by Jennae Vale
“I’d have to agree with ye,” Duncan said. “But who would pull her back through time?”
“I dinnae ken, but it has something to do with the sword. I doubt we’ll know until we catch up with them and squeeze it from Malcolm’s lips.”
“It will be something I’ll be pleased to help ye with,” Duncan assured him.
“Thank ye, I know I can always count on ye, Duncan. Yer me brother and me friend. I’m sorry I wasnae more forthcoming with the story of my whereabouts.”
“Ye’ve told us now and we believe ye, but I, fer one, would like to know of the wonders that will be five hundred years from now.”
* * *
“Let’s go,” Malcolm ordered.
Katriona reluctantly rose from the spot she’d tucked herself into by the fire. She was as cold as ice. That was one thing about this time she didn’t think she’d ever get used to. She always seemed to be cold. Well, not always. When Nick was near, it was the exact opposite. He warmed her from the inside out.
Malcolm grabbed their horses and gave her a leg up. “Don’t move until I say.” He mounted his own horse and signaled for Kat to move ahead.
They started off at a walk and shortly thereafter were at a comfortable canter. If nothing else, it was warming Katriona up. Her fingers were as stiff as a board and she feared frostbite might set in if she didn’t get them warm soon. “I need to get my hands warm.” She glanced over at Malcolm.
“I can’t help you with that. Wrap them in your cloak if you need to.”
She hadn’t thought of that, but she awkwardly gathered her cloak first around one hand and then the other. Hopefully the horse wouldn’t give her any trouble, because if it did, she’d be hard-pressed to get her hands unraveled in time to save herself. It did help though. Maybe if she kept them like that until she’d regained the feeling in her fingers, then she could go back to holding the reins the right way.
“Did that help?” Malcolm asked.
Oddly, he seemed concerned for her comfort. It was the first time since he’d stolen her away with him. “Yes, it did. Thanks for the suggestion.”
“Katriona, I’m sorry to have dragged you into this, but it seems that our sorcerer wanted you here for a reason and so you understand I’m sure that I had no choice but to take you with me.”
Why was he being apologetic? It hardly seemed necessary, but for some reason he didn’t want her to think badly of him. Too late on that one. “Maybe if you’d waited until the morning, Nick would have joined us.”
“Nick hates me, and to be honest I’m not too fond of him either.”
“Why? What did he ever do to you?”
“I’m not sure I can pinpoint any one thing. I thought to befriend him at first, but he always seemed to rub me the wrong way. He showed me up at every turn.”
“Why would you care about that? You’re a successful businessman.”
“You’re right. I am and I don’t bow down to anyone. Nick always seemed better than me.”
“In what way?”
“The ladies loved him. He’s quite charming and seems like the happiest man on earth most of the time. He’s not smart enough to know that no one is happy all the time.”
“That’s not true. Nick is very smart.”
“You see, you are the perfect example. I’m rich, successful, and powerful - but the only people drawn to me are those who want to share in my money and power. Nick never had that problem, but he was always surrounded by people who admired him and wanted to be his friend.”
“Still, he was certainly no threat to you.”
“Only with a sword.”
“What?”
“He’s one of the best swordsman I’ve ever seen. Just before we came back in time, he beat me in a competition. He embarrassed me in front of a huge crowd of people, including my own team of men. That was unforgivable.”
“So he was just supposed to roll over and play dead.”
“Change of subject. Speaking of Nick bores me. Tell me about you, Katriona. Why is a lovely young woman like you still single?”
“How do you know I’m single? You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know more than you think. I have a complete file on every one of my employees and I make it a point to read them all. Prewitt has an interest in you. Before you deny it, I am completely aware. I have spies everywhere and they tell me many interesting and useful things.”
“What could possibly be useful about knowing that Joel and I had dated?”
“To this point it hasn’t been useful at all, but you never know when you may need to coerce someone into doing your bidding. I like to keep a few personal notes available to me in case anyone is ever thinking of being uncooperative.” Malcolm chuckled.
