by Pandora Pine
Carter understood in his heart of hearts where Fionn was coming from, but delaying the inevitable was just that, only a delay. The time to pay the piper was here. “Tell me now,” Carter urged gently.
“My father agreed to marry me to the oldest McRoth daughter. If I don’t wed the girl, her father will bring down the entire McRoth army and its allies upon Moone Castle.” Fionn grabbed for the pitcher, but Donnall beat him to it, pulling it out of his reach and raising an eyebrow in challenge.
“When was the agreement made?” Carter asked, knowing from history wedding contracts were often made when the bride and groom were children.
“I was eight summers and she was an hour old,” Fionn snorted.
“An hour old?” Carter cried.
“The Ò Ciardhas and McRoths had been at war with each other for a generation,” Donnall said from behind Fionn, snaking his hand up to grab Fionn’s now empty tankard. “It was thought a marriage between the two rival clans would ease the tensions and stop the fighting.”
“Did it work?” Carter knew throughout history weddings were often seen as the way to stop warring factions.
“Yes, there has been peace between the clans for almost twenty-two years now. But, with Fionn refusing to wed the lass, the tensions are increasing once again. I have no doubt the McRoth will make good on his threat to attack Moone.”
“I will not do it!” Fionn boomed, slamming his fist against the table. “I refuse to wed the broodmare.”
Knowing he needed to approach this problem from a different angle, Carter asked, “Don’t you need a son to inherit the lordship of Moone Castle?”
Fionn’s look turned lethal. Carter took an involuntary step backward. “There must be another way. I will get a child on one of the kitchen wenches and name him my heir.”
“Get a child on a kitchen wench? Fionn, listen to yourself.” Carter ran a hand through his hair. He knew no one had been able to talk Fionn into marrying the girl in the original timeline and he was failing to get Fionn to see reason. “And what happens if the child is a girl?”
“Then she will be heir to Moone Castle,” Fionn sneered.
“Your father agreed to the marriage contract,” Donnall said as gently as possible under the circumstances. “We cannot go back on his word.”
“Well then, I will simply un-agree to the contract,” Fionn said, sounding very much like a two-year-old in need of a nap.
“You cannot do that. There has been peace between your family and the McRoth family since the contract was signed. There would be war.” Donnall looked up at Carter. His face was grim.
“Then war it shall be!” Fionn roared.
“No!” Carter shouted, startling everyone in the room with the exception of Islynn who was standing in the doorway watching the proceedings. “You need to marry her, Fionn,” Carter urged.
“Do I, princess?” Fionn sneered, standing with such force his chair crashed backward to the floor. He advanced toward Carter.
Carter stood his ground. Fionn’s life may count on his courage in this moment. “Yes.” He bit the inside of his cheek to keep tears from forming in his eyes.
“And you shall become my lover on the side?” An angry fire burned brightly behind Fionn’s eyes.
“No,” he said sadly, shaking his head.
“NO?” Fionn roared, his voice echoing throughout the great hall. “No other man will touch you, not while there is breath in my body.” His hands were balled into fists at his side.
“I don’t want any other man, you stubborn warrior! I want you, but not at the cost of war!” Carter shouted back. He needed to calm down and rein his temper back. Yelling at Fionn wasn’t the way to get him to see reason.
“What do you know of the future?” Fionn demanded.
Islynn stood straighter and advanced several steps into the room.
“Nothing,” Carter said, shame etched all over his face. Knowing full well the entire room could see he was lying. An icy fist wrapped around his heart and squeezed. He hated lying to Fionn, but it beat mourning for Fionn.
“LIAR!” Fionn bellowed, his emotions quickly spiraling out of control. “What do you KNOW?”
Carter knew he needed to tell Fionn something and tried to be as vague as possible. “I know you need to marry the McRoth girl.”
“Or what?” he challenged.
Carter shook his head, trying to hold onto his emotions. His heart was broken, but the only thing that mattered was saving Fionn’s life. “Or you lose me forever.”
“Do you threaten me, my heart?” Fionn whispered furiously.
Carter shook his head, sending tears cascading down his cheeks. “Please trust me,” Carter pleaded.
“My answer is no,” Fionn’s voice shook with rage. “Donnall, send my response.” He turned to leave the room, but Carter’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Fionn, please.”
He growled and pushed past Carter, heading for the door to the great hall.
Carter hit his knees, sobbing for his broken heart.
“It may not feel like it now, but you did the right thing, lad,” Donnall said, reaching down to pull Carter back to his feet.
Carter nodded. “Take care of him,” he whispered, before starting to cry again.
Islynn rushed forward. “Come with me, Carter.” She led him from the room.
34
“This is chamomile tea. It will help settle your nerves,” Islynn said gently, setting a steaming mug in front of a sullen Carter.
