Druid Knights 02: Knight of Rapture

by Ruth A. Casie

  “George was in the tower room after Lady Emily passed on. The walls were bare.” Cora fidgeted with her skirt and took a seat near the fireplace. Arik lowered himself into the large master’s seat—George’s chair, he assumed. George hesitated and took the smaller one to the side.

  “When Rebeka returned to us I remembered the scrying mirror and went to the tower room. I saw the writing. I was in the tower room the following week and there were more runes. That’s when I knew you were trying to find her. When I saw the error—”

  “We kept trying different formulas and chants. Nothing worked. We didn’t know what to do until George considered using Rebeka’s staff.” Cora was all nerves. Her hands rubbed the arms of the chair. That was very telling. He kept watch.

  “Yes, that’s when I heard you and knew we would be successful,” George said.

  “Aye, and I’m glad you did. I don’t think we could have done it without you both.” He could feel the tension in the room dissipate. He had no idea anyone had been trying to help him all these months. He stopped himself from running his hand through his hair but, faith, he would never have found her if it wasn’t for them. “But I never considered Rebeka wouldn’t remember me.”

  “She did at first.” He watched a silent message pass between George and Cora. George wasn’t pleased. Arik kept his body relaxed and cloaked the wariness that was building.

  “Rebeka was working hard to find you. No one knew where to start.” Cora moved to the edge of her chair. “We knew Bran was involved. He tricked her into thinking you were at the meadow.”

  “Yes, George told me.” He was cautious but waited for George’s next move. It was obvious to him that Cora shouldered some responsibility. What had they done?

  “Let me start at the beginning. You see, the sole information we had about you was from Doward’s journal and your portrait. We found no mention or record of Bran in any of the manor papers or any other place.” George covered Cora’s shaking hands with his. The siblings obviously had a close relationship. George stood up and pushed his hands deep into his pockets.

  “Whoever took the documents missed one in the library, the king’s invitation to Bran and Caylyn’s wedding.” Cora’s troubled expression didn’t make him feel comfortable. “That led us to Orkney.”

  “She went to Orkney.” Arik froze. Bran had gotten her to his seat of power. He closed his eyes. “Why did she go there?” He struggled to keep his temper under control.

  “Her staff glowed when it was near the Orkney stone that was in your library. She said her staff only glowed when both of you touched it. That’s why she was positive it was a message from you and just as positive there was a portal at Skara Brae.” When Cora was finished she was almost in tears.

  “We were in Orkney together.” Arik turned to George, who was pacing in front of him as he spoke. He sounded detached and factual. He, too, believed he was responsible. “But she entered the estate house alone, drawn into an enchantment.” He spoke with a quiet firmness. “While I tried to get through the enchantment, Bran ordered her to revive Caylyn. When she couldn’t he…” George stopped in front of him and hesitated. “He touched her mind and took her memories of you.” George’s voice was a whisper when he finished. A tense silence filled the room. “I couldn’t stop her.” The man turned away from Arik, unable to face him.

  Arik let out a long breath. An enchantment. At last some good news. There was a chance her memory loss was temporary. George and Cora waited in front of him like criminals expecting to hear a verdict. At the moment he had no compassion for the grief he saw on their faces. He pushed his emotions aside. He needed to find a solution. He had sensed some connection with her today. “She has a tendency to not see things from all angles.”

  “She was so certain she was returning to you.” He had a hard time hearing Cora, her voice was so soft.

  He had to return with her. Now. Before Bran did anything else. “I need your help to open the scrying mirror.”

  The silence continued for several heartbeats. “Is that wise if Bran still influences her? Here our magick is not very strong but in your time it is. If you return without curing Rebeka of the Dark Magick there is no telling what would happen.” He felt the blood drain from his face. “I know this is difficult but you need those answers before you bring her back.”

  He studied them. For a moment George reminded him of Logan the way he laid things out. Faith. George and Cora were right. They couldn’t return until she was cured. “I believed the hardest part of my quest would be finding her.” He laughed at the irony. No, the hardest part would be getting her memories back, curing her of Dark Magick, maybe even finding their way home. But George was right, they’d have to stay.

  “Helen believed you looked like Lord Arik in the picture in the library,” George said.

  “That’s because I am.” He spit out the words, exasperated.

  “I’ve been giving that more consideration.” George stepped in front of him. “We’ve been searching for someone to play Lord Arik for the reenactment. But what did she say when she saw you? Ah yes, the great lord himself returned all these centuries. That’s when I had the idea of you playing yourself. It would keep you on the grounds and working near Rebeka.”

  He studied the brother and sister. The plan had merit. It would keep him close to her. Yes, this would serve his purpose. George had the same idea. He could feel the excitement rolling off him.

  “The more I think about you playing the lord, the more the idea appeals to me. You’ll give the reenactment the authenticity we need. Yes, this is perfect.” George made it sound as if there was no other response for him but, yes.

  “I’m not an actor.” His skeptical tone appeared to go unnoticed.

  “That’s just it. I don’t want you to act. I want you to be yourself. Cora and I can help you. We’ll teach you what you need to know to get by. Your druid mind will be quick to absorb things and help you piece together the rest. That’s a great advantage.”

