by Mary Morgan
“Meggie,” he said, rolling the word off his tongue as if she were a treasure. “How many horses do ye keep here?”
“Twelve, but Scott and Bruce are purchasing more for the business. Nine of the twelve are our own—for personal use.”
“Who are Scott and Bruce?” demanded Adam.
Meggie burst out laughing watching him in smug delight. “More cousins and they are far worse than Lucas.”
Adam raked a hand through his hair. “God’s blood. Will they be working in the stables?”
“Have no fear, Adam. As much as we all love the animals, my cousins leave them all to me. Bruce has a way with the animals, plus a charming smile with the ladies. Whereas, Scott is the one who manages the accounts. He has a great mind for bartering. If we left the dealings to Bruce, he would return home without any horses. He’s more likely to start a fight with the men than barter a deal.” Meggie shielded her eyes when she spotted a hawk circling in the distance.
“Strange,” she muttered.
“’Tis only a hawk,” commented Adam. “Stunning golden feathers.”
“’Tis Marcas and he never comes out this late in the day. His time is early morn or night. He is a creature of habit. Not one to break from his routine.”
“I dinnae ken your meaning, Meggie. ’Tis only a hawk.”
She gaped at him. “Where have ye been hiding, Adam? I would verra much like to visit the place ye dwelled.”
Adam continued to watch the hawk make lazy circles in the sky above them. “A place I pray I can return to one day,” he mused.
Shaking her head, she quickened her stride to the castle. “I’m up before dawn, so I’ll expect to see ye at that time.”
He reached for her hand as he caught up with her. “I always greet the new day in the dark.”
His hand, though calloused, made Meggie feel safe. And for the first time in many months, she longed to remember her lost memories—especially the ones of Adam MacFhearguis. He most certainly was an intriguing man. Could he have meant something to her in their brief time together? Squeezing his hand, she smiled fully at him. “Good. I’m happy to hear ye are an early riser. I wouldn’t want to let ye go on the first day.”
Adam released her hand. “I must beg a favor of ye, first.”
Taken aback, she shot him a questioning look. “Beg? Ye sound like a man who never begs.”
“Ye are correct,” he offered ruefully. “However, if ye may grant me one day before I can assist ye, I should be verra grateful.”
“Can ye share the reason? Or is it too personal?”
“I would like to visit the ruins of Castle Leomhann. Archie has informed me ’tis only a day’s journey by horse to go there and return. I shall leave early morn and return by nightfall.”
Seeing his somber expression, she couldn’t help but grant his request. Meggie was curious as to his reason for going and the words came tumbling forth before she had time to think. “Granted, though I will go with ye. I know the land in these parts, and my vehicle will have us there in a few hours.”
“Ve…vehicle?” Adam stammered.
Meggie smiled and the tension eased. “Another beastie of transportation, except the color is black. Ye can pretend it’s your black beast of a horse.” Giving the man a wink, she walked slowly back to the castle.
Adam let out a curse.
****
Circle of Stones, Glen Urquhart—October 1207
Harsh, bitter rain slashed at Lachlan’s face where he crouched under a pine tree staring at the silent white guardians—the standing stones. Three years ago, he had held the upper hand against the Dragon Knights. The battle he had fostered was fought—their sister killed. He had relished in their cursed banishment. And two years ago, Duncan MacKay’s sword lay within his grasp.
However, two years ago this month the tide of events had turned against him. Furthermore, during those two years, he had witnessed all four of the MacKay brothers reclaim their relics and their rightful place in the halls of the Fae.
Urquhart Castle did not burn as he had planned—foreseen. Nae. ’Twas only a small portion that collapsed. Now, the place thrived, and his hatred for the Order of the Dragon Knights and Fae grew with each passing day.
In addition, the Dark One ignored him. He had failed the mighty one. His power now weakened. His men no longer followed him, save one—Broc. The man had saved him from the last battle at Urquhart, while the others fled back to their homes. Cowards, he had called them. Cursing them by name as they ran into the forest.
