Time of the Draig

by Lisa Dawn Wadler

  “Forgive me, my heart,” Faolan whispered against her hair while his hands softly roamed her sides. “I lost myself.”

  A soft laugh escaped her lips along with a heavy sigh. “I always lose myself when you touch me.”

  Faolan shifted them so they faced one another on the rumpled bedding. His fingers wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No,” Samantha whispered and raised her head to place a kiss to his lips. She had missed his kisses even as she had relished his possessiveness. “You gave me the answer I needed.” The irony wasn’t lost at the realization the person who wanted her to stay the most was the one who helped her find the way back to her own time. “The two UNK005s are still connected, just like us. Time and place have no meaning to them either. If I let them, they will find each other as we found one another. The door between them could never close and block their endless stream of energy. They are bound like we are bound, for all time.”

  He stared into her eyes as the meaning took hold. His arms reached to crush her body against his. He whispered, “How long?”

  “It will still take a bit of time, but not much,” Samantha said and gripped him tightly. With a kiss to his neck, she pleaded, “Don’t let me go, Faolan.”

  He clung to her and wrapped his legs around hers. Faolan pressed his lips to her head and whispered, “Never.”

  Chapter 19

  Per Samantha’s wishes, Faolan stood in the hall and watched all eight of her men sit at the table as she commanded. His role was to watch and see if her men reacted as expected. His head fell forward and dread settled in his belly when all eight men stopped talking and looked around as if they expected an attack. Each man had raised a hand to the back of his neck.

  He cursed how her success came as a result of his need to claim her body and soul. In only five days, she had succeeded.

  Faolan yelled up the stairs, “Aye, Boomer!” It was all he could say, given the results.

  Before the men could panic, he said, “Wait, and Samantha will be here to speak. What you felt was her doing.”

  He heard the soft voice from his right. “So she managed to get it done.” Faolan nodded at his grandmother and listened as her sigh echoed in the hollow in his chest. “Faolan, don’t spend the last moments you have with that look on your face. Be proud that she is saving these people the only way she can. Have hope, even if small, that she will return.”

  Faolan nodded but only watched the stairs as Samantha came into the hall. Her expression was serious. No smile crossed her lips when she walked to stand before him. She held out her hand and silently asked for his.

  “I’d like you to be with me while I do this.”

  As if he would be anywhere but at her side, Faolan swallowed her hand in his and led her to her men. The table erupted into questions as they all spoke at once.

  Her empty hand rose to ask for quiet. She noted each man with her eyes before she spoke. “I’m assuming everyone felt the tracker re-engage. Don’t worry, the door hasn’t been opened by the United Forces. I localized the connection.”

  Samantha explained to the men how she had found the path needed to take her and Boomer back to complete their mission. The plan was to ride close to where they had entered the time of the Draig and leave through a door she would open into her lab. Faolan understood little of the complexity of her explanation. Quantum doors meant naught, but he understood the concept of the link between the two orbs of power. Some things were never meant to be apart, that he knew.

  It was Jensen who spoke after the explanation was finished. “Count me in, Major. I owe you and am happy to face the United Forces with you.” Each man at the table echoed the sentiment, except for Efraim. He sat quietly with a peaceful smile on his face that mocked the pain in Faolan’s chest.

  “While Boomer and I appreciate the offers, we go alone. The lab will be on lockdown given the gunshot when we left, which means the base will also be on red alert within two minutes. The only goal is to disengage UNK005, the larger, and have the two orbs contained together.”

  Efraim lost his air of contentment. “If the two orbs are there, will we lose integrity here?”

  Samantha shook her head. “In effect, string theory goes from theory to reality. A parallel time stream or bubble will be allowed to grow without interference. UNK005 being together is the only fact that matters. Their being parted results in matter deteriorating in an attempt to rejoin them. All you need to know is that this bubble will survive and develop. Enjoy it.”

  Faolan understood the need of the orbs to be joined. He would tear the world apart to be next to her, to hold her hand again.

  Weiler nodded. “So you pop in the lab and pop back here, right?”

  “The major has her duty and will do everything in her power to return,” Jeff said.

  “I did not hear an affirmative, Captain,” Jensen said with hostility in his voice.

  Faolan could feel Samantha’s grip tighten on his hand. She answered, “The probability of our return is low. While that is priority number two, the integrity of time and space needs to come first.”

  Shouts and arguments came from the men. None of them knew her absence was the price for life.

  Boomer stood and slammed his hand into the table to gather the attention of all. “Have no fear that I have the major’s back. While we are walking into a completely FUBAR situation, nothing is impossible.” The mountain looked across the table at Faolan and offered a weak smile. He silently cursed the lack of conviction in Boomer’s eyes.

  Samantha added, “Boomer and I can handle the two armed guards and the colonel with no issue. As for the rest, we don’t know how much time we have before more guards arrive. Hopefully there is time to retreat via the way we enter.”

