“Why—?”
Roderick took m’distraction as a chance tae shove m’blade away. It fell in m’surprise, but I dove ontae him and beat him until I had him pinned again. I rose, standing over him, now with a gun aimed at his face.
Keeping my eyes on Roderick, I asked Lady Mairead, “Why hae ye Fraoch? He is m’friend.”
Lady Mairead ignored me. “Roderick, dost ye recognize him?”
Roderick raised his head and glanced at the pile of man who was Fraoch.
“What do you mean?” I bellowed at Lady Mairead.
Lady Mairead leaned over and pulled Fraoch’s head up by his hair. “Dost ye recognize him, Roderick?”
Roderick moaned.
“Explain it!” My hands were shaking as rage roiled up through me. “Who is he? What is he tae you?”
Roderick said, “He is your brother. He is one of Donnan’s sons.”
I bellowed, frustrations and fury, “FRAOCH! What means this?”
Fraoch moaned.
“Fraoch, explain yerself! Ye are m’brother? Ye are after m’throne?”
Lady Mairead said, “He is in line, a competitor, Magnus, after your—”
I roared and pointed m’gun at Fraoch, “Explain it tae me!”
Fraoch said, “I dinna ken.”
I pointed my gun back at Roderick. “You kent he was m’brother? Were ye plannin’ against me, conspirin’ with him?”
Roderick would nae answer.
“Answer me!”
Tae Fraoch I said, “Ye are a liar!”
Roderick said, “Let us all calm down, Magnus, we need to talk.”
“Nae! I winna calm down! Fraoch, ye are the son of Donnan, a time traveler?”
“I dinna ken, Og Maggy—‘
“Daena call me that.”
“I thought m’father tae be dead.”
“Explain yerself, Lady Mairead.”
“I knew about this man. Donnan assured me he would never claim him as his son. He promised me! Then I discovered Donnan’s illegitimate son had ingratiated himself intae yer life, intae our family, Magnus. How could it be? I investigated and found that Roderick hired Fraoch tae kill ye in St. Augustine. He has conspired tae usurp your throne. I kent ye would want tae hear it as soon as I arrived.”
“Fraoch, ye were hired tae kill me?”
“Aye, but I dinna, Og Maggy, I saved yer life.”
I growled in fury.
“Ye are a son of Donnan! Ye hae conspired against me — hae ye time traveled afore?”
“Nae, but my father, m’true father shewed me one once.”
I directed my rage on Roderick. “Ye conspired with m’brother tae murder me?”
Roderick said, “I hired him, but as you are still alive it is proof he is just as incompetent as all sons of Donnan—”
I shot him.
I shot a bullet right intae his chest and turned on Fraoch tae kill him as well.
“I will kill ye for lyin’ tae me, for conspirin’ against the crown, against me—”
A storm rose at the south edge of the field, big and terrifying, it pummeled and beat us. It was hard to stay on m’feet.
Fraoch begged, “I haena done anything, Og Mag—”
I tried tae keep m’arm steady against the wind, tae keep it aimed at him. “Ye are a conspiring, murderous brother, yer life means nothin’ tae me. Yer life is a threat tae me, tae my son.”
Lady Mairead had a gleam in her eye. Her hair whipping around her face,
I turned the gun on her. “There is naethin’ funny here, naethin’ tae gloat about. Ye are a wicked woman and I should kill ye for this.”
She said, “Why? I did nothing. I simply told ye that someone ye trusted was nae trustworthy, ye shouldna kill me for telling ye of it.”
I swung m’gun back tae Fraoch. “Why hae ye been lying?”
Hayley ran up then, from the direction of the storm, shrieking, a guard asked, “Should we let her through?”
Twas too late, she threw herself on Fraoch. “Please Magnus, please don’t kill him, please.”
She was blockin’ m’shot.
“Don’t kill him, he didn’t mean to, we talked about it. He doesn’t know anything.”
“What are ye sayin’ Hayley?”
“He remembers seeing a vessel. His father had one after his mother died. He didn’t know why, he—”
“Did ye ken he was hired tae murder me? Did ye ken it?”
“No — but, wait, what? No, and he wouldn’t. He is family, Mags, family.”
