“I don’t know how that door to the study ended up being closed, but I am very appreciative that it was.”
At the lifting of one corner of his mouth, Skye smirked and continued on her way.
After stopping at the cludgie to clean up and catch her breath, she entered Anna’s bedroom determined to get her body under control and enjoy herself, succeeding until there was a shuffling at the door and voices.
Opening the door, they all looked at the young boy standing there fidgeting with his head down, Keir smiling next to him.
“Brian?” Skye asked.
“Aye.”
“What is it, lad?” Elizabeth asked when he didn’t explain himself.
“Well . . .” He stuttered to a stop.
Skye motioned him over, took his hand, and smiled. “We can’t read minds, Brian, so you’ll have to tell us what you need.”
“Tis rainin, ye see?” He went on in a rush. “An I was chosen to ask if ye had any games we could play inside.”
“Is that right?” Skye stood and faced the other women. “Well, ladies, it seems as if my break is over. Off to work I go.”
She grinned at the two women, who smiled their understanding, and took Brian by the hand before heading downstairs.
Aiden and Collin stood at the study door, perplexed as to why there was a group of children at the base of the stairs when they heard a cheerful voice.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Upon seeing Skye, the children started talking at once.
“Alrighty then.” Laughing, she held up her arms to quiet them. “Entertainment is needed, I get that. So what will it be? Shall we play a game, or do you want me to tell you a story?”
The children’s voices raised in their excitement as they each made their thoughts known, trying to out-voice the other.
“Okay, okay! Seems as you all are a bit too rambunctious for a story so let’s start with a game and go from there, shall we?”
When she asked where they could play without interrupting the adults, Skye found herself immediately surrounded by the lot, a hand taken by the two littlest ones, and led away.
As Aiden watched in awed silence, he began to wonder how his world had become turned upside down so easily.
It wasn’t until he heard Collin chuckling that he remembered he wasn’t alone and glared at his friend, cursing when that only made the man laugh harder.
* * *
“We need to get rid of her.” Riona shrieked.
Finley glared at his sister as she went on a tirade about the English girl.
“An ye need to keep yer voice down, sister mine.” He stressed the accent in a furious whisper.
Hissing between gritted teeth, Riona cleared her throat and continued.
“She came out of Aiden’s den all askew, an the door had been closed, her guard defendin it like it was full of treasure. Then Aiden refused to talk to me, made some excuse, then ushered me out.”
“Ye need to calm down before ye get a wrinkle from frownin so.”
Riona twirled around, angry with her brother before catching herself and clearing her features. “Ye sit there as if ye have nary a care in the world. Do ye no ken that if he marries her all our plans were for naught?”
Finley’s calm exterior turned cold. “I ken, sister, I ken. However, as ye stomp around in a huff, I have come up with a plan an have someone workin on it now.”
Riona’s eyes widened and she clapped her hands with glee. “Tell me of this plan, brother.”
* * *
Gladys put her book of spells down when Doug and Sarah came through the door, immediately feeling the tension.
“How did the ultrasound go, m’dear? You were gone longer than expected. Did you go out for lunch?”
Doug guided his wife to a chair before turning to Gladys. “The heartbeat stopped for a little bit.”
“Dear heavens.”
“The doctor doesn’t know what caused it.” Sarah whispered. “He wants me to go in for more tests.”
“Oh no.” Gladys covered her mouth with a trembling hand.
“Tell her the rest, Doug.”
Doug sighed before continuing. “I passed out as it happened. The nurse just thought it was from anxiety but when they checked my pulse there was none.”
“It’s my fault. If I hadn’t used magic, Skye would be here and everything would be fine.” Gladys lamented.
They sat in silence, each lost to their own worries.
“Skye will be contacting me in the morning. I suggest we think of a way to get her back by then.” Sarah said with determination, one hand caressing her belly the other holding tightly to Doug.
* * *
Once again, Skye forgot about lunch while playing with the children and, as a parent carried the last child away, she headed for the kitchen.
“Think they will take pity and feed us, Keir?”
Before he could answer, they saw Elizabeth standing on the last step lost in thought, her features pensive.
“What is it, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth broke out of her thoughts to look at Skye.
She stood undecided for a moment before sighing. “Tis Anna. She had some terrible cramping.”
“Oh no.” Skye made to go up the stairs. “Is she and the baby okay?”
“She’s fine. So is the baby.” Elizabeth stopped her. “Collin is with her and wants time alone.”
Skye looked up the stairs, every nerve ending pushing her to go to Anna and help.
“The midwife says that Anna must stay completely bedridden until tis time for her to deliver.”
Skye took a deep breath. “I can help.”
Elizabeth patted her hand.
“Yes, dear, but we need to let Anna rest now.” Then she walked away distracted.
Skye looked back up the stairs and then to Keir. “I can help.”
“Aye, lass, but ye heard the mistress. Let her rest.” He steered her towards the kitchen.
