A Coven of Her own

by Saskia Walker

  She jumped at the sound of Cullen’s voice and looked up to see him coming back into the cave, his hair damp and windswept.

  He stared at her silently for a moment, as if deep in thought, before rejoining her. “Might as well rest up and eat. I’ll check again in a while.”

  Sunny looked at his bag of goodies with curiosity. What would the food be like?

  “Tell me more about the place you are from,” he encouraged and opened up his knapsack to share the food with her.

  He pulled out a bundle wrapped in a cloth and untied it. Inside was a rustic loaf resembling a rock. It looked toothsome, nonetheless, and next to it a hunk of cheese. Intrigued, Sunny took the offering when he broke the bread and cheese in half. It tasted good and Sunny tucked in, realizing she was indeed hungry.

  The wind wailed outside. They huddled together, sharing the meager meal and talking. Gradually, as the day passed, she began to tell him about life in the future, her time, her version of Raven’s Landing and the cottage.

  “So you own the cottage in your world, it belongs to you and you alone?”

  She smiled, touched by his interest. “Yes, it was my grandmother’s house and when she passed on she left it to me. I’m renovating it. It had fallen into disrepair. Time has taken its toll. There’ve been many different owners, some with dreadful ideas of what might look good in a house.” She grimaced.

  That made him laugh.

  “I’m trying to make the house alive again, and it needs to be sound before winter. Most of the jobs I can do myself, others I need to hire someone to do.”

  “You do this alone and you don’t have servants?” He looked amazed.

  She laughed. “Not many people have servants in the future. It seems lazy and wrong to our world. Only the idle rich and royalty still do so.”

  He listened attentively. “Is that why you wanted to know when the cottage was built, because it’s yours?”

  “Yes, exactly. No one in the neighborhood seems to know and I was so keen to find out. Now you’ve given me the answer.”

  “Only that?” He lifted one eyebrow quizzically.

  “No, much more than that...Cullen, I’ve had the best time...”

  “I, too.”

  She watched him thoughtfully, the pair of them quiet as they took each other in. Something inside her felt full, yet ached for more. “And your life, what’s it like? Tell me about yourself.”

  “I am Cullen Thaine, the second son of a nobleman, so I rest easily within my family. I oversee Hollingswell, the family’s Cornish country estate, alongside my father, but the true responsibility falls to my older brother.”

  “Hollingswell Hall?”

  He nodded.

  She knew the stately home he mentioned and was intrigued to discover it was his family home. “Hollingswell still stands in 2020.”

  His eyes gleamed with interest.

  “It’s what called a Heritage House now. A private consortium bought it and it’s open to the public. For a fee, people can visit and experience the heritage of the house and its grounds.”

  He shook his head, his forehead wrinkled as he tried to picture it. “Imagine that...time served us well.”

  “It’s a beautiful estate.”

  “It is,” he replied, looking deep into her eyes as they shared the moment and the image of Hollingswell.

  “What do you oversee?” She wanted to know more about him.

  “Land, the tenants. I’m not one for life in town, if truth be told. I don’t fare well in genteel society.” He grinned. His smile had a maverick quality about it that tickled her. “I’d rather be out overseeing the land. I often work with the tenants, I enjoy their company. I learn from them as they do from me, and it makes for a good bond, even though my father thinks I’m a heathen. He swears I’m not one of his offspring.”

  She chuckled. “And you oversee your little sisters, too?”

  He looked pleased she’d remembered. “Yes, I also oversee my troublesome little sisters.”

  She couldn’t imagine it, having to duel over such a trifling affair, but she knew from her school days that matters of honor were treated very differently in the past. “What will your life be like, in the New World?”

  “An adventure, to be sure. I must fill the time well, make something of the challenge.” He gave a wry smile.

  “I sense you don’t particularly want to go.”

  “I have to go somewhere. I’d rather stay here. I love this place, have done since I was a child. We grew up at the Cornish estate and I often stayed here in Raven’s Landing with my friend, Nathaniel. Cornwall is my home.”