“Why dinna ye tell me about the vessel? How could ye keep it from me?”
“I don’t know!” She was sobbing, spread over Fraoch, shieldin’ him. “I didn’t think it was important, I’m sorry, please don’t!”
A crowd had gathered. Sean came forward, hands out. “Magnus, ye need tae calm yerself. Fraoch has been a friend tae ye, the ground is littered with bodies. Ye hae killed enough, the battle is over, tis done.”
I took a step back and another. It gave me clarity: Lady Mairead surrounded by soldiers, tanks behind her, drones swooping back intae place after havin’ been downed by the winds, Roderick dead in the grass. Fraoch injured, crumpled in a pile. Hayley cowering above him, protecting him—
from who?
From me.
I turned tae see behind me: the tanks facin’ me, now deserted by Delapointe’s soldiers who had fled, the empty command tent, dead men lyin’ over the field — I tossed m’gun tae the ground.
“Och.”
I stepped back and then dropped tae my knees.
Twenty-six - Hayley
(a few moments before)
I was running with Katie just behind, when a woman stepped from the trees, “Hello.”
I slowed, but Katie came to a complete stop. “What the —?” Katie’s face was shocked, confused.
It slammed into me — this was Bella, Archie’s mom.
“I came to talk to you about my son.”
Katie was out of breath, she doubled over to try and catch it and gasped out. “Hell no, no nope nada, I won’t.”
She tried to step around Bella, but Bella grabbed her by the arm. Bella said, “Magnus is giving up the kingdom. You’ll be dead. I’ll have Archie.”
“Fuck you.” Katie tried to pull her arm away, but Bella tightened her grip. Katie struggled and pushed at her hand. “Get off me!”
“You can’t keep him from me, I am his mother. He will always want me over you—”
“Not once he realizes you are a fucking evil bitch.”
“You will never see him again! I would rather he die than live with you.” Bella clawed at Katie’s face and there was a full blown struggle.
I tried to wrestle back Bella’s arms. “Get off her!”
And we were all fighting. Bella reached for her gun. I tried to grab it first, but she was fucking tenacious, pulling my hair, wildly punching.
I got her down and tried to pull my own gun, but then she head-butted me, hard, stars spinning around my head. I fell back on my ass and she leapt up, pulled her gun, and stood over me — Katie plowed into her, screaming, “Don’t you fucking shoot, you bitch!”
The gun fired. Katie shrieked. Bella convulsed — she fell back, her arms dropped away. Katie scrambled off her. A knife jutted out of Bella’s stomach.
Bella clawed at the knife, crying. “I hate you, you deserve to die.”
Katie said, “I never did anything to you.”
Bella made an awful gurgling sound and then stopped clawing at the knife.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no...”
“I think you killed her. Shit Katie, I think you killed her.”
“She almost shot you! She almost killed you! Oh God.” Katie tentatively reached for the knife, but squealed when Bella twitched.
And then there was a rising storm above us, whipping the trees around us, bending and crashing the branches. Katie dove toward a vibration happening in Bella’s pocket, she patted it.
“Don’t touch i
t! Don’t...!” Lightning struck a tree beside us, the wind rose. “Let go!” I scrambled away.
Katie’s face turned from dismay to shock and fear as the vessel grabbed hold of her and ripped her away. “Katie!! Katie!!” She was gone.
I fought the wind to get to my feet and ran as fast as I could away from the storm, toward the field, to try and reach Fraoch in time.
Twenty-seven - Magnus
Sean took some men to check the enemy camp.
Lady Mairead stood in front of me with her hands on her hips. She said, “I am verra glad tae see ye freed from Roderick, Magnus. Ye gave me a fright.”
“He said he was also attackin’ the castle in the future. That Kaitlyn and Archie were havin’ tae fight. I daena ken, I guess I was already gone?”
“Tis too much information for ye tae hae. If I need tae I will go and find out what is happenin’. Daena think on it.”
I watched as Madame Hayley hovered over Fraoch attending to him. She said, “I think he’s really injured.”
I looked down at m’hands — covered in blood.
