“Not all clans,” Aidan replied, his voice rough. He cleared his throat. “Some lived and died for each other, in battle or out.”
“Fealty?” she asked.
“Family,” he corrected.
She glanced at Reilly, then Cian. “Like you three? And Colin?”
Reilly parked the car in a nondescript dirt lot. He turned, noted Emma’s hand in Aidan’s. “Aye. Like us.”
Aidan took a breath. “Are you ready for this?”
Uncertainty clouded her eyes, but she said, “I am if you are. I need some space to think.”
Cian’s face remained serious. “You didn’t tell her where we’re going.”
Emma pulled her hand away from Aidan’s quickly. “As long as it’s away from Ben, I’m fine with that. I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life running.”
“You’ll be safe with us,” Reilly replied. “Aidan? Care to elaborate?”
Aidan cleared his throat again, then coughed. “No. ” He gave a nod to Reilly and Cian, who exited the vehicle. When Emma made to open her door, Aidan grabbed her hand again.
“You’re beginning to freak me out a little,” she admitted.
The fear in her voice ate at him; her bravado began to crumble. Without another thought, he leaned forward and kissed her hard. She was shocked enough that she didn’t respond before he quickly pulled away.
“I’m taking you to my home. If we’re separated along the way, know that Cian and O’Malley both would give their lives for yours.”
“I hate that it might come to that. They owe me nothing,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
“You’re one of us now, Emma. You’re part of the clan.”
“I’m not that important,” she said, her voice shaky.
Aidan tipped her chin up, using his thumb to wipe away the tear that escaped. “You are, Emma. Come with me. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
Emma looked out the window at the forest at the edge of the parking lot. “It’s a big promise to make, Aidan.”
“It’s more than a promise, Emmaline. I vow it.”
She nodded once. “I trust you.”
“And the others,” Aidan replied, regretfully letting go of her hand. He grabbed the satchel and opened his door. Reilly opened hers, and Aidan added, “We all vow it.”
Reilly helped her out of the SUV and handed her a smaller satchel of her own. “Don’t doubt it for a moment.”
“Aye, lass, you’ve my life for yours as well,” Cian added, securing his sword to his back.
Emma looked overwhelmed, and Aidan walked around the car. He took her hand and saw fear and trust mingling in her eyes.
“Thanks seem so inadequate,” she said with difficulty. She tightened her fingers around his. “But it’s all I have. So thanks. And I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Reilly slapped him on the back. “Well done, lad. Glad you told her.”
Aidan cringed a little, but didn’t correct Reilly’s assumption.
Trees surrounded them on all sides; while Dowth itself was in the middle of an open clearing, they’d parked far enough away that the police wouldn’t ticket Reilly’s car for an overnight stay.
Or multiple nights’ stay.
“I thought you were about an hour’s drive away?”
Reilly groaned. “Damn it, MacWilliam! You didn’t tell her!”
“She’ll see for herself,” Aidan answered.
There was a rustle in the trees, and he tensed. He made eye contact with Reilly, and they picked up their pace.
They burst into the clearing, and Aidan didn’t pause. He charged toward the rise in the grass before them, stopping short in front of a long, thin crack in the stone. He didn’t let go of Emma’s hand and moved out of the way for Reilly.
“You’ll have to hold tight to her,” Reilly said.
Not a problem, Aidan thought. Her eyes were wide, and he knew she could feel the tension around the three men.
“I’m confused,” Emma began.
Reilly placed his hands on either side of the crack and said, in a voice not his own, “Le cumhacht na nDéithe, ordaím duit oscailt chugamsa, An Cosantóir.”
By the power of the gods, I command you to open for me, the Protector.
The wall silently opened wide, and began to close almost immediately. They all made it inside, Aidan dragging a shell-shocked Emma, and then hurried down a nearly black, suffocating, tight corridor. Suddenly, the narrow passageway opened up, and they strode into the small round chamber, hidden from the rest of the structure. A tiny window, covered by the long grass outside it, was the only source of light. Reilly reached through and pushed down the foliage so they could see the horizon.