  She would rather he stayed there, too. Her mind had begun working overtime. She wondered if he would take on an adventure of a different kind. “Cullen, I heard a story recently, about a disappearance, a traveler who’d gone missing. My friend indicated it was folklore, but perhaps...perhaps it was because of you the story came about?”

  He nodded, pursing his lips as he contemplated it. “I’d fit the description, but my intention is to one day return.” He gave a tight smile. It wasn’t wasted on her.

  He didn’t want to leave his beloved Cornwall, but he had to go away from here for at least a few years. If she could work out how to get back to 2020, perhaps he could come with her and spend his exile there instead. The strangeness of the whole situation, together with the red-hot sex and the growing attachment she felt for him, made her thoughts wild and ambitious. “I know it sounds far-fetched, but if I made it here, I must be able to make it back to my time. And, if I can, maybe you can come with me.”

  “To your time?” He was frowning as he tried to make sense of it.

  “Yes, here, but in my time. You’d get your wish to stay in Cornwall for the years you have to be away.”

  He nodded, his gaze still searching her face for answers, as if she truly were a witch or a magician, not just some lost soul hoping to make this dream real.

  Her confidence faltered. Would it even work? “Do you want to try it? I mean, I have no idea if it’ll work, but we can try. If it doesn’t work, you can be back here at the harbor when the ship docks tomorrow.”

  Fear and hope riddled her—fear of being stranded here, or worse, stranded here alone without him. He kissed her again, redirecting the flow of her emotions. The desire to be with him churned through her.

  “So, instead of spending five years in the New World, you think I could spend time with you in this future world you spoke about, in your...place?” He looked her up and down, and a slow smile spread over his face.

  He was flirting with her, and she liked it, but she worried because he had to take the situation seriously.

  “Cullen, you have to want it. I mean, five years. It’s here, but it’s...well.” How did she explain it? “It’s just, different.”

  “I’m not sure I understand what you’re telling me, Sunny, and I’m stuck on the idea you may be using witchcraft on me.” He paused to smile again and indicate he didn’t mean to have her burned at the stake. “It seems incredible, but hell and damnation, I’m willing to give it a try as much or more than any other adventure, if it involves being with you.”

  “Oh, Cullen.” The fact he’d go along with her made her feel braver about the whole thing and happier, too. “And there’s no one special you’ll be leaving behind? A girl, another wench?”

  His eyebrows shot up when he sensed her curiosity. “Oh, there’ll be a few broken hearts, I’ll warrant.” Then he pulled her into his arms, and reassured her with a kiss. “Take me with you, cast a spell if you can, witch, for I am willing to act as your protector and stand by your side wherever you should wander.”

  Sunny’s eyes smarted, and she blinked the tears away. If this was just a dream, she knew she’d awake heartbroken. Because there was something magical happening here. Not the bizarreness of this situation, the time slip, or the surreal happenings in the marketplace—it was the way he was looking at her, and the way it made her feel. Sunny decided in that
moment she could stare into his eyes forever, especially when he was holding her, and promising to stand by her side.

  Was this magic? Undeniably, yes. Could it last more than the length of a dream? Of that she wasn’t so sure. But she couldn’t deny this whole experience was beyond her knowledge and her beliefs, and something very special was happening to her.

  She leaned in and kissed his mouth.

  His lips were strong and passionate, and his arms went around her, making her melt. Sunny wished again, wished for him, forever, her eyes closing while she savored his embrace.

  Right then a strange sound made her jump—the sound of someone clapping. A long, slow clap.

  They drew apart.

  Both of them turned toward the entrance of the cave, where a tall man in a long cloak now stood, taking in the sight of them entwined in an embrace, with a sardonic smile on his face.

  “What a touching scene,” he commented, looking from one to the other of them. He grasped the hem of his cloak with one hand and threw it back over his shoulder, revealing his old-fashioned garb. Focusing his attention on Sunny, he inclined his head. “I commend your burgeoning magic, Sunny Chambers. You truly are Hanna’s granddaughter.”

