A Matter of Time: Book 4 of The Thistle & Hive Series

by Jennae Vale

  “No, you are not wrong. I love you, my dearest Angelina. I would be proud and happy to call you my own. Will you come with me?”

  “I will!” She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest as he enfolded her in his arms. Richard finally understood what true love felt like and he was going to experience all it had to offer as he spent the rest of his days with Angelina.

  * * *

  Nick and his men arrived outside Malcolm’s castle, long after the sun had gone down. They made their way silently to the entry of the underground garage, an access point they felt would be their best bet for breaking into Granger’s fortress. Wade was assigned the task of disarming the alarm system and video cameras, which they had located from the blueprints they’d accessed the night before. He had it knocked out in short order and they proceeded on to the garage entry. Again, Wade’s expertise with electronics came into play as he unlocked the mechanism holding the gate closed. At this point they fanned out, two heading for the back of the castle, two for the front and Nick hurried toward the elevator. He knew it was risky, but he hoped that by now, Malcolm had retired for the night and they would find Richard and Angelina before anyone was any the wiser. After all, he’d done this before, minus the modern technology, of course, and it had always worked.

  Luckily for Nick, after spending such a long time in the modern world, he had become familiar with objects like elevators, so when he entered, he knew exactly what to do and was only mildly apprehensive when the doors closed, leaving him enclosed in a small three foot by three foot box. The elevator stopped on the next floor and the doors quietly slid open. Nick peeked out into the darkened hallway. Hugging the walls, he made his way towards the great hall and was surprised to see light coming from under the doorway. Damn my luck! He made his way slowly to the room’s entrance, listening for sounds that it was still occupied. From this vantage point, he could see very little and just as he was about to move closer, he felt the point of a blade at his back.

  “Move into the great hall, Mackall. I’ve been expecting you.” Malcolm Granger’s gruff voice sounded in his ear. “Sit, please. I believe we’ll be joined by the others shortly.”

  Nick did as he was told, feverishly thinking about ways to turn the tables on Malcolm. Noises down the hall alerted him to a scuffle taking place nearby and before long, Zeke, Wade, Jayson and Kyle were escorted into the room.

  “Pierce, if you’ll go and retrieve our guests, we’ll be able to get started here.”

  * * *

  Richard held his finger to his mouth, warning Angelina to remain silent. The noises coming from the hallway told them something was happening. Some loud thuds and groans were followed by a chorus of harsh voices.

  “Let’s get him downstairs and then we’ll come back for them,” someone said.

  “Now’s our chance,” Angelina whispered. “I think I can pick the lock.” She started searching her pockets for something that she could use.

  “No need. We don’t have any choice; we’ve got to get out before they come back.” Richard kicked out at the door, splintering the wood and knocking it from its hinges. “Come.” He grabbed Angelina’s hand and ran into the hallway. “This way.” They headed in the opposite direction, away from the commotion coming from the direction of the great hall. Running in the darkness was not ideal, but they managed to find their way to a back stairway, which Richard assumed might lead them to the kitchen. From there, he hoped to find a door leading outside. As they reached the bottom of the stairs he stopped short, and Angelina ran into his back. He steadied her and waited at the foot of the stairs, listening intently for the presence of any guards nearby. When he heard nothing, he stepped into the kitchen, Angelina holding tightly to his hand. Again, they headed for a doorway they hoped would lead them away from the great hall and capture, but as they reached it, a heavyset figure appeared. Malcolm’s man, Gabe, stood before them, sword and dagger in hand.

  “Turn around and walk,” he ordered.

  Since neither of them were armed, they had little choice but to do as they had been ordered. They entered the great hall, to discover Nick and his men being held at sword point, their own swords and daggers piled on the nearby table.

