Lady Mairead’s eyes looked terrified. “I’d say minutes—”
A terrifying roar blasted from outside the windows. Then for the briefest of seconds the wall of windows switched from solid white, fully screened, to clear, see-through, oh my god there were machines, like ten, hovering right outside the windows, facing us, weapons trained on us, and then before we could duck an explosive pulse, quivering the air, vibrating the sound. In the amount of time it would take me to clap my hands, a sonic boom exploded the glass, and shoved me toward the back wall and stole my air, my thoughts, my consciousness with a slam.
Chapter 52
Coming to was odd. All around me was super bright, but also slo-mo, sound waves vibrating the air around me. I couldn’t focus, my ears rang, I had to keep shaking my head to clear it and then try again to understand. My arms were bound behind me. I was jerked to standing. I tried to look for Magnus but my head was wobbly, my balance off. Like I was seriously drunk and maybe on some weird sixties acid trip, like in movies, where the colors spin.
I was shoved through a door and against a wall, my stomach dropped as I rose, or rose as I dropped, the doors of the elevator opened on a rooftop, vertiginous edges, swirling wind, dark gray night sky above, so many men in uniforms — my focus returned, “Where are you taking me?”
I was shoved forward to a waiting helicopter. I tried to brake, to brace my feet against the rooftop, to pull back and not go in.
Where was Magnus?
I struggled against the men, trying to keep them from putting me on one of the helicopters. Who knew where we were going, but also, no. I was too scared of heights for that bullshit. I fought harder but the two men holding me gripped me tighter.
Magnus’s voice interrupted my struggle. “Kaitlyn!”
I craned my head to see him, across the rooftop, being led toward us. “Magnus!”
The men practically picked me up and threw me into the side of the helicopter, banging my thigh — “Ow, fuck. That hurt!”
Magnus yelled over the sound of the propellers and engines, “Kaitlyn—” The engines went louder cutting off the end of his sentence. I was crammed onto the floor of the helicopter, my arms jerked to the side, the cuff around my wrists was attached to a bolt on the floor. I was bent over sideways and very uncomfortable. Men took seats all around me, knees pressed close to my nose and cheek. Pressing me up against the bulkhead.
Magnus was shoved into the helicopter behind the seats, his bound arms chained to a bar on the floor. Magnus would be terrified, he had never flown before. Under the seats I could see his fingers curled into fists, his wrists bound, the veins of his arms straining in his struggle against the binding. Our helicopter lifted into the air.
After that it was just trying to keep my panic under control. I faced a gaping hole in the side of the helicopter. It was night, tiny lights below us, the sound of the propellers so loud it was breaking my ears. We flew over a sprawling, endless, overcrowded city, through air that was full of drones and copters and other unrecognizable machines zipping and buzzing and careening around. I curled forward and concentrated on Magnus’s hand.
Chapter 53
The helicopter landed on the same rooftop where we had raced from — when was that, yesterday? There had been a pile of bodies, but it was all cleaned up now.
Magnus was yanked from the helicopter first, then the rest of the men climbed out, the last one unbolted me from the floor and pushed me from the helicopter. I was shoved into Magnus, but though our shoulders met, we couldn’t touch or even hear each other over the roar of the rotors.
We were forced across the rooftop and through a door to an interior hallway.
“Tis much more dangerous than we suspected, I daena ken if they are plannin’ a—”
“Shut up,” said one of the guards pushing Magnus to walk faster.
The hallway was tightly packed with artifacts, much like Mairead’s coffers, and I vaguely recognized being here before. Our shoulders jostled together. Three more steps and he tried again.
“Tyler isna here.”
I glanced around. “Or Mairead.” A guard shoved me so hard I stumbled into the wall, banging my cheek. Tears sprang into my eyes.
Magnus swung his elbow back, hard, right into the guard’s face and then three men descended on him, punching and kicking him to the ground.
I pressed to the wall to get away from the fists and boots. “Stop! Stop please. Don’t hurt him.”