  Sunny stared at him in disbelief.

  She blinked, her grip on reality sliding away again, because the man standing at the cave entrance—talking to her as if he knew her well—was the one and only Viscount Fox, and the last time she’d seen him had been in the marketplace. But the time before had been at home, the day before, in 2020, on the street outside The Witch’s Brew Cafe.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Nathaniel, my old friend.” Cullen stood up and strode to the newcomer’s side, shaking his hand and slapping him on the shoulder with his free hand. ““Tis good to see you again.”

  Sunny stared at the newcomer in shock. It really was the man she’d seen in the crowded marketplace earlier, when they were hurrying away. The one who smiled at her so knowingly. But more than that, she recognized him from earlier still.

  “Viscount Fox,” she said, astonished and confused, trying to make sense of it. As she did, she recalled what Celeste and Willow had said about him, the warning they’d issued. But this version of Viscount was different. He was dressed in old-fashioned clothing like Cullen, and his hair hung to his shoulders. It was thick and dark, with no grey strands at the temples. An astonishing fact clicked into place; it was the man who’d been on the landing in the cottage the night before. He was the one who’d brought Cullen to the cottage.

  Icy fingers ran up her spine. She rose to her feet and stared at him. He was a disconcerting presence, with his strange silvering eyes and his predatory nature. He gave her the heebie-jeebies, making her wary and defensive.

  “Greetings, Ms Chambers.” The newcomer swept a low bow, his cloak flying out to one side as he did so. There was a sarcastic tone to his greeting and Sunny’s wariness intensified.

  “You know one another?” Cullen looked from one to the other. His expression lit. “Of course you do. Nathaniel arranged for you to be there at the cottage.”

  Cullen was trying to make sense of his own angle. But he had completely the wrong end of the stick, Sunny quickly decided. She’d been at the cottage for her own reasons—or had she? Doubt swamped her. Not only had she heard this creepy guy’s name before, he was the person who’d sent Celeste and Willow into a flutter.

  “You’re Fox, and we’ve seen one another before, in my time.” The words were out before she’d thought it through.

  “We have indeed. Well remembered, Sunny.”

  “What are you, some sort of Timelord?”

  He chuckled darkly, as if delighted by her remark. “A Timelord is a fictional construct of the twentieth century. This, I’m afraid, is reality.”

  “This is real,” Sunny repeated, finally accepting it completely, hard though it was. God knows it felt all too real now. She was beginning to doubt her sanity. “But Cullen didn’t know.”

  She looked at Cullen.

  He looked baffled, but wary, and he was listening carefully. “Nathaniel, what strangeness goes on here? What is this ‘time lord’ you mention?”

  “Don’t bother yourself with this misapprehension. Your companion thinks I’m a Timelord, but she’s mistaken. The more correct term would be...immortal.”

  Sunny’s jaw dropped.

  “Nathaniel, speak plainly, man,” Cullen demanded. “You jest, surely?”

  Fox lifted his hands nonchalantly. “I see no reason to disguise myself here, amongst friends—old and new—as we are.” A devilish smile played around his mouth. “I have traded various...things...for my longevity, amongst other aptitudes I now possess.”

  Sunny wasn’t the only one stunned by his remark.

  Cullen looked astonished.

  “Enough of these pleasantries,” Fox continued dismissively. He gestured at Cullen from the entrance of the cave. “Your ship awaits, Cullen. You’ve been well and truly distracted by this young maiden, but it’s time to leave now.”

  Sunny resented his condescending attitude. Why did this guy creep her out so much? Aside from his weird appearance and Celeste’s warning, his presence got her back up. It was an innate response, a gut feeling.

  Cullen looked at his old friend suspiciously. “Was it not your intention for me to be distracted by the lass?”

  His statement seemed to be delivered as a joke, but he said it with an air of caution, as if he’d latched onto the fact all was not well here.