Carter accepted the cup and took a small sip of the bitter brew. “Tell me what you know, Islynn,” he asked with a scratchy voice. He’d cried until his tears were gone as Islynn lead him back to her cottage, the brisk autumn wind drying his sorrow into his skin.
“I know what you know, only that you have done the right thing in trying to convince our stubborn lord to comply with the marriage contract.” She took the seat next to him and rested her hand on top of Carter’s.
“All I’ve done is make Fionn mistrustful of me again. It’s obvious I know what happened to him, to you all, in the future.”
“Tell me what happens to all of us,” Islynn whispered, gripping Carter’s hand tighter in her own.
“In the future? I thought you knew.” He was dumbfounded. He had been positive Islynn had the sight.
“I know Fionn is destined to meet the reaper in the coming battle, but no details beyond that.”
Carter sized her up, refusing to answer her question.
“My gift of sight only comes in pieces,” Islynn said on a sigh. “Sometimes I see the middle of the tale, sometimes the beginning. In this case, I can only see the end, but not how it will affect Moone or me.”
Carter closed his eyes, sorrow swamping over him all over again as his mind played back that day on Fairy Hill. “The reaper collects Fionn. It was awful. I watched it happen. Fionn saw me on top of the hill and shouted out to me. An attacker took advantage of Fionn’s distraction and ran him through.” Carter shivered, feeling what little contents there were in his stomach start to toss and turn.
“How did you come to be on Fairy Hill?” She threaded their hands together and squeezed.
“This is not the first time I travelled back in time. The first time landed me on the hill during the height of the battle. After Fionn…fell.” Carter took a deep breath, forcing the image of a dying Fionn from his mind. “I rubbed my moonstone and everything went black.”
“You are in possession of the Gealach.” It was not a question.
Carter nodded, not surprised Islynn knew of the Three Jewels of Ireland.
“What happens to Moone and her people after the death of our lord?” Islynn’s voice was tight.
“Donnall is named chief. He marries the McRoth girl, but then…”
“Then what?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“The English attack and take the castle. Moone’s defenses are too weakened from the battle against the McRoths to put up much of
a fight. The Irish never regain control of the castle until the nineteenth century and by that time it had started to fall to ruin.”
Islynn shivered in the warm room and tried to pull away from Carter.
Carter wrapped both hands around hers. “You said you couldn’t see how my arrival affected the future when I first arrived here. What do you see now?” Any scrap of information, no matter how insignificant, could help him save Fionn.
“It’s all a muddle, Carter, but for the battle. It is coming. I can see snippets of you and Fionn fighting, but not what happens next. I’m at my wits end, trying to see more or make sense of what little I do know. I want you to save Fionn just as much as you do, please believe that.”
“Do I go to him and tell him what I know?” If Carter were able to tell Fionn of his future, would his stubborn warrior marry the McRoth girl?
“No, it will not help. You are right to say our lord is stubborn. He is the most stubborn man I have known throughout many lives.”
“How can you say that?” Carter yelled incredulously. “If he knows what happens to the people of Moone after his death at the hands of the English he may change his mind about marrying the girl.”
“He knows now what will happen if he refuses. Moone will go to war. Carter, the reaper will collect his due. You may be able to stop his death as it unfolded originally, but the reaper will take what is his.”
35
Fionn had ridden Brimstone to the point of exhaustion. In his blind rage he saddled the horse and rode out through Moone’s gate. He did not stop until he saw the bend in Boyne River, signaling the end of his lands. “We will rest,” he said, dismounting and leading the tired horse to the water’s edge.
The ride had not soothed his anger. Carter wanted him to marry the McRoth broodmare, but why? Was Carter lying about loving him? Did he have feelings for someone else? It was unbearable to think what his life would be like without him.
Before Carter’s arrival Fionn had been an overly serious man. He mostly kept to himself and spent what little free time he had with Donnall. When his body demanded satisfaction, he took it where it was offered freely, never feeling anything for his partner. Now that he had experienced what it was to truly make love with Carter, he knew he would never find that kind of connection with anyone else. Carter was his soulmate.
Carter was correct when he said Moone needed an heir, but it would be easy enough to sire one with a willing kitchen wench. His stomach rolled at the thought of being intimate with anyone other than Carter, but it was better than the prospect of losing him altogether. He was sure Carter would understand what needed to be done to produce an heir.
The issue of an heir was the least important problem facing him at the moment. What had Carter meant when he said he would be lost to Fionn forever if he did not marry the McRoth girl? Would he return to the year 2015?
“CARTER!” he bellowed to the overcast sky. He needed to get back to Moone and stop his Anam cara from doing the unthinkable. His life wasn’t worth living without his heart.