Skye sat at the long table in the kitchen, pushing the food on her plate around, feeling torn in two.
Keir finally pulled her from the room so they could get supper served without her in the way.
Bringing her plate with her, Skye entered the dining hall and sat down noticing the empty chairs at the head table and the somberness of the room.
Other than a few murmurs, no one seemed to want to break the mood.
Having no desire to eat and tired of the way Finley and Riona kept looking at her, Skye left the hall and grabbed two candles before heading to bed with her decision made.
She could not leave knowing she might be able to save a life and was going to tell Sarah that she needed to stay a little longer before coming home.
That stopped her in her tracks.
Did she trust her standing in this place to take care of Anna and the baby and then be able to go home?
She couldn’t help the doubts she was having. Being out of her element, let alone her own time, made her feel vulnerable in ways she couldn’t explain. There was a very real possibility that they were a superstitious lot and feared what she could do to them.
In her own time, people feared the unknown and Skye could only imagine how much worse it was here.
Maybe she could do it without anyone’s knowledge.
The door was always open when she was in the room but the guard never looked so, as long as there was nothing to attract his attention, she should be all right.
She continued walking as she played with her father’s ring, her step slow as she considered all aspects. The hardest part was being able to concentrate without others becoming worried at her silence. It wasn’t like she couldn’t talk but she needed to be able to see without distractions so she wouldn’t miss anything vital.
There was also the possibility that she could do it while alone with Anna. Could she trust the girl to keep it to herself if she told her what she could do?
Growling in frustration, she entered her bedroom, smiled croo
kedly at the guard who stared at her strangely, and closed her door.
Walking over to the bedside table, she placed her two candles on top, keeping one lit on the stand before calling out to her sister.
They had been waiting for her.
“Good to see this is getting easier.” Skye laughed softly. “So then, what in your original spell got me here?”
“I don’t know.” Gladys admitted. “I created a spell for you to find the man of your destiny and thought your list would help to pinpoint that man. How it sent you to the stone ages I haven’t figured out yet.”
“I suppose that doesn’t matter now since we need to know how to get me back.”
“Exactly.” Sarah piped in. “We went over the original spell and looked at variations to get it reversed with as simple an incantation as possible and believe this will work.”
“That sounds promising.” Skye sighed in relief.
“Are you ready?” Sarah asked.
“No, I can’t come now.”
“What?”
“There’s a young woman here who is pregnant too, Sarah, and it looks like she’s going to lose the baby. I need to help her.”
“Fine, so help her and then cast the spell.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“Believe me when I say we made it simple so it will work. Aunt Gladys and I went over it too many times for it not to.”
“Good, because it has to work the first time or I may be in deep shit.”
“What does that mean?”
“Oh, something called fifteenth century mentality.”
“You have to speak English, Skye. I don’t get what you’re trying to say.” Sarah replied in frustration.
“I don’t know, but something about burning witches at the stake comes to mind.”
“For saving a life?”
She gave them a moment to think about it.
Gladys sighed. “They might start wondering what else she can do. What if she gets mad or someone pisses her off? They may start thinking she would use her powers to harm another.”
There was silence as Skye let her sister digest that information.
“We need you home, Skye.”
“I know, Sarah, I . . .” Then it hit her on how her sister had spoken, quirking an eyebrow she frowned into the lit candle. “What’s going on?”
More silence.
Before Skye could ask again, her aunt spoke up. “The baby’s heartbeat stopped during the ultrasound. At the same time it happened to Doug.”
Skye’s thoughts went pinging in all directions, all of them centering on ‘at the same time’.
“Has this happened before?”
“We don’t know.” Gladys admitted. “This was the first doctor’s visit Sarah had for an ultrasound or to listen to the baby’s heartbeat.”
“Sarah, you mentioned Doug before too. Was this it? His heart?”
“Yes.” Came the soft reply.
Skye’s heart ached at not being able to remain to save Anna and her unborn child but there really was no choice.
“Okay, no worries. I’m coming home now.”
Skye got off the bed and stood in the center of the small room. She took deep breaths to center herself then said the spell her sister had given her.
“Through time and distance, let me arrive without hindrance.
To right the wrong so I may return to where I belong.”
Skye waited for the queasy feeling but all she got was a moment of blurriness.
Trying once more gave the same results.
Sinking to her knees, she shook her head in disbelief as she stared at the same four walls she’d been in for the last couple of nights.
“Skye?”
“It didn’t work.”
“Where are you?”
Shaking her head in despair, Skye rose to her feet and turned in a circle.
“I’m still here.” She said in disbelief. She sank onto the mattress and looked in the flickering flame. “Dammit.”
Her aunt piped in. “Maybe we should do the spell.”
“Man, I suck as a witch.” Skye whispered.
“Don’t say that, what you can do will save Doug and our baby. Modern medicine doesn’t seem to have a clue and if so they might be too late.”
“I’m sorry. A moment of self-disgust got the better of me. You two go ahead and try.”