  “Were you hoping for a rematch? Because if you were, I believe we’ve won this round. I must applaud you for your efforts, though. Fortunately, my alarm and surveillance system are programmed to reactivate if they’re ever disarmed by an intruder. So, while you thought you were deactivating my system, you actually set it in motion. The silent alarm went off warning us that you were here and the cameras hidden throughout the castle showed us exactly where you were at every moment. Even knowing about the cameras, you’d be hard pressed to locate them throughout the castle, which makes for some interesting viewing on my part.” Malcolm pointedly eyed Angelina and Richard. “I’ve had my eye on you two since you arrived. When you thought you were alone in your room, well, let’s just say I’m quite disappointed in you, Angelina. I never took you for the type of woman who would throw herself at a man.”

  Richard bristled with fury and made to lunge at Malcolm, but Angelina grabbed his arm to hold him back. “Don’t, Richard. His opinions don’t matter to me.”

  “Now that I have you all here, let’s discuss the matter at hand.” Malcolm strode across to the fireplace and leaned against the stone facade. “I want the Twin Sword, and you are going to help me get it.”

  “I’m afraid we cannae help ye, Malcolm,” Nick said. “I was tellin’ the truth – Richard and I are nae here of our own doing. Ye see, a witch sent us and the only way we can get back is with her help.”

  “Well, then, you’d better start asking for her help and quickly, if you don’t wish any harm to come to our Miss Lawson.” Malcolm inclined his head and one of his men yanked Angelina away from Richard, who found a sword held at his throat when he tried to aid her. “Don’t be stupid, Sir Richard. Your death will not improve the situation.”

  Richard turned an angry glare on Malcolm, who chuckled in response. “Edna Campbell is not a woman to be trifled with Granger,” Richard shouted, hoping that somehow, Edna would hear him and magically produce the fog to transport them back where they belonged.

  “And why is that? Because she’s a witch? I’m sure I could convince her that it would benefit her greatly to help me with my quest.” He remained in his position by the fireplace. “Bring Angelina here,” Malcolm ordered, and Smith took her by the arm and dragged her over to him. “Now, we’ll see just how committed you are to keeping me from my sword.”

  Chapter 22

  “Richard needs our help, Maggie!” Edna and Maggie were both standing by the inn’s fireplace, staring into the flames and watching as Malcolm Granger threatened the young woman.

  “What can we do, Auntie?” Maggie asked, worry etching her features. “We cannae allow him to harm her, or Richard.”

  “We willnae allow that to happen, dear. We’ll work together to free them. I believe ’tis time for Richard to come home.” Edna closed her eyes and began muttering an incantation. She reached out and Maggie grasped her hand. As the two began chanting in unison, the scene in the flames became clearer. Startled faces turned to stare at them through the flames they were creating in Malcolm’s hearth in San Francisco. Each person was frozen in place, paralyzed by Edna’s spell. The flames in the hearth grew in size and ferocity until finally, Edna spoke.

  “Richard, can ye hear me?” she asked.

  “Yes, Edna, I can hear you,” came his answer.

  “Do as I say. The others surrounding you are unable to move.”

  He glanced around, as if to confirm for himself that what she had said was true.

  “Listen carefully, Richard; I am here to help ye. I want ye to lay a hand on the shoulder of each person ye wish me to release from the spell and when you do that, they’ll regain their ability to move. Ye must leave swiftly and get back to the place where ye first arrived in San Francisco. The fog will be waiting for ye.
I cannae hold these other men for verra much longer, so ye must hurry. Do ye understand, Richard?” Edna squeezed Maggie’s hand, encouraging her to continue with the incantation. “Hurry, Richard,” she called through the flames. She watched as he did as she had requested, touching each man in turn and lastly laying his hand on the woman’s shoulder.

  “Come, we must leave quickly. Follow me,” Richard grasped Angelina’s hand and led the way to the front entrance of the castle.

  “Richard, Angelina, I brought yer weapons.” Nick tossed their swords and dirks towards them while the others grabbed their own swords from the table and ran after Richard, Nick and Angelina.

