Reckoning (Book 4 of Lost Highlander series)

by Cassidy Cayman

  “I loved him so much.” She pressed her hands into her chest to try to stop the ache. “I’ll never see him again,” she said, believing it for the first time.

  Instead of killing her instantly, she only felt cold and empty. But not alone. As long as Daria lived within her, she’d never be alone. And as long as Daria lived within her, she was dangerous to the ones she loved. Rose was her only option. She didn’t deserve anyone else.

  “Did he love ye as well?” Rose asked quietly.

  The pain came back in a rush. “He did,” she said. “I know he did. He shouldn’t have.”

  “My John loved me too. I came back and found him dying on the mill floor, his throat cut, barely a breath left in him. Do ye know what that meant?” Piper shook her head and Rose continued. “She waited. She couldn’t get me when I left the land, but she waited. I think she could feel the moment I returned. That’s how quick she was. When I was no longer fun for her, she went after ye.”

  Piper jumped at that, and turned to see Rose’s gimlet stare trained on her. “What do you mean?” she asked, every fiber in her body wrenching with dread.

  “She made me write the letter telling my mother to leave the property to ye. Everything that came after? That was her doing.”

  Piper’s thoughts raced backward. None of what Rose said made sense. “That can’t be right. It was a mistake that she sent Brian so far forward in the first place. She never meant—” her head felt fuzzy and she pressed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets.

  “Oh, dear child,” Rose said pityingly. “It gets so much worse, and I only want to spare ye. I had a false sense of confidence, being out of her reach for so long. Then I came back, and watched John die. I can still hear his last gasp. Did ye have to see your man go?”

  Piper put her head on her knees. What had happened to Lachlan? She prayed it was quick and painless. Though it was a battle, she knew beyond all doubt that it had been orchestrated by Daria. The very twisting of history to make it happen had been all her doing. And Piper had helped, stupidly and eagerly chasing around in time, doing spells she didn’t understand, trying to be someone strong. Someone she wasn’t. How Daria must have laughed. She was probably laughing now, deep inside her.

  “I just want her out,” she choked, clawing at her bodice.

  The very air in her lungs felt foul, and each ragged breath she took caused her greater anguish. Everything that kept her alive, kept Daria alive.

  Rose patted her back while she cried into her knees. “I know, lass. Because ye’re a good child and dinna hold with evil. We’ll get her out of ye, and then ye shall be at peace.”

  Piper rolled onto her side and curled into a ball, feeling the cold ground seep through her dress.

  “I know ye want to be at peace, aye?” Rose asked, taking her shawl off and tossing it over Piper’s shoulders. “Ye know what is important.”

  Piper nodded and pulled the shawl around her face. “I just want her out,” she repeated.

  Chapter 15

  “No,” Sam said, standing up. Evelyn had never seen him so livid and stepped back. “You can’t go.”

  “But, Sam,” she said. “Piper’s in danger. It’s not just me being suspicious, we have proof from Edgar.”

  “You’re going to leave Mags? And me? You’re doing the exact same thing that made you dislike Rose. You’re leaving your family.”

  She recoiled at his harsh words, feeling torn to shreds. She was sorry she’d been so judgemental of Rose, now that she was faced with a similar choice. She squeezed her eyes shut to block out his hurt face.

  “I’ll be back,” she said, wishing she had a better argument, a guarantee that she wasn’t being exactly like Rose. The thought of leaving Magnus for even a few days was like a razor blade slicing her heart, but she couldn’t abandon Piper.

  “I have to,” she whispered, flinching when Sam slammed his fist into the table.

  Lachlan stepped forward and placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder. He stood there fuming but didn’t throw it off.

  “I shall bring her back in two days,” he said solemnly. “Ye have my word I shall keep her safe. Whether or not we find Piper, I shall return her to ye.”

  Evelyn looked up, ready to protest the measly two days. Sam and Lachlan’s steely faces made her nod her head meekly instead. They would just have to find her fast.

