I said, “At dawn the guards from the castle came to the field and Magnus and our men were fighting them, and it was this huge melee.”
Quentin said, “Like Warcraft or something?”
“Totally.”
“Man I would have liked to see that.”
“Lizbeth’s husband was dying though.” I took another swig of beer. “I dragged him to the trees—“
Hayley started waving her hands, “Whoa whoa whoa, dying? Like literally dying?”
Magnus said, “Och, aye.”
“Dying?”
“It was a battle, Hayley. Men were fighting with swords everywhere and guns, really old guns, were going off. Yes, people were going to die. One of them happened to be Magnus’s brother-in-law. I was pressing on his wound trying to stop the flow of blood when suddenly I was grabbed from behind, thrown on a horse, and stolen away.” I peeled the label from my beer.
Chef Zach said, “What the fuck?”
I pointed at him. “Exactly. This is what is going through my mind. I’m upside down over the back of a horse, hurts like hell, there are like five men, all these horses, and there are no phones, no police, no nothing. I decided to pass out. I woke up hours later, really far away, and those assholes just laughed at me.”
Hayley snapped her fingers and pointed at her beer. “Refill please, Zach. What the heck did you do?”
“Nothing. I thought through it all and there was nothing to do. It was freezing. I didn’t know the language. Had no idea where I was. They said Magnus was dead. I just gave up. And — drumroll please, that’s when my period started.”
Emma had her hands over her mouth. “Was it bad?”
“Yep.”
Quentin asked Magnus, “How did you find her?”
“I tracked the men, inquired at villages they passed. I was about a day behind, but they dinna ken I was following them. I made up time and got tae them on the third day.”
“Three days?” Hayley and Emma said in unison.
I nodded solemnly. “I have never been so happy than when Magnus barreled down the hill with his sword drawn, slashing those assholes left and right. He was so freaking awesome.”
“Five men — you fought them alone?” asked Quentin.
Magnus shrugged. “I only managed tae kill one. They werena in it for anythin’ but the payment. They ran when they saw I planned tae make it difficult for them tae keep livin’.”
Hayley said, “This is just like a movie. What the hell? I can’t believe this is real life.”
“I know.” I said. “He fought them while I lay on the edge of the battlefield with my uterus twisting around my ovaries.”
Emma and Hayley both screwed their faces up in commiseration.
“Then we went back to Balloch Castle for the funerals, and we thought that was all we needed to do. Then we would time-jump home. But somehow Lady Mairead circumvented us and brought us to Talsworth. Do you know how she did it?” I asked Magnus.
“Nae, I woke up in the prison.”
“Me too.” I reached for his hand and clutched it in my lap. “She told me this whole long story about her life, and I was thinking, ‘You are so freaking evil you’re even doing that villainous gloating thing.’” I took another big swig of beer. “She told me that Magnus’s father is alive and wants him, in six months, to come to the future and take the throne or something. Lady Mairead thinks it will be her big moment when she and Magnus go there.”
I glanced at Magnus his brow was furrowed. “Did she say it like that, ‘take the throne?’”
I thought for a moment. “I don’t really remember how she said it. It’s hazy. I was kind of freaking out. Her guards were beating you in front of me. It was hard to think. My impression was she needed you to be ready to fight.”
Magnus looked down at his beer bottle and gave it a spin.
Chef Zach said, “Need another, boss?”
“What? Och, aye.” Another beer was placed in front of him. He asked me, “She didn’t say anything else about what would happen in six months?’
“No, just for you to be ready. That she would call.” I looked around the room. “Also that she wouldn’t cause any trouble. We’re all safe now.”
Hayley asked, “Good. That’s good. Magnus will just go be a warrior-prince six months from now. He’ll handle that, like a business trip, and it will all be fine. Right?”
Magnus said, “Aye, I’ll handle it.”
Hayley giggled, “See, when you hear him say it like that,” her voice went low. “‘Aye, I’ll handle it,’ you know he’s going to do it. So what about the golden neck wrap?”
