"I amna ready to go back." Mairi's voice trembled as she answered. Was she cold or frightened? he wondered. He knew she was stubborn—if she said she wasn't ready, she wouldn't go home yet. "But ye should come to me in the morn, afore the noon meal. I have something to tell ye, lad."
Douglas kissed the waxen cheek she offered and nodded at her in farewell. He'd taken a few steps when he turned back to ask if there were any messages for his parents— something Mairi always gave him some bits of news or gossip to carry to the "new" castle.
The arch stood alone, moonlight reflecting off the sharper edges and cascading over its curve to the barren rocky ground around it. Smaller boulders lay on the ground some distance away, but, as it always did, the arch dominated the landscape.
And there was no sign of Mairi.
Douglas blinked a few times and squinted into the moonlit night, looking for some sign of the old woman. But there was none. She'd disappeared into the mist-filled night without a trace... again.
A Matter of Time is coming soon in digital formats!
Once Forbidden Page 32
