Seven Moons Back to the Highlands

by Deborah R Stigall

  Finally losing patience, Rachel grabbed the crowbar and turning the box on its side, wedged the end of the metal bar into one of the wooden seams and then whacked the wooden box against the floor as hard as she could. As the box splintered and shattered to pieces, a worn leather book gently slid to the floor. Reverently lifting the book and dusting the pieces of wood and dust from the cover, Rachel smiled as the book immediately warmed to her touch.

  “This is it.” Carefully turning the pages, memories of her granny flooded her mind and her heart as scents of spices and florals wafted from the small leather tomb.

  Peering over her shoulder, Emrys felt a twinge of homesickness for his own library of leather bound books. Although most of ancient druidry was never written and was strictly taught by master to apprentice by memory and rote; there was still much of legend, myth and the ways that had been recorded and was closely guarded in Emrys’ room along with the Mirrors of Time.

  He found his gnarled old fingers itching to turn the pages of Granny’s blessed little book who knew what secrets a Cailleach of this time might know?

  “Now that ye’ve found the wee book what do ye mean to do with it?”

  Emrys watched Rachel’s face closely, his keen blue eyes narrowing beneath his bushy white brows.

  Smoothing the worn leather cover closed, Rachel hugged the book to her breast. Her thumb rubbing mindlessly across the cover, she tucked her chin against the spine and inhaled the scent of her granny as she closed her eyes.

  “I’m going to keep it with me to share with my sons so I can at least introduce them to the one good ancestor from my side of the family I’m sure their father has lots of strong tales of brave warriors that he’ll be able to pass on to them from the MacKay side.”

  It wasn’t a lie. She would use the book to introduce her sons to her granny to their great grandmother. Now just wasn’t the time for Emrys to find out her plan to keep himself and Caelan from the past.

  “Aye Caelan will have many tales for the lads.”

  Emrys cleared his throat as he turned so Rachel couldn’t see his face. He swallowed hard and gritted his teeth as he tried not to think about his laird’s instructions that they would be returning to Scotland without the pregnant Rachel. It was the only way Caelan could ensure she would survive bringing his three sons into the world with none of the complications or dangers of childbirth in medieval Scotland.

  He was glad that he and Caelan had decided to go ahead and return with the coming full moon rather than waiting for Samhain. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep up this charade and putting off the inevitable was only making it more painful. He couldn’t stand looking into the drawn pale face of his suffering laird. It was as though the man was a festering sore in dire need of lancing.

  “I’ll be going over to the apartment now ta see if Caelan’s come back from town yet.”

  Emrys moved carefully across the exposed beams toward the ladder, his gait slow and hitching as he felt every millennium he’d ever passed thru.

  Nodding without even looking up, Rachel drew a deep breath and carefully reopened the book. As she thumbed thru the soft worn pages, a slow smile crept over her face.

  “There.” She whispered. Tapping on the page, she carefully ran her finger slowly down a column of faded flowing scrawl, her eyes narrowing as she studied the words.

  “Tonight will be close enough but I’ve got to figure out a way to get them down to the pond.” Smoothing the page, Rachel chewed her lower lip as her forehead wrinkled in concentration.

  “I know how I could get Caelan down there ” She inhaled deeply, as a heated memory of last night flashed through her mind. “But Emrys I’ve got to get that sly old fox down there too ”

  Hearing the screen door slam downstairs, she gently closed the book and tucked it into the crook of her arm. Picking her way across the attic floor toward the stairs, she kept mumbling to herself, “Come on, Granny tell me how I can get him to the woods What would get Emrys to the woods at midnight at an “almost” full moon?”

  )O(

  Backing carefully down the ancient attic ladder, Rachel squealed as Caelan scooped her up into his arms before she made it halfway down.

  “Woman!” Caelan’s face was a mass of storm clouds as he spun her around in his arms to carefully stand her in front of him. “Ye’ve no business climbing upon such a rickety contraption in your condition! Ye could fall and injure yourself or the babes or both! Can I not leave ye alone for five minutes!”

