Celtic Knot

by Shannon MacLeod

  After grabbing some chicken-fried rice, they drove back to Lily’s apartment. “I figured if I couldn’t breathe in them, they’d fit you,” Beth joked. Lily had always been on the slender side but at five-six matched Beth in height if not in weight.

  The gathered costume skirts were elegant and Lily chose two for the weekend, one in deep burgundy and the other one a smoky indigo. “This outfit rocks,” she said, giving the gauzy skirt an experimental twirl. The off-the-shoulder peasant blouse was a little more daring than she was accustomed to, and when she laced up the matching vest that caught her just under the breasts, pushing them up…wow. Just. Wow.

  “Those vests are like the old song Rawhide–head ’em up and move ’em out,” Beth said between giggles.

  Lily practiced her curtsey, getting more and more excited about Friday night. “I’m glad the skirts are adjustable, I’m a little…puffy right now,” she said, admiring her reflection. “The new pills are making my periods more regular, though.”

  “I’m telling you–it’s stress. I blame Lucas, the root of all evil. No,” Beth said when Lily opened her mouth to protest, “I promise I’m not going to say another disparaging word about him…tonight.” She smiled. “Here’s the coup de grace. Try this on.”

  Whipping it out of the plastic bag with a magician’s flourish, Beth handed Lily the large mound of curls. Lily dutifully piled her hair under the heavy wig and slipped it on. Both women gasped aloud at the immediate and profound change. Before she’d had a bright crown of straight blond hair. Now a black mass of wild, untamed tresses curled beguilingly around her shoulders and fell nearly to her waist in the back.

  “Wow. All you need is some dark red lipstick and you are set,” Beth said, giving her a nod of approval. “You still need a name, though. You look like something out of an old gothic movie with that hair.” She looked thoughtful. “Pale white skin, hair black as a raven’s wing.”

  “Perfecto,” said Lily, snapping her fingers. “Raven.”

  * * * *

  The brilliant light was just ahead and when she drew closer, she realized it wasn’t a light at all, but a clearing. From the edge of the trees, a beautiful verdant meadow covered in sweet smelling wildflowers lay before her, tall grass swaying in the gentle breeze.

  And she was not alone.

  A tall and muscular man stood in the field, his back to her., His long auburn curls tossed about him in the light breeze. On his right hand he wore a single leather gauntlet, the jesses dangling loose from his wrist. Looking upward into the cloudless sky, he raised his arm and a majestic hawk landed upon it. He stroked the bird with a gentle touch then flung his arm up, allowing it to fly free. The raptor circled the field twice, landed again and again was released. Lily called to the falconer, but he either did not or could not hear her. Creeping out of the shadows of the trees, she moved into the sunlight, calling to him. As she inched closer, he turned slightly, as if he had heard something behind him.The bird’s distant cries became louder, more strident, more…rhythmic?

  * * * *

  “Damn clock!” Lily howled in frustration at having been awakened at such a crucial moment and smacked the top of the digital alarm to make the clamorous racket stop. With a heavy sigh, she reached into the satin bag and pulled a card for the day. Ace of Cups, beginnings of…love? She snatched up the phone and called Beth. “Do you remember my reoccurring dream?”

  “The scary one?” Beth asked.

  “That’s it. I had it again last night, but something’s changed. I saw…someone.”

  For once Beth listened without comment while Lily described her dream. “You didn’t see his face?” she asked.

  “Nope. What I did see was pretty nice, though,” Lily added remembering the rear view of the tight fitting pants the man had been wearing.

  “Well, I am shocked. You’re supposed to be analyzing your dream and all you’re doing is looking at the guy’s ass,” Beth scolded. “Do you think this is somebody you’re supposed to meet? And even more important, was it a nice ass?”

  “I don’t know what I’m thinking and yes, it was nice,” she answered truthfully. She stretched again as the cat hopped up on the bed and presented her tummy for a rub. “Bella doesn’t like Lucas at all.”

