verra hard to know,” Grant said softly. “It would depend on the extent of her affiliation with the warlocks...and of course, how much magic she possesses.”
“And what of Ainsley?” Graham asked. “Are you saying that if she was part of the creation of the rings and now influenced a ring in Bryce's favor, that it could have ignited what happened betwixt him and Christina?”
“If she did it with the intention of protecting him, most certainly.” Adlin nodded, more chipper by the moment. “If Christina’s gem harnessed Ainsley’s essence, it would have bonded her to Bryce almost as powerfully as the MacLomain, Broun true love connection.”
Graham had never felt more hopeful as his eyes met Christina’s. Could it be she wasn’t meant for Bryce after all? That she and Graham still had a chance?
Speaking of his cousin, Bryce had just ducked in but froze halfway when a piercing war cry rent the air.
Everyone leapt to their feet but not before Sven joined them and frowned. “The Scottish encampment is under attack.”
That, regrettably, was the last thing anyone wanted to hear.
After all, that meant history was more off-track now than ever.
Chapter Seventeen
CHRISTINA COULD ONLY thank the Lord Almighty that not only Robert had spoken about current events but then Lindsay and Conall had spent the dwindling hours of the evening before educating her on the Battle of Bannockburn. If they hadn’t, she might not understand—outside of being under attack—why everyone was in a complete uproar right now.
Robert had been amiable and overly attentive as they strolled together the previous evening. While he had most certainly been wooing her, he was also very much wrapped up in what would come about today. While he was pleased with his current victory, he remained worried about the Welsh archers the Earl of Pembrokeshire had amassed on behalf of Edward II.
Though Robert had ordered hundreds of yew longbows to be crafted, it seemed he could only find five hundred men with the skills, and inclination, to wield them. That, he explained, was not nearly enough to suit him against what they faced.
“Well, you’ve got Bryce on your side now,” she had said. “And from what I’ve seen, he’s pretty amazing with a bow and arrow.”
He gave her an interested look. “More so, with ye around, aye, lass?”
She stated the obvious. “So you saw Bryce, and I fight together.”
“I didnae, but some of my men did,” he replied. “And though many run superstitious ‘twas in a good way knowing ye two will be fighting alongside us on the morrow.”
Though he had invited her into his tent, Lindsay intercepted and requested that Christina spend the night with her. It was the decent thing to do, which Robert couldn’t argue with.
Despite the disappointment in his eyes, he pulled her close for a kiss she should have seen coming. Though it was nice enough, it couldn’t nearly touch Graham’s kisses. Lindsay called her on it too as they sat by the fire later.
“Do you love him then, Christina?” she asked softly.
“Love who?”
“You know who,” Lindsay replied. “Graham.”
Though tempted to shake her head and say no, nothing came out. Not at first anyway. It had felt like the ground dropped out from beneath her when he declared his love for her earlier. She couldn’t remember a man ever doing that.
Not the way he had.
Not with that look in his eyes.
More so, she couldn’t remember ever feeling the way she had when he did.
“Well?” Lindsay prompted, her voice still soft. “Do you?”
“Honey, outside of Granny, you, Mils, and Jessie, I’m not sure I know what love is,” she replied honestly. “Do I like Graham much better than any other man I’ve ever met? Heck, yeah.”
Lindsay only gave her a whimsical knowing look before Conall joined them and she learned more about the infamous Battle of Bannockburn. Most especially the second day of the battle.
Today.
And being attacked by the English first thing in the morning was way off.
It was supposed to be the other way around. The Scots were supposed to eat breakfast then advance on the English.
Nonetheless, she was ready to fight, so she took the weapons given to her. Men were racing in every direction as they exited the tent. Graham and Bryce stuck close to her with Sven not that far behind.
Then she just let her gift take over and engaged the first
English warrior that came at her. Still in the heart of the Scots’ encampment, she fought for all she was worth. Thrusting, spinning, dodging, jumping, it became an amazing, exhilarating dance just like it had before.
She didn’t think about those she killed but about protecting her friends and Graham.
And, most certainly, Scotland’s history.
Her heart raced, and her adrenaline rushed. It was fast and crazy, but not in a way that looked like it was going to have a good outcome. More Englishmen seemed to be standing than Scotsmen as she, Graham and Bryce fought their way toward the outside of the encampment. As she assured Robert, Bryce did an excellent job shooting off arrows, but sadly enough, he was outnumbered as were Robert’s prized archers.
This had been an ambush.
A well-planned one at that.
“Just focus on fighting, lass,” Graham said into her mind. “Nothing else. Just fighting.”
He was trying to warn her against looking around too much, but it couldn’t be helped.
Too many were falling.
The Scottish were losing.
This made no sense. How could this be happening when day one of the battle went as it should have? What had changed? She didn’t suppose it mattered at this point. The damage was done, and everything was going very, very wrong.
The Scots were being slaughtered, and history was about to change for the worst.
“Dinnae fight to the death,” Grant’s words floated through her mind, and she suspected everyone else’s. “If we cannae save this battle, there is the slightest chance that we can save the next.”
Christina knew that wasn’t true. Grant was speaking out of fear for his immediate kin, and she didn’t blame him. Every couple needed to come together properly. The rings’ magic needed to be ignited. She never understood that better than she did now as so much Scottish blood spilled.
It was as if she could feel the very essence of the country bleeding away.
Fading.
If they lost here today, Scotland’s ultimate ruin would be set in motion. She didn’t doubt it for a moment. This was it. The beginning of the end.
Promised to a Highland Laird Page 22