  “Calm down!” Rachel laughed as she patted him on his chest. “I’ve climbed that thing a thousand times.” She turned to head down the hall to the kitchen, a sudden hunger pain reminding her that she’d forgotten to eat lunch while she’d been upstairs digging around in the attic. She was brought up short as Caelan grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him.

  “I dinna care how often ye’ve done anything around here. This is the first time ye’ve ever done any of these things while being with child. This is a dangerous time for ye, Rachel. Ye’ve got to be careful! I’ll not have ye hurt simply because ye willna listen to reason. Ye must act with caution now I canna always keep ye safe!”

  Caelan’s eyes were wild with terror as though some unseen enemy that he couldn’t fight was stalking her and he knew that he was helpless to protect her. Rachel had never seen such fear in anyone’s eyes and it tore at her heart when she realized she was the one responsible for placing it there.

  Wrapping her arms around his waist, Rachel buried her face in his chest.

  “I’m sorry,” Rachel whispered into his warm skin, melting her body against him as she snuggled closer.

  “You’re right and I’ll think before I do anything from now on because it’s not just me anymore I promise I’ll be more careful.” Nuzzling closer, she felt his body relax and listened as his heartbeat seemed to slow, even as his arms encircled her more protectively.

  Stroking her hair, Caelan inhaled her rich sweet scent she smelled of ginger and citrus today. As long as he lived, he’d never forget the way she felt in his arms, her scent, her taste the perfect way her body fit his, the flash of her eyes and now the sharp tap of his sons against his stomach as he held their mother in his arms. By the Goddess how was he going to be able to live on without her?

  “Just promise me you’ll take care I canna bear the thought of anything happening to ye or to the bairns. Promise me.” His voice was husky with emotion as he whispered into her hair, his fingers tangled through her silky tresses as he held her head against his chest.

  Pulling back so that she could place both her hands on either side of his face, Rachel smiled up into his eyes. “I promise you with all of my heart and soul. I’ll be more careful and try to stop being so hard-headed.”

  Raising one eyebrow, Caelan cocked his head to one side as he sighed deeply and then shook his head. “I guess half a promise is better than no promise at all.”

  Thumping him on the chest, Rachel returned to her quest for food. “I can’t believe you’d say something like that! I am not hard headed. I just know when I’m right. Which reminds me how was your trip into town? You said you had to get the lawyer to redo some of the paperwork we’d had done whenever you bailed me out.”

  Following her down the hall into the kitchen, Caelan nervously ran his hand thru his hair as an irritated scowl returned to his face.

  “My trip was wasted. I was unable to update any of the documents I needed to change. It appears that all of the paperwork we had originally done had to be sent off to some such place to be recorded or filed or something and they have yet to return it. This is a verra complicated time waiting periods and cooling off periods and filing periods. I dinna see how anything gets done in this century.”

  Nodding with understanding, Rachel pulled the bag of chocolate sandwich cookies and the jar of peanut butter from the cabinet and moved to the kitchen table.

  “That’s how lawyers stay in business, all the filing and re-filing and waiting periods
and such. They’re the only ones who can keep up with all that mess. Do you want some?” Nodding to the cookie she’d just spread peanut butter all over, she held it out and waited for Caelan to either lay claim to the delicacy or decline.

  “No thank ye.” Caelan shook his head and decided it must be the pregnancy as he watched Rachel slowly and methodically demolish the entire bag of cookies with at least a half a jar of peanut butter smeared on them. Pulling a glass from the kitchen cabinet, he poured her a tall glass of milk. He figured that was the least he could do for his sons to somehow offset what their mother had just eaten.

  “You know it’s supposed to be a beautiful night tonight the moon is nearly full and I’d really love for you and Emrys to see the view of the farm from the pond before we cross over into the past.” Rachel rose from the table and started clearing away her mess, carefully avoiding Caelan’s eyes as she spoke.

