Separated By Time: Book 3 of The Thistle & Hive Series

by Jennae Vale

  “Better safe than sorry… right?” Dylan took her hand in his, loving the way it fit so perfectly. “What do you say, Maggie? Can I go with you?”

  He could see she was pretending to give it some thought. “Well, okay, as long as ye dinnae interfere or get in the way. Magick is a powerful thing, Dylan, I ken ye know that.” He watched as she changed from serious to smiling in a single beat. “Let’s go check on Angus, shall we? And I’m going to try to contact Aunt Edna for some help.” Maggie had a sneaking suspicion she would need all the help she could get.

  CHAPTER 14

  Edna knew something was wrong, she could feel it in every cell of her being. “Angus,” she cried. “Angus, my love, nae ye! This was never what was supposed to happen. Ye must fight this, love. Fight it with all ye have in ye.” Edna drew on every ounce of power she had, trying to get through to him.

  Brielle had used every trick in the book to get to Edna, and now she was attempting to take Angus away. I won’t let you take him! As I live and breathe, Brielle, ye will pay for this. Ye will pay! Even as she heard the faint cackling laughter of her nemesis, Edna positioned herself in her usual spot by the fire and stared into the flames. She searched the fiery embers until she saw Angus, lying motionless on a bed and barely clinging to life. She fought hard to keep her emotions under control. It would do him no good if she were to fall apart now. Sending waves of healing energy his way, she had to fight her way through the shield Brielle had placed around him, designed specifically to keep Edna out. It took all Edna had in her and she could feel her energy swiftly flagging, but she finally managed to shatter the veil of evil that surrounded him. She watched and waited and then she saw it. A slight movement of his eyelid. A twitch. And then another. His eyes remained closed, but the subtle movement was all Edna needed to reach out to her husband and send words of encouragement she knew he would hear. “Angus, my love, hold on. I’m here to help ye, but ye’ll need to help yerself, as well.”

  Another small movement caught Edna’s eye, this time his lips moved slightly, as if he wished to speak. Ideally, it would have been better to be right there with him, touching him to assist in breaking the spell, but instead, Edna found herself both miles and centuries away from her love. Edna continued her healing work, and as if in answer to her prayers, she saw Maggie and Dylan enter the room where Angus lay. Maggie walked over to Angus and placed a hand on his chest. It was the therapeutic touch needed to complete their task and as Maggie touched Angus, the link between Maggie and Edna grew stronger.

  “Maggie, work with me,” Edna pleaded.

  “Auntie, I can hear ye. What would ye have me do?” Maggie’s connection with Edna allowed her to hear her aunt’s voice clearly, while Dylan, on the other hand, heard nothing.

  “Do exactly what ye are doing, Maggie. Send yer healing into him while I do the same. With double the magick, we should be able to save him.”

  Edna watched as Maggie concentrated on Angus. She could feel the energy Maggie was sending through him and Edna was pleased by the strength of the magick she felt there. Maggie was coming into her own at the perfect time. Between the two of them, Angus would be saved. Edna experienced a great sense of relief. The healing flowed back and forth between Maggie and Edna as it passed through Angus. Dylan stood back near the door, watching intently. Edna surmised he had decided it best to stay out of the way and she appreciated his perceptive nature. He would be a good match for Maggie and the perfect addition to the family, if things worked out the way she had planned they would.

  Angus groaned loudly, startling them all.

  “Uncle Angus, it’s me, Maggie. Auntie Edna is helping too. Please wake up, Uncle.” Maggie moved to hold his hand and his fingers closed around hers. “I think we’ve done it, Auntie,” she cried. “He’s squeezing my hand.”

  Relief flooded through Edna, exactly as she knew it was through Maggie. “Good work, Maggie. Ye did it! I couldn’t have done it on my own. Brielle used verra powerful magick on Angus and neither of us would have been able to break the spell alone.”

  Maggie leaned down and lovingly stroked Angus’ cheek. He slowly opened his eyes and scanned the room. “What’s this all about? Dinnae look at me as though I were a dead man.” Angus struggled to sit up and Maggie did her best to hold him down. Dylan came to her aid and lowered Angus back down onto the bed.

  “You have to rest, Angus. You’ve been under Brielle’s spell for quite a while.” Dylan sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Was it that bad, lad?” Angus appeared to be seriously considering what Dylan had just said.

  “It was. We were all very worried about you. How do you feel?” Dylan asked.

  “I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me. Brielle forced me to drink some dreadful tasting concoction. I couldnae move, I couldnae fight it, no matter how hard I tried.” His focus switched from Dylan to Maggie. “Thank ye, lass. I ken ye saved me life.”

  “I couldnae have done it without Auntie Edna,” Maggie said.

  “Where are ye, love? I cannae see ye, but I ken yer here.” An exhausted Angus searched the room with his eyes for his wife, but couldn’t locate her.

  Unlike the way she had spoken with Maggie, Edna’s voice now came from the fireplace and both Angus and Dylan could hear her. “I’m here, Angus, back at the inn. I was so worried for ye. Thank heavens yer safe now. I dinnae know what I would’ve done without ye.”

  “We have much to talk about, Edna, but it will have to wait, as I’m verra tired.” With that announcement, Angus fell into a deep, but thankfully natural sleep.

  “Auntie, he’s right. There is much we must speak of,” Maggie said. “I have so many questions. I found Brielle’s talisman. I don’t know if she left it on purpose or if it was an accident. Do you ken what it is?”