A flash of lightning blazed in the early evening sky, and Lachlan grimaced from pain. The last battle had left him blind in one eye. Each day he dealt with tormenting headaches, leaving him tired and feeble. No longer could he travel during the daylight, the pain too severe from the sun. Night was his companion, and so they traveled during this time and found shelter when dawn arrived.
He held a hand over his scarred face, praying the rain would cease, but lightning burst once again. Slowly opening his eyes, Lachlan glared at the monstrous stones. How he hated them. His fate would always be tied to this place—this time.
He did not ken what was worse. The pain in his body or his hatred. Both battled for control and he grew tired. He straightened and raised his staff. “Do ye want my life, Dark One?” he shouted knowing he would get no answer.
Thunder crashed overhead, and Lachlan stepped away from the tree. “If it is my life ye want, then take it. I give it freely. I ken I have failed ye. But I will not venture any further. This is where I end my journey.” He smacked his staff into the ground causing mud and rocks to spew forth.
“No, Lachlan! This is where your journey begins. Through the place between time and space. You must seek out the last Dragon Knight. For he holds the key that will destroy my plans and bring about your death.”
Lachlan shuddered from the Dark One’s words. He would show no fear. “Great one, as always I do your bidding.” He held out his arms wide. “But all the Dragon Knights are together. Their quest has been fulfilled. Angus was the last.”
“You are incorrect, Lachlan. Another one was created the night Margaret MacKay died. The bloodline of the Dragon Knights is now divided. A more powerful Order has been created. Are you prepared to take this journey that I send you on? Will you let your pain weaken your quest?”
Breathing heavily, Lachlan knelt. “My lord, I am yours to command. Who is this Dragon Knight? Where shall I find him?” His last question almost a growl.
“In a place not of this realm. He dwells in another time. There is where I will send you. If you fail, death will be your punishment.”
“Another time?” his voice rose in astonishment. Lachlan gritted his teeth. He understood that the MacKay women had traveled the veil, and he deemed the Fae were heavily involved. For ones that cursed the Dragon Knights, he found it perverse that they would get help to aid their redemption from another realm.
“Meddling race,” he hissed. Standing, he lifted his head, caring not when the lightning struck within several feet of him. “What do I need to do—learn before my journey begins?”
“I will mend your features, but you shall still suffer the pain. There is much I can show you about the other realm. This is a different path you venture on. The key is held by one, and I cannot see. You will be my eyes and ears. It will require strength and a rare plan. Although, there is something I require first. After this has been fulfilled, we will begin.”
Understanding the Dark One’s meaning, Lachlan removed his dirk. “I am ready for your command.”
Lachlan walked back within the trees and waited. He would do anything to gain favor once again with the Dark One. And for this reason alone, he understood what was required of him. His hand shook as he clenched the blade more firmly, drawing on the last of his powers.
Time stood still. The rain slowed. And as the footsteps came closer, Lachlan steeled his emotions. The man had served him well.
When Broc emerged with the kill for their mea
l, Lachlan struck outward with his staff from behind, slamming it into the back of his head. With a great war cry, Lachlan ended the life of his one remaining soldier with a dirk to the back of the man’s neck.
Chapter Nine
“Dare to touch the ruins of long ago and open your heart and mind to the whispered warnings of the future.”
“Ye cannae be serious?” Adam asked incredulously. He hesitantly backed away, watching as she rode inside the monstrous beast coming toward him. By the saints, it made the most horrific noise, and he wanted Meggie nowhere near the fiend.
She quickly jumped down from the black beastie, her face flush. “Did ye say something, Adam, or were ye commenting on my magnificent driving?” Meggie ran over to him and pulled on his hand. “Don’t tell me ye have never seen a sports vehicle? A jeep?”
He refused to move and pulled her to him. “Is it safe?”
Meggie jabbed him in the arm. “Of course, ’tis safe. Did ye come from another time, Adam MacFhearguis?”
Adam could see the mirth in her eyes, but she had no idea that her words spoke the truth. He slowly meandered to the brute and casually placed his hand on the smooth surface. “Where I come from, a horse is the only means of journeying.”