  “Two days,” Sam said, pulling her close. She grabbed onto him, realizing all at once how scared she was. “You know I love Piper, but you come back in two days, with or without her, right?”

  She nodded sadly into his shoulder, then peeked at Lachlan.

  With a single nod he said, “I’ll bring ye back, Evelyn, but rest easy I shall never stop looking for her.”

  “Okay,” she said, still clinging to Sam. “But we’ll find her. Edgar’s just a spooked old man. Rose is her grandmother, for goodness sake.”

  Evelyn called Padma and begged her to find her a dress and something for Lachlan since he wouldn’t be able to wear either his modern clothes or his kilt, then went to pack anything she could think of that might come in handy but wouldn’t mess up history if she lost it.

  She had to believe the allotted two days would be enough, but she also knew she’d be damned before she let Lachlan drag her back here without Piper.

  Padma came to the front door, shoved the box of clothing at her and left, shaking her head and muttering about nutter historical re-enactors and their fancy dress emergencies at all hours of the day and night. Evelyn yelled her thanks, promising to make it up to her, relieved she hadn’t stayed to ask questions.

  Saying goodbye to Magnus was harder than she thought it would be. Sam refused to let him go anywhere near where they would be leaving from, in case he got caught up in the spell. Having been stolen away and forced to become an infant time traveler, they worried he might be more susceptible. She had to kiss and hug him at the castle, before she and Lachlan set out for a safe spot closer to the village.

  “Ye can always stay behind,” Lachlan reminded her as she boo-hooed into her son’s sweet smelling, downy head.

  She couldn’t look at Sam as she kissed him goodbye, forcing herself to walk away and get in the car. She caught a glimpse of him standing in the driveway holding Magnus and almost couldn’t see to drive.

  “Why are ye doing this?” Lachlan asked when she’d downgraded from sobbing to sniveling.

  She wiped her face on her sleeve and took the tissue Lachlan offered her to blow her nose. “Because Piper would do it for me. She did do it for me, when Daria took Mags.”

  “I shall return ye safely to your son,” he said, ever the stern Highland warrior.

  She laughed, shaking off the last of her melancholy to get into fight mode. “I know you will,” she said, taking a deep breath, only to have it cut off halfway by her corset. “God, I hate eighteenth century clothes.”

  She wriggled in the seat, trying to get comfortable in the many layers and keep her stays from stabbing her in the ribs. Lachlan looked magnificent in his tan trousers and dark green waistcoat. He’d complained about the odd cut and seemingly excessive trim on his jacket, but she and Sam had showed him pictures to prove that was what men wore in that time. Because of his great size, the jacket hugged his wide shoulders. She couldn’t wait until Piper saw him. That was going to be the best reaction of all.

  She parked the car in a scenic overlook space where Sam could pick it up the next day. Grabbing an old receipt off the floor, she drew a heart on the back and wrote that she would see him soon, then left it in the middle of the driver’s seat.

  They went a short distance into the woods. Lachlan stopped arbitrarily at a small clearing and squatted down, pulling out his herbs and a knife.

  “I hope it works for me,” she said. The herbal spell hadn’t worked for Piper the first time she tried it, and Evelyn feared she’d be forced to stay behind.

  Lachlan concentrated on grinding the dried plants. “I believe ye shall have no troubles,” he sai
d, then leaned back on his heels to look at her. “I do believe that it is tied to the land, but I also think it’s something that one gets better at, much like swordplay. Ye dinna want to know how many times I failed before I succeeded.”

  Evelyn digested this information, always eager to learn as much as she could. “Do you think that’s all there is to it? Practice?”

  He shrugged and continued grinding. “Aye, it takes practice to continue and to have any control over it, but I dinna have a clue what allowed it in the first place. Magic surely, but is it only the land, bloodlines, a combination? We are much alike in that we were both unwitting in our first time to travel.”

  Evelyn nodded, remembering waking up in the barn in 1729, completely clueless as to how it had happened. “Well, I’m glad you’re good at it now,” she said.