No wonder Joel always seemed so jumpy at the mention of Malcolm. He was terrified of the man. Did he have any secrets that were being used against him? “How much further do we have to go?”
“There’s a village up ahead. I can just see the tops of some cottages. We’ll find out when we pass through.”
Nick would have noticed both she and Malcolm were missing. She hoped he didn’t believe she left of her own accord. She hoped he was following them and would get here soon. The last thing she wanted to do was to give Malcolm that gem.
As they got closer, Kat realized this wasn’t a village they were passing through. It was merely a cluster of small cottages.
“Hello?” Malcolm called out as they rode the path between the cottages. No one seemed to be around and just as they were about to pass the last cottage, they saw a man gathering water from a nearby well. “Good day to you, sir. I wonder if you could tell me how much further Castle Sinclair is.”
The man nodded and left the water to join them on the road. “Ye’ll have another day and a half of riding before ye arrive.”
“Where is everyone?” Kat asked.
“Sick. Been ailing nigh on a week now. I’m the only one remained healthy.” The man’s threadbare clothing and sickly pallor said otherwise.
By now, Malcolm had covered his nose and mouth with his hand. “We must hurry, Katriona.”
“I’m so sorry for your troubles, sir. I hope everyone is well quickly.” Katriona wished there was something she could do to help, but Malcolm wasn’t about to stop for anyone or anything.
“Thank ye, lass. ’Tis my hope as well.” The man nodded his head and went back to his water bucket.
* * *
Later that day, as the sun was setting, Malcolm begrudgingly stopped to make camp. He wasn’t very good at starting a campfire, so Kat did it. She had a flint in the pocket of her cloak and was grateful she did, because as usual, she was freezing. Malcolm gathered firewood and brought it to her. She could see he wasn’t one for physical labor, but apparently he knew the fire was a necessity and he wanted to be warm as well. He brought enough to last them through the night.
Not only was Kat cold, but she was also hungry. Starving to be exact. Her stomach was grumbling so loudly, she was sure it would frighten off any wildlife that happened upon their campsite. There was nothing she could do. They had no food. Malcolm hadn’t thought of that before he left the castle. She was pretty ornery when she was hungry and it didn’t matter to her one iota that Malcolm was her boss. Former boss she corrected mentally. “Very clever of you to bring food along. You’re probably not hungry though,” she said sarcastically.
Malcolm cast an angry glance in her direction. Lack of food wasn’t leaving him with a bright and sunny disposition. “I’ll be back. I’m going to see what I can find.”
The thought of running never even entered Kat’s mind. She was exhausted, starving and freezing. She didn’t want to leave the warmth of the fire she’d created. She made sure it was near a boulder she could sit with her back against. It wasn’t the most comfortable place, but it did keep the cool breeze off her back and with the blazing fire in front of her, she was at least comfortably warm. She curled herself up into a tiny ball as she lay on the gro
und still snug between her boulder and the fire. Sleep came easily and she didn’t fight it.
Chapter 17
After a long day of riding they still hadn’t caught up with Malcolm and Kat, but they were approaching a small clearing and some cottages. All was quiet as they approached. The men stopped at the edge of the village and Nick rode through to the last cottage, looking for signs of life. There were none that he could see. He returned to his men. “Something’s amiss. The houses are dark and no one’s about.”
One of his men pointed ahead. “There’s smoke rising up from that one cottage.”
Nick confirmed what his man was seeing and said, “Wait here. I’ll see who lives there and be back.” He rode Laoch to the cottage and dismounted. He carefully made his way to the door in the dim light of dusk and knocked. He waited and momentarily the door opened.
“Yes, sir. What can I do for ye?” the man who’d answered the door asked.
“I’m sorry to disturb ye, but I was wondering if ye’d seen a man and a woman pass by this way.”
“Aye. I have. They were here early on this morning.”