General Hammond approached. “King Magnus, I am relieved you are freed.” He appraised the battlefield. “And we barely fought. You did most of it.” He offered me his hand tae pull me to standin’.
“Thank ye for arrivin’ in time. Can ye call the physician over tae attend Fraoch?”
He made a call and soon a medic was checkin’ Fraoch’s wounds, rollin’ him tae his back with a groan.
I asked, “Dost anyone ken where Bella is? She was here as well.”
Lady Mairead turned sharply. “What do you mean, you saw her?”
Hayley said, “Katie killed her, over there by the woods. Oh god, it was awful.”
I said, “She did — what?”
“I asked Katie to come help me and then Bella attacked her and I thought Bella was going to shoot me and Katie killed her and then they time-jumped—”
Lady Mairead said, “What dost ye mean, ‘they time-jumped’? The dead woman time-jumped with Kaitlyn?”
“The vessel was in Bella’s pocket, Kaitlyn grabbed it and they both disappeared. I raced here and this was happening, and...” She asked the medic, “Is he going to be okay?”
The medic began speakin’ tae her on Fraoch’s injuries.
But I couldna listen because Lady Mairead’s eyes were shiftin’ back and forth, as if she were decipherin’.
“Lady Mairead, what are ye doin’?”
“Did Katie hae a vessel? Could it hae been her own vessel?”
“She had one, she will be capable of returnin’ from wherever she has gone.”
“Nae, she canna...” She turned tae Hammond. “Hammond! Did ye activate the vessels as we spoke of?”
“Yes, Lady Mairead, I did, I set them just like we discussed, past the origin.” He looked down at a vessel monitor, like the one I used in m’house in Florida. “Three of the vessels activated and time-jumped, approximately thirty minutes ago.”
Lady Mairead’s fingers went to her lips. “Oh no.” Her breathing was quick.
“What has happened tae Kaitlyn? Tell me, Lady Mairead, ye must ken where they were going.”
“I do, Magnus, they were going tae before the vessels activated, before they existed. I thought twould be a good battle tactic—”
“What happens if ye go tae the past afore the vessels are activated?”
“I daena ken truly, but I ken the vessels disappear—”
Hayley said, “It happened to us, we arrived the day before the vessels, and our’s disappeared. It wasn’t there when we woke up. When the vessels arrived the next day, we had to steal one to go home.” She clapped her hand to her mouth. “Katie is back there, then?”
“She winna hae a vessel?”
“Nae.”
“How long before she might be able tae steal one?”
“We daena ken, we simply sent them back. I dinna want them tae be able tae gain another.”
“Why would ye do somethin’ so foolhardy? Who approved of this tactic?”
“Tis one I came up with myself. Once I realized that Bella dinna stay put, I decided we should deposit our enemies even farther intae the past beyond the vessels. In doing so we would never see or hear of them again.”
“Ye hae sentenced m’wife tae a long death. I want ye tae tell me how twill be remedied.”
“I daena ken, it—”
I yelled, “I daena want tae hear ye say ‘I daena ken.’ Nae! Nae! Ye tell me how tae get her back here.”
“There inna a way tae do it, there inna—”
Hayley said, “Just now you gave Katie a piece of string for the babies so jumping wouldn’t hurt them.”
I said, “Ye had this? Ye never told me of this?”
“Some things are just for me tae ken.”
“Ye were able tae turn off all the vessels at once, how dost ye ken tae do this?”
“I learned some things. I’ve been figuring things out, asking questions.”
“Who did ye ask questions of? Who dost ye ken?”
“I went tae the future and—”
“Tell me ye are going tae the future tae learn how tae bring her home!”
“You are asking a great deal of me. I daena like tae go tae the future on principal, and so I daena go anymore. I winna just walk intae their offices and say, ‘remember the vessels I hae in m’possession—‘“
“How are ye are goin’ tae get Kaitlyn home!” I stepped forward. “Ye tell me!”
“I daena ken how, Magnus, I suppose I could try and figure it—”
“What date did ye send her tae?”
“I daena ken.”
I glared. “Hammond, dost ye ken the day?”
“Only the settings, I have them written down.”
“Was it here, this place?”
“Aye.”