  Miller challenged her. “And if you run out of time?”

  The question hung in the air for a long moment before she answered. “Then live your lives.”

  “The United Forces will—” Miller started to say before Boomer again slammed his fist to the table.

  “I have her back. That’s all you need to know,” Boomer said as he glared at Miller.

  It was Faolan’s grandmother who asked the question he was afraid to vocalize. “If you are unable to make it back and are captured, what will the United Forces do to you?”

  Only the crackle of wood burning in the massive fireplace could be heard as the hall stayed eerily quiet. No words were needed as all the men hung their heads and Samantha closed her eyes. Rage filled his soul at the realization that his sweet wife and the mountain would willingly go to die. His eyes fell to stare at their joined hands.

  Dana broke the silence. “Samantha and Boomer, you need to know that I am proud of you for saving my people.”

  Faolan whipped his head to stare at his grandmother in disbelief. How could she say such things? Given that his wife was preparing to sacrifice her life, there should be horror and outrage. The old woman should have tears running down her face at the very idea.

  His grip tightened on her hand and forced her to look up at him. Samantha gave him a squeeze and mouthed, “Now.”

  Faolan dropped her hand and paced the length of the hall. He said to the room, “There has to be another way.” He stopped his erratic motion to stare at his wife across the chamber. Her brilliant green gaze locked on his. “You never said . . .”

  With a step in his direction, she said, “No, I never said it before. However, there isn’t any other viable option.”

  “Couldn’t you just throw UNK005 into the door? Why do you need to be there?” Weiler asked.

  Faolan nodded at the fine question. If the two orbs only need to be in the same time, that’s the solution.

  Samantha sighed. “Then I leave massive amounts of power with the very people I sought to keep it from in the first plac
e. Yes, time would stand as a whole here and there. However, Captain Chandler would eventually be able to use UNK005 in some manner. While he would most likely never have the control I do, he would find a way to initialize some type of a reaction. UNK005 believes he could potentially destroy what I have tried to save. The United Forces would perhaps use UNK005 and destroy everything, potentially even this time.”

  Jeff asked the next question. “If you are captured by the United Forces, given the base will be on lockdown, what happens? In effect, the two UNK005s will still be in the hands of the enemy.”

  Samantha nodded and stood in quiet contemplation. Faolan knew she sought the words all would understand. She answered, “The orb in my hands will be programmed with a self-destruct sequence that it will share with the one in the lab. However, first the larger UNK005 needs to be disconnected from the mainframe to remove the interference in the connection between the larger and smaller orb. Once that is done, UNK005 will initiate that program should anyone other than myself attempt to activate it. Which again is why I can’t simply throw it into that time.”

  The brief hope that had breathed in the room ended quickly. He knew Samantha would have thought every aspect through completely. Her wisdom awed him.

  Weiler shifted in his seat and asked the question Faolan needed to ask but never would, “When do you two leave?”

  Samantha held only Faolan’s gaze as she answered her man. “The day after tomorrow. So tomorrow is officially a day of rest. I’d like to spend a bit of time with each of you, as there are things I would like to say privately. Then Faolan and I are going to disappear for the remainder of the day. The next day, at first light, Boomer and I will leave to complete our mission.”

  Jeff stood. “Faolan and I will ride with them to where we entered this time. With luck, we will all ride back the as soon as the mission is completed.”

  Samantha smiled broadly. “While I don’t remember agreeing to that, it sounds like a perfect addition.” She turned to gaze at the men sitting at the table. “Now, it’s late, and we’re done for the night. Get out of the hall before Dana chases you out.”

  Miller tried to argue the plan more with Samantha, but she held out her hand to stop the discussion. There was no mistaking the moisture that had pooled in her emerald eyes. “This is goodnight. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

  Faolan couldn’t remember moving but found himself standing in front of his wife with her face cupped in his hands. He knew he could stay that way for hours, simply absorbing her beauty.

  Jeff broke the uneasy silence. “Major, I still don’t think we’ve evaluated every option.”

  “Doesn’t matter what you think, Captain,” Samantha interrupted. “UNK005 is certain our course is correct, and I now know better than to argue with condensed dark matter that contains a neural interface.”

  It was Faolan’s grandmother who prevented Jeff from continuing. “While I don’t like it, we need to respect that every angle and every option has been considered.”

  Samantha nodded within Faolan’s hold and heard his grandmother’s sigh of resignation. He reluctantly let go of her at his grandmother’s request.

  “Samantha, I am proud to call you my granddaughter and always will be,” Dana said as she took her hands.

  Though the whispered words were not meant for his ears, he heard Samantha say, “Take care of him for me.”

  As the women embraced, Faolan glared at Jeff and Boomer, disgusted at how no better plan was made. His fear had been that she would live her life away from him in another time and that someday another man would seek to claim the beautiful woman who should have stayed by his side. Jealousy was preferable to the ache that threatened to become a scream with the knowledge she would die if she could not return. His hand bellowed for a weapon to kill the threat even as he knew there was nothing he could do to save her and no physical enemy to save her from.