“This is an enticement for Magnus to come when they call.”
Hayley squinted her eyes. “Enticement?”
I ran my fingers up and down on the foil, it felt cold to my fingertips, and I could feel my fingertips through it. “Yeah. If he doesn’t show up when they call, something happens to me.”
“What the fuck kind of sick—”
“I know. We don’t know what it is, what it does. But I’ve been told that it’s lethal. It changed shape to mold to my neck. My guess is it cuts off my air supply, because it kind of feels like it already.”
Everyone sat quietly. It was clear on their faces that they didn’t know what to say.
Magnus put a big solid hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze, then he ran it down my arm and pulled me across the space to his chest and hugged me for a moment. Once released I sat back up.
“The other thing I got from Lady Mairead was a small piece to fit on our time travel vessel that brought us to whatever date we wanted. We chose today and here we are.” I tried to smile.
Hayley looked at Magnus. “So you have six months to get that thing off her neck.”
“Aye.”
I said, “But also, we have six months, no Lady Mairead, no nothing to do, nobody to rescue. I can finally start on that list of places I want to take Magnus. So don’t be so glum.” I finished a beer and slammed it to the table. “Don’t be glum.”
Chapter 39
With my toothbrush in my mouth and toothpaste spit rolling down my chin I said, “Thank you for letting me tell the battle tales tonight. I feel better.”
“You needed tae tell them, twas in your eyes.”
I spit and wiped my mouth. “Is that how it works?”
“After a battle ye have tae drink and tell the stories and all your friends have tae listen, even if they were at the battle too. Because ye canna keep it inside, it has tae be told.” He wiped his mouth too.
“Well, it's not like I was actually battling. I didn’t really do anything. I mean, if you think about it, I just mostly screwed up and you had to rescue me over and over.”
“Tis how ye see it?”
“You don’t see it like that?”
“Nae, ye did it right. Ye dinna run and hide in the woods. I would have never found ye, ye know.” He pulled close and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Ye dinna cause them tae leave ya, and most important of all, ye dinna get killed.”
I looked at him for a moment. “Well, when you put it that way, I guess I was kind of awesome.”
“And I screwed up too, as ye say. I refused tae discuss the matter with Lady Mairead, I left ye tae do it.” He leaned against the bathroom counter. He fiddled with my brand new Burt’s Bees lip balm. “Twas nae fair tae leave ye there.”
“My recollection is that you had at least four armed men that wouldn’t let you stay.”
“Still. Tis a regret of mine.”
* * *
I returned to our bedroom, undressed, and climbed into the covers. Magnus came a moment later, turned out lights as he undressed, and climbed in after me. It was a hot night, but I hadn’t been out in it at all, and our house was cool. The AC was running full blast. I pulled the comforter over me, a luxury I desperately needed. To think of it — fast food, beer, friends, air conditioning, and a comforter — when only a few days ago I believed I was dead. I needed it all.
&n
bsp; Magnus snuggled in on his side and scooped me up by the hips and pulled me to him. My upper thigh wrapped across his waist. His forearm around my ass. My upper arms around his head. His injured face nuzzled into my breasts.
He kissed me and ran his tongue along my skin, his hand trailing down my back, bringing me closer. I kissed his forehead — that taste of salt on my tongue. His smell filled my lungs and warmed me as his fingers felt their way between the soft folds between my legs and entered me. He played there, tantalizing and slow, as if he had all the patience in the world while my excitement grew dripping and wanting, and — come here — I was breathless, impatient and ready. I tugged at his back trying to urge him upward.
He paused.
The only sounds were my breaths and the only movements my wiggles against his solid, immobile body. “Magnus?” His face nuzzled into my skin. I pulled away and attempted to lift his chin. "What’s happening?”
“I canna...”
“Can’t what?”
“Canna look on it.”
