Hammond said, “The Trailblazer.”
“I can use it and rest and use it and rest until I hae gotten tae the date.”
“I work alone.”
“Ye canna, nae this time. Look at ye, ye’re exhausted and frightened of the effort. I only just met ye and I can tell twill kill ye tae continue. Best let a big strappin’ man do it. I am stronger and more suited tae the task.”
Lady Mairead’s face turned furious.
Quentin, looking from Fraoch to Lady Mairead, intervened, ”I should probably do it. Lady Mairead and I go way back. She knows me and trusts me.”
Fraoch shook his head incredulously. “The black man wants tae go tae Scotland of long ago? Black Mac, ye canna survive it without endin’ up on the wrong side of a sword.”
Quentin said, “What the hell, man? I’m a soldier. I can handle myself. Especially against a bunch of medieval men. I’ll be better armed.”
“I ken ye are capable, but I ken the landscape. I hae been livin’ in the woods. I ken tae speak tae the men. I ken how tae get tae Edinburgh.”
Lady Mairead’s eyes squinted. “You expect me tae give you one of the most important machines in the history of the world and a vessel as well? Tae the man who haena ever used them before? How can I trust ye?”
“How can I trust ye?”
Her eyes squinted even more and she spun the knife between her fingers. She said, “Explain yourself.”
“The way I see it, ye daena trust me. Ye believe I am after the throne though I hae never even heard of the kingdom and I daena plan tae ever lay eyes upon it. So how will I prove it tae ye? I canna, because the king has written a paper sayin’ he will abdicate the throne tae me. I am next in line for the throne if King Magnus daena return. But if I help ye rescue the king I will hae proven I am nae comfortable with that outcome.”
She continued to glare at him.
“Comes tae me that if I help ye, and if I help Og Maggy, I will hae proven myself as nae a threat.”
“Og Maggy.” She huffed. “What if... what if, Master Fraoch, I allow ye the trailblazer, but then I turn yer vessel off? This sounds verra much like something I might do. It might serve me well tae leave ye there.”
Fraoch shrugged. “Once ye rescue Og Maggy he winna stand for it. He would come tae get me. And I imagine he would be nae too happy about it either. And if he is gone, and I am gone, and there inna a grown man tae be king, then who is next in line for the throne, wee Archie? I daena think he is ready tae rule.” He leaned back in his chair. “Ye need me.”
She rolled her eyes. “I hae never needed anyone, nae since Magnus’s father, Donnan, told me, ‘Protect my son, Magnus, and he will be the next king.’ I hae taken his words tae heart and I hae succeeded in the aim. I will agree that ye, with brawn being yer most defining characteristic, might be well-suited tae this task. I will allow ye tae go, but I assure ye Fraoch, if ye daena finish what ye are promising tae do, if ye arna trustworthy, I will end ye.”
Quentin said, “Okay, okay, how about this, Fraoch and I do it together? We’ll need to make a solid plan. We’ll need supplies: camping equipment, weapons, rations. Emma will need to make us some go-go juice. I’ll make sure the tech is returned. Fraoch will make sure I survive the dark ages.”
Lady Mairead said, “I agree tae this arrangement. Though once ye hae used the Trailblazer, tis up tae me tae rescue them with the vessel. If they are in court, if they are in the company of Mary of Guise, they will need a more nuanced rescue than ye can give them.”
Quentin said, “Deal.”
“I warn ye though, Colonel Quentin, tis verra grueling. I canna guarantee that ye will survive it.”
Eighty-one - Hayley
It took the rest of the day to pack for their trip. Lady Mairead and Hammond had to get Quentin and Fraoch up to speed on using the new tech. They were going to leave that night.
We were all so busy I didn’t really get to speak to Fraoch until after dinner, when Quentin took some time to say goodbye to Beaty and Fraoch came to me in our bedroom.
I was siting on the edge of the bed. He stood before me and looked down on me. “Och, I am nae wantin’ tae say goodbye.”
I nodded. “The plan though is that you’ll be back tomorrow, one day, barely anything.”