  Edna and Maggie were tiring swiftly, and could only hold the others in place for a few moments longer, but Edna hoped it was long enough to give Richard and the others a good head start. The fire began to die out in both the inn’s fireplace, and the one in Malcolm’s great hall and Edna turned to Maggie and hugged her. “My things are by the door, your Uncle Angus is waiting for me on the other side of the bridge. I must be there when Richard arrives, and then I hope to see my daughter and her family. I love ye Maggie, dear. Take good care of the inn and the bridge while I’m away.”

  “I will,” Maggie promised. “You can count on me.”

  * * *

  Richard and the others ran like the devil himself was chasing them, and in some ways he was. They all kept pace, turning occasionally to see if they were being followed. The night was warm for November. There was a dampness in the air from the fog that was settling over the city and as they hit the Marina Green, they kept running. The sounds of shouting and running men behind them floated across the marina and had them pushing themselves to breakneck speeds. Angelina had been keeping up, but she was beginning to falter. Richard pulled her up next to him and placed an arm around her waist to keep her going. If he had to, he’d throw her over his shoulder and run with her that way. They couldn’t allow themselves to be caught, not now. Not when he had the chance to go home with the woman he loved.

  As they approached the spot Edna had chosen, Richard yelled to the others. “If you don’t want to travel back in time with us, you would be wise to go your own way.”

  “Zeke, you know what to do with the school. I have faith that you can make a good business out of it,” Nick said, his breathing heavy.

  “Thank you, Nick. I won’t let you down,” Zeke answered, gasping for breath.

  “Nick, give him the key to the house,” Angelina suggested.

  “I’m a step ahead of ye, lass. I already did.” Nick grinned and clapped Zeke on the back. The others waved goodbye and called out their good wishes as they veered away to head back into the heart of the city. “Shall we?” Nick said.

  Angelina, Nick and Richard continued to run. They could see the whirling blanket of fog in front of them, but before they got there, Richard stopped and faced Angelina. “You said you thought you were born in the wrong century, are you sure you want to discover if you are right?”

  Angelina’s eyes were alight with excitement. “Yes. Let’s go.”

  Richard smiled at her response. He was happy to know she wanted to go with him, because there was no way he intended on leaving her behind with Malcolm Granger. He began to run once again, Angelina and Nick by his side. Richard saw the familiar and colorful sparks in the mist and began to experience a little bit of relief. A few more steps and they’d be there. He ran even faster, pulling Angelina along with him as they ducked under tree branches and around bushes. Nick had gotten ahead of them and gleefully leaped into the fog when he reached it. Richard risked one last backward glance, only to see Malcolm and his men heading their way at breakneck speed. He could only hope the fog would dissipate before they reached it.

  * * *

  Edna stood at the bridge waiting impatiently for the fog to come and take her to her husband. Angus had decided to stay when he’d returned to Breaghacraig with their niece Maggie a few months back; he’d gone to help Maggie protect the MacKenzie clan from the evil witch Brielle. When the danger was over, he’d chosen to stay with his and Edna’s daughter, Arlena in medieval Scotland and sent a message through Maggie and Dylan, to ask Edna to travel across the bridge so they could all be together for the first time in many years.

  Edna had never possessed a great capacity to tolerate delays, and waiting even a few more minutes was something she found trying, but she knew better than anyone that the fog had a mind of its own and while she could control it most of the time, occasionally it would prove stubborn. It seemed as if the fog knew patience was not a virtue Edna Campbell possessed. She only hoped that it had appeared in a timely manner for Richard and his friends. She’d know soon enough, because as she watched, the fog appeared and Edna walked nervously through it for her first time-travelling experience. She’d been the keeper of the bridge for many, many years, but she had never taken advantage of its magic herself – so while she was excited, she was also experiencing a mild anxiety attack. She forced herself to keep walking and was surprised at the sensation of the fog as it wrapped around her like a warm blanket. She felt safe and protected and she let go of any uneasiness she had been suffering. As the fog cleared, it revealed her handsome husband. Absence had indeed made her heart grow fonder and she flew to Angus, throwing herself into his waiting arms. “Oh, Angus, how I’ve missed ye,” she cried. Tears of happiness flooded her cheeks.