A guard said, “Shut your mouth or you’ll be next.”
I clamped my eyes shut and cowered against the wall.
They finished beating Magnus and jerked him to standing. His face was swollen. Blood streamed from his nose. “Kaitlyn, daena provoke them.”
One of the guards said, “I didn’t say you could speak to her.”
“I will speak tae her, she is my wife. And I am your king. You best nae harm her.”
The man sneered. “Your wife, huh? Well she’s a murderer. And you’re no king of mine. Samuel is my king.”
“You will live tae regret—”
‘What — this?” He pressed me up against the wall. Men were laughing. Hands were on me.
Magnus roared and charged. He shouldered the guard off me before he was wrestled to the ground. Men kicked and punched him again and I couldn’t bear it, the sound was gruesome and—
Behind us, down the hallway, a door slammed and someone was running, charging, footsteps clomping, echoing through the halls. Tyler with guns drawn. He charged into the space, red in the face. “Give me the girl!”
His guns, one in each hand were aimed at all the men.
“Get behind me.”
I tried, but a guard held fast to my skirts. Tyler said, “Let go of her, don’t make me shoot you man, let go.” He was pointing at each man there. “Toss your weapons, then hands up.” He looked at the next man. “Your weapon on the ground, your hands up too, do it, now.”
Two men tossed their guns to the ground and put their hands up, one tried to aim it. Tyler fired.
I shrieked.
The man was set off balance, a bloom of blood on his shoulder.
The fourth man pulled Magnus up by the hair and held a gun to his head.
I begged, “No, please!”
Tyler said, “You don’t want to do that man. That’s your king.”
“Not if I kill him first. Give us back the girl.”
“Keep your hands up. Everyone, let me see them.” His guns were moving back and forth. His focus intense. “Let Magnus go.”
“Give us the girl. You won’t make it out here alive.”
“Oh I will, I’ll kill all of you. Give me Magnus.”
Magnus’s face was intense, red, bloodied, his eyes wild. His neck taut, prepared to fight. Footsteps were clomping down the tunnel from the other direction.
“Give me Magnus!”
A guard dove for his gun and fired it toward us. I ducked, shrieked, and begged, “Please, no, don’t.”
Tyler fired and that guy lay still on the ground.
Magnus said, “Tis okay, Kaitlyn, daena be afeared, we—”
The guard holding him pressed his gun harder into Magnus’s temple. “More guards are coming, you don’t stand a chance.”
“Give me Magnus and we’ll see if I do.”
“Nah, Samuel only really wanted this guy anyway.” The two men started pulling Magnus down the hall. He struggled against them, they were reaching the corner.
Men behind them were closing in.
Tyler said, “Kaitlyn, count of three you run.”
I was fully crying. “I don’t want to, please get him, get Magnus, please.”
Magnus, struggling, said, “Go! Kaitlyn, go!”
“No, please,” I reached my hands out toward him, “I can’t leave without you.”
“Kaitlyn, ye have tae, go with Tyler.”
“Katie you better run, I have to hold the guns. I can’t carry you but I fucking will if I have to, one, two—”
“Please don’t make me — Magnus!”
He was dragged around the corner.
His voice came to me from further down the tunnel. “Run, Kaitlyn!”
Tyler said, “Three.”
I turned and ran.
Chapter 54
Tyler slammed into me at the door. “Through, go through!”
“I don’t want to, we have to go get Magnus, please.”
“Go through the fucking door Katie, now. Right now!” He holstered one of his guns and slammed against the door and shoved me out to the rooftop.
The sky was the cool grey of almost-dawn. The helicopter was parked, spotlights were shining around the perimeter. I stumbled toward the middle.
“Get behind it!”
“I don’t want to, I don’t want to leave him!” I tried to race back for the door and Tyler blocked me, grabbed me around the waist, and carried me to the helicopter. He flung me onto my ass on the hard cold roof. “Don’t move Katie, I swear to god, I’ll shoot you, I’ve shot every fucking other person so far.”
