Love Beyond Destiny

by Bethany Claire

  “Yes, but we have to hurry. Is everyone here?”

  Henry called out to Marcus as we all gathered in the circle we’d practiced the night before.

  “Aye. ’Tis time.”

  I reached up to kiss him before taking my place beside Bri, the first woman Morna ever sent back.

  Despite my fear, as I looked down the row of women beside me, I knew we would succeed. They were strong, smart, and we all knew our part of the spell by heart.

  The men would cast Machara out of her cage and into the garden where they would hold her with their magic until the last moment it was surrendered.

  At the exact moment the magic began to transfer, the men would flee the garden, for they knew they could play no part in this. It would all be up to us in the end.

  Henry, the eldest of The Eight spoke.

  “Are ye ready, lads? ’Tis time for us to give Machara a view outside her dungeon one last time before she dies.”

  It had taken no effort for us to convince the men that they would have to sacrifice their powers. They would all have to find a new way of living, but at least this time the choices about their futures would be theirs.

  In unison, they chanted words none of us could understand. Slowly the garden took on the same sickly green hue as Machara’s dungeon. When she appeared before us, there were no bars around her, but I could see from the way she stood that she couldn’t move more than a few feet in any direction.

  She looked at Marcus and reared back and laughed. “’Tis time, then? We shall finally see if my father’s curse will hold true.”

  No one acknowledged her. We all just grasped hands as the men continued their spell, one by one saying the words that would break their bond to one another and rid them of their powers for good.

  None of us knew exactly how it would happen, but Ross was certain I would know when it was time for me to cast my part of the spell, and I did.

  The moment Henry dropped to the ground, releasing his grip on my hand and that of Ludo’s, Machara began to smile, and the air around us began to crackle.

  Turning toward her, I spoke the otherworldly language. As if it were a song, I allowed the words to blend together. One by one, the eight men dropped to their knees.

  It took a moment for Machara to understand, but I saw when she tried to take her first free step that it stunned her when she could not.

  The moment I finished and stepped back, Bri stepped forward. When she began to recite her words, both she and Machara disappeared, and we knew that Bri was facing whatever battle Machara had in store for her.

  I glanced back at the remaining women. Fear was evident in each face, but determination was there, as well. We had all fought for too much before. We all had way too much at stake.

  Olivia and Jimmie stood on the edge of the garden, watching in horror as the eight now mortal men struggled to stand. It took no time for them to react. Together, they helped lead the men from the garden. Giving up their magic had cost them strength I imagined it would take days for them to get back.

  As quickly as she’d gone, Bri reappeared in the garden. Blaire wasted no time taking her stand, and in a flash, she was gone, as well.

  We said nothing to one another as we waited, our only reassurance that each had succeeded was their reappearance in the garden.

  When Kate—the last of us—disappeared, I was certain none of us dared to breathe. When she returned and nothing happened, dread and panic settled in my gut.

  We’d missed something.

  Machara wasn’t dead.

  I glanced over at the book near where Henry had fallen, and I knew.

  We all had our own part, but it was something we would all have to finish together.

  “We have to surrender the magic back. We weren’t meant to hold it. It won’t leave us on its own.”

  I ran for the book as we hurried to latch hands.

  Once we stood together, I began to sound the words aloud, the rest of the women joining as they learned the rhythm of the words.

  Our surroundings changed at once as we stood before Machara in a realm that had to be that of the fae.

  Gone was the glow that always radiated from her. Gone was the anger in her eyes.

  She no longer looked like the supernatural being she’d once been. She was beaten, and she knew it.

  Together we returned the magic inside us to the land of the fae.

  The residents of Castle Murray no longer had use of it.

  Machara was finally dead, and The Isle of Eight Lairds was free.

  Chapter 43

  Two Weeks Later – October 1653

  * * *

  For weeks, things seemed to be at a standstill around the castle. Weak and weary, we all rested, but we all worried, as well. Freya was nowhere to be found. Her body was gone from its grave, and her spirit no longer appeared in the garden each night.

  Nicol also remained missing.

  Everything in his life had now changed, and Castle Murray’s master was none the wiser.

  To make matters worse, Ross and the former members of The Eight were too weak to go in search of him.

  With Laurel and Kate by my side, we stood by the castle stables as we watched Bri, Blaire, Mitsy, Grace, Kathleen, and Jane, along with their husbands, ready themselves for their journey home.

  We would always owe them a debt, but I suspected they all knew we would be there for them if the need ever arose.

  “Silva?”

  I turned toward Laurel’s voice beside me.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve been thinking these past few days. I know that Ross will be ready to leave here as soon as he’s strong enough. Do you know where he will go?”

  I knew he would be apt to return to the twenty-first century. He would’ve been happy for us to have spent our lives there if everything hadn’t gone so awry. Although I doubted either Scotland or New York City would hold much appeal for him anymore.

  “I expect he will be eager to start over somewhere new.”

  Laurel nodded knowingly. “I kind of expected that. I’d like to offer him something, if you think he would take it.”