Emma looked at Reilly, then Aidan, then Cian. “How did you do that?”
Reilly rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Honestly, lad, just tell her the truth before I do.”
“You live in a dirt mound, opened by some voice command control thing?” Emma guessed. “I mean, I’ve heard the term ‘going off the grid,’ but I didn’t think you were that type…”
“There’s more,” Aidan said, his voice quiet. “This isn’t my home. It’s more like a portal to my home.”
“Jesus, Aidan, how much money do you have?” she exclaimed, then clapped a hand over her mouth as she turned scarlet. “I’m sorry. That was rude. What I meant to say was: Wow, Aidan, that’s really impressive. It seems awfully expensive to build underground portals throughout Ireland, just to get to your home undetected.”
Reilly snickered, but Cian remained on alert, glancing out the little window. “The sun’s rising,” he said solemnly.
“I’ll explain soon,” Aidan promised.
They stood together silently and a moment later, the rising sun’s rays crept into the room. Reilly placed a hand on Cian and Aidan, and Aidan drew Emma to him quickly, sweeping her into his arms. The cave flooded with the full light of the sun. Emma gripped Aidan’s neck, and he tightened his hold on her as the world around them exploded into shards of light.
Chapter 12
Emma awoke with a screaming headache. She carefully raised her hands and felt her head. No bumps, but just the light touch made her wince.
“Drink this,” Aidan said in her ear, wrapping her hands around something rough. “It’s white willow bark tea. It should help the pain.”
She sipped and made a face. “It’s too bitter.”
“Drink it,” he encouraged her, bringing it to her lips again. “It will help.”
She choked down the brew. Darkness surrounded them, but the moon was bright. A cold wind teased the leaves of the trees above her, and she shivered.
Aidan wrapped a piece of heavy wool around her shoulders and fastened it across her collarbone. She glanced down at the cloak, then up at him.
His eyes shone light green in the blue glow of the moon.
“How do you feel, other than your headache?” he asked, smoothing her hair.
“Dizzy,” she replied, closing her eyes again. “Weird.”
He made her follow his finger with her eyes and performed a few other tests before declaring she probably hadn’t suffered a concussion.
“I’ll keep an eye on you anyway,” he said.
She felt her head beginning to clear, although her brain was still foggy. “What happened? Did you drop me?” The last was an accusation, and she frowned before wincing again.
Her head really hurt.
“Nay.”
She sat up straighter. “What happened to my clothes?”
He continued to gently rub the back of her neck. “I vow, I changed you swiftly and out of sight of the others.”
“Wait, what? Is this…oh my God. Why am I dressed in medieval clothing?”
The dress was dark—she thought it might be a deep blue. The silver braided rope, which circled her ribcage just under her breasts, shone in the moonlight, and the overlay was a sheet of silver gauze.
“Have I been unconscious all day?” she asked suddenl
y, noting the moon high in the sky above them.
“Nay. Only for about a half hour. We simply came into the night instead of the day.”
She paused. “That doesn’t make any sense, Aidan. Where are we?”
He paused. “More like when.”
Emma blinked. “I’m not following you at all.”
“We’re in Ireland, but the year is 1465.”
“You fell hard,” she declared promptly. “It’s messed with your brain. What happened in the cave back there? Was it a bomb?”
“Nay, Emmaline. It wasn’t a bomb. Reilly brought us back to my home.”
Though the man looked all right, Emma had serious doubts. His brain must’ve been rattled hard by the explosion. Emma gave him a concerned look, but held her tongue. “Where is Reilly?”
“I’ve found us horses. Can you ride?” Reilly asked, materializing from the trees and making Emma jump.
Horses? “Do pony rides at a county fair count?” she ventured.
“Not in this case. You’ll ride with me.” Aidan helped her to stand, then walked her over to the largest stallion she’d ever seen.
