Time and Space

by Pandora Pine

“You might be able to bullshit him, but you can’t bullshit me.”

  “Don’t you mean I can’t ‘bullshite’ you?” Cadence laughed. “Maybe I am, Carter.”

  “So, what’s the problem?

  “What if I’m not ready? What if I’m nothing but another lay to him? Why should it matter if we’re all gonna die?”

  Carter chuckled, rubbing her back. “We’re all gonna die, at one time or another. I guarantee it. Only you know if you're ready to be with Donnall. As angry as I was earlier, I do think Donnall is a good man. He's been a brother to Fionn and a good friend to me. I’ve seen a lot of changes in him since you arrived. He’s not as flirtatious and now he goes to bed alone.”

  Cadence hummed noncommittally.

  “Whatever you decide, I’m behind you.” Carter kissed her cheek.

  “I know. That’s why you’re the second best brother I have.”

  Carter snorted. “Who’s the best?”

  “Fionn. While he was apologizing for barging in at the cottage, he offered me a wolfhound puppy if I stopped crying.”

  Dinner was a leisurely affair. They talked about Bree and what she’d think of this place when they saw her in a few weeks. They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

  “May we enter?” Fianna asked.

  Cadence could see Islynn was standing behind her.

  “That’s my cue to leave. I’ve got two babies to put to bed.”

  “Kiss them for me.” Cadence hugged her brother. He’d always been there for her no matter what. They might fight like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day they loved each other.

  “And us,” Fianna added.

  Carter hugged each of the women on his way out the door.

  “Islynn said it was a bad day for you, so here we are to cheer you up.” Fianna threw her arms wide.

  “Is what happened all over the castle then?” Cadence knew she had nothing to be ashamed about, but that wouldn’t stop people from talking behind her back or Mallory from getting her digs in.

  Islynn exchanged an uneasy look with Fianna. “No, my gift told me…”

  Cadence hugged her tight. “Thank you and your gift.”

  Islynn let out a shaky breath.”What did you do with your girlfriends back home?”

  “We would drink wine and eat chocolate while we talked about clothes and shoes.”

  “What is chocolate?”

  “I’ll show you. I never time-travel without it.” Cadence always kept mini-Snickers bars in her purse. The only thing she’d brought with her from 2015 was her purse and the clothes on her back. She grabbed three small bars from her bag and brought them over to the bed where her friends had piled in. She handed a chocolate to each of them and climbed up in bed beside Islynn.

  “I mean no disrespect, but this does not look at all appealing.” Islynn turned the wrapped chocolate around in her hand and brought it up to her nose to sniff.

  Cadence giggled. “Open the wrapper like this.” She demonstrated and held up the tiny piece of chocolate which she popped into her mouth and moaned.

  “This is better than sex,” Islynn giggled.

  Cadence nodded. “I know, right?”

  “I would not know about sex, but this is amazing,” Fianna added.

  They all laughed together while Fianna licked the candy wrapper.

  Cadence picked up her phone and powered it on. Thankfully it had a full charge the morning she left. “These are the pictures from my wedding.” Cadence handed the phone to Islynn.

  “You are married?” Fianna asked, shocked.

  “No. The groom did not show up for the ceremony.”

  “How awful,” Fianna sympathized.

  “She was not meant to marry Liam,” Islynn added with certainty.

  “I can see that now.” Cadence wanted to talk about something else, knowing the subject of Donnall couldn’t be far behind. She keyed the access code to her phone and pulled up the pictures of her and Bree from the wedding.

  Islynn smiled and touched her finger to Bree’s face on the screen. Sniffling to hold back tears, she handed the phone back to Cadence. “We will talk about my Breena and your hideous dress in a few minutes, but first, tell me what pains your heart so.”

  “Yes,” Fianna agreed. “Let us soothe you.”

  “I’m better now, but I was feeling overwhelmed earlier. In my time, I’m a free woman. I can come and go as I please without needing anyone’s permission.”