“On me?” The words squeaked out. “Me?” I wanted to beat him, pummel him with blows, but I also wanted to curl up in a ball and cry again and I had been trying to be a better person. All of these thoughts were a cruel joke — his skin was too marred to beat.
“When I see it I am ashamed at what I let happen tae ye.” His voice came from low, below my breast..
I flipped onto my back. “These are the words of failure Magnus Campbell. The kind of words that shouldn’t be spoken into the springs of our marital mattress. I’m going to have to smudge this whole room tomorrow.”
“What do ye mean, smudge?”
“It’s like witchcraft but without the actual witchcraft and doesn’t matter at all when I’m confronted with a husband that doesn’t want to look at me, can’t look at me anymore. You know your face isn’t looking that great either.”
He sighed. “You know that inna what I mean.”
I wanted to kick and scream and tear at my gold-plated neck, while he needed kisses and loving guidance. How to reconcile the two things? I couldn’t possibly be the person to give him guidance about this. About me. Not now. But I had to. Had to.
I curled back on my side, my lips pressed to his head. “I love you,” I said. “Let’s just lay here and breathe together for a moment.” I wrapped my arms around and held him in a tight hug to my chest. I took a deep calming breath and another, letting my chest rise and fall against his cheek. My heart beat sure and strong. His warm breath on my breast. “I love you.” I said again.
“I know ye do, mo reul-iuil, because ye carry a cartload of my horse shit without complaint.”
I chuckled with my lips close to his skin. “Oh I complain, I just keep it inside. It pours out later as snarky jokes.”
His hand trailed down my back again. He was becoming comfortable. His breaths joining mine.
"You know, I haven’t really seen it either. It is hard to look at.”
His cheek stubble shifted on the soft skin of my breast.
I tilted back my head exposing my throat and waited for him to decide he could. Finally his head lifted and his fingers trailed along the pulse at the side of my neck. I said, “I can feel your fingers through it.”
“I can feel your beat.” His fingers felt along the edge, then he pushed me to my back and rested on his elbows on each side of my head, his solid body pressing down on mine in all the best comfortable, necessary ways. When I looked up at his face, black and blue and swollen, I had to close my eyes, but it was okay if he was on me, would be better when he was in me.
He pushed hair from my cheek and then ducked down to kiss me on the gold plating around my throat. “It gives ye a different taste.”
I arched my neck, more, more. He sucked and kissed on my pulse bringing pleasure to the spot that threatened pain someday and it felt so good. I pulled his buttocks, firm and hard, oh so much closer. My breaths had gone shallow and fast again — you want me?
— och aye —
You can look on me? I ran my hand down his back, pulling and pushing against his solid mass. My legs parted wide and he slid inside me. His breath a moan against my neck.
He didn’t answer — lost in my body — I asked him again — can you see me?
—Aye, I see you—
I stretched my arms over my head. “What do you see?”
He rose above me, pushing into me — my Kaitlyn — He pushed against me harder, deeper with force and power — my home.
I wrapped my legs around him meeting his power with my own.
Chapter 40
The next couple of weeks we made a plan. We knew we didn’t have much time like this and Magnus needed to prepare for whatever was in store. What would that preparation be? We were talking about it slowly. Quentin was coming up with a schedule. We were going to bulk him up, build his muscles, spar more, hire a trainer. The plan was unfolding, but in the meantime I wanted to show him a little of the modern world
I went through my list and crossed off everything that would require plane flight because getting through TSA would be impossible. That narrowed it down to driving. I decided that heading south to Orlando would be fun for a long weekend.
And we would drive by Kennedy Space Center too.
As we made our plans, we smiled more. I reserved a hotel and picked the restaurants and had a literal binder with printed pages of ideas. We laughed and teased and generally got past the fear and torment of our past experiences. I marveled at our resilience actually — we could go through so much and still love each other.
We had so much to be afraid of yet we were happy.
Some days I did feel as if it was a kind of magic in our bond. What had he said, ‘Tis as if we were meant tae be’?