It eyed her warily.
This adventure was going from strange to downright weird. Why horses? What happened in the cave? And she wanted to get Aidan to a doctor as soon as possible.
But first, she figured they ought to get inside somewhere quickly. There was no telling if Ben knew where they were, and, as an entire day had passed, he might’ve caught up to them, wherever they were.
“I can run,” she said quickly, taking a step back. She bumped into a hard chest. “Really. I have on my hiking boots. It’s fine.”
The horse snorted its approval of her plan.
“Don’t let the beast know you’re afraid of him,” Aidan advised, placing his hands on her waist. He effortlessly tossed her up onto the horse’s back, and she almost fell off the other side. He hopped up behind her, righted her, then leaned down so his mouth was against her ear.
“Hold onto the horse’s mane or my arms, but don’t grab these reins. Aye?”
She nodded shakily and adjusted her heavy skirts. She glanced down at the ground and clenched her eyes shut. He kicked the horse, and they galloped off. She heard other hoofbeats, and she managed a small peek through her lids. Reilly rode on one side of them, Cian on the other.
Aidan gave the horse its head, and they flew between the trees in the forest, leaping over small streams and charging through brush. Emma’s teeth smacked together in her head, and, after an hour of death-gripping Aidan’s arm, she was fairly certain her legs would never work properly again.
Aidan didn’t talk, but he certainly kept her warm. He turned her cloak around, and the wind buffeted the wool. His warmth seeped through the dress she wore, spreading throughout most of her body. The pants she wore under her dress kept her legs surprisingly warm as well; although she couldn’t claim comfort, she couldn’t say she was cold, either.
How did Ben find me? Perhaps Aidan knew. How else would he have known to follow her into the forest? She decided to bring it up with her horse partner, who was currently bent over her, shielding her from the wind and urging the horse to go faster.
She really didn’t approve of such an action.
“Aidan,” she called.
“No need to yell,” he said softly in her ear, making her shiver in an entirely non-cold way. “I’m right here.”
“Right,” she replied, trying to talk around her clattering teeth. “Um, so…do you know how Ben found me?”
“Nay. But not to worry. He won’t find us here.”
“If he found us before, and we left absolutely no paper trail or anything, how are you so sure?”
“He can’t time travel, Emma.”
He was so calm about it, so matter-of-fact. Emma swallowed past a lump in her throat. Poor Aidan, she thought. He’s so confused. She’d heard never to let someone with a brain injury fall asleep, so she kept talking.
“So where are we going?”
“Home,” he said simply.
“Right. Of course. And home would be…”
“On the coast.”
Emma felt an odd sense of detachment. She should’ve been freaking out. She was on a horse with a man who needed medical attention, and she had no idea how to steer the creature, much less where to go.
“Stop thinking so hard,” Aidan murmured, leaning in again. “You’re making our horse nervous.”
“I am not,” she retorted. With surprise, she added, “You’re handling him just fine. Where did you learn how to ride?”
“I believe I’ve already explained that I grew up here, Emma.”
“So, what? Is horseback riding a core requirement of elementary school in Ireland?”
“Never went to elementary school,” was the reply.
“Homeschooled, then. Whatever. Don’t be obtuse.”
“Obtuse? I believe there’s only one person on this horse who fulfills that description. And it’s not me, love.”
She shifted in the saddle and would have fallen had Aidan’s arms not tightened when they did. He righted her and she softened her tone. “You weren’t born in the Middle Ages, Aidan. I don’t know where we are—”
“We came up near the coast,” Reilly cut in. “We’ll be home before sunrise if we can keep the horses going.”
She ignored him. “But,” she continued, “it’s not possible to travel through time. It just isn’t.”
“Yet here we are,” Aidan said blandly.
She sighed in frustration. “Do you need a doctor?”
“He saw one, once,” Cian said. “It didn’t go well.”
“Bite your tongue,” Aidan replied. “It could’ve gone so much worse.”