  “That sounds lovely.” Fianna sighed dreamily.

  “It is lovely. Donnall gifted me a beautiful horse. Are you familiar with Starburst?”

  “That gorgeous grey mare? She’s stunning, but shy. I used to take her apples but she would not eat from my hand.” Fianna smiled.

  “Yes, that’s the horse. There was no sign of shyness when Donnall got me into the saddle. She ran like the wind.”

  “I am glad you two have found each other. True love tells,” Islynn added.

  Cadence raised a questioning eyebrow knowing her friend was speaking about more than just the horse. She wasn’t ready to confront her feelings for her irritating barbarian or his for her. “We rode outside the castle gates and time got away from us. Before we knew it, a storm had come up and it was pouring. Donnall took us to an abandoned stone cottage on the edge of the forest.”

  “I know of the place. One of Fionn’s soldiers built it after a nasty clash with Clan Lachlan. Several of his fellow warriors were horribly butchered and he couldn’t bear to live among the soldiers. He hid himself away from the people of Moone.”

  It sounded to Cadence like the warrior suffered from PTSD. How did you treat it when it didn’t even have a name? Her heart went out to the suffering veteran. “The poor man.”

  “Fionn and Donnall would ride out once a week and bring supplies and one day about a year ago, he was gone. No one has seen or heard of him since.”

  “Tell us what happened when you reached the cottage,” Islynn urged.

  Cadence had never been so happy for her friend to change the subject. “We were both soaked to the skin by the time we got to there. Donnall had to light a fire since I didn’t know how.”

  “Rumor has it he’s quite good at starting fires,” Fianna giggled with Islynn joining in.

  “No!” Cadence laughed. “He had to light an actual fire so we could get warm and dry our clothes. But…”

  “But what?” Fianna batted her eyelashes.

  “He also lit the kind of fire you think he lit.” Cadence blushed to the roots of her hair.

  “Ohhhh,” both ladies sighed.

  “Are the rumors just that or is he as good as the girls say?”

  “Fianna!” Islynn batted at her hand. “Cadence doesn’t have to tell us, even though I already know the answer.”

  “Stop reading my mind.” Cadence laughed so hard her stomach hurt.

  “I do not have to read your mind. You are blushing so hard, you are about to burst into flame.”

  Cadence nodded and laughed harder.

  “So what happened next?” Fianna asked eagerly.

  Cadence sobered instantly. “Fionn and Carter burst in.”

  “Oh no,” both women cooed, exchanging sympathetic looks.

  “Everyone was yelling all at once. No one was listening to me or what I was trying to say.”

  “Were they trying to decide your future for you? My brother tries to do that to me all the time.”

  Cadence nodded. “I’m so used to making my own decisions and taking care of myself that I just started yelling like a banshee for them all to shut up.”

  Islynn wrapped an arm around Cadence. “Did Fionn insist you and Donnall marry?”

  Cadence nodded. “I refused.”

  Fianna’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “How did my brother take that?”

  “I yelled at everyone to get out so Donnall and I could get dressed.”

  Fianna burst out laughing. “My brother can be so dense sometimes.”

  “True,” Cade
nce agreed. “Fionn and Carter must have talked things over while they were alone outside because when I came outside, Fionn took me aside and apologized for being a bad host and for ordering me to marry Donnall.”

  Islynn raised an eyebrow. “Interesting.”

  “What was even more interesting was when Donnall agreed to marry me when Fionn demanded it.”

  “Was that born out of his loyalty to Fionn or from his obvious feelings for you?” Fianna grinned.

  “I don’t know.” And she didn’t want to know. “Let’s look at the pictures of Bree.”

  Islynn nodded. “It has been far too long.” She took the phone from Cadence and flipped through the images until she came to one of all three McCann siblings. “Brenna is not your natural sister.”

  “No. Carter favors our father with his dark eyes and hair, while I favor our mother with my red hair and green eyes.”