  “Since I’ve stuffed myself on all this junk there’s no way I’ll be hungry for supper at the regular time. How about if I fix us a good old fashioned picnic with fried chicken and everything and we take it up to the pond tonight at moonrise and we enjoy a midnight supper? You, me, Emrys and the dogs how about it? My granny and I used to do it when I stayed with her in the summertime and it was so great I think you’ll like it!”

  Rachel finally closed her mouth when she realized that the more she babbled; the more she sounded like she was up to something. She’d never been able to lie as a child and apparently, hadn’t improved upon the skill as an adult. Turning from the kitchen sink, she slowly raised her eyes to meet Caelan’s watchful gaze.

  “What are ye playing at Rachel?” Caelan leaned against the door jamb, his arms folded across his broad chest.

  “What?” Rachel spread her hands in midair, a look of sheer innocence plastered across her face. “It’s just I know we’re going to be leaving soon and I used to go up there with my granny every summer and this could be one of the last chances for me to do this ”

  Chewing her lip, she silently begged her grandmother to forgive her for playing the hormonal homesick female card and hoping that Caelan would fall for it. It was the only thing she could think of to get everybody up there. She’d accidently used the term “moonrise” and if Caelan repeated that to Emrys well then Rachel knew the game would be over before it had even begun.

  Caelan’s gaze dropped to the floor as he swallowed hard with his emotions. How could he be so insensitive? Of course the woman would want to say goodbye to such places before she was never to see them again. Running his hand thru his sandy hair, he felt an aching weariness settling deep into his bones. He would tell Emrys that this night would be the last night of their ruse he could take no more of this cruel game.

  “Aye, Rachel.”

  Caelan looked up and smiled. “I think a midnight picnic will be a fine thing indeed. I’m sorry that I didna understand. I’m afraid that I’ve had a verra long day. I’ll go to the apartment and tell Emrys of your invitation.”

  Clapping her hands in excitement, Rachel grinned. “Great! Do me a favor you stay with Emrys and bring him and Maizy. Sam and I will have everything ready by the time everybody gets there. Meet us at the pond at say almost midnight will that be okay?” Crossing her fingers behind her back, Rachel held her breath as she awaited Caelan’s answer.

  “Aye, lass that ‘twill be no problem at all.” Caelan wearily smiled and kissed Rachel on the end of her nose, laid a gentle hand on her womb in farewell, then quietly let himself out the screen door.

  Rachel was so excited about her plan coming together that she didn’t even notice the silent tears rolling down his cheeks as he walked out of the house.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “Sam, please stay out of the basket. You know you can’t have chicken bones and you know how important this is we talked about it all the way up here. Now stop I’ve still got to finish things up.”

  Rechecking the flowing script in the moonlight, Rachel squinted to be sure she’d followed every step to the letter. Nothing could be left to chance. Rachel picked up the little black and tan dog and sat him away from the picnic basket for the third time and moved the basket to what she hoped was a more inaccessible rock.

  “Okay I’ve spread the salt for protection. I’ve cleansed the area with the sage smudge. I’ve got the correct colors burning and I’ve opened and honored the directions and gotten the crystals ready. Now I’ve only got to wait for the guests of honor and then it will be time to seal them here.”

  Rachel rubbed her hands together in anticipation, her fingertips still sore from where she’d pricked them with the edge of her blade. Crimson drops of Rachel’s blood had been sparingly scattered around the clearing circling the perimeter of the pond. That had been the worst part about the entire ritual, was the gathering and sprinkling of her own blood.

  “Woof!”

  Sam’s ears perked and he stood at full attention, his tiny body as proud and stiff as though he were the size of a Doberman Pinscher.

  “I hear them.” Rachel whispered to her faithful watchman, smoothing down his hackles as she crouched beside him. “Don’t worry soon it’ll all be okay.”

  No sooner had she spoken the words, when Maizy came bounding thru the twin oaks heading the pathway leading into the woods. She barked once as though she were announcing the arrival of Emrys and Caelan.

  “Hi girl!”