  He didn’t need to be convinced he saw the benefits, the only ones that mattered to him. He would be close to Rebeka and able to be himself. Still? His fingers drummed on the arm of the chair while he considered other alternatives. He saw none. How difficult could it be? George and Cora were eager for him to accept.

  “Very well, yes.” Their faces lit up like candles. He hoped he knew what he was doing.

  It was Cora’s turn to pace. “While George and I have been trying to reach you we’ve been gathering the information you’ll need about this century to conform—” she glanced at him, “—fit in. You’ll need a way to contact us when you have questions.” She headed toward the door. “George, you call Charles and let him know that Arik will be staying at the manor. And I’ll gather the materials.” She walked back to Arik. “I know this will be hard work and I want you to know I’ll do the best I can to prepare you. George.” She looked past Arik to her brother. “You should take Arik to the Stelton estate. They have the best reenactment in the area. She turned back to Arik. “You can see what Rebeka is trying to do.” She gave him a spontaneous hug. “Bye, George.” She kissed her brother on the cheek. “And George, get some clothes for our guest. He’s absolutely scrumptious looking but he’ll need to fit in.” Cora rushed out the door.

  “Does she always take control?” Arik asked as they left the salon.

  “Yes. It’s one of her better qualities. She’s a planner and an organizer. She’s right. You can’t walk around like Lord Arik, at least not yet. I’m sure I have some clothes that will fit you.”

  They were crossing the hall to the grand staircase when George stopped, guilt written on his face. Arik waited. It was obvious to him that the man needed to get something off his chest.

  “I tried to protect her.” Arik knew that expression. How many times had he seen it when he looked in the mirror?

  “I’m certain you did but she’s stubborn and at times unyielding.” He paused. “You did protect her.” He started up the stairs.
“You got her out before Bran did more damage. For that I’m in your debt.” So that was the big secret. George thought he failed when he risked his life to save her. He earned more than his trust. He earned his gratitude. He continued up the stairs. “Autumn Chase doesn’t look as I remember it.” He watched the relief work its way through George’s body.

  “Autumn Chase has gone through more enhancements than Fayne Manor. In the early 1900s it was converted into a world-class hotel. We’ve reclaimed it as our country house although we still have the restaurant. Cora does quite well planning parties.”

  “If her party planning is anything like what I just witnessed, her business must be very successful.” They reached the second floor. There was still no semblance of Stuart’s home.

  “Let me show you where you can clean up. While you do, I’ll gather the things we need.” They continued toward one of the chambers.

  Thirty minutes later, George was at the worktable, books and papers strewn all over. The glow of the open tablet screen reflected on his face. Arik came out of the garderobe, a towel around his waist and another in his hand drying his hair.

  “Cora stopped by with some clothes for you.” George pointed to a neat stack on the bed. “She reminded me that there were papers you need to fill out for the position at the manor. She’ll have them for you tomorrow. What did you think of the motorcar ride?”

  “I understand how the motorcar, works. But I still like the feel of power between my legs.”

  George looked at him over the tablet’s screen. “I’ll show you something later that may be more to your liking.” His hair dry, he slipped into his new clothes and slid his small dirk into his waistband. “I like the shower.”

  “Yes, I could tell. You were singing.”

  “Was I now?” He laughed and took a seat next to George.

  “Yes, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.””

  “I’ll tell you about that sometime.” He could feel the grin on his face.

  Even with her memory loss, finding Rebeka lifted a weight from his shoulders. Now that he knew how she’d lost her memories he could work on finding a solution. Bran wouldn’t stop him. He’d make certain she shared the memory of the first time they sang together with George and Cora.

  “We’ll start with the necessities.” George put a small square on the desk. Arik recognized it right away.

  “Yes, this is like the device Rebeka had. It’s for talking to people when they aren’t near you. I was interested in how it worked but she said it was out of…power.” He picked it up. The one Rebeka showed him had been a dead black square. This one glowed. “Is it alive?” He kept examining it, trying to see how it was made.

  “No, although it does have power, electricity. How to explain electricity?” George worried the problem. “Ah, lightning is a type of electricity.” Lightning? Arik dropped the square, his gaze jerked toward George. His eyes narrowed.

  “Bran’s power comes from lightning.” Was this some Dark Magick? A trap? His hand hovered near the hilt of his dirk. George raised his hands in defense.

  “Arik, this has nothing to do with Bran. Nothing. It’s a fact. Electricity is similar to lightning.”

  “I’m familiar with lightning strikes. Bran rained them down on Fayne Manor for months.”

  “Scientists found a way to re-create lightning. There are several ways: passing magnets closely along a metal wire or using specific chemicals and metals in a solution. None are magical.”

  “Alchemy.” That he understood. Some of his “magick” was more “science” than other people in his time understood. The energy he got from the elements and the way this electricity worked was something he comprehended. “Next you’ll tell me you can turn straw into gold.” He took his hand away from his waist.