  He grinned at her cheekily. “I am quite good at it now,” he agreed. “Especially with the letter ye brought to act as a guide for the time. I’ll hold onto that, and do the spell. Ye must focus all your thoughts on Piper.”

  Evelyn slipped the beaded bracelet she’d taken from Piper’s room onto her wrist, and hoped it would help get them to the time where she currently was. Lachlan didn’t think it would hurt to have as many guides as possible.

  With her breath growing short and her heart skipping beats all over the place, Lachlan neatly sliced his arm over the herbs, then pricked her finger. She ignored his apologetic look and squeezed a few drops over the pile. When he nodded that it was time, she locked arms with him and closed her eyes, listening to the strange words he spoke and trying not to throw up.

  She opened her eyes to see a shrub inches from her face, and hear birds chittering above her head. With Lachlan no longer firmly at her side, she rolled over and darted to her feet, staggering under a sudden onslaught of dizziness. A strong hand clamped around her wrist to steady her.

  “We’ve arrived, lass,” he said.

  She instantly relaxed at his voice, then panicked for a moment at his words. They’d made it.

  “Are you sure?” she asked. Not having paid too much attention to her surroundings when they’d hiked in, she didn’t notice if anything was really different.

  “Fairly sure,” he said. “Shall we go?” He pulled at her arm, then looked apologetic again. “Do ye need a moment to recover? I forget it can be a difficult transition at first.”

  She took stock of herself, and except for the remaining bit of dizziness, felt fine. She was as impatient as him to find Piper. “I’m fine. We should find the mill. That’s where John and Rose used to live the first time she went back. Maybe they still do.”

  Lachlan looked around and headed assuredly toward the river. She hurried after him, not daring to think too far ahead. She was surprised at the mill, and wondered what had happened to it, since it was little more than a foundation in the present day. It looked as picturesque as a postcard, and the cottage a short way down river from it was just as charming.

  Lachlan stopped and made the decision to head toward the house. “Ye best stay back,” he suggested, patting the knife at his belt.

  He strode to the door and knocked while she waited at the edge of the yard, twisting her apron in her hands and imagining the worst.

  When no one answered his pounding, he circled the house, looking in the windows, then motioned for her to join him. “No one is home,” he said needlessly. “To the mill?”

  He took off toward the mill without waiting for her answer and she tried to keep up, her confidence taking a dive to see how anxious he was. When they found out neither Piper nor Rose were at the mill, disappointment gnawed at her. It wasn’t going to be a quick recon mission after all. Lachlan’s face showed he was equally disheartened, but he quickly regained his resolve.

  “The village?” she asked.

  They followed the river until they came to the town road. She saw the church spire at the top of the high street, and could already tell how different things were from how she knew them. It was midafternoon and the place would be bustling with people going about their daily business.

  She knew the clothes Padma brought them from the museum were accurate, but she didn’t want to have to interact with people from this time. Foolishly counting on Piper being at the mill, she hadn’t wanted to waste time putting her hair up in an authentic style and it was in a plain modern ponytail. She had her running shoes on, hidden beneath her gown when she stood, but if she had to sit, someone might catch a glimpse of them. She was certain her face screamed twenty-first century. Everything about her was wrong.

  “Ye’ll do fine,” he said, sensing her unease. “I am no’ from this time either. I dinna think people notice as much as we fear. Just keep your eyes downcast and dinna speak unless ye must.” When she groaned, he laughed shortly. “I verra much like your time better as well.”

  She was pleased to hear that, hoping he’d choose to stay in their time instead of convincing Piper to return to his time with him. She reminded herself they had to find Piper first, and to stop putting the cart before the horse.

  They made their way up the street to the inn. Lachlan thought it would be a good idea to have accommodations in case they needed to continue their search the next day. Not wanting to spend the night in the woods, Evelyn agreed and waited in the public area while he haggled with the innkeeper for two rooms.