“Really? How?” Cian asked. “The last time you went, you dove out the front door of the poor man’s office, straight into the car, and told me to drive like a ‘bat out of hell.’ I’m not sure what definition of worse you’re thinking of, but when that man chased the car almost to the freeway…” He trailed off. “Well, I wasn’t happy about it.”
Emma tried to smile, but found she couldn’t. “Let’s just get you to your house; then we’ll evaluate you and see if we can’t find someone to help.”
• • •
At some point, Emma fell asleep in Aidan’s arms, while still atop the horse. She woke with a start when the horse stopped, and Aidan slid down the side of the beast with her in his arms.
After Cian scouted a safe location, Aidan gave her privacy to take care of her personal needs and went to confer quietly with Reilly as the horses drank from a stream nearby. Emma stood shakily, her legs screaming in protest, and carefully made her way back to the men, Cian alert and on guard behind her. She patted her hair, which she suspected might never again resemble anything other than a rat’s nest, and wished for a brush.
Aidan, much to her dismay, looked effortlessly calm, cool, and collected. His hair was delightfully tousled, and he stood chatting as though he fought off crazy ex-fiancés and rode horses across forests and hills every day of his life.
There was no way they were in 1465.
Right?
The forest around her didn’t look medieval, but then again, she didn’t really expect a forest to differ much from year to year. The men around her wore medieval clothing, had medieval weaponry, and rode horses, but…that could be part of an elaborate reenactment scheme.
She shook her head hard. She wouldn’t be sucked into their delusion.
“Ms. Perkins?” Cian said from behind her.
Emma hadn’t realized she’d stopped walking, and she forced her feet to move again. She had never felt more confused in her life.
“We’ve about six more hours ahead of us,” Aidan said as she approached. “If you need to stop, I think this is as safe an area as we’re to come across. We’re almost to MacWilliam land, and last I knew Nick was friendly with the neighbors.”
Reilly held up a hand. “Things can change in eight years, MacWilliam.
Don’t assume anything.”
“Right,” Aidan agreed. “Can you continue on, Emma?”
She nodded—really, what else could she do?—and allowed him to help her onto the accursed creature, who snorted and sidestepped away once she was on its back. Aidan didn’t release the reins, though, and swung into the saddle behind her.
“I hate this horse,” she muttered, her muscles sore and aching. “If I never have to ride one again, it’ll be too soon.”
“Aw, he’s not that bad. He gets us to where we need to be,” Aidan replied as they started off again. Moonlight filtered between the trees, casting shadows around them. Emma tucked herself deeper into his embrace. She felt his smile when he pressed his cheek into her tangled mass of hair. “And where we’re going, you’ll need a story to explain your presence. From this point on, we’ll be calling you Lady Emma.”
“Because the last thing I want is to appear as a medieval peasant,” Emma replied sarcastically.
“Exactly,” Aidan replied seriously. “We’ll say you’re from the Continent, that I’ve been traveling and became stranded there. I’m friendly with your father, who charged me with your care.”
“Nice story, bro.”
He did laugh then. “If you recall, about two-thirds of the way through your thesis, you discussed a woman’s role in medieval society.”
“I still can’t believe you read that.”
“Believe it. You wrote that women’s hierarchy in the clan depended upon who their sires are or whom they marry. As you’re not married, you’ll hail from nobility. That makes you untouchable to my clansmen.”
She felt a flash of triumph. His story had major holes in it; if the man claimed to have grown up in the 1400s, he should have his facts straight.
“Why would my father ship me off to Ireland?” she asked. “That’s not something most fathers would do. More likely he’d sell me to the highest bidder.”
“He’s avoiding an unpleasant match. He doesn’t want to align with a certain family, and they’ve threatened to take you anyway.”
Damn.
“Wouldn’t they just take me away?”
“In Ireland they would. But the rest of Europe claims to be a tad more civilized.”
An Enchanted Spring: Mists of Fate - Book Two Page 16