“Exactly what I said—another time.” Opening the door, she waved him on in. “Let me take ye to Leomhann, Adam.”
Climbing in, he looked around at all the space. He wished there was more above him, for his head almost touched the top of the monster. Meggie slammed the door and came around the other side. Upon entering, she leaned across him, brushing across his chest. He inhaled deeply, her scent bringing forth all the memories of their time together.
“I’m fastening your seatbelt before we leave,” she stated, her face mere inches from his, a lock of hair swept over her eyes. Keeping his hands fisted, he fought the urge not to run his tongue over her plump lips—to savor their sweetness once again.
“I…um…ye don’t mind. Here, let me show ye,” she said in a throaty whisper. He could see the fight of desire within her eyes. Adam let out a groan when her tongue flicked out over her bottom lip.
When he heard the click, he realized he was being held in place by a strap. His desire quickly vanished. “Untie me now,” he demanded. His breathing rasped and lights flashed before his eyes. Memories ripped into him from another time—another land. Cries of mercy screamed within his mind, but they were not from him. Nae, he would never beg for mercy. Those screams were from his Templar friends. Many were forcibly tied down, parts of their body mutilated in a gruesome manner.
Meggie placed a gentle hand on his face. “’Tis all right, Adam. Ye can do it on your own. Ye are not trapped.”
Her cool touch and voice brought Adam back from the horrific memories. Blinking, he leaned his head against the back of the chair. “Show me.”
Taking his hand, she showed him where the lock was and pressed down with his fingers. The moment the strap came undone, he pushed it aside.
“See. Ye have control. But we can’t leave until ye are secure.” She shrugged. “’Tis the law.”
“Humph!” Snapping the strap in place, he gave her a piercing look.
“Wonderful. We’re all set to go. I’ve even kept the window partially down. I hope you don’t mind, but I love fresh air, though ’tis chilly.”
“Highland air is a remedy for what ails ye. ’Twas something my father mentioned often to me and my brothers.”
As the monster came to life, Adam watched in horrific fascination as she turned the wheel and pushed her foot against something he couldnae see. Instantly they started moving. The sudden movement caught him unaware, and he braced his hands on the shelf in front of him.
“Sweet Brigid! Relax, or ye are going to be a wreck before we leave the grounds of Aonach,” she commented and placed a gentle hand on his arm.
“I would much rather be on my horse,” he grunted out in response.
“Trust me, Adam. We’ll be there in no time. Sit back and enjoy the ride.”
“How can I? We are moving to and fro.”
“Please,” Meggie pleaded.
The soft request reached inside Adam’s heart, and he let out a long held breath. Leaning back fully in his chair, he tried to do as she requested. Therefore, he took his gaze off her and the road in front of him and looked outward to the right. Trees decked in the brilliance of autumn filled his senses. Inhaling the fresh scent of pine and cool air, he welcomed the breeze coming in through the window. Soon, Adam calmed his racing heart and took in the wonders of the passing land. Cattle grazed on a nearby hill. A lone calf caught up in a playful dance meandered to another young one, and he smiled at the sight.
Feeling more relaxed, Adam crossed his arms over his chest. “The Highlands are a bonny place, aye?”
Meggie gave him a quick glance. “Magical, mystifying, but yes, always bonny.”
Adam noticed a frown on her features. “Is there more ye wanted to add?”
Her lips thinned, reminding him how she often did this when deep in thought. “I thought I was done with thinking of the past. Yet, ye came and with it all these questions have surfaced once again.”
“I did not come to bring ye sorrow, Meggie. If it pains ye to have me here…” God’s blood, did she want to send him away?
“Nae!” she barked out and then laughed. “’Tis frustrating, that’s all. For one solid year, I tried to regain my memories. They—my cousins, sent me to several doctors, a healer, and a hypnotherapist. None could help me.” She waved a hand in the air. “Afterwards, I stopped worrying about the past and concentrated on the future. If the Goddess didn’t want me to remember, she must have had a darn good reason, aye?”