  “How did Breena come to be your sister?” Fianna wrapped an arm around Islynn and rested her head on her friend’s shoulder.

  “Our parents died when Carter was sixteen and I was fourteen. We were sent to live with a foster family, like when Donnall came from England to live at Moone. Bree was also a foster child in the home we lived in. Carter and I loved her like a sister from the moment we met her and when he was old enough, he took legal guardianship of both of us and we went to live with him.”

  “Why was Breena without her family?” Islynn asked through her tears.

  It was the question Cadence was dreading. “Her parent hurt her and she was removed from their care to protect her.”

  “They beat her?” Fianna asked, stunned.

  Among other things. Cadence shivered and nodded. “She was safe in the foster home and Carter and I took good care of her. She got a good education and went to nursing school. She cares for newborn babies.”

  “My Breena is a healer?” Glistening tears fell from her icy blue eyes.

  Cadence flipped through more pictures and came to some of Bree holding a tiny newborn, with a huge smile on her face.

  “She is gorgeous with her long blond hair restored.”

  “Islynn, how?” It had been the burning question Cadence had longed to ask since Carter told her about Islynn living past lives with Bree.

  “The Sulcat.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  Cadence gasped, unable to believe her ears. It couldn’t be, she must have misheard. “You have the Sulcat?”

  Islynn’s eyes popped open wide. “You know of it?”

  Cadence nodded, her mouth hanging open in shock.

  “What is it?” Fianna asked.

  “One of the Three Jewels of Ireland,” Cadence said, still unable to believe it was here.

  “What, that old myth?” Fianna laughed. “My mother used tales of those magical treasures to frighten Fionn and me into behaving. She made up all sorts of wild tales about their powers.”

  “It’s no myth. Your family possessed the moonstone Gealach for centuries and never knew its power. If not for our father finding it and Carter figuring out how to use it, neither of us would be here now.”

  “How is it possible two of the jewels are here in Moone Castle?” Fianna asked.

  Islynn reached into the neck of her dress and yanked on a leather strap until a caramel colored stone wrapped in a metal frame was visible.

  “It’s a cat’s eye.” Cadence owned a similar looking stone pendant Carter had given her when she graduated from high school.

  Fianna’s eyes went wide, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

  “’Tis not an actual eye, Fee,” Islynn said gently.

  “It’s the name of the type of stone,” Cadence added. “What is the stone’s magical power?” Cadence’s heart was pounding as Islynn took the stone off and handed it to her.

  “It allows me to follow my Breena through time.”

  “How?”

  “I know not. The blessing and curse of the stone is that I retain all of my memories of our time together.”

  “How many lives have you shared?”

  “We have met fives time. The last was fifty or so years ago in France where we were both tortured and burned as witches.”

  “You are fifty summers old?”

  “No. When I am about to die, I evoke the power of the stone. Then my soul is reborn and the stone follows me to my next life.

  “Were all of your meetings through time just as tragic?” Fianna reached for her hand.

  Islynn nodded.

  “When will you stop using the stone?”

  “When we are able to share a happy life together.” Islynn said through tears.

  “Does Bree remember your times together as well?”

  “No, remembering is my curse to bear alone, just as knowing the future is yours, Cadence. When Breena and I meet again, she will have no knowledge of me whatsoever.”

  Cadence shivered and wrapped her arms around Islynn. How had a girlfriends night turn into a sob-fest? The only thing that could possibly make this worse is if Fianna asked what her future held. The last thing Cadence wanted to do was share the news of a forced marriage and dying in childbirth. Thankfully, Fianna held her tongue and hugged both women.

  14

  A loud, insistent pounding against her door woke Cadence from a sound sleep. “Go away,” she groaned.

  “No chance, my beauty.” Donnall’s chipper voice called before he burst into the room. “The bread will not bake itself.”

  Cadence flopped onto her stomach and pulled the covers over her head.