“Did ye speak with them?”
“Aye. The man asked how far to Castle Sinclair “
“Was the woman all right? Did she look as if she’d been harmed?”
“Nay. She was a lovely lass. Asked after the people and where they be.”
“And where would they be?”
“Sick. The man appeared to be in a hurry and could barely wait to get away. The lass said she hoped we would all be well again soon. Verra thoughtful she was.”
“Thank ye, sir. Is there anything we can do for ye or the others?” Nick asked, gazing at the darkened cottages.
“Nay. Ye’d be wise to move on.”
“I’ll send help back when I can.”
Nick rode back to his men. “The people here are sick, so we’d best not stay. Katriona and Malcolm have passed this way, but earlier today. If we’re to catch them, we’d best ride more this evening. We can stop briefly to sleep and then we must be on our way again. I know where they’re headed now and I know the best route to take. I believe we can reach it before they do. Malcolm won’t know the quickest route, only the most travelled.” He felt better about that. They’d never catch them if they continued on this same route. He led his men off the road and through the fields. They’d take a straight line through field and forest, while Malcolm took a more circuitous route.
As they headed into a wooded area in front of them, Nick thought it would be a good place for them to rest. “We’ll stop here for now. Get some rest and something to eat. We’ll be off again in a few hours. The moon will be risen and still near to full, so we should be able to find our way in the dark.”
They followed the same routine they’d followed the night before, each man taking care of himself and his horse and then returning to lie around the fire to sleep. A few short hours later, they were mounted and ready to go. Nick hoped that by continuing on in the dark of night, they’d be at Castle Sinclair by morning and they could then enlist the help of Aleck Sinclair in their efforts to stop Malcolm and rescue Kat.
* * *
Kat and Malcolm were on their way before the sun had risen. It was dark and cold, but Kat was numb to it by now. She didn’t complain because she knew she was close to the end of this journey. She only hoped she might be able to get away from Malcolm and seek refuge at the nearby castle. As the sun rose, Kat noted the clouds up ahead of them - they were thick with snow and she had the dreadful feeling they’d be finding themselves in a blizzard before too long. It was deceiving, because the sun was shining on them where they were, but shortly they’d be under those clouds fighting their way through the snow.
Malcolm remained silent. She assumed he was plotting in his head what he was going to do once he had that emerald. Kat hoped she got to it first. She’d put it in her hand and then hopefully, find herself back in her own time. She would have liked to say goodbye to Nick and thank him for trying to help her. She knew he’d feel badly about what had happened, but it wasn’t his fault. The only way to prevent what had happened would have been for him to sleep in her room. She would have liked that.
“Why are you smiling like the cat who ate the canary?”
Kat turned her brilliant smile on Malcolm. “Just thinking pleasant thoughts is all.”
Malcolm made a sound somewhere between disgust and confusion, but didn’t say another word. Kat was happy about that. His interruption had taken her out of her happy place and she wanted back in. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and envisioned Nick standing in front of her. Those tawny eyes seeing right through her. His face stern, but there was laughter behind those eyes. He couldn’t fool her. He tried to appear a tough guy, but he was actually a teddy bear when it came to her. He treated her with the utmost respect, as if she were a fragile flower whose petals would fall if he wasn’t careful. The smile was back. Malcolm couldn’t take that away from her.
As she expected, it began to snow. Light fluffy flakes at first and then eventually heavy, wet flakes that stuck to their clothes and their horses. The wind had picked up and was blowing right into their faces. She had to put her head down to avoid it and the snow that was blowing out in front of it. They plodded along until Castle Sinclair came into view. Malcolm stopped his horse, his gaze falling on the castle walls in front of them.
“Where was it that you found the gem? Was it inside the castle walls, or outside?”
Kat did her best to acclimate herself. She closed her eyes and pictured the dig site in her mind. They were on the wrong side of the castle in her estimation.
“Well?” Malcolm was impatient for her answer.