She climbed off the bed and stood in the center of the room taking calming breaths as they repeated the spell.
Nothing.
“No way.” Skye ground through clenched teeth.
“Did anything happen, dear? Anything at all?” Gladys asked.
Flopping back on the bed, she clenched her fists, trying to keep herself from making a noise that would draw the attention of the guard.
“A quick moment of blurriness, but that happened when I did it.”
“And what did you feel when I sent you there the other day?”
“I got nauseous and almost blacked out.”
“So we’re on the right track. I just cannot fathom why it is not working. Sarah and I went over the spell with a fine tooth comb, so to speak.”
Closing her eyes as something occurred to her, Skye asked, “Would a fairy circle have anything to do with this?”
“There was a fairy circle? Where? On the other end?” Sarah asked excitedly.
“Ummm, yes. Does that make a difference?”
“It may very well be why you were able to go into the past, child.” Her aunt mused from behind Sarah. “I was wondering how that happened since normally you go from point A to B with no time involved or at least that was my intention with my enchantment. This house is a magical spot in itself, add the fairy circle at the other end, and it makes sense. A portal of sorts I suppose.”
“This is not good. Do you know how far it is?”
“We’ll try to think of something here,” Sarah smiled weakly. “but try to get there if you can and I know that is easier said than done.
“Yes, dear, do try. I’m thinking the spell works because you do feel some of the same things, just not as strong, so being in that circle would give you the added oomph to get you back.”
Feeling hopeless, Skye tried to keep from thinking of the impossible and changed the subject.
“How is Doug doing?”
“He has finally taken some vacation time and is holed up in the spare room looking over his family history. Keeps him busy and his mind off things he has no control over. Which you know is a very difficult thing for that man.” Sarah actually chuckled. “He’s dy—excited to talk to you about the Scotland you are in now.”
Skye heard the change in words and acted as if it had not occurred. “Tell him I’m up for a long night of storytelling.”
They ended the conversation soon after and Skye slipped into bed wondering how in the hell she was going to get back to the fairy circle.
* * *
Skye cracked open the door after Aiden called out for her to enter when she knocked on his study door.
“May I come in?”
“Aye, lass.”
Not daring to look at him, she crossed the room, taking a moment to pat the dogs before standing in front of the desk Aiden sat behind, trying to steady the pounding of her heart.
Having been absent-minded all day, she fretted over how she would say what she needed, waiting for a rare moment like this when Aiden would be alone.
Skye took a deep breath. “Am I a prisoner?”
Aiden straightened and paused in his perusal of her and took in her tight features and the nervous way she played with a ring on her thumb.
“Why do ye ask?”
“I need to go home.”
Aiden ignored the way his gut clenched at her words.
“Ye can go home any time ye wish, just tell me where home be, lass.” He answered carefully.
Glancing up, she saw his face, hard in its intensity and her heart cried out at the wall she was creating.
“I jus
t want to go back to where you found me is all.”
“An do what? Leave ye there?”
“Yes.”
“Do ye ken how dangerous that be?”
Skye searched for an answer while her heart hammered so loud she worried he could hear it.
“I just need to go home. Now.”
“Aye, ye have said so before. What makes it so urgent that ye seek me out now?”
“My sister is pregnant too and the problem with Anna is making me concerned for her.” She couldn’t help wringing her hands as she silently willed him to just let her go. “Please.”
“I need a better answer than that.”
Squaring her shoulders, she forced herself to straighten her spine and hold her head up.
Begging hadn’t worked. Not like she thought it would, but no other option had come to her.
“So I am a prisoner.”
Silence.
“You are keeping me from my family.”
“Tell me who they be an I shall send a missive informin them of yer stay here.”
“I cannot do that, and you know it.”
He stood and placed the palms of his hands on the desk and leaned towards her.
“Nay, I doona ken, but ye will be stayin put til ye can give me answers to the questions I have.”
“I don’t have answers I can give you.” Skye cried out.
As his face cleared of all expression, she gritted her teeth, fighting to hold back the tears, knowing his trust in her had taken a step backwards but she didn’t have any other choice.
“Then this conversation is moot.” His voice was deathly soft.
“I really wish you would reconsider.”
“Doona think of leavin, Skye.” His voice was slow and precise. Its unyieldingness surprisingly made her insides clench in desire. “Ye wouldna get far.”
Aiden watched her walk out of his study, his belly tied in knots. He couldn’t help but wonder why she came to him now with her wish to return home. Although mentioned before, this time it seemed more urgent.
He began to doubt the very instincts he had relied on in battle. There was no help for it. He had too many simple questions she refused to answer.
Now he wondered if she had been here long enough to gather whatever information she needed and was ready to turn that over to someone.
“I saw Skye leave an now here I see ye with a stone mask over yer face. This doesna bear well, I be thinkin.” Collin commented from the doorway.
The Highlander’s Witch Page 9