From the waistband of his pants he pulled a vessel.
“I won’t go! No! No! I don’t want to go.”
He dropped onto me, his knee on my stomach, pinning me down. I flailed against him trying to rip the vessel from his hands.
“What are you going to do? Storm the castle by yourself? I already did that, he’s captured, now stop struggling and—” He twisted the ends of the vessel and started reciting numbers.
I gave up fighting and tried for pleading. “Please don’t,” I begged. “You have to save him, we can’t — no, please.”
Tyler reached the end of his litany of numbers and the pain of the jump-through-time smacked into me, clenched around every single particle of my body, and ripped me away.
Chapter 55 - Magnus
Putting on my shirt was painful. I had tae stretch out my shoulder tae prepare. I winced when it pulled down over my arms and had to take deep breaths as I pulled up the kilt and buckled it around my waist. It was slow and methodical. I placed the clothes out, put them on slowly. I hadn’t much to do except this and the battle beyond.
I was nervous about the battle. My form had been good until the guards roughed me up, now I was in terrible condition. I wasn’t ready and Samuel kent it. He was plannin’ on it. He wanted a big battle, lots of attention, and he wanted me tae die.
I couldna blame him.
My door slammed open early, I turned to meet it and Lady Mairead was shoved in with an irritated huff. “Daena push me!”
She smoothed her dress and stood spine straight in the middle of my room while the guards slammed the door behind her.
“Samuel has allowed me tae see ye before your battle.”
“How did ye persuade him?”
“I promised him something if ye lose. Tis nae matter, I daena expect tae have tae make good on it.”
I took in a breath. “I haena lost one yet.”
“Exactly. Though ye look terrible.”
“The guards beat me with their boots, there arna many places on my body that daena feel broken. But I plan tae win. Kaitlyn wanted me tae, so I will.”
“The guards told me she escaped arrest?”
“Tyler rescued her. He has taken her tae Florida.”
She peered at me with an inquisitive look. “I assume ye ken what happens next?”
I ran a hand through my hair. “I have seen it.” I shook my head. “I ken they have a bairn together. I ken she will be happy. I learned it a while ago, but when I asked again last night, twas the same. A bit of the story was different, the timin’, but the bit about Kaitlyn becomin’ a mother tae Tyler’s bairn — tis still true. I am learnin’ there is nae changin’ it. It has been written.”
Lady Mairead pursed her lips. “Hmmm, well... I ken tis small comfort but she has always been difficult tae manage. When I picked her—”
“You dinna pick her, I did.”
“When you picked her I saw nae difficulties in the alliance because she was so spirited. But it dinna take long before I learned of the great many demerits of her character, not the least of which is her desire tae take every man tae bed—”
I clenched my jaw. “Daena say another word.”
“Fine, but I am sure ye see she has been a complication tae your rise in power. If ye would forget her tae her history, allow her tae live out her days, happily, I might add, as a mother and a wife tae Tyler Wilson, I think ye would be doin’ your best by her.”
She smoothed the top of my shirt across my chest. “Finally. Because tae be truthful, Magnus, being married tae ye canna have been easy. You owe her the kindness of allowin’ her tae be free of this danger and tae have a normal life. She was verra brave when she chose that ye would fight for your throne. I was impressed with her decision. I think in many ways twas her decidin’ tae let ye be, tae live in your own future, with your kingdom, tae take care of your son. I think she was ready tae let go and finally live a normal life.”
I nodded starin’ at the wall, tryin’ tae stay on top of my grief. “Have ye gone tae our future, seen what is comin’?”
“Nae. I only visit the past, tis commonplace tae visit what has already happened. I like dropping intae a story, as it has been told, and changing it in small parts, but going tae my own future is verra like playing God. I did it only once. I couldna sleep or eat for wanting tae change what would happen.”
“How did ye get over it? Were ye able tae change it?”