  “What’s that?”

  “My apartment in Boston and my bank savings until he figures out what he wants to do to support himself. I can have Sydney set everything up if you think he’d be interested.”

  It gave me more relief than Laurel would ever understand for me to know that Ross would at least have some place to go once he left here. He deserved happiness no matter the mistakes that he’d made. I hoped one day he would find it.

  “I think he’d be more than interested.”

  She smiled and stepped away from me so we could go and bid everyone goodbye.

  “Great. I’ll talk to him about it before dinner tonight.”

  Everyone was finishing up dinner when the dining hall doors burst open and Nicol strolled inside, smiling widely, as if there was nothing strange at all about his sudden reappearance at the castle.

  Raudrich—who’d grown increasingly angry with their master each day he’d stayed away—burst out of his seat with more energy than he’d shown in days.

  “Where the hell have ye been? Ye willna believe what has happened since ye’ve been away!”

  Nicol laughed and walked over to his place at the end of the table as he waved Raudrich back down to his seat.

  “I know what has happened. We are all finally free.”

  We all looked at him with stunned eyes as we waited for an explanation.

  “Freya knew ye were nearing a plan to end Machara, and she insisted that I leave. She thought my absence would weaken her, and it seems she was right. I’ve had Pinkie and Davina spying on the lot of ye for weeks now, keeping me apprised of yer progress.”

  I glanced around the table and knew that we were all worried about the same thing. Nicol was so happy now, but he still had no idea that we’d been unable to save Freya.

  Raudrich stood once again. “Nicol, ’tis true that Machara is dead b
ut there is something else ye must know. We dinna succeed…”

  Nicol interrupted him, as he called out to Pinkie in the hallway, “Pinkie, lad, what is taking ye so long with the chair? ’Tis long past time for the space at the other end of this table to be filled.”

  My breath caught in my chest, and I felt Marcus’ hand close over my own.

  It wasn’t possible.

  Pinkie burst through the doors, chair in tow as he apologized, “I’m sorry, sir. She couldna decide which one she wanted, insisted on trying them all out, she did.”

  Marcus couldn’t stay silent a moment longer. “Who? Who are you talking about?”

  Freya suddenly appeared in the doorway, and Marcus was out of his chair and pulling her into his arms with a speed that made me wonder if all of the men had been playing possum for days just to get some extra sympathy from all of us for their big sacrifice.

  “Freya, where have you been? I thought…I didn’t think it worked.”

  He picked her up and spun her around as she laughed.

  It was the strangest thing to see her whole after only seeing her ghost for so many months.

  “I’m so sorry, lad, but Nicol insisted on it. If ye succeeded in saving me, he wanted me to himself for just a wee bit of time.”

  He set her down and frowned at her. “So, you’ve been here all this time?”

  “Aye. The moment the spell was cast, I returned to my body once more. Pinkie quickly whisked me away to the inn in the village where Nicol awaited me.”

  I could tell by Marcus’ expression that part of him wanted to be angry with her, but he was too relieved to have her back to scold her in any way.

  It didn’t take long for the rest of the table to surround her, covering her in hugs and affection.

  For the first time in decades, it seemed that all the sorrow was gone from Castle Murray.

  When we woke the next morning, I found a note slipped under the door of what was now Marcus’ and my shared cabin.

  All it said was, “Tell Laurel thank you. Yours, Ross.”

  He’d left in the night to start again in Boston.

  Chapter 44

  March 1653

  * * *

  No one was in any real rush to decide what came next for everyone. All of Castle Murray’s residents were just so glad to have Freya back that we were all content to enjoy the a few months of leisure.

  It didn’t take long after things were settled for Olivia to give her full heart to Jimmie. I expected to hear news of their engagement any day.

  I smiled as Marcus walked over to me in the garden as I worked the flowers that were now much more difficult to keep alive.

  “Guess what?”

  I stood and turned toward his embrace. “What?”

  “Laurel’s pregnant.”

  Marcus’ excitement was palpable. Laurel was basically his sister. It meant he would soon be an uncle.

  “Is she?”

  He nodded and lifted my chin to kiss me. “Mmm hmm. I can’t wait to put a baby in you.”

  I laughed. “Let’s get the wedding in June under our belt first, okay? I have a very specific vision of what I want to look like when I walk down the aisle to you, and it doesn’t involve my belly reaching you before the rest of me does.”

  “Okay,” he sighed playfully. “I have a feeling Nicol has come to a decision about things around here. He’s just sent word that he wishes to speak to everyone over dinner tonight.”

  I had a sneaking suspicion that I already knew what Nicol was going to announce, but I kept my hunch to myself as I hugged Marcus.

  If I was right, Nicol and Freya would be leaving us soon, and I wasn’t all that eager to spoil Marcus’ good mood.

  Nicol waited until the end of dinner to make his announcement.

  “Each of ye lads canna know the debt I owe ye. If I live to be one hundred, I will never be able to repay ye for the sacrifices ye have made for me, but I shall do what I can to show ye how grateful I am.