He knelt down between my legs and wrapped his arms around me. His face against my stomach. “I daena want tae go back tae Scotland.”
“Really? You like it here?”
“I do.”
“What do you like?”
“The food for one, tis verra good.”
“What is your favorite?”
“I like burgers.”
“Then I’ll make sure that’s what’s on the menu tomorrow night when you get home.” I ran my fingers through his hair. “How long do you think you’ll actually be gone?”
“I daena ken. Quentin and I are strong. We can ride the machine. I daena see how it can beat us.”
“The vessels hurt like shit though, and Lady Mairead says this is worse.”
“Aye, she says tis worse.” His face nestled into my stomach more. “I can bear it. I am nae afraid.”
“If it’s too bad, will you come home?”
He looked up at me. “If I canna get the machine back tae the time they are livin’ in, they will hae tae keep livin’ in it.”
His smile spread, his missing tooth, once a jarring blight on his hotness, now a comforting reminder of his imperfections, proof of his vulnerability, causing shyness and humility in this otherwise cocky man. “And ye hae shewn me, m’bhean ghlan, Florida, with the marvels of a... what dost ye call it?”
“What?”
“The box with the food inside?”
“The refrigerator?”
“Aye, they are livin’ in a world without a refrigerator. Can ye even call it livin’?”
I chuckled. “No, Fraoch, you really can’t.”
“Aye, so I will get the machine tae go back tae where they are, and it will take as long as it takes me. I winna quit until Og Maggy and Kaitlyn hae a path tae return home. I will do it because I owe him as a brother.”
“Well, if anyone can do it, you can. And Quentin, he’s driven and loyal. He won’t give up.”
“Aye, we will get the path set tae bring them home. We hae tae, I hae learned tae drive the boat. I hae tae shew Og Maggy that I can go fishin’ and catch the biggest fish.”
“I don’t think Magnus ever even got to go fishing. In his defense he hasn’t had time, but I can see you’d have a lot of fun showing him that.”
He nestled his face back to my stomach. “And his bairn need him.”
“It’s so true. It breaks my heart that they are without Katie. Isla is almost a year old.”
“Aye.” We sat there quietly, until he said, “I love ye, m’bhean ghlan. If I am nae tae return, if something happens, I love ye, ye are the best part of m’life.”
I lifted his chin. “You are the best part of my life too. Come back, okay?”
“Okay, m’bhean ghlan, I will.”
He lumbered up to his feet and we went to meet the others downstairs.
Hammond had equipment and weapons in large rucksacks. Quentin and Fraoch would have to carry them on their back, because the Trailblazer, unlike the vessels, wouldn’t carry your luggage along for the ride.
They would also both have to hold onto the Trailblazer, which was a cube about the size of a shoebox. Each man had a vessel in their backpack. The trick was to hold onto the cube, so they wouldn’t be able to hold anything else.
Lady Mairead explained that she had tried belting herself to it, but, “Twas nae that I couldna hold on, twas that it was so verra painful I wanted tae get away.”
Fraoch said, “Och,” and shook his head.
Beaty and Emma and Zach and I moved to the boardwalk out of the way. Lady Mairead went farther up the boardwalk closer to the house and called back, “Madame Emma, I suggest ye move the bairn tae the house.” So Emma took Zoe, Isla, and the b
oys inside. Hammond remained in the dunes, closer, as if he might be needed.
From this distance we couldn’t hear what they said, but we could tell that Quentin and Fraoch were talking to each other. They checked each other’s packs, holding the tech, discussing it. They both lowered their heads and there was quiet, and then, it was like the air got sucked from the world, like the absence of matter, a vacuum, but just for a moment, like a giant inhale, then electrical charge — my mouth tasted like metal, it smelled acrid, like being struck by lightning. An explosion of force and the loudest clap I had ever heard in my life. A clap that filled my body with sound and electricity.
I tried to cover my ears but the sound was inside my head — my hair stood on end — they were gone and it was like they hadn’t ever been there.
But the worst part was the dread fear that dropped my heart to my feet, and it felt really freaking scary, like chills running down my spine and fear and — I looked over at Beaty, her face was terrified, her hands shaking. “Oh no!” she said.