“I daena ken. It haena happened yet.” She sighed. “It is something I will never be able tae get from my mind.” She patted me on both shoulders and looked me in the eyes. “Tis our glory that we are heirs of these vessels and our privilege tae live outside of time, Magnus, and tis our burden that we canna fully love someone who lives inside of time. But ye must steel yourself tae your life. When the doors of the arena open ye must meet Samuel and take your throne.”
She continued, “Samuel has told me I may watch the battle. He has also told me that when ye die he will be merciful towards me. I want ye tae ken he has never been merciful tae anyone and so ye must win today. Your son is countin’ on ye as am I.”
I nodded again, quietly.
The door opened and the guards barged in.
We left Lady Mairead with a guard leadin’ her tae her rooms.
They forced me intae step alongside them down the halls, through the tunnel, and left me outside the familiar arena doors.
I did try tae steel myself tae the battle ahead. And when the arena doors opened with a burst of bright sunlight, I tapped my chest, over my heart, the place where the walkytalk had been, as if twas as easy as that tae speak tae her hundreds of years in the past, and said, “I love ye,” as I crossed the threshold tae meet my future.
Chapter 56
I was in grass. On mud. It was all pretty gosh darn wet, but not as bad as the time I woke up in the swamp. I opened my eyes and tried to lift my head. It was dark, forested, but I was in a clearing, a slope, my head lower than my body. I twisted to look down. The dock, the spring. A few boxes and bags lying around. A couple of swords strewn in the grass. A flashlight, faint but still burning, laying in the grass.
I turned my head and looked up the slope. Tyler’s truck, parked, door open. And then beside me, Tyler’s foot.
I dragged a hand up and jiggled his foot. He groaned.
I smacked his foot. Then grumbling, pulled myself to sitting over him. He was laying sprawled, his eyes opened but I could tell he wasn’t really seeing me. “I hate you. I hate you so much. I can’t believe you did that.”
I collapsed back on the grass and stared up the pine trees to the sky above, light gray, on the verge of turning a tint of blue. “I hate you so much.”
Tyler pulled himself up to sitting. “You know what. I’m not that happy with you either. What the fuck, Katie. You know how hard it is to deal with you?” He ran his hand over his now scruffy hair. He banged his hand flat on the ground beside him. “Fuck. I had
one job to do for him. All this other shit was just extra. I mean what the fuck, you have a freaking death wish?”
I stared up at him dumbfounded.
He pulled himself up to standing. “God, you are such a pain in the ass. If someone tells you to run, you run. Why do you have to argue about every fucking thing?” He brushed off his jeans and straightened up with yet another groan. “And you know what? I could have gotten killed, killed myself, and for what, so you could hate me? Well fine, I didn’t do it for you, so yeah, fuck you.” He started limping to his truck. “And you know what the worst part is? He doesn’t even know me now. Thanks for that. It’s just great.”
He made it to his truck, climbed in and tried to start it. The ignition went ‘click’. He stepped out and yelled down the slope at me, “And now my battery is dead. Fucking great. I saved your life for him and I can’t even get a break.”
“What are you even talking about?”
He popped his hood, lifted it and peered in, jiggling the battery cables. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it. My wife freaking warned me, too. Now she’s right.”
I stood, tried to brush the top layer of grime from my skirts, but I was seriously filthy, like a destitute wench from the 18th century grimy. “Okay, you just now said a bunch of shit that makes no sense. Either you have a concussion or you are talking about someone and only you know what the hell you’re talking about. You have a wife? And who is ‘him’?”
He leaned on the front of his truck. “Do you have the keys to your Mustang?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, I want to go home and I need to jump my battery.”
“Fine.” I schlepped myself up the slope to the far edge of the clearing where the Mustang was parked. The trunk was still open. I looked in the driver’s side window. The keys were in the ignition. “I’ve got keys!”
I checked the trunk. “I’ve got jumper cables too.”
Entangled With You Page 18