I liked that, it made me feel special.
And I mostly never thought about the cruel plating around my neck.
Chapter 41
Two days before our trip we went for a morning run on the beach, Magnus, Quentin, and I. It was a good one, the day was beautiful, cool. The sun was bright overhead and it shimmered on the pools of water left by the low tide. We had splashed through some shallow ones while we ran, barefoot.
When we were done Magnus and Quentin headed back for the house, but I decided to linger for a moment. The tide was low, the shells were abundant. I found two beautiful shells that I wanted to keep, broken conchs, but their internal twists were exposed, colorful, smooth, and shiny. I found three small sharks teeth and dropped them into the cell phone pocket of my yoga pants.
I decided to head to the house for some water.
Quentin was stationed up on the roof deck. He lifted his hand in a wave as I climbed to the boardwalk. He was always watching. I was becoming used to it I supposed, but still. My view of the house always included a guard stationed on one of the decks. Like a weathervane, checking the sky for the storms.
We didn’t really think we needed the constant surveillance anymore, Lady Mairead promised we would have peace for six months, but she was not to be trusted so here we still were.
Magnus was sitting in one of our chairs in front of the sliding doors. Elbows on his knees, intently watching me walk up the boardwalk. His gaze constant.
And as I drew closer, his smile widened.
He shook his head slowly that kind of movement that means what I’m seeing is so profoundly awesome I am shaking my head in disbelief. And that was pretty fabulous. To be loved by him this much.
I grinned back.
And as I drew closer I noticed he was raising his brow, grinning, and his expression had turned into — what would it be called? — cocksure. Pleased with himself. And he was chuckling too.
"What?”
“Why dinna ye tell me?”
I squinted my eyes. “Tell you what?”
His expression didn’t falter, and his eyes literally twinkled. Like he had a joke and he was trying to keep it from me while letting me know he had a joke.
I stood four feet in front of him an
d said, “Okay, out with it.”
“I have conquered ye.”
I scoffed. “First of all love isn’t a battle. Yes, I love you desperately. Yes, I married you. Yes, I’m yours, but I’m not conquered.”
His eyes twinkled and I swear to god his grin got even wider, more cocky. I play stamped my foot, “Plus I married you quite a while ago. And that cocky-ass grin is growing wider by the minute. Are you up to something? What did you do?”
His left brow lifted up and down. “Aye, I am tellin’ ye, I conquered ye. And inna about the love. Though twas quite masterful at gettin’ ye tae love me — I am verra proud of the fact. And tis nae on the marriage, twas by contract as ye ken. Though I think I may have brought my irresistible charm tae the matter—”
“Irresistible?”
“Aye.”
I rolled my eyes. “You are positively gloating. And it’s hot out here.” I put the shells on the deck railing and fanned myself. “Out with it or I’m going to tell you I don’t care about it at all and brush by you into the house. And then you’ll be sitting out here gloating to yourself.”
“Okay, I will be quick on the matter. I have conquered ye, Kaitlyn Campbell, ye are with bairn.”
“What the — what? Bairn — a baby? What? You think I’m pregnant?”
“Aye tis verra clear.”
My hand reflexively went to my stomach. “Magnus are you calling me fat?”
“I am calling ye pregnant.” His eyes twinkled even more.
“I am on the pill, I’ll have you know.”
“That wee pill ye take in the mornin'? Apparently twas nae match for my great manliness.” He sprawled back in the chair and even gave a small gesture to his lap. “I have gotten ye with child.” His grin, I hardly thought possible, even wider.
“Well, it’s not true. I think I would know. It is my body after all. I don’t know why you would think you’d know before me.”
Magnus picked up a towel and scrubbed it up and down on his face. It was getting very hot out here, the cool morning switching to the high heat of the noonday sun. “I ken it because tis verra plain. Remember two nights ago when ye were randy and climbed on me in the night, astride, and galloped along at a quick, brazen pace?”
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