  Rachel rubbed the exuberant lab’s velvety ears, laughing as Maizy loyally took turns between licking Rachel’s hands and excitedly nudging Sam’s tiny bouncing body with her huge square head. Maizy was always very careful to never hurt anyone’s feelings or leave anyone out with her greetings.

  “What is this?” Emrys gruff voice broke into her reverie his tone causing the hairs to rise on the back of Rachel’s neck.

  Slowly standing from her kneeling position by the dogs, Rachel instinctively hid both her hands behind her back as she inhaled deeply. Glancing up at the moon, and at her own directional position according to the stars and the main stone of the pond; she slowly began meandering slightly to the northern edge of the clearing to the largest stone outcropping.

  “Emrys Caelan this is where Granny and I used to have the most wonderful midnight summer picnics when I was a little girl. Isn’t it beautiful?” Glancing at the wary expressions on the faces of the men, Rachel’s heart slowly began to pound as she realized they weren’t buying off on her stroll down memory lane.

  The moonlight was shimmering across the still water of the spring fed pond making it look like a silvered glass that could be skated upon. The orb in the sky wasn’t waxed completely full but was bright enough that the flames of the ritual candles Rachel had lit sadly paled in comparison. There was a strange energy crackling in the air sparking everyone’s movements with the slightest hint of blue-white light. It was as though the wood was holding its breath in anticipation of what was about to happen as though the flints of time were preparing to strike and spark into flame.

  “Don’t play with me, girl!” Emrys barked as he stamped his staff on the ground.

  As soon as the ancient rod connected with the energy-charged limestone scattered with Rachel’s blood, a rumbling from deep beneath the earth sounded and the wind began picking up and swirling through the tree tops around them.

  His emerald eyes widening in fear as he felt the world trembling beneath his feet, Caelan grabbed Emrys by the shoulder. “Shield yer temper, old man!”

  Her purple eyes snapping and her raven locks tearing loose in the increasing wind, Rachel pointed her finger at Emrys. “You’re on my land now, Emrys. This is not only the land of my ancestors but it is also the land of my blood. See it glow in the moonlight.”

  As she opened her hand and waived it around the perimeter of the clearing, everywhere a drop of her blood had fallen began to glow white hot in the moonlight. Caelan, Emrys, Rachel and both the dogs were completely encircled in the glowing trail of Rachel’s blood.

  Emrys shook his head as his knu
ckles whitened upon his staff, his eyes weary as he leaned on Caelan for support against the increasing tempest.

  “I wished ye’d trusted me enough to ask me, lass or at least channeled yer Granny and asked her. It willna work and now ye’ve probably killed yerself.”

  At these words, Caelan grabbed the old man by the shoulders and shook him, shouting to make himself heard above the howling wind.

  “What are ye saying! What has she done?”

  “She’s cast a spell to try to keep us here using her own blood. Isn’t that right, lass?” Emrys pulled himself out of Caelan’s grip to make his way across the clearing to where Rachel stood at the stone mound with the dogs.

  Warily watching the druid making his way toward her, her hair whipping across her face, it was all Rachel could do to remain standing as the glowing circle of her blood slowly increased in speed as it began to spin around them.

  “Is that true, Rachel?” Caelan finally made his way over to her, using his body as a shield to protect her as much as he could against the flying debris picked up in the wind.

  “Yes, it’s true!” Rachel finally snapped. She’d had enough of the subterfuge and trying to save them from themselves. “I’m tired of allowing everything else to control my life. That’s the way it’s always been! I’ve finally found someone I love and I’ll be damned if I let you be torn away from me and sent back to a disease ridden, war mongering past where all you’re going to do is suffer and die and all my sons are going to do is suffer and die! If I keep everybody here, I can keep them from suffering from a bunch of needless circumstances!”

  By this point, Rachel was screaming at the top of her lungs to be heard above the wailing winds. The glowing circle was spinning around them at a dizzying speed and the loss of her equilibrium was making it difficult for her to stand.