And she didn’t say what, but I totally got what she meant.
Oh. No.
I was chilled. Goosebumps and fear, my spine shivered. I shook, looking up and down the beach. It sizzled. The air smelled like the fire of a lightning blast, electrical fire, burned glass.
I half expected someone to be dead on the sand and that was frightening enough but it was all so terrifying — my anxiety through the roof. “I’m going to go, I’m going to go look, I will...”
I was scared to actually look though, so I stood there and said it again, “I’m going to go look.”
Zach’s voice behind me. “I’ll go with you, Hayley.” He sounded hesitant. “Yeah.”
Finally we were in motion walking down the steps to the sand and across it to the spot. The sand sizzled. It smelled sweet and pungent and weird, like otherworldly.
Zach tapped the sand, where they had been standing. It was hard. He knocked it. The sand was hard for a ways, Iike the sand had turned to glass. Zach said, “Fucking A, that was terrifying.”
“Did they survive it?”
He said, “I don’t know.” We both looked up at the house. Lady Mairead was there on the boardwalk, her eyes on the sky.
“She made it though. If she can, they had to, right?”
Zach said, “Yeah, of course, but my fucking skin is crawling, that’s not good.”
That anxious feeling wouldn’t go away. We paced. We ordered in dinner. Hammond guarded the house. Lady Mairead retired to the guest room. We paced some more. The kids were little monsters: Zoe was colicky. Isla was clingy and frightened. Archie and Ben were put to bed earlier than usual, or we were all going to freak out.
I said, “What is happening? I can’t relax. Are they okay?” It was this constant skin-crawling sensation on the back of my neck.
But nobody could answer.
Eighty-two - Hayley
Lady Mairead was quiet at breakfast. Emma asked if she was anxious too, she replied, “Aye, Madame Emma, I have felt it since I tried the use the machine myself.”
The feeling lasted all day, while pacing and waiting and worrying and barely talking. Lady Mairead used the guest bathroom to change into a dress she had brought for wearing into the sixteenth century. She gazed out the sliding glass door, hands clasped in front of her, looking a great deal like a renaissance-style painting, Portrait of a Lady, or something.
She ignored the children, except for the occasional wistful look at Isla. She had a packed bag and Hammond had a larger gear bag on the back deck waiting for her.
Then there was a storm, a big one, Zach and I rushed out to meet it, and there on the sand dunes in front of the house, sprawled, Fraoch and Quentin. Quentin had a full beard, Fraoch’s was even longer. They were both filthy, smelly.
Zach said, “God, they look like they’ve been rode hard and put away wet.”
“Fraoch? Fraoch, wake up.”
Lady Mairead stood on the boardwalk above us. “Wake them up, I need tae ken how far they went.”
I said, “I know, sheesh.” I rolled my eyes at Zach.
“Fraoch wake up. Quentin, come on, time to get up.”
Slowly they began to move and shift and struggle to wake up.
Quentin opened his eyes first. Zach asked, “How far did you go?”
He moaned, “Far enough.”
“She can jump to get them?”
He nodded.
Lady Mairead said, “Hayley, this is for ye.” She over the rail with something small in her hand, a small piece of paper, I reached up for it. She said, “Tell him I said thank ye. I left a gift for Quentin with Beaty.”
She walked, head held high down the boardwalk to the beach, and a few moments later the storm, wrought from her leaving, rose. I covered Fraoch’s unconscious face to keep the whipping sand from stinging and settling there.
“Och. I am home?” His eyes were closed.
“Yes, Quentin’s here. Lady Mairead left to go get them.”
“Good.”
He groaned and patted his arms. “Dost I hae all m’parts?”
“It looks like it, though you, sir, need a bath.” I held his hand. “How long did it take you?”
“We were gone for forty-three days, Black Mac did the countin’ though I begged him tae stop.”
Quentin groaned and struggled to sitting. Beaty was sitting beside him. She kissed his fingers. “Quenny was it verra terrible?”
“Aye,” he said, “twas.”
“Ye were gone so long ye sound like a Scottish man.”