  “Failing the cat test is a deal breaker, you know. It’s in the Witches Handbook. Chapter four, section eight, paragraph two-a…” She paused then continued in a more sober tone. “What do you want to bet if you do marry him he makes you get rid of her?”

  “He wouldn’t dare. He knows how much I love my Bella girl,” she cooed, scratching the happy cat under the chin.

  “I doubt he’ll even care. You’re headed for a Me or the Cat showdown and cats always trump. Anyway, there’s no way in hell he’ll let her sleep with the two of you,” Beth assured her. “Pretty soon you’ll be taking your ring off.”

  With the heat burning in her cheeks, Lily glanced down at the small silver abstinence ring on her right hand. At the tender age of thirteen, she and Beth had taken the pledge at her parent’s church to wait to have sex until they were truly in love. The vow used to say marriage, but even the church was getting realistic about raging teenage hormones and decided getting them to wait at all was a step in the right direction. Lucas got his after he met Lily three years later and still wore it. Lily took her vow seriously, but she often wondered if Lucas did the same.

  * * * *

  On Friday, the Bell Insurance Agency closed at four PM, giving Lily just enough time to run home and change into her costume before Beth arrived to drive them to the Castle. When they pulled into the employee’s parking lot in Beth’s aging sedan, Lily gasped at the already manic activity. “Just look at all the people dressed up. Wow–they’ve got horses here now? Are those turkey legs? Look at all this stuff, this is amazing!”

  “Come on.” Beth laughed, bustling her way through the growing crowd and street vendors, dragging Lily, gaping, behind her.

  At the gypsy tent, Beth suggested Lily watch her read for a couple of patrons, mini three-card readings about ten minutes long each. She became more and more confident as she watched, so when Beth stood up and offered Lily her chair, she didn’t hesitate.

  About an hour later, Lily had just finished a reading when Lucas strolled in. A handsome man in his mid-twenties, his short blond hair was stylishly spiked and still smelled faintly of its recent frosting. Clad in Dockers, a polo shirt, and an unmistakable look of disapproval, he glanced around the tent. His gaze landed on Beth and his upper lip curled in distaste. Eyes of ice blue flickered over Lily then peered past her, still searching. Amused, Lily watched him for a moment before she spoke.

  “Came to check out the park?” she asked sweetly.

  Lucas stared at her, then up and down at her outfit and hair. His laughter was harsh. “You gotta be kidding me. Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look?”

  Lily felt her happy balloon suddenly deflate. Struggling to keep her face impassive, she picked an imaginary piece of lint from her skirt. “No, but I’m sure you’ll enlighten me,” she said.

  At her sudden change of tone, he reconsidered his hasty words. “It’s just…I don’t know…these people around here, all dressed up in these stupid outfits. It’s like kid stuff, you know?”

  Lily lifted her chin a little in defiance. “Just because you don’t like it doesn’t make it either stupid or ridiculous. You paint your face when you watch college football on TV, so I don’t think you’re one to judge.” She smoothed the front of her skirt. “I love dressing up like this. It’s like being a part of history.”

  Lucas waved a hand. “Whatever. I’m not going to hang out here in Fantasyland, though,” he said with a snort. “Later.” Without another word, he spun on his heel and stalked out of the tent.

  Lily shuddered and glanced at Beth, who was busy with an obviously enamored young couple, entwined and piled onto one small chair. The other reader, jovial thirty-something Esmeralda, sat at another table swinging her foot while she wai
ted for another guest to come in.

  The air in the tent grew suddenly stuffy and constrictive. Lily caught Beth’s eye, pointing to the tent entrance and her friend nodded, giving her a warm, reassuring smile. Once outside, Lily gulped in several steadying breaths of the cool evening breeze. After a few moments of watching the guests come and go, she turned to go back to her table but stopped when she caught a glimpse of something white and fluffy moving out of the corner of her eye. Every nerve in her body tingled as deja vu swept over her.

  He was standing right there, on the other side of the street.

  She had a vague sense of her mouth hanging open. It’s him, the guy from my dream, it has to be, she thought with a shiver of…of what? Anticipation? You’re getting all worked up over nothing, she chided herself, but still struggling to draw a decent breath, she just couldn’t shake the feeling something…momentous…was about to happen.