“It might be the middle of winter, she is dressed for a Scottish summer, a warm day, nae winter. She might nae last the night. Lady Mairead, how could ye decide it?”
“I assumed anyone who ended up on the wrong side of the vessels would deserve tae die in the cold of the dark ages. She should ken better than tae touch a vessel that is vibratin’.”
Hayley shuddered. “It was awful when it happened to me, but at least Fraoch was at the other end of it.”
“She does ken better, I daena why she did...”
Hayley said, “I don’t think she was thinking straight. She had just killed Bella... it was....”
“Och.”
Lady Mairead said, “I will try tae figure it out, Magnus. Ye can come tae the kingdom, bring the bairn, we can try tae come tae a solution.”
I asked, “Madame Hayley, where are the bairn?”
Hayley said, “Emma and Beaty took them to Florida.”
“Good.” I nodded. “I hae tae go tae the castle, I will return, give me a moment.”
I stalked away and as I neared the castle I began tae race. In our room I grabbed our bag of gold, strapped a sword tae my back, and sheathed a sword at m’hip. I had a holster and handgun from the twenty-first century, I strapped it across my chest.
I stopped in the garderobe and relieved m’self.
Then I returned downstairs. I crossed the courtyard, through the gates, down the slopin’ hill tae the field. Along the way I took the reins of one horse and then another and led them tae Hammond. “Hammie, pack these horses with weapons, a tent, rations. Dost ye hae a cookstove? Water filters? I need two coats, a pair of warm boots for Kaitlyn, and for m’self. If ye hae chocolate or any other sweet things, I need them as well. Enough gold. More gold.”
“What are ye doin’, Magnus?” asked Lady Mairead.
“I am preparin’ tae go and collect Kaitlyn, while ye come up with a solution on the travelin’ part.”
My hand was sore, I asked the medic for a bandage. I wrapped it around and around, concentratin’ on the form of it, the routine, the purpose. Lady Mairead was staring at me, as if we were locked in contest, as if she were
waitin’ tae see if I would actually do it.
She did nae understand, this was nae a threat, this was a decision.
Hammie was packing the horses, understandin’ my needs and fulfillin’ them. “This is a radio-frequency transmitter, I’ll give you ten. Activate them...” He brought it near. “This button sets it. You can add messages, mark your trail. It will help us find you.”
“Good Hammie, thank ye. I hae an RF-transmitter on m’belt, as well.”
“Perfect. Once Mairead has figured out the jump, we should be able to find you.”
The medic was still hovering over Fraoch. I walked tae them. “How is he?”
“I believe his cheekbone is broken, possibly a rib.”
“Och, I hae suffered a broken rib, Fraoch, I needed air tae feel comfortable breathin’.”
He moaned. “If ye survived it I can.”
“Aye.” I crouched beside him. “My medic will remain here, tae make sure ye are well. Hammond winna leave until the castle is kent tae be safe.”
“Och, twill be safe, ye hae killed everyone.”
“Aye.” I surveyed the scene. Soldiers were draggin’ bodies in bags intae a row, now numberin’ five. “I hae lost m’mind in it. I almost added ye tae the number. I am sorry about it.”
“I ken ye are.” He groaned and looked green for a moment.
“Could ye explain what happened?”
“One night at Fort Darien, I was approached by a man, one who now lies there dead.”
“Roderick.”
“Aye, he offered me some money and food, enough tae fill my sporran for the day. In exchange I was tae desert the battle and hunt for ye, and murder ye.”
“What did ye ken of me?”
“Just that ye were a man nae tae be trusted, better tae be dead, and tae kill ye meant a great deal of promised riches.”
“Why dinna ye follow through on it?”
“Tis one thing tae agree tae the killin’ of a man, another thing tae kill a weakened man who is near death a’ready... I meant tae. When I was carvin’ the meat, I was plannin’ it, but ye were too verra pitiful tae carry through with it.”
“Too pitiful?”
“Aye, pitiful and weak, like a mewlin’ bairn.” He attempted a smile though it looked more like a wince. “Ye are often just a mewlin’ bairn. And now ye are m’younger brother, it makes more sense tae ken it.”
Son and Throne (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 11) Page 11