****
“Computer!” Kincaid shouted as he shielded himself. “Lockdown. I repeat. Lockdown!”
The computer responded, setting the alarm inside the fortress. The red strobe light flashed and the high-pitched cry of the alarm informed everyone on the compound of a breach in the security.
“Lockdown activated. Lockdown activated. This is not a drill.” The computer calmly spoke in the speaker systems throughout the fortress.
Kincaid walked around the chair where Giles had been seated before he vanished. He felt the familiar zap in the air after a shift in time took place. Only Giles wasn’t a traveler.
Which meant someone took him.
But who? And how?
Colleen rushed into the room, followed by Rory and Allen. All were battle-ready with weapons drawn.
Colleen assessed the room quickly, lowered her weapon. “What’s going on?”
“Giles. He’s gone.”
Rory and Allen stiffened their spines and lowered the muzzles of their guns to the floor.
“Gone?”
“We were talking. Then the energy in the room shifted and he disappeared.”
“Shifted?” Colleen asked.
“Disappeared?” Was Rory’s question.
Kincaid met Rory’s eyes. “He shifted in time.”
Before Rory could utter a word, the room filled with half dozen other warriors.
“Giles isn’t a traveler.”
“Close your eyes. Smell the air,” Kincaid told him. “Tell me that doesn’t smell of time travel.”
Rory didn’t close his eyes, but the confusion around his eyes relaxed. “Holy hell.”
“He’s not marked,” Colleen stated what everyone in the room already knew. Giles wasn’t strong enough to carry the mark of a branded time traveling warrior.
“He shifted. I witnessed it with my own eyes.”
Colleen twisted to address the men filling the room. “I need every traveler to gather those left behind. Rory, you and Allen congregate those here into the safe room. Colin, you and Owen spread throughout the compound with the others…inform everyone to gather and await further orders.”
The men nodded and hurried from the library.
Kincaid rested his right hand on his sidearm, comfortable that it was close by. He was reminded he’d left no less than three back up weapons in his suite. Sloppy! You’re getting sloppy, Kincaid! He scolded himself and moved about the room reaching beyond his shield to sense if the energy that shifted Giles was past or future.
Before he could narrow the energy, Colleen announced. “He’s gone back.”
Her gifts often scared him, and nothing scared him. “Agreed. But how?”
“Was he chanting? Reading from a book?” She moved around the room as if some bit of evidence would manifest. All the while, the strobe light blinked off and on in the room.
“Not chanting. He did possess a book. But when does Giles not have a book in his hand?” That was nothing new.
“What were you talking about?”
“The MacCoinnich’s.”
“The first family?”
“Yes. I asked him to research a portrait I noticed on our last journey. The paths led back to them.”
From the hall, he heard several people moving quickly through the house and down the stairs.
Colleen closed her eyes and lifted her hands into the air. “The energy is strong and unlike any I’ve felt before.”
“A strong blaze.”
“No. A short, hot blaze. I don’t think Giles has gone back far. Two…three hundred years at most.”
How the hell does she know that? Even as the question filled his head, he knew better than to ask it. Colleen’s gifts were greater than any. That was why she led them.
“Can you sense where he went?”
She hadn’t yet opened her eyes. “Nowhere. He’s…oh hells, he’s still here. Right here.”
“In the fortress?”
Colleen’s lips drew into a thin line and a tiny bead of sweat rolled off her brow. “Not such a strong fortress. The bands aren’t secure, which is why he easily slid through.” Then, without warning, Colleen opened her eyes and shook her head. “It’s gone.”
So was Giles. But at least they knew he was still in the house. How difficult could searching back two or three hundred years be?
Chapter Five
Nervous anticipation ran like fire ants up and down Giles’s spine. He was rooted into the seat he’d been offered and didn’t dare move. Amber MacCoinnich, in the flesh, watched from beneath her hooded cloak. The lady was ill—that was plain to see from the ashen color of her skin to the dark circles beneath her eyes. Even still, she was more beautiful than Kincaid suggested. Giles had a million questions but didn’t dare ask any.
The young woman who’d protected Amber from his touch had asked that they not begin to unravel how Giles had come to be in the twenty-first century until after her husband returned.
“How does my library change through the years?” Mrs. Dawson asked, obviously making small talk while waiting for the man of the house to arrive.
What surprised Giles was how few people were in the home now. Such little protection for the women was a grave mistake.
“The shelves surrounding the fireplace are the very same. The others have been remodeled and more are added to hold the growing collection. I believe that wall…” He pointed to the wall behind Amber, “is pushed back, making the room larger.”
“And you’re the librarian?”
Giles smiled into the thought. “I suppose you can call me that. I’m the fortress historian and am called upon often to search out a particular time or genealogy.”
“How fascinating,” Mrs. Dawson said. “I would think computers and those electronic book things would make these old books obsolete.”
“They are. But some work shouldn’t be translated into a computer where anyone could hack and collect the data. A keeper of the books, that would be me, has been a part of this library since…well, since you.”
Mrs. Dawson shook her head. “You’re mistaken about that. I may own these books, but I have very little knowledge about most of them. I haven’t even attempted to collect more since Mr. Dawson passed away.”