  Dana released Samantha and wiped a tear from her eye. “That’s as close to goodbye as we get.” With no grace, she pushed her back into Faolan’s arms. “Jeff and Boomer, go away. Let’s leave my grandchildren in peace for the night.”

  For the first time, he was grateful Samantha had closed her eyes. Her pain would only be a mirror for his. He glanced at his grandmother and saw the meaning written on her features. They could have the moments time would allow, or they could have sorrow.

  Faolan kissed Samantha’s forehead. His voice was a hoarse whisper. “What would you have us do on the morrow, my heart?”

  “Take me back to the glade, Faolan.” Samantha said without looking at him.

  I will spend a day filled with sunshine and surrounded by the beauty of our lands with my wife and pretend we will have a lifetime to share. “We will spend the whole of the day there, my heart.”

  Emerald eyes opened for him, and he smiled despite the sensation of a knife in his chest. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly against hers until she silently requested a more heated passion. “What would you have us do this night, my heart?”

  “Love me until all I can see is you.”

  “Forever,” he whispered as he took her hand and led them up the stairs.

  Chapter 20

  “Why did you wish to come here, my heart?” Faolan asked as he spread the blanket on the ground in the glade.

  Samantha laughed, and she shook her hair free from its braid. How can I ever put into words what this place symbolizes to me? She smiled at the man who waited patiently for a reply. “That day we were here was one of the most unusual of my life. We laughed, we played, and we were just . . . we were just here. I had never had a day like that.”

  Faolan grinned as he sat on the blanket and motioned for her to sit by his side. “I’m glad it pleased you. Such a day is rare, and this place will always belong to us.” His head cocked to the side. “But then the loch also holds a fine place in my thoughts as it was where I first kissed you.”

  Sitting against his chest, Samantha stared at the lush scenery before her: the green leaves, tall trees, thick grasses, and the bushes that still held the fragrant white flowers. The brook could be heard babbling to their left side, and Faolan’s steady breath filled her ears.

  She sighed at the memory of that first kiss; it had taken on a life all its own with a passion she never knew existed. She sighed. “I liked the loch, too.”

  His arms banded around her waist as he nestled against her hair. “We will swim there again, my heart.”

  Her eyes closed. He played the game too well, the game of what their future could have been. In her mind, she could imagine the potential for a fine afternoon swimming in the clear water with Faolan, laughing and splashing.

  “We have a large meal awaiting us. Would you like me to fetch it?” he asked after kissing her hair.

  She knew she should be hungry because breakfast was long since past. They had ridden through the countryside, enjoying the beautiful morning for hours. “Not yet, just be here with me.”

  “Tell of your time with our men,” Faolan said.

  Goodbyes were never easy, and those had been brutal. She told Faolan what she had said to each of her men, how she praised each for what they had done there. She thanked them for serving her with pride and honor. It had been hard to deny each one’s private request to go back with her; they had offered with such sincerity.

  “You have the men you wanted,” she teased him but realized the mistake as he tensed behind her.

  “I will care for the men, but dinna have what I want.” His voice held too much sincerity.

  “We have this now together,” Samantha offered. It wasn’t what she wanted either. For the first time in her life, she wanted the proverbial fairy tale. She wanted the future to unfold around her as it would, not controlled by an unknown object. Her lungs wanted to breathe the clean air, her soul wanted to dance in
the moonlight, her body wanted to remain strong and alive, and her heart wanted to love Faolan.

  His body was stiff, and he was silent. She knew he was deciding if he wanted to bring up whatever it was that bothered him. The night before, they had both pretended nothing was wrong. They had laughed and loved the whole night through. As soon as morning came, however, there was something he wasn’t saying. Like a coward, she didn’t ask. A little voice whispered in her mind that she didn’t want to know.

  He sighed before he spoke. “If I ask you a question, will you give me the truth?”

  She turned to see the serious look on his face. Her hands cupped the sides of his strong jaw, and she placed a chaste kiss to his lips. “Always.” Their limited time didn’t allow for partial truths.

  His eyes bore into hers as if seeking whatever answer he needed. “In the weeks since we have wed, you have not bled. Are you with child?”

  He found the game she didn’t want to play; it was the math that should never be done, and the probability was too cruel. Her cycle had fluctuated greatly over the last six months due to almost no sleep, a bad diet, extreme exercise with Boomer, and an immense amount of stress. However, currently, she ate real food, slept each night, exercised in moderation, and was sexually active. Yet it was almost impossible to calculate a definitive answer with no true starting point.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered, and her eyes closed.

  “You do ken. Your eyes only close when you hide from me,” Faolan growled.

  In the heat of the moment, she hated that he knew her so well. Her hands fell from his face, and she opened her eyes. “I mean it when I say I don’t know. At this exact moment, we only can assume it’s possible.”