The MacLomain Series: Later Years - a Scottish Time Travel Romance Boxed Set

by Sky Purington

  Jackie and Darach’s eyes went from Lilas’ to Dougal’s. Now he could truly appreciate how strange it must have been for his Da to meet his younger self.

  “All is well,” Darach said as he took the handkerchief. “Yer good wife but returned something I dropped.”

  Dougal eyed Darach with a frown.

  “It was wonderful meeting you both.” Jackie took the handkerchief and handed it back to Lilas. “Please, take this as a small token of our appreciation. You’ve done well by William. He was very brave on our journey, and we’re thankful.” Jackie’s eyes fell to the handkerchief. “It’s not much, but it holds great meaning.”

  Lilas and Dougal stared at the material, drawn to it in a way they would never understand.

  “’Tis time that all return home,” Torra announced. Her eyes went to Lilas and Dougal. “Some to our new homes here in Scotland.”

  There was no chance to say another word as magic started to swirl around everyone. When it faded, Torra had vanished with William and his parents as well as Robert and his mother.

  “No wonder we were so drawn to each other,” Jackie whispered. “We raised William in another life...or this life. He was ours.”

  “Aye, lass.” He wrapped his arms around her, well aware of her sadness. Her sense of loss. “Though I dinnae quite ken how we can co-exist at the same time.”

  “’Tis simple.” Grant came alongside. “Though William is from this era and his birth parents died here, Adlin somehow made sure he ended up at the Highland Defiance. In Lilas and Dougal’s era.” He shrugged. “Now they are here and so are you.” His brows perked. “Though ‘tis probably best that you dinnae see them again. ‘Tis bloody odd, aye?”

  Jackie’s eyes shot to Grant. “So Lilas is going to die young?” She frowned. “William is going to lose another mother? And Dougal is going to lose the love of his life?”

  “Nay, not now that they have the handkerchief.” Grant’s eyes softened. “It was something returned to you in the land of the gods after the curse was lifted, so now their fate mirrors yours. Like you, they are free of the curse. Free to live and love a full lifetime.”

  “What a relief,” Jackie whispered.

  When his father smiled, Darach realized how happy and free his Da finally felt. How truly long his journey had been. But now his son was laird, and all was well. “So ‘tis time to meet in the great hall so that you and Ma might enjoy your retirement?”

  Grant nodded before he headed up the stairs, whispering into Darach’s mind, “Ye should hold yer lass’s hand when we enter the great hall. ‘Twill be...difficult for her.”

  “Aye, Da.”

  The only people in the great hall were Darach’s cousins and Jackie’s friends. Darach didn’t have to look to know what had changed. He stopped and met Jackie’s eyes.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Change,” he murmured and looked at the Viking tapestry.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  WHEN JACKIE’S EYES swung to the tapestry, Darach wrapped his arm around her lower back for support. Her jaw dropped when she saw what it now depicted. Not the Viking King but someone entirely different.

  Heidrek.

  He wore a red jerkin with a brown fur draped over his shoulders. A bronze medallion hung around his neck, and he held a sword. His expression was calm, firm and unafraid as the sky burst brilliantly behind him and Viking ships sailed on calm seas.

  “He really did it,” she whispered. “He defeated them.”

  “Of course, I did, woman,” Heidrek whispered into her mind.

  Emotion swamped her as she thought of all the times they had spent together. A Viking who had become a better friend than most. A man who was now frozen in a tapestry.

  “I can hear him,” she murmured to Darach.

  He nodded.

  “Where’s Naðr, Heidrek?” She kept staring at the tapestry. “Where’s the Viking King?”

  A long silence passed before Heidrek responded. “My King is safe.” Then another pause. “As are you.”

  “Yes.” She blinked away tears, remembering what was said about three men loving her. “Thanks in big part to you.”

  “I did what needed to be done,” Heidrek said.

  She nodded, inhaled deeply and asked a question she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to. “Will I see you again? Or are you somehow trapped...in the tapestry?”