Giles knew for a fact that the books never stopped growing in numbers. Many of the tomes were spread among the safe houses in the world, but their point of origin was right here in Dawson’s Manor.
From the front of the house, he heard a heavy door slam against a wall, instantly bringing Giles to his feet.
Before he could move more than a foot, a massive man filled the doorway. His stony expression and sheer bulk made Giles’s heart kick in his chest. Now this was a warrior. Giles stood no chance in battle against a man this size, and there was no telling if he held Druid blood.
“Simon, please,” Amber whimpered. “This man means us no harm.”
“Are you sure, lass?”
“Positive. He is from the future and is Druid. Now please, calm yourself so I might be able to hear what he has to say before I am forced to retreat. Your fear is unfounded.”
“I don’t fear him.”
“No, you fear for us. You can see we are unharmed.” Amber lifted a pale hand to her head.
Giles pushed past his comfort and extended a hand to the warrior. “I’m Giles,” he told Simon. “Your wife and Mrs. Dawson somehow summoned me.”
Simon hesitated, but then clasped Giles’s hand. His strong grip was painful, as if to remind him he could snap him if necessary, not that this man needed to do anything other than walk in the room to prove that.
“Helen?” Simon addressed his wife. “What have you done?”
Giles backed into the couch and waited to hear what Helen had done.
Simon didn’t sit. Instead, he took up the space beside his wife while she explained.
“Mrs. Dawson was searching inside a few books…looking for a cure for Amber. I attempted to find the right book with my gift. I sense
d something by the windows, but found nothing. We requested help from the Ancients and Giles appeared.”
“And you know a cure for Amber?” Simon asked.
“I don’t know what is ailing the lady. But perhaps I can help. I do have extensive knowledge of the books in this library and many others. I’d be honored to help if I can.”
He turned to look in Amber’s direction. “What’s making you sick, m’lady?”
She drew in a long-suffering breath. “My gift. I’m an empath. Since the day we destroyed Grainna, my powers have grown to the point of crippling my movement…my life. My mother foresaw my death in our time and sent me here to protect me. Only this is no better. Though I don’t share my mother’s ability to see the future, I know I don’t have long in this world as I am.”
“Don’t say that,” Helen scolded her.
Amber lifted her soulful gaze to Helen. “I’m not trying to frighten you. I’m stating a fact. I know my death is inevitable. I would have returned to my family to die at home, but their pain would be too great for me to bear as my last thoughts. Selfishly I must stay here where only the three of you will suffer the pain. For that I’m sorry.”
Giles would have liked to offer reassurance, but all his books pointed to the fact Amber did die young.
Simon rested a hand on his wife’s shoulder as he addressed Giles, “The Ancients brought you to us, so you must hold the answers.”
“I’ve never heard of any Druid dying because of their gift. Quite the opposite. But then there has never been a presence as dark as Grainna who needed to be defeated. Didn’t it take your entire clan to destroy her?”
“Aye.”
Giles stood and started to pace the room. “It’s been told that when one Druid destroys another the surviving soul can absorb the powers of the other.”
“Only if the Druid is dark. Amber isn’t,” Helen reminded them.
“My powers increased, but not the way Amber’s did,” Simon said.
Giles stared at Simon with renewed interest. “Which MacCoinnich are you?” Could he actually be in the presence of two original family members?
“My mother is Liz. Elizabeth MacCoinnich.”
“You’re Finlay’s son?”
“Yes. Adoptive, but Fin is my father.”
Giles scratched his head. “The books don’t speak of an adopted son.”
Simon shrugged. “I was born in this century to my mother. We both traveled back in time.”
“The books aren’t clear, but I always thought there were some connections made through time travel.”
“While the refresher on the family tree is fascinating, can we get back to saving Amber’s life?” Helen’s voice cracked as she spoke. “The Ancients aren’t known to drop arbitrary people into our laps without a purpose. You must know something useful.”
“Right!” Giles crossed the room to the book he’d been studying when he’d slipped in time. “I was searching this book for references to you, Amber. There are some passages in here from your family’s children, and their children.”
“Why me?”
“Kincaid asked that I search for the name behind a portrait he noticed on one of his travels. He’d not seen it before.”
“Kincaid?” Amber’s soft voice asked.
“Yeah.” Giles stopped flipping pages and straightened his shoulders. “Did you by chance sit for a painting? One with your hair down and without the robe you’re wearing?”
“Aye. Last season. The portrait hangs on the wall in my parents’ chambers.”
“Seems I found the answer to Kincaid’s question, but not to yours.” Could the Ancients have brought him to this time because of his question and not to save Amber? Or was there more to learn from the old leather-bound pages?
“Let me help.” Helen jumped up from her chair and placed her hands over the book. “Show me!” she whispered.
Without warning, the book opened, slamming the cover to the table, and the pages within flipped, paused, and started flipping again.
Giles spotted the page numbers as the book paused every few chapters before moving on. When the end of the book was reached, the book closed and slid across the table, catching Giles across his thighs.