Quentin said, “I was gone so long I smell like a caveman.”
Fraoch said, “Aye, m’bhean ghlan has changed me, I am wantin’ a proper meal, but I want a shower afore my proper meal.”
I laughed.
His eyes were open, his color coming back. He lumbered up to sitting. I asked, “By proper meal you mean...?”
He grinned. “A meat sandwich and the potato sticks from the new world, but with a whisky, because I am still Scottish.”
In the bathroom, while he was taking off his disgusting clothes for a shower, I showed him the piece of paper. He glanced at it and asked, “Can ye read it tae me?” He dropped his kilt to the floor.
“It only has a name, it says, Jeanne A. Smith, born 2359.”
“Dost ye ken what it means?”
I sat on the counter beside the sink. “My guess is it’s your mother.”
“It canna be, m’mother was Agnie MacLeod, I heard it many times.”
I nodded. “Sure, yeah, I don’t know what it means, but Lady Mairead wanted you to have it.”
“Tis nae matter tae me, I ken m’mother was a MacLeod, and m’father was a MacDonald. She passed on when I was a bairn. He passed on when I had just become a man. I daena hae any reason tae believe m’story is different from any other. I ken Lady Mairead has said I am descended from a line of kings, but dost I hae a crown on m’head? Hae I been raised in a castle? Nae,” he shook his head, “I am nae a king. Tis nae purpose in decidin’ it tae be true.”
I said, “You’re right, you know, that’s a good way to think about it. Plus I’m your family now.”
“Aye, ye are.” His stomach growled.
I said, “We need less talk and more shower, so you can get downstairs for your meal.”
“Aye, m’bhean ghlan.” He sighed over dramatically. “I hae tae clean m’self afore m’food. Tis a cruel bidding tae hae a wife who wants ye tae smell sweet afore she will feed ye.”
Through the steamy glass I watched as he poured a quarter cup of what I was pretty sure was body gel in his hand and began scrubbing it all over his body including his hair and his beard and... I sighed. I would need to run the class on shampoo versus soap again.
“Cruel huh? You might be thinking about it the wrong way. You’re taking a warm sudsy shower and as an extra you’ll get a big meal. And probably I’ll take you to bed right after for some first things first.”
He chuckled and stood under t
he water rinsing himself. “I dost like first things first.” He let water roll down in his face and then shook it from his eyes. “I also like second things and thirds.” He added, “Lady Mairead believes the world must be about royal lines and deceits and strategies, but maybe it’s about warm beds and full stomachs.”
I looked down at the paper. “I’m going to keep this though, you okay with that?”
“Do with it what ye will. I daena want it.”
Eighty-three - Kaitlyn
Magnus had business. He and I were invited to do things with the court, but he always had more to do than I did. He was gone before dawn for a meeting with Châtellerault. I hugged him goodbye overlong because it had been a weird week — I felt anxious, my skin crawled, hair standing on end, and Magnus too, had mentioned it. He called it being unsettled.
I said, “I’m nervous about being separated today. I don’t know why.” We finished the hug and stepped away.
“I daena ken either. I am worried...”
“Do you know why?”
“I canna put it tae words.” He strapped on his sword. “Wear yer weapons, stay here at the house. I winna be long.”
Lady Fleming had been more depressed than ever. I met her in front of our altar and kneeled. I glanced at her, her eyes tight shut, her face wet with tears and sweat, hands clutched, praying. A litany pouring from her heart, but today it was a little louder, a little more aggressive. I was probably just imagining it though, my head hurt. It felt like a pressure squeeze all around my skull. I rubbed my temple.
A moan escaped me.
She leapt to her feet and screamed.
“What, Lady Fleming, are you okay?”
She pressed her hands to her temples and backed away. She pointed, mumbling.
I held out my hands. “Calm down, Lady Fleming, it’s okay.”
She yelled, “Nae! Nae!”
“What is happening? Lady Fleming!” She cowered away from me but I got my arms around her and led her to the stairs. The housemaid looked frightened. I said, “She’s not feeling well, can you bring something for her?”
Son and Throne (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 11) Page 30