  “It is unlikely we will cross paths again,” Heidrek said. “Be with your kin now, Jackie. You have nothing to fear. Not for yourself or for my well-being.”

  “Why do I feel so heartbroken then?”

  “Because you are saying goodbye to a friend.” She heard the gruffness in his voice. “It is never easy.”

  Though tempted to apologize for not loving him, she got the sense they were beyond that. He wasn’t mourning for what might have been. And if he were, he would never admit it. Rather, he seemed to find solace in knowing all had ended well. Everyone was safe and happy.

  “Goodbye, Heidrek,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”

  “And thank you, Jackie,” he said. Though it might have been her mind playing tricks on her, she swore she heard him whisper, “Now I know what to look for,” before his voice died away entirely.

  “He’s gone.” Jackie rested her cheek against Darach’s shoulder. “What a good friend he was.”

  “Aye.” Darach wrapped his arms around her. “Heidrek is one of the best men I’ve ever known.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” she whispered and eyed the tapestry for a few minutes, sad that he was truly gone.

  “Come join us,” Grant said at last. “So that we can enjoy each other’s company in peace at long last.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” Jackie murmured as her eyes met Darach’s. “Peace at last.”

  “Aye, lass,” he said softly. “Peace.”

  When they joined everyone in front of the fire, Grant finally explained things.

  “Though not entirely cured, your friends willnae suffer the totality of their affliction anymore,” Grant said. “Cassie willnae go blind, Nicole will never go deaf, and Erin willnae lose her voice.”

  His eyes met Jackie’s. “And then there’s you, lass.”

  “Right.” She had forgotten about her sickness. “Me.”

  Lair sat down beside her and met her eyes. “Your tumor is gone, Jackie. I knew the moment I embraced you earlier.”

  “Seriously?” Jackie whispered.

  “Aye,” Lair assured. “The darkness is gone. And with it, your illness.”

  Jackie rested her elbow on the armrest, put her hand over her mouth and stared at the fire. The tumor was gone. She had been suffering the symptoms of it for years and then the diagnosis. She had long prepared herself for death. And while she’d certainly seen and experienced enough since traveling back in time, including death, nothing could have prepared her for this moment. She didn’t know what to say. She needed to process this...to let it sink in.

  Thankfully, Darach simply held her hand, and Grant kept talking.

  “Your friends are partially cured because something happened in the Otherworld that affected them,” he said. “Something that included not only Eoghan’s death but your magic and Brigit’s healing water.”

  Jackie’s eyes shot to him. “What do you mean?”

  “It had to have been a moment only you could have controlled.” His voice grew softer. “Did you think of them when you were there? If so, they benefitted from the same healing powers you experienced.”

  “Of course I thought of them.” Her eyes went to her friends. “I thought about how angry I was because of what they had to face. And how proud I was of them.” Her eyes turned to Darach. “It was when you asked me to visualize my surroundings, and I closed my eyes.” She frowned. “Why did you ask me to do that, to begin with?”

  “Because I asked him too before he made his final stance against Eoghan,” Grant said. “I told him the demi-god would likely whisk you back to wh
ere it all began. That dark Otherworld.”

  She shook her head, confused.

  “You see, I played a trick on my son,” Grant said. “One I couldnae share.”

  Before she could reply, Grant continued. “It needed to seem like I died at Hamilton Castle, that I buckled beneath the power of the demi-god and even Balor. Darach needed to believe it.” He shook his head. “But I didnae. Nay, I called on Goddess Brigit and harnessed magic that nearly killed me.”

  Having communicated with his father since they returned, Darach continued. “Da called on Brigit in an unexpected way. One she couldnae stop. ‘Twas the power of the trees...the oaks.” His eyes met hers. “’Twas a spell that carried him through the memory of our oak, lass. From her conception then straight through every acorn it released. Though it might seem simple, you have to remember how many acorns a single oak sheds in its lifetime. So Da was pulled through the life of every acorn as his magic tried to stay the course and follow ours.”

  “’Twas truly dangerous,” Torra said upon her return as she and Darach’s aunts and uncles joined them. “Even Adlin MacLomain might not have dared such a feat.”