  “Just because you suffered a bad day does not mean you can abandon your responsibilities.”Donnall sat on the edge of her bed and tugged the bedclothes down. More than anything, he wanted to crawl under the covers with her and delay the start of his own day. “Now, rise and shine or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you to the kitchens in your nightgown.”

  “Barbarian,” Cadence snorted.

  “That’s my little mouse, finding your fight again.” He pressed a kiss to her head.

  “Go before I fight you.”

  “I would very much enjoy that, but I will stay and escort you downstairs.”

  Cadence growled and sat up. Her fiery hair was a mess. Donnall reached out and finger-combed her red locks into some semblance of order. The strands were silky against his fingers and smelled of rosemary.

  “Thank you for sending up a bath for me last night.”

  “You are welcome. We were all rather harsh on you and you deserved some time alone and to be pampered a bit and feel better.”

  “I do feel better, but embarrassed.”

  “You have nothing to be ashamed of. No one knows what happened between us. I would never share our private moments with anyone.”

  “So I won’t be the laughingstock of the castle?” Cadence asked brightly.

  “Only if I have to carry you to the kitchens dressed as you are now. Dress quickly, I have a meeting with Fionn and the council to attend.”

  “Will you wait for me outside my door?”

  That idea was for the best. Donnall wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself if he saw Cadence’s creamy skin on display. “Of course.” He headed toward the door. “I have a surprise for you.”

  Cadence snorted. “I bet you do.”

  “Not that, although…”He took two quick steps back toward the bed.

  “Donnall!” Cadence burst out laughing.

  “Fine,” he sighed. “Get all of your work done and you’ll get your reward.”

  Once Cadence was in the kitchen, he headed out to see Padraig, the blacksmith. Along with Fionn, the three of them had been thick as thieves as lads. “Good morning, old man.”

  Padraig was bent over his work. “Fuck off, laddie,” he said good-naturedly.

  “Is that my dagger?” He bent over to examine the work. Padraig was a master craftsman. His work was always of the finest caliber.

  “Yes, but explain to me why you needed it so fast. I’ve not had time to embell
ish the design.”

  “It is for Cadence. If we survive the English you can embellish it all you like.” He knew Cadence would appreciate function over form. It would not matter to her that the weapon was plain, only that she could use it to defend their people and herself.

  “For Cadence? Why does the girl need a dagger other than to keep herself safe from you?” Padraig laughed.

  Grinning, Donnall clapped a hand on the burly blacksmith’s back. “I want her to be able to protect herself hand-to-hand if the time comes.”

  “’Tis a smart idea, but do you think she could use it if she had to?”

  “You’d be surprised what people will do to survive.” He hoped Cadence would never have to prove she could use it, but he knew she would if it push came to shove.

  “Make sure she has a care when handling the weapon. It is wickedly sharp.” Padraig handed the dagger to Donnall.

  “She is a smart lass, Padraig.” Far too smart for the likes of him.

  “So why is she spending so much time with you?”

  Donnall snorted. “She is so different from any other woman I have ever met.”

  “How so?”

  “She wants to help defend Moone rather than hide from the enemy. She wants to learn how to survive here and she is very independent. It is as if she does not need a man to survive.”

  “So, she is not on the hunt for a husband like the countless lasses whose heart’s you’ve broken?”

  “True and that only make her more attractive.” It was almost as if her disinterest in him made him more desperate to have her.

  “My Maeve was just like that, only without wanting a dagger of her own.”

  “She led you on a merry chase.” Padraig had been miserable for months until Maeve finally agreed to be his wife.

  “It seems your Cadence is doing the same.”

  He hadn’t thought of it like that before but Padraig had a point. “Maybe so.”

  As much as she hated to admit it, Donnall was right. No one knew what had happened out at the stone cottage. Once she’d apologized for sleeping late, she’d gotten on with her task and started making bread.

  “How are you feeling after spending the day astride that beast?” Aggie called out from across the room.

  Mallory snorted. “My legs never hurt after riding Donnall.