It was pouring. Carter was soaked to the skin by the time he ran into the barn to saddle Cerberus. Fionn had been gone for nearly four hours. He had no idea where his stubborn warrior had gone, but he couldn’t sit still any longer waiting for him to return.
“Let me come with you, lad,” Donnall said from the door of the horse’s stall.
“No, you need to stay and defend Moone until Fionn returns.” Carter shuddered. “What about the O’Rourkes? What if they’ve taken him like when he was a boy?”
“He told you about that? I knew you two were close but it really says something about your relationship if Fionn told you of his own free will. I only know bits and pieces of it he lets slip when he’s drunk,” Donnall said sadly.
“He told me the whole story when we were camping. Donnall, I need to find him. Where would he have gone?”
“He dies, doesn’t he?” Donnall asked with a shaky voice, fighting back tears.
Carter looked up stunned. He was sure the answer was telegraphed on his face. “I can’t guarantee marrying the McRoth girl will save him, but it will most likely stop the battle that…”
Carter stopped and hauled the heavy saddle onto Cerberus’ back giving him a few moments to pull himself back together. “My coming here has interfered with time.”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean you interfered with time?” Donnall moved around toward the front of the horse, inspecting the belly strap Carter had just fastened.
“Let’s say I know you die in a snowstorm.” Carter started, walking back around the horse to face Donnall.
Donnall’s eyes grew wide in alarm as he raked a hand through his messy dark hair.
“I don’t know how you die, Donnall, but let’s say I did. My being here changes things. Maybe I stop you from going out into the snow, but instead you trip and fall down the stairs. I stopped you from dying the way that I knew in the future but I have no way of knowing how my being here will affect the present.”
“I see. You may have stopped Fionn’s death one way, but you have no way of knowing what will happen next?”
“Exactly. Now, where would he go when he needs a place to think and be alone?”
Donnall was stopped from answering when a stable boy ran into the barn. “The lord returns,” the boy said, panting for breath.
“Thank fuck,” Carter muttered. His hands had been trembling with fear and anger since he’d come back to the barn to find Brimstone gone. He took a few deeps breaths which helped his tremor subside a bit.
“I will go to him. Unsaddle your horse.” Donnall moved toward Cerberus, who stomped the floor and shied away from him.
“Carter!” Fionn’s voice boomed through the stable.
“I’ll go to him.” He smiled at Donnall. “Yes, Fionn.” He poked his head out of Cerberus’ stall.”
“Trying to make your escape?” he snarled, his nostrils flaring.
Yes, Fionn. I’m going to ride five hundred years into the future,” Carter deadpanned.
“You will come with me,” Fionn demanded.
“No. I need to see to Cerberus first.” Carter knew he was pushing his luck by defying Fionn, but he needed time to calm down so he wouldn’t fly off the handle and reignite their earlier fight.
“Where did you go?” Fionn asked darkly.
“I was here waiting for you while you were gone. I couldn’t stand waiting for you anymore, so I was saddling Cerberus to go find your stubborn ass.” He could be just as stubborn and unmoving as Fionn. It hurt his heart that Fionn hadn’t calmed down during his long ride and was once again accusing him of treachery.
“But you do not know your way through my lands,” Fionn said, his angry countenance softening.
Carter shrugged in response.
“Donnall, see to the horse. Carter come with me,” he commanded, holding out a hand.
“I am not a stable lad to be ordered around,” Donnall grumped.
“NOW, Carter!” Fionn roared, startling Cerberus.
Patting the side of the edgy stallion’s neck, he passed the reins of the horse to Donnall. “Thanks.”
“I meant it! I am not a stable lad!” he yelled after Carter.
36
Fionn grabbed Carter by the arm and led him into an empty stall, barring the door behind them. He turned and charged forward. He stopped just in front of Carter, his breathing heavy, his nostrils flaring.
Carter stood his ground, unsure if Fionn was going to hug him or hit him. He would stand tall no matter which option Fionn chose. Reaching a hand out to cup the side of Fionn’s face, Carter could see fear and anger warring in his gorgeous eyes. His hair and beard were dripping from riding in the rain. Cold radiated from his face into Carter’s hand. “Glad you’re home safe.”
Fionn raised an eyebrow, but did not move or speak.
Meeting Fionn’s furious eyes, Carter sighed. “Islynn forbade me from telling you what I know about the future.” Thinking about
it now, he should have told Fionn what he knew the night Fionn asked if he died in battle.
“Why?” Fionn ground out, his lips barely moving.
“She said the reaper would have his due no matter what I did to change things and that it would serve no purpose to tell you what I know of the future since my being here has already altered things.”
“A life for a life,” Fionn said more to himself than to Carter.
Carter nodded. “I love you, stubborn warrior. I don’t want another man. I don’t want to see you in the arms of another woman but…”