  “Aye, but he would have.” Grant looked at Darach. “If he was protecting his bairn.” His eyes went to Jackie. “And his one true love.”

  “So how did you end up at the foot of the oak outside this castle in the Otherworld?” Jackie asked.

  “’Twas the last acorn,” he said. “I was lucky that you and Darach brought it to me. I was even luckier that you ignited the magic needed to pull me free.”

  “You took a big chance.” Jackie grew upset. “And you mean Eara...or Chiomara, because she took us every step of the way.”

  “Nay.” Grant shook his head. “Only the love betwixt you and my son could have brought you so far. A love that helped you find true forgiveness, aye? Eara...Chiomara, simply helped.”

  “You had that much faith in us?” Jackie said. “In me?”

  “Aye.” Grant’s eyes stayed with hers. “From the moment you vowed to deny your love for my son to keep him safe.” His eyes went to Darach. “And from the moment I knew you would give your life to be with her.”

  Silence fell over the hall except for the crackling of the fire.

  “Ohhh,” Nicole finally groaned, clearly unable to help herself. “So touching. That’s the most romantic story ever.”

  “It really is,” Leslie added, wiping away several tears, hormones getting the best of her. “And I can’t stand being sappy.”

  “Me either,” Nicole moped, wiping away tears of her own.

  “What about Balor and the Genii Cucullati? How did they end up in the tapestry?” Jackie shook her head. “And what about Cullen Stewart? Does he know what happened to his sister?”

  “As we recently learned, Balor wanted you and the ring from the verra beginning, Jackie,” Torra said. “When Brigit stole you away in Ireland, it marked the start of his fury. He tracked Chiomara, then her lineage after that...the MacLomains. Anything to get his hands on another Claddagh ring that might somehow lead him to you.” She shook her head. “If he and Eoghan got you and your ring at the same time, he intended to travel back to Ireland and destroy Chiomara first, hence there would be no MacLomains. That in itself would have changed Scotland’s history.”

  “Aye,” Grant agreed then continued. “When Jackie was born, the long lost ring reappeared, and Brigit knew the time had come. Though someday it had to find its way back to its rightful owner, she hid the ring until the time was right for Jackie to wear it. Before that day came, she needed to be one step ahead.”

  “So she whispered the prophecy of the wee king.” Grant’s eyes flickered over Darach and his cousins. “Four MacLomain warriors would protect Robert the Bruce when evil sought him out. She did this knowing all in the Celtic Otherworld would hear. ‘Twas a means to draw out Balor. Because if one thing remained true above all else, ‘twas that Balor still held a grudge against Brigit for interfering in Ireland, to begin with. Therefore, when the MacLomain name was mentioned, he took the bait.”

  “Little did Balor know that Brigit was using him to fulfill her own prophecy,” Torra said. “In his lust for revenge, it never occurred to the demon how ironic it was that the ring turned up at the same time the prophecy unfolded. No, he was too focused on his plan. He helped Eoghan’s soul reincarnate once, but that ended poorly. Then he tried again through the druid’s influence over his son, Keir Hamilton. That failed as well.”

  “But evil is vigilant and doesnae give up,” Torra continued. “So when Brigit’s prophecy unfolded, Balor played right into her hands and offered Eoghan’s soul a chance to return as a demi-god so he could get his lass back. Hence, he once more became Balor’s conduit to our plane. Because unlike a demi-god, a god can only meddle but so much in the affairs of mortals.”

  “When we traveled back in time to MacLomain Castle, and Heidrek saw the potential in using Jackie as bait, he and I concocted our plan,” Grant said. “We would lure the beast to the tapestry once again. Just a different beast this time. And while I knew Jackie and Darach would eventually cross over and hopefully find me, I never could have anticipated things going as they did.” His eyes met Jackie’s. “You taking Darach’s pain and your tumor growing. How connected to evil it was.” He shook his head. “’Twas verra brave of you, lass.”

  “I would have done the same thing even if I knew the demon had put the tumor there.” Her eyes met Darach’s. “Even if I knew it would grow as a result.”