  Topping six feet by several inches, he stood with his back to her, his lion’s mane of auburn curls ruffling in the light breeze. His long muscular legs were encased in black form-hugging pants with nary a wrinkle in sight just like the Highwayman poem, even where they disappeared into his thigh high leather boots. The fluffy attention getter was the feather plume adorning his cavalier hat, bobbing animatedly as he talked with a young man of similar height and garb, whose blond locks reached below his collar. When the other man raised his hand in parting, Lily tried to slip back inside the tent, but couldn’t will her feet or legs to move. He’s going to see me standing here staring at him like a lunatic, she thought frantically, but remained rooted to the spot, frozen and transfixed. Her heart raced with both fear and excitement. She glared down at her shoes as if trying to scare her feet into moving, but that didn’t work either.

  To her horror, those buttery soft black boots came to a stop directly in front of her, and she slowly raised her eyes to gaze at the man standing before her. Those tight pants laced up the sides and were paired with a sleeveless black leather doublet and white poet’s shirt, open at the collar. Lily raised her gaze further to look into his face, and was mesmerized by what she saw. He was devastatingly handsome, no doubt about it–chiseled jaw, high cheekbones and sinful, sensual lips. When he smiled at her, his even white teeth flashed against sun kissed skin. But his eyes…they were an impossibly dark shade of emerald green and as they stood there looking at each other she fell deeper and deeper into them.

  He removed his hat and reaching for her hand bowed low over it, brushing his lips over her fingertips. She gasped at the jolt of electricity that blazed the length of her body at the contact. He released her hand with a gentle squeeze and when he turned to go, she spied the mystic Celtic touchstone suspended on a leather thong around his neck. When she saw the painted image on the ceramic medallion, her breath froze in her chest.

  It was a hawk.

  * * * *

  “Are you sure you’re well enough to ride?” Meghan fretted. “You’re pale as a ghost.” She turned to Dan for confirmation, who gave a noncommittal shrug as he struggled into his Henry VIII doublet.

  Ian nodded slowly. “I’m fine, Megs.” He had been on his way up to the office, when Renaud stopped him to ask about something, but what, he couldn’t remember. He scratched his head in consternation. All he remembered was turning around and seeing the new girl standing outside the tent. She drew him like a lodestone and he’d crossed the street to get a closer look. Even with the black wig, her fragile beauty took away his breath and with it the gift of speech. I couldn’t even get the words out just to say hello to her, he thought miserably. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall every detail of her exquisite heart-shaped face–flawless skin, full lips, high cheekbones, the slightly upturned nose…and her eyes. Deep blue-gray eyes that seemed so familiar, eyes he would very much enjoy watching close in pleasure as he bent his head to hers…

  “…could ride the black since Renaud is on the…”

  Ian snapped out of his reverie in time to roll his eyes at the petite redhead. “I can ride. I’m not tilting, I’m just carrying the standard. Quit your worrying, already.” He glanced at the office clock and grimaced. “I need to tack up. I’ll see you both over there.” Without another word, he left the office and stalked toward the stables.

  * * * *

  Lily watched the man disappear in the crowd with lips parted in awe and incapable of rational thought. When she turned to go back inside, she ran headlong into Beth and Esmeralda, who stood behind her staring after him too.

  “Who was that?” Beth asked, blinking.

  “I’ve seen him here with Dan and the blond guy before,” Esmeralda offered.

  With a tremulous smile, Lily stepped around the other girls to go back inside but Beth grabbed her arm, preventing her escape. “Oh no, you don’t. What’s his name? What did he say to you? Did he ask you out? Are you going to have his children? Enquiring minds want to know,” she demanded.

  “He didn’t say anything.” Lily sighed.

  Beth narrowed her eyes. “Nothing?”

  “Nope.”

  “Damn.”

  It’s just as well, Lily thought. Anything I said would have embarrassed me anyway. Those were without a doubt the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. With one last glance in the direction he had disappeared, she turned and went back inside.