“It was not inside the castle grounds, but definitely not on this side of the castle. We’d need to ride around to the front corner on the other side. Then from there I’d have to figure out how far away from the walls I found it.”
“Damn it. This couldn’t be easy, could it? Let’s see if we’ll be allowed inside. We can make our plans from there.”
They urged their horses forward into a trot, but they weren’t having it. They were tired and the wind and snow were hitting them square in the face. They put their heads down and trudged on at a slow walk. Malcolm tried again to spur his horse forward, this time using more force. This only caused the horse to buck and then rear, causing Malcolm to fall onto the snow-covered field.
Kat did her best not to laugh, but he certainly got what he deserved. His horse had bolted forward and continued walking. Malcolm would never catch him at this rate. The horse was headed for the castle anyway, so Malcolm would just have to walk. So much for being in a hurry.
“Don’t look so smug sitting up there atop your horse, Kat.” Malcolm brushed off his clothes and set off in front of her. Kat’s horse dutifully followed behind and the smile lighting Kat’s face only got brighter.
* * *
Laird Sinclair welcomed Nick and his men when they arrived at his gate. Nick explained why they were there and Sinclair agreed to help in any way he could. He was a good man and one who Nick had known his whole life. They had a friendly relationship and Nick took him at his word when he said he’d assist them.
“Come. Warm yerselves by the fire.” Aleck Sinclair motioned for them to follow him. They sat at a table near the fire and Aleck called to his servants to bring food and drink for his guests. “When do ye expect this villain of yers to show himself here?”
“Any time now I would think,” Nick responded. “They came by way of the more travelled routes. We came through woods and across streams. The more difficult road, but I knew we’d make it here before them.”
“So, this man stole yer woman, is that right?” Aleck asked.
Nick didn’t like to lie to his friend, but telling the truth might jeopardize his plan. “Aye. He did. We allowed him into our castle and in the middle of the night he went to her room and took her away.”
“Well, I can guarantee ye he willnae leave h
ere with her. Of that ye can be sure.” Aleck slapped his hand on the table.
“He’s in search of something as well. It’s a large emerald that he believes to be on yer land,” Nick said.
“I’ve never seen such a gem. Where exactly is it?” Aleck wore a puzzled expression.
“I’m nae sure. The lass knows. If it’s here, she’ll find it.” Why he was so sure, Nick couldn’t say, but he had faith in Kat and believed that she would.
“Ah, so that is why he stole her.” Nodding his head in acknowledgment, Aleck gazed earnestly at Nick.
“’Tis.”
“If ’tis on me land, then ’tis mine. He has no right to it.” Aleck stated.
“I would agree. We must keep him from stealing it away.” Nick was thoughtful for a moment. “I’d suggest that before we stop him, we allow him to find the emerald. It would be best if you had it in your possession and it wasn’t lying around somewhere for anyone to take. My men and I would hide out of his sight. I’d like to see what he plans to do. Make no mention that we are here.”
“I’ll go along with whatever it is he tells me, but I’ll nae let any harm come to yer lass.”
“Thank you, Sinclair. I’ll owe ye one.” Nick smiled warmly at him.
“Ye’d do the same for me, no need for thanks.” He slapped Nick on the back. The food arrived and was placed in front of them along with some warm mulled wine. “This should go a long way to warming ye lads.”
“Aleck, on our way here we passed through a small row of crofter’s cottages on yer land, I believe. They are suffering from some sickness and need help.” Nick gave Aleck the general direction and distance of the cottages.
“I’ll send my healer along with some others to aid them. I believe I ken the crofter’s ye speak of.” Aleck called to one of his men and explained the situation. “Gather Margaret and yer men. Have cook prepare food to take along, enough to feed all of ye and the crofters. Leave as soon as all is ready. Follow Margaret’s orders when it comes to those who are ill. I’ve nae doubt she’ll need yer help caring for them.” He dismissed his man and joined everyone at the table.