  George smiled at his jest. “The Philosopher’s Stone. Not even in this lifetime. But let me show you how this works.” George held the device to his lips. “Call Charles.” Arik was startled by the series of tones the device made.

  “That’s how you know it’s working. When the phone rings, plays a song, you know someone wants to speak to you,” George said while he waited.

  “Good afternoon, Fayne Manor. How may I help you?” Arik stared at the device, amazed to hear the steward’s voice.

  “Charles, George Hughes here. My cousin will be staying on at the manor for a while. Please have the captain’s room in the garrison ready for him.”

  “Very good, sir.” If Rebeka hadn’t told him about this device he would have believed it was magick. He’d believed she had exaggerated when she explained her century, but if anything, she had made light of it.

  By horseback it took him three hours to go between Fayne Manor and Autumn Chase. By motorcar it took twenty minutes. Now this, speaking to someone as if they were standing next to you. The adventure of this new time thrilled him. What else was there to learn?

  “Thank you, Charles.” George ended the call then handed him the phone.

  “Amazing,” was all he said as he took the device from George and examined it.

  “It’s not quite like mind-touching. You can only share spoken words. This,” George tapped his finger on the device, “can’t think but it can remember. I’ve put in information so you can contact the manor, me, Cora and Rebeka. How can I explain the concept?” George puzzled the question.

  “It’s quite simple.” Cora walked in. “Arik, in your century druids can communicate by mind-touching over long distances. It’s a gift, a magick that was developed with constant use over a long time. Now, in this century, we communicate over long distance with the telephone. We have no reason to use mind-touching.” That sounded logical to him.

  “Some of us continued the old ways,” George said. “Some say twins have their own language. We had mind-touching. We used it all the time and were able to maintain much of our skill. But as for the others, they’ve lost their ability. We were concerned that other magick may have been lost. We had no idea if there was any magick left in the runes you put on the tower wall. This last time, when we reached you, I used Rebeka’s staff. I hoped the staff would make the magick stronger. Lucky for us it did.

  “This century has its own magick. If you’re ready I’d like to show you how to use the tablet.”

  “Rebeka told me about her tablet. She used it to do her research and to write her documents.” In that quiet, comfortable time at night, she’d told him of great things. “She told me about her time here and spoke of England’s future and world wars. I laughed when she said she could hold my library in her hand.” He watched George working the device. “I found it humorous that she had a hard time accepting my magick but none at all accepting hers.”

  George studied Arik’s face. “I hadn’t considered it from that perspective. I gather what’s magick to some is normal to others. Here, let me show you how to use this magick and put your library in the palm of your hand.”

  He and George worked together for several hours and he learned how to command the tablet. “One last thing before we finish for today. You know how you opened your library to anyone who wanted to do research? People no longer have to travel for days or go hundreds of miles to your library. Now anyone can look at your library from here.”

  “Anyone? Are all the manor documents available?” His voice held a note of disapproval. There were some documents that were private and to be read by a select few.

  George’s eyes widened in surprise. “Well not everyone and yes, all the documents are available. We’ve been busy uploading them…making them available. Is something wrong?” Before he could say anything George’s eyes flashed with recognition. “Not the druid documents, if that concerns you. They aren’t in your library. I suspect they’re untouched in the sanctuary.”

  Arik let his shoulders relax. So, the sanctuary hadn’t been breached. Before his time the Romans had gone on a campaign against the druids. Much of his family’s legacy had been destroyed.

  “The sanctuary? I was certain it was a myth when I c
ouldn’t open it.”

  “It’s not a myth, just well protected.” There were many prized possessions in the sanctuary. He needed to see if there was anything that could help Rebeka.

  “Before Rebeka lost her memory we tried to open the entrance but we weren’t successful.” He studied George and weighed his options.

  “Clear the way to sanctuary and I’ll open it.” George nodded his agreement.

  “The garrison will be empty tonight. The major and the men will be in Avebury. They have dinner and spend the evening talking to the veterans there. It’s a special place for veterans blinded in combat.” The men may have appeared too disorganized for his liking but their attention to their comrades raised their status in his eyes. “I have a little more I’d like to go over with you.” Arik gave George his attention.

  Arik stretched. They’d been working for hours. “That’s enough for right now.” George closed the tablet. “Come with me. There’s something else I’d like to show you.” George led him to the stairs. Arik had so many more questions he wanted to ask the tablet but they could wait. They went to the drive where one of George’s men had something on wheels waiting for them. “You need a way to get between here and the manor.”

  “I had a fine breed of horses at Fayne Manor.” Now that he considered it, he hadn’t seen any livestock in the paddock and he hadn’t visited the barn.

  “You’ll need something a bit faster. You said you liked the feeling of power between your legs. This is a Triumph Rocket III motorbike.” George gave him a helmet. “Put this on and I’ll take you for a ride.”

  He straddled the machine in back of George as if riding tandem with one of his men. They eased down the drive and onto the black road. As soon as Arik got comfortable with the balance George pushed the machine faster. The wind in his face and the rumble of the motor under him were more than exhilarating. It was thrilling.

  George eased to a stop at a flat area coated the same way as the road. George called it the strip. They both got off the machine and took off their helmets.