  Sunny marched over to the entrance of the cave and stared out across the stormy bay. Sure enough there was a ship, an old-fashioned wooden vessel with tall masts and massive white sails. It had put down anchor and sailors were battling the elements to pull in the sails, as if holding steady. She could see movement all over the deck. Members of the crew were standing by the side, as if awaiting delivery of a passenger. Two of them were unfurling a rope ladder.

  Her heart raced. She turned back to her companions and found the men deep in conversation.

  Cullen marched over to the rowing boat inside the cave and started to drag it across the sand.

  “Make haste,” Fox instructed, pushing the boat along from the rear. “The seas are rough. You must get out there quickly before the weather turns worse. If it does, the ship will be forced to depart without you.”

  Cullen eased the rowboat out. “I had already thought as much, and resigned myself to waiting for a change in the weather in the days ahead.”

  Fox shook his head emphatically. “You cannot miss this sailing. It is imperative you get aboard.”

  Every sense in Sunny’s body was on high alert. She crossed her arms. “Why?”

  Fox straightened up and looked over at her as if amused. “The turn of the tide. If he doesn’t catch this vessel, the opportunity is gone.”

  Sunny shrugged. “From what I understand, he has to leave the area. He can do that easily enough. Why are you insisting he get aboard that ship?”

  Cullen crossed to her side and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It was my choice to take the opportunity. The adventure appealed to me.”

  Sunny could understand that. Who didn’t want to travel and have adventures? But there was something weird going on here and she wanted to get to the bottom of it.

  “You were ready to stay by my side,” she whispered, locking Cullen’s gaze with her own.

  Cullen nodded and glanced back over his shoulder at his friend, his eyebrows drawn down, his forehead furrowed.

  Fox twitched, as if annoyed. “Come now, this touching union was never meant to be. There is a debt of honor to be paid. This situation can be redeemed, if you let Cullen depart on the tide.”

  “What if I don’t want him to leave? He’s promised to stand by my side and protect me.” Fox looked at her as if she had no right to give him such cheek, which made her glad she had.

  “That little display you put on in the market place has well and truly put a price on Cullen’s head,”
Fox said with a sadistic smile. “You should be glad he’s going, to get him out of the bailiff’s jurisdiction.”

  “I can think of another way to get him out of the bailiff’s jurisdiction,” Sunny shot back. “You’ve traveled in time, as have I. Why shouldn’t Cullen?” The words were out before she’d thought about it. She had no clue if it was even possible.

  Fox turned his attention to Cullen, his expression growing increasingly annoyed. “You should get aboard ship and do it as quickly as possible. Get away from here.”

  “What’s in it for you?” Sunny asked, determined to get to the bottom of it.

  His eyes rounded. “My, my, Celeste was right about you. You are a perceptive one.”

  Celeste? He said her name as if they were good friends. A connection had been obvious the afternoon before, in The Witch’s Brew Cafe. There was definitely history between her friend Celeste and this weirdo. But where did Cullen fit into it? She had the feeling he was some sort of crucial linchpin, but she didn’t have enough pieces of the jigsaw to figure out the full picture. Her heart raced. Time was against them. It wasn’t just she wanted him to stay—and that was a big part of it, she admitted it—it was more to do with the distress she felt in this Viscount Fox’s presence. Nevertheless, she stepped aside and let the two men pull the boat outside the cave.

  Fox continued to speak to Cullen in a low voice.

  Sunny followed them, her body instantly buffeted by the harsh winds.

  Cullen strode back to her side and took her in his arms. He cupped her face in his hands. “Don’t be sad, lass. If you can’t come with me, I will return to your side five years hence. Do not leave the area, I will find you.”

  “She can’t leave the area, not now,” Fox shouted over to them, lifting his voice above the wailing wind, as if he couldn’t resist needling them and shattering the tender moment. “She’s got far too much invested here, haven’t you, my dear?”

  What the hell did he mean, and why was he speaking as if he knew her intimately? She could leave whenever she wanted. The distaste she felt for this Viscount Fox person grew by the moment.