“I ken some of your meaning, but did ye not consider ye may have suffered an injury?”
She brushed back the curls from her face. “Nae. I had none when Scott found me. Not a scratch on me anywhere, though…” she paused, glancing quickly his way.
“Aye?” Adam asked slowly.
“’Tis naught. Ye might think ’tis foolish nonsense,” she stated dismissively and returned her focus to driving.
Turning slightly in the seat, Adam reached out and touched the hand she had resting on the wheel. “Naught ye say is foolish, Meggie. Finish what ye were going to tell me.”
“Ahem,” she cleared her throat. “Well, ye see Scott found me asleep in the standing stones, and I was wearing a medieval garment.”
Adam remained silent. Her words only confirmed what he feared. The Fae interfered. Somehow, they had healed his bonny Meggie and swept her across time. But why? What purpose would it serve to bring the lass here? Shifting back in his seat, he fought the rage over life’s strange twist of fate.
“I take it by your silence that ye don’t believe me, or I’m a silly lass that was playing a part and fell and hit my head on one of the stones,” Meggie said sternly.
“Ye were never a silly lass, and I do believe ye.”
She gave him a wee smile and turned her attention once again to the road. “Thank ye,” she whispered. “I had hoped when I saw ye wearing similar clothing of the period, ye would ken more about me. Maybe tell me that we were traveling gypsies.” Meggie burst out laughing. “Nae. I cannae see ye playing to the crowd.”
“A crowd would not find me humorous,” he said brusquely.
“Nae, they wouldn’t, Adam MacFhearguis. Ye are more a brute—ready to defend and protect.”
Adam turned his gaze back to the passing land, Meggie’s words reminding him of another time when his sword took up the call to defend and protect for the one true God. He had returned from the Crusades, bitter and unsure, but steadfast in his belief.
They remained in quiet company for the remainder of their journey, and Adam pondered different strategies on how he could bring his Meggie back. Propping his arm on the edge of the window, he watched the land he loved brush by in a blur.
An hour later, Meggie nudged his arm. “Look yonder.”
Shifting slig
htly, Adam looked to his left. Staring back at him stood a skeleton of his home. Castle Leomhann. Where once stood an imposing castle, now lay only crumbled stones. Gone. The past and present struck with such force within his mind that the shadows blocked his sight.
“Stop!” he commanded. “I must be free.” The dizziness overtook him, and he clutched at the side of the door.
“Give me a moment. I need to pull off the road.”
As soon as she turned off the rumble of the beast, Adam pushed against the door. Seeing the latch, he yanked on it and freed himself. Stumbling out of the vehicle, he stood on unsteady legs, glancing up the side of the hill. Placing a fist against his heart, he fought the wave of emotions. “My home,” he muttered. Wiping a hand across his brow, he steadied himself.
Meggie came up alongside him and slipped her hand around his arm. “Ye did not ken?”
“Nae,” he replied in a hoarse whisper.
“Would ye like to see more?” she asked.
He glanced down at her. “Will ye wait for me?”
“I shall go with ye.” Squeezing his arm, Meggie started up the hill.
His heart swelled. Following in her steps, Adam trudged upward.
When they reached the top, he slowly walked through what would have been the portcullis. It was gone. His gaze swept to the main entrance. Only one wall remained. The east and west towers gone. Naught remained of the stables, and the forge was also missing. Moving cautiously inside, the blue skies welcomed him as the partial steps leading to a crumbled second pathway veered off into a mass of stones covered in vines.
Closing his eyes, the ghosts of long ago whispered his name. Why? his mind screamed.
“Adam? Are ye all right?”
Meggie’s soothing tone washed through his body, and he opened his eyes. Reaching for her hand, he needed to feel something solid—real, and he prayed she wouldn’t pull away.
As she stepped closer to his side, Adam smiled. “’Tis a shock, naught more.”
“If ye are distressed over this, ye should see the MacKays first home. Urquhart Castle is much worse than this pile of stones.”