  “Not nearly as much as I’ve missed ye, mo chroi, my heart.” They held on tightly to each other and Angus spoke softly in Edna’s ear. “My love, I knew that if I didnae stay, you would always find a reason why you couldnae come to see yer daughter and grand babes, so I’m afraid I forced yer hand. I hope yer nae angry with me.”

  “Nae, of course I cannae be angry with ye. I should have come a long time ago and now that I’m here, I’m very anxious to see my family.”

  Angus smiled, apparently relieved that his wife was happy to be with him again. He tipped her chin up and offered her a smoldering kiss, which left Edna unsteady on her feet. He held her tightly to keep her from falling and when they could finally tear their lips away from one another, Edna spoke. “Well now, if I’d known I’d get a kiss like that one, I’d have been here much sooner.”

  Angus laughed and lifting her off the ground, spun her around. “Angus, please you’ll make me dizzy and I have one more thing to do before we go. Did ye bring the extra horses I asked fer?”

  “Aye, I did. They’re grazing just beyond the trees. Who are they fer?”

  “Ye’ll soon see.”

  The fog started forming again and as it swirled in their direction, Angus held on tightly to Edna. “I’ll nae let it take ye from me, Edna.”

  “’Tis nae here to take anyone. ’Tis here to bring someone back.”

  As the fog thinned, Angelina, Richard and Nick emerged. The men looked overjoyed, while the young woman appeared to be in shock as she took in her surroundings.

  “Richard, come quickly. I’ve horses fer ye just yonder. I cannae be sure that ye have nae been followed, so ’tis best we leave right away.”

  “They were right behind us,” Richard stated, glancing back over his shoulder.

  “Come, the fog has nae left yet and that concerns me.” Edna led the way to the horses that had been saddled and waiting for them. “We’ll have time enough for introductions later.” They mounted and cantered off through the trees. Richard stayed close by Angelina’s side, not knowing her equestrian skills, but he was pleased to discover she seemed quite comfortable on her mount. As soon as they hit a clearing, they kicked the horses into a gallop, and headed in the direction of Castle Fionn.

  * * *

  Malcolm couldn’t believe his luck. He had watched the fog swallow Nick and his companions, never believing that he’d reach it in time to follow them, but he had, as had his men. He had made it to the year 1514! He knew he was in the right year, because as they emerged from the fog he spied Nick, Angelina and Richard riding away with two others. Their friends had app
arently stayed behind in San Francisco, which suited Malcolm just fine.

  “We’re here! We did it,” he said to Pierce, who was looking suitably amazed.

  “Where are we?” Gabe asked. “What just happened?”

  “We’re in sixteenth century Scotland. The year 1514, to be exact. Gentlemen, we have just experienced time travel.”

  Dane and Nash appeared completely dumbfounded by this announcement, turning in slow circles to study their surroundings.

  “We’ll need to find the site where I’ve been told the sword was hidden, and then we’ll need to find our friends. They’re our ticket home.” Malcolm glanced around, trying to figure out what time of day it was. The sun was attempting to peek through the clouds to the east, which made him think it was early morning, perhaps around eight a.m. “We’ll have plenty of time to locate a campsite for tonight. Perhaps we’ll run across a village and we can find some food.” Malcolm was exhilarated and it showed in his voice. “Isn’t this exciting?” When his men didn’t respond, he set off in the direction Nick and the others had gone. He’d follow their horses’ tracks, in hopes of getting his bearings. He had a map tucked away in his pocket and he’d need time to study it before they could set off in earnest on their search for the sword.

  “First things first. We need food, water, shelter and…” he glanced down at what he was wearing, “…appropriate clothing.” Again, none of the men answered him, apparently still too stunned by what had just happened. Malcolm bristled angrily. Just because they weren’t in San Francisco any longer, was no reason for his men to cease doing his bidding. “Come on! Get your asses in gear and let’s go.” Malcolm started marching through the trees, not bothering to check if they followed. Naturally, they would follow him, he thought smugly. What choice did they have?