They all stood perfectly still and said nothing. And then Mrs. Dawson chuckled. “I do believe that was a magical slap,” she declared. “Seems you have some reading to do, Giles.”
Giles lifted the book, felt the energy around it snap against his fingertips.
“I suppose you’re right.”
“I think I’ll retire.” Amber slowly walked to the door and offered him a smile. “Thank you in advance for searching for answers, Mr. Giles.”
“I won’t sleep until I’ve found a cure.” He wouldn’t.
Once her retreating footfalls were no longer heard, Simon turned his attention toward him. “How do you like your coffee?”
Coffee? Real coffee? Perhaps this century had its perks after all. “Black.”
****
“Can we follow him?” Rory asked
“We could try, but we might be running into a trap. Whoever did this is powerful,” Colin said.
They met in the basement safe room while Sybil and Mathew searched the compound looking for breaks in the wards they’d placed to protect those inside.
“But Colleen feels he hasn’t left the house. How can we be falling into a trap if he’s still inside these walls?”
“How did he shift time? He’s not marked and he wasn’t in any of the portals.” Kincaid absently rubbed his left arm where his mark had been etched into his skin like a tattoo over a decade ago. Only warriors, and strong ones at that, were chosen to shift time. Kincaid’s ability to take others with him made him more valuable than most.
“He was summoned,” Colleen said with absolute conviction. “The path of energy sought him out.”
“Are you sure, Lena?” Only Colin got away with calling his sister by her pet name.
She nodded once then directed her attention to Kincaid. “You were talking about the first family.”
“Yes. And Giles was searching for information about the youngest daughter. He thinks hers was the portrait I saw on the wall of the Keep.”
From the stairwell, Sybil and Mathew jogged down to join them.
“Well?”
“Everything is secure. There was a breach over the library when we arrived.” Mathew glanced at Sybil.
“Did you mend it?”
Sybil shook her head. “We didn’t need to. It mended itself.”
Her announcement took everyone by surprise.
“I don’t like this!” Colin shoved out of his chair. “Someone, or something, reached its hand into our fortress, snatched Giles, and covered its path? Who is that powerful?”
A name threatened to burst from Kincaid’s lips, but he kept it to himself. Grainna was long dead. “Can you trace Giles, Colleen? Narrow the timeframe?”
“I might. Then what? Do we send a team to retrieve him? We can’t afford to lose warriors.”
Kincaid shook his head. “No. You send me and me alone.”
Rory huffed out a breath. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not. I can keep anyone and everyone in this room from touching me, and I alone can bring Giles back without the aid of a portal. Can you do that, Rory?”
He and Rory had fought side by side for years. He understood the other man’s concern, but no one in the room could boast Kincaid’s unique ability to retrieve Giles. Bringing others would certainly open them up for loss, a loss Colleen pointed out they could ill afford.
“I hate to agree, but Kincaid is right. If Giles was removed to trap us, the play will be on them when we send our immortal,” Colin said.
“He’s not immortal,” Rory reminded them. “Just cocky.”
Kincaid felt a rare smile on his lips. “You’re just jealous.”
“Bloody ass.” Rory’s expression hardened but he didn’t argue more.
“It’s agreed then,”
Colin said. “Colleen will trace the flow of energy. Kincaid, you should rest until we have a lock on Giles. We’ll go from lockdown to high alert and schedule more scouts on watch. Any objections?”
Kincaid systematically met the eyes of all the warriors; each one gave a nod, and lastly Rory grunted his approval.
Up in his room, Kincaid set out a fresh uniform and checked his weapons for charge. With everything set for a twenty second recovery, he stripped and forced himself to lie in bed. He stared at the ceiling and felt his natural defenses shield him. He pushed the unease of his pending solo journey from his mind and attempted to sleep.
When he closed his eyes, he saw her…the woman in the portrait. He tried to shake her image and found a dull pain settling behind his brow.
****
The women had all gone to bed, and Giles sat at the desk trying to make sense of what he read. Each passage indicated different people, different unions. None of them talked of powers or illness. The more he read the more frustrated he became.
Simon returned with another pot of coffee, which Giles couldn’t help but accept. Though he knew at some point, the caffeine would probably leave him in a heap on the couch, who knew when he’d ever have the opportunity to drink the real stuff again in such quantities.
“Find anything?” Simon asked.
Giles pushed his fingers beneath his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. “Nothing that makes any sense. It reads like a bible. This couple begot these children. These children begot these. I understood about the strong family bonds long before now. I see no reason this information is important or how it might help serve Amber.”
“Is it a complete family tree?”
“Not hardly. There are generations with very little information. Missing links and names that changed with marriage. I even added an entry or two after I had learned of a branch that wasn’t represented in the pages.”
“From other books?”
“No, no…from the warriors. When they return, they sometimes have intel that helps fill in some of the pages.”
“You’ve spoke of these warriors. Who are they?” As the hour grew late, Giles could hear the thick Scottish accent fill Simon’s tongue. With Amber, it was simply there. With Simon, it was as if he was readapting to his new time and slipping in and out of the brogue.
Highland Protector (MacCoinnich Time Travels Book Five) Page 4