  It was after work before her heart rate returned to normal. When she settled down into bed with Bella, sleep claimed her instantly and she did not dream.

  3

  Lily’s phone rang before eight on Saturday morning, and she groaned aloud when she caught sight of the caller ID. “Morning, Lucas. It’s awful early, don’t you think?”

  “I got to bed at a reasonable hour last night,” he chided. “Need you to come in today. I’m going over commission statements.”

  Lily’s silent internal tantrum went on for a long moment before she gave up. “I’ll be down there quick as I can.”

  Damn, damn, damn, she groused, yanking her hair into a loose ponytail and throwing on a pair of faded jeans. She selected her favorite Horizon World Domination Tour t-shirt out of sheer pique, knowing how much Lucas disliked the loud and rowdy rock band.

  They worked together in silence, but around one, Lucas suggested they break for lunch at the barbeque place next door. He wolfed his food down then helped himself to Lily’s plate, taking what she didn’t finish. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” he began. “The old man is finally handing over the agency to me and we need to start thinking about the future.”

  Lily froze. The pulled pork sandwich she had eaten became a lead weight in her stomach.

  “I want you to have your producer license before we get married…”

  Lily remembered the earlier discussion between her and Beth and decided to test the waters. “What about Bella?” she asked.

  “Who?”

  “Bella. My cat,” she reminded him.

  Lucas looked as if he had just smelled something bad and shrugged. “There’s no reason why she can’t stay outside, I guess. I don’t want her in my house, though.”

  “Bella’s not staying outside. She’s an indoor cat,” Lily said firmly. “That point isn’t negotiable.”

  “I bet she sleeps with you, doesn’t she?” he said, helping himself to the last roll. “Well, you won’t need the cat anymore because you’ll have me to snuggle up next to. I hope you don’t mind me saying it, but I’m looking forward to our wedding night.” He took her hand, smiling down at her abstinence ring. “I’m glad we decided to wait for each other.”

  His eyes are so…flat looking. Lifeless. Not like those beautiful emerald eyes…Lily started in surprise, wondering what had elicited the stray thought. She plastered a smile on her face and pulled her hand back as soon as politeness allowed. “We should probably get back,” she said.

  Looking startled by her abrupt change of mood, he waved for the check. Lily dug around in her purse for some cash, knowing he expected her to chip in. And he’ll keep that receipt
to write off lunch even though you’re paying half, her inner voice grumbled. They walked in silence back to the office and once again tackled the bookkeeping. After an hour, Lucas spoke up. “Why don’t you pick up a pizza and come over later?”

  “I can’t,” Lily said carefully. “I’m working tonight and it wouldn’t be fair to them to call in this late in the day.”

  “Whatever,” he snapped. “Nice to see your priorities are in order.”

  His lips pressed together in palpable annoyance, and when she left at four, he never even looked up.

  The evening got off to a slow start but Lily didn’t even notice it had gotten dark until Esmeralda gave her a nudge. “Why don’t you take a break, stretch your legs,” the older woman suggested. Lily had been dying to explore a little when the park was open and a slow night seemed the perfect opportunity to meander the spider web of streets.

  You’re looking for him, her little voice accused.

  “No, I’m not,” she insisted, wandering down street after street and browsing the myriad of goods for sale. More than once she stopped to pose with park patrons eager to have their photo taken with someone in authentic costume. She was nearly at the opposite end of the park before she finally admitted to herself that yes, she was looking for him. And no, she hadn’t seen him. Damn. I wonder if…

  “Can you tell us where the list field is?” Two college-aged men asked, snapping her out of her daydreams.

  The pungent aroma of ale hit her as soon as they spoke. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, she pointed in the general direction of the center of the park. Having imparted the requested information, she continued on her path but it wasn’t long before she realized she was lost. Her current darkened location was the incomplete new section, closed to the public. I had no idea the Castle was this big, she thought, turning to go back the way she came.

  Those same two young men followed her on unsteady legs, the taller of the two staring openly at the plunging neckline of her blouse. “Hey, fair maiden. Out here all by yourself?” the other leered.