  “Freya and I have spent a great deal of time deciding what we want over these last few months, and we have finally come to an agreement–one I hope that each of ye will respect and honor.

  “I am selling Castle Murray to Raudrich. The castle and this isle shall be his to keep and serve. As for the rest of ye, ye will each have more money to yer name than ye shall ever need in yer lifetime. I hope ye will take it and use it to tend to the people around ye and to start anew. Yer lives are now yers to do with as ye please. I only mean to help ye along with it.

  “As for my wife and me, we have purchased a small cottage in the village and are happy to live there in simple contentment for the rest of our days together.”

  I sighed in relief for Marcus. At least Freya would only be a short horse ride away.

  I looked around at the faces of the men who for so long had believed this was the only life they would ever know. Tears shown in many of their eyes.

  I couldn’t wait to see what would become of each of them. I knew without a doubt they wouldn’t squander Nicol’s gift.

  They’d all missed so much time already.

  Chapter 45

  One Month Later – April 1653

  * * *

  Nicol’s announcement shifted things in the castle quickly. With the resources to begin anew, all of the men really began to think about what they wanted the next chapter of their lives to look like. Kate assured everyone that when Paton’s time in the land of the Fae came to an end, she and the rest at Castle Murray would be there to help him rehabilitate back to everyday life. While Maddock and Marcus would stay on at the castle to live and work with Raudrich, Marcus and I knew it wouldn’t be long before the group began to break up and transition into their new and separate lives.

  We couldn’t imagine getting married without any of them.

  And so…with no magic to aid us, we enlisted the help of those around us and worked around the clock for the better part of the next thirty days to move our June wedding up to April.

  Kate had been all too happy to turn the castle’s dining hall into a ballroom like I’d never seen before.

  Myla worked nonstop to make me a dress that rivaled anything I’d seen in the twenty-first century.

  Jimmie and Brachan rode together to Allen territory to gather my dad and Leanna so they could be here for the wedding, as well. What they didn’t yet know was that they were going to be surprised with a second wedding just three days after my own.

  I made Marcus sleep in his bedroom inside the castle for the fortnight leading up to our wedding day. I was losing my mind with need for him, but I knew our time apart would make our wedding night all the more spectacular.

  When the morning finally came, I woke inside my cabin with Liv by my side, already awake and sitting next to me with a cup of tea in her hand.

  “Do ye know what today is?”

  I decided to play along with her. “Hmm…I don’t know. What day is it?”

  She smiled and reached out to place her palm gently on the side of my face. “Today is the day ye get to marry the man ye were meant for, Silva. All that heartache was leading ye to this, and I couldna be happier for ye.”

  I started to cry as emotions welled up within me, but Liv was having none of that. “No crying today. Ye doona have time for it. Laurel, Kate, Myla, Ma and Da are walking up the pathway as we speak. Ye willna have a moment to cry once they get here. Best ye take a deep breath now, for the day will fly by for ye, I’m sure.”

  And it did.

  We skipped our own wedding reception. Of course we stayed long enough to dole out hugs and to cut our cake, but the moment the music began to play and our loved ones began to mingle, I felt Marcus tug on my hand. We escaped the castle and headed to our favorite place—the garden.

  He had candles lit everywhere, and the full moon could be seen through the garden’s glass ceiling.

  “Did you do all of this?”

  He nodded and pulled me into his arms. We danced to the sounds of running
water and croaking frogs.

  “I did. This is where I fell in love with you, Silva, that first night when I asked you to dance and pulled you into my arms. The moment I wrapped my arms around you, I could see my whole future.”

  I laughed as I allowed my head to fall against his chest as he spun me around the garden pathways. “You couldn’t possibly have seen that then.”

  “But I did. And then when you were gone so quickly after that night together, I thought perhaps I was crazy, but I wasn’t. Things were just going to take a little more time than I hoped.”

  “I love you, Marcus.”

  “Oh, Silva. You’ve made me the man I’ve always wanted to be. I’m so glad that I get to spend my life by your side.”

  The party could go on all night without us if it wanted.

  We were both exactly where we wanted to be.

  Epilogue

  August 1653

  * * *

  We waited until summer to take our honeymoon. We wanted it to be warm and green so we could sleep out under the stars as much as possible.

  It didn’t surprise me that by the time Marcus and I arrived back at Castle Murray after our extended summer-long adventure that a letter awaited me with Ross’ handwriting. Somehow I’d known he would hear about the wedding, and no matter how much pain I knew it caused him, he would feel obligated to wish me well.

  I imagined he still held on to far too much guilt over how he’d handled things to let the day pass for me unacknowledged.

  “Ross?”

  I nodded as Marcus walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as he cradled the small bump that we’d yet to tell anyone else about. We planned to share our happy news at dinner. With Laurel ready to burst and Kate halfway there as well, it seemed that Castle Murray would soon be filled with babies. That would undoubtedly keep everyone on their toes.