  “Aye, lass,” Grant murmured, his eyes still on her. “As I surmised, evil followed you both here to the great hall. ‘Twas then that Brigit told me Eoghan would pursue you back to where it all began in Ireland and that your final battle must be fought in the Otherworld. That when the time was right, you must visualize your surroundings in order to return to the world of the living, no matter how brief.” His eyes went to Darach. “And naturally, my son was determined to stay by your side every step of the way.”

  Their eyes met, and Darach squeezed her hand.

  “But let’s get back to what happened before you left,” Grant said. “Through the use of the mantle and the magic of all our kin, we were able to breach worlds and return to this reality.” His eyes went to the tapestry. “When we did, it was enough to make Balor act without thinking and follow you and Heidrek into the tapestry. Always eager for your soul, the Genii Cucullati were right behind.”

  “So what happened to them?” Jackie frowned. “All I remember seeing before Heidrek threw me to Darach was fire.”

  Grant was about to respond, but Torra shook her head. “That is another story entirely. One born of our dragon ancestors and the length they were willing to go for us.”

  “Heidrek said he was okay.” Jackie’s eyes narrowed on Grant. “Is he or was he just saying that so I wouldn’t worry?”

  “He is,” Grant assured and gestured at the tapestry. “Does it not look peaceful?”

  It did. Yet looks could be deceiving. Though inclined to seek more answers, she was well aware of how tired everyone was. And how they wanted to relax and celebrate the fact that they were safe now, especially Robert the Bruce and William.

  Jackie still couldn’t believe she had met William Wallace as a boy. Someone who would one day become a leader in the Scottish Wars of Independence. A brave and loyal man who would lay down his life for his king, Robert the Bruce, so that Scotland might rise up against tyranny.

  “What about Cullen Stewart?” Erin asked. “He’s important to me...to all of us. What happened to him?”

  Grant and Torra looked at each other and smiled.

  Grant explained. “As the story goes, a brother embraced forgiveness, spread his wings and saved his sister before she plummeted to her death.”

  “The last time I saw them they were battling it out here at MacLomain Castle. And then they just vanished.” Erin frowned. “What do you mean, Cullen saved that evil bitch?”

  “She wasnae so evil in the end,” Darac
h informed. “Da gave me the message before Jackie, and I went off to fight Eoghan.”

  He explained what happened.

  “So after everything she did, he still saved her?” Nicole scowled. “I’m not sure I would’ve been so forgiving. Not at all.”

  “I agree,” Cassie murmured. “But then it seems like she might’ve been trying to tell us what was happening sooner.” She looked at Erin. “Didn’t you see her ghost at Stewart Castle? Wasn’t she trying to reach out?”

  “Yeah.” Erin frowned then looked at Nicole. “And didn’t you say Brae acted strangely when you came across her in the Otherworld?”

  “Yup.” Nicole frowned just as heavily, shook her head and eyed Grant. “So what happened to them after Cullen saved her? And why did she kill her brother, to begin with?”

  “The stories are wide and varied. Some say she did it because she had no other choice. Killing him kept her parents and kin safe. Then others say her magic was so great that she knew his death was around the corner, and so she killed him first so that he would ascend and keep the blame on her...hence following her pre-destined path into all this,” Grant said. “As to the end? From all reports, the Stewart clan has found closure, happiness, and peace. All is well.”

  Jackie cocked her head at Grant. “Can’t you just chant a little something and travel back to their time to find out exactly what happened?”

  “He could. He might have already.” Darach’s mother chuckled and winked at Jackie. “But you’ll likely never know. Hamiltons are very talented at being evasive for the greater good.”

  Jackie smiled. “Yeah, I’m getting that.”

  “What about the horses?” Darach’s eyes met his father’s. “We know they merged with ancestors but who delivered them to New Hampshire?”

  “I still dinnae know. But I suppose every Scottish clan deserves its mysteries.” Grant grinned and nodded at the mantel. “May future generations forever wonder who was at the heart of protecting our clan so well.”

  Everyone smiled as their eyes went to the mantel.