  The dining area was large, with a bar that ran the length of one wall. There were about a dozen people either sitting at tables eating a meal, or gathered around the bar with drinks in their hands. Another group of men stood in a huddle by the fireplace, talking to each other and laughing. Evelyn slunk to the corner of the room and stood there, trying to be invisible. A barmaid asked her if she’d like anything and she said no, afraid to even add a thank you and be targeted for her strange accent.

  A man passed her, giving her a sidelong look as he did, then turned around and looked her over more closely. Dear lord, was he going to hit on her? Her first instinct was to run, but she forced herself to keep her eyes down, watching him with her peripheral vision, willing Lachlan to return before he decided to strike up a conversation. The man was tall, almost as tall as Lachlan, but not as massive, and not nearly as threatening looking.

  Calm down, she ordered herself, accidentally glancing at him. Terrifyingly, he was staring straight at her, and their eyes met before she could assume her shy, maidenly pose once more.

  He took her arm and pulled her a few steps away from the others. “You’re not from around here, are you?” he asked, his accent faint, not a thick Highland brogue.

  Evelyn looked into his clear silver grey eyes. They were direct, almost accusatory, as they fluttered quickly over her attire and back up to her face.

  “Uh, no,” she said, glancing around her. Surely she was safe in this crowd? The man unnerved her with the urgent way he spoke and how he kept glancing at his pocket watch, his gaze never gone long from her face. “I’m from the, er, colonies.” She swallowed hard, hoping the sweat she felt popping out on her forehead wasn’t too visible.

  He shook his head and continued to stare at her with those piercing eyes. “No,” he said succinctly. “I mean you aren’t from around here.” Once again he darted a look at his watch. When he raised his brows meaningfully at her, her mouth fell open and she pushed him a few feet further away from the others.

  “Wait,” she sputtered. “You don’t mean?” She dropped her voice to a barely audible hiss. “Do you mean I’m not from this time?” Her heart was trying its level best to burst through her damn corset. She longed to yank at her bodice, but settled for waving her hands in front of her face. “How did you know that?” she asked when he continued to look at her expectantly.

  He took out his pocket watch again and frowned at it. “You’ve come after the other woman, correct?” he asked.

  “Piper? You’ve seen her?”

  He held out his hand at Piper’s height. “Wee lass with unfashionably short hair? Aye, I’ve seen her.”

  “Whe
re is she? Is she all right?” Evelyn looked around for a place to sit down.

  Even in normal, non-suffocating clothes, she would have felt woozy at meeting someone who knew on sight that she was from another time, and then didn’t seem phased by it. Was he from another time as well? She opened her mouth to ask him the first of about a dozen questions trying to jostle their way from her brain.

  “They’re trying her for witchcraft tomorrow afternoon,” he said. “Which in this place, means convicting her of witchcraft tomorrow afternoon. She’ll be drowned shortly after. I wanted to try to help, but I just won’t have time.” He looked down at his infernal timepiece again and then offered her an apologetic grimace. Who the hell was this man?

  “Witchcraft? Won’t have time? What— who—” she blinked and grasped at his arm.

  “I’m terribly sorry, really,” he said, pulling out of her grip and walking quickly away.

  Evelyn knew she couldn’t wrap her mind around anything the man had said, if she had heard him correctly, or if he was even there at all. How could he drop multiple bombshells on her like that, then just scurry off as if he were late to tea?

  She ran after him, seeing his coat tails billow behind him as he rushed around the corner to the back exit of the pub. He didn’t take the exit, but instead turned into a small hallway behind the stairwell. If there was a room back there, she would trap him in it until he answered her many questions.

  When she got to the back of the hall and turned to look behind the stairs, all she saw was a tiny corner nook, empty save a broom leaning against the chipped plaster wall. She stepped in and felt around for a doorway or a passage. The air felt cool and she shivered. There was nothing. The man had simply disappeared.

  She stumbled back to the main area and made her way to a seat. Lachlan found her, his face falling at the sight of her.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  Too flummoxed by what had just happened, she waved her hand toward the back of the pub. “There was a man,” she managed.