  “Aye, it is the key to her power. She didnae leave it and she will want it back. Be careful, she will do anything she must to have it returned to her possession,” Edna explained.

  “Auntie, Brielle told us that the whole reason you sent me was to fight for the bridge. Is that the truth? I don’t understand why you couldn’t have done it. I’m confused about so many things.”

  “Yer right, Maggie, there is much to talk about and we will, but now is not the time. Ye must find Brielle before she hurts someone else.” Edna was suffering a guilty conscience and it was weighing heavily on her mind. She hadn’t been totally truthful with Maggie or Angus when she sent them off to Breaghacraig. “I cannae hold my focus for much longer and my fire is dying on this end. I have faith that ye can do this, Maggie. I love ye, child.” Edna closed the connection to the sixteenth century and wept. She had almost lost her husband and her niece was still in grave danger. How did I let this happen?

  * * *

  MAGGIE MOVED AWAY from the bed where Angus now slept comfortably. She was shaking from the effort she had put forth to heal him. Glancing in Dylan’s direction, she saw him smiling at her. It was a soft, warm smile that made her heart sing. He came to her and she relaxed into his arms.

  “It’s okay, Maggie. It’s over for now.” Dylan rubbed her arms and back soothingly.

  “Oh, Dylan, I was so afraid. I thought we were going to lose him.” Dylan’s strength flowed into her, giving her the comfort she needed. “I don’t know if I can go on fighting her. Maybe I’m the wrong witch to deal with this. She’s so strong.”

  “She’s strong, but you’re stronger, Maggie. You can do this. One step at a time. Don’t think too far ahead, if you do you’ll overwhelm yourself.” Dylan continued stroking her and holding her close. “I’m here for you. I won’t interfere, but I’m here if you need me.”

  “I do need you, Dylan,” Maggie’s eyes lifted to his and then lowered to his lips. She wanted so badly to kiss him, but felt this might be a very inappropriate time. Before she could make a decision, Dylan’s mouth found hers, his lips gently pressing and his tongue tempting and teasing. Maggie responded like a woman in great need of nourishment. She put everything
she had into answering his kisses with her own. A moment ago, this had seemed the wrong time and place, but now it seemed it was exactly the right time. Dylan cradled her head in his hands, holding her in place as Maggie’s hands went to his chest, exploring the hard muscle beneath his liene. She heard a whimpering sound. Had it come from her? No. She was reasonably sure it hadn’t. She continued to enjoy the warm, wet kisses she had wanted for so long. She heard the whimpering sound again and this time Dylan’s head shot up. They both scanned the room, searching for the source of the noise and when they finally found it, Dylan and Maggie released one another simultaneously.

  Chester stood in the doorway looking quite a mess, blood was dripping from a wound that wasn’t clearly visible, and onto the floor. They both ran across the room to him and dropping to their knees, did their best to find the wound. Dylan ran his hands over Chester, covering every inch of his fur. As he approached Chester’s hind leg, the dog yelped in pain.

  “It’s okay, Chester. It’s okay.” Dylan calmly reassured the dog. “What happened to you?”

  Maggie scrambled around Chester to the site of the injury and gasped when she finally saw the wound. It was deep and had a foul odor emanating from it. It had been hard to notice at first because of Chester’s black fur, which had camouflaged the injury, making it almost invisible. “It looks as if someone stabbed him,” she observed anxiously. “Don’t worry, I can fix this. It will be a piece of cake compared to healing Angus.” Maggie placed her hand over the wound and muttered a healing incantation as she did so. Chester visibly relaxed and leaned into her. “There, there, Chester. Yer going to be fine. Dinnae fret, my sweet.” Once again, Maggie focused her healing powers on the wound and as she watched, it closed up right before her eyes. Had she not seen it firsthand, she wouldnae have believed it were possible. She released a big breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Wow! Did ye see that?” she asked Dylan.

  * * *

  DYLAN SAT beside her on the floor, his eyes filled with admiration for what she had just achieved. He had seen a lot of amazing things today – things that tested even his usual acceptance of all things weird and unusual. “Maggie, you’re absolutely amazing! Thank you.” Dylan cradled Chester’s huge head between his hands. “Chester, who did this to you?” Chester cocked his head to one side, as if he understood exactly what Dylan was asking him. “If only he could talk.”

  “He was missing from your room this morning when I woke. When was the last time you saw him?” Maggie asked

  Dylan gave this question some thought. “Last night when I left him with you, but since we’ve been here, it’s been hard to keep track of him. He wanders off on his own all the time, something he couldn’t do back in San Francisco. He loves everyone here and follows anyone he thinks is headed off on a fun adventure.”

  “I’d bet anything that Brielle had something to do with this,” Maggie announced firmly. Dylan watched her as she silently contemplated a much-happier Chester. “The wound itself had the touch of dark magick surrounding it. Chester, can ye try to tell me who did this to ye.” She sat perfectly still, closing her eyes and listening intently.

  “Are you trying to talk to Chester?” Dylan asked with a touch of disbelief.

  “Shhh… I cannae hear him if yer talking to me.” Maggie tipped her head to one side and Chester wriggled closer to her. He lifted his head and sniffed her hair, nuzzling against her ear. Maggie began to giggle. “Chester, yer tickling me. Uh-huh… Uh-huh… I see.” Maggie raised her head and turned to Dylan who was watching the exchange with bemusement. “It was Brielle, just as I suspected. Chester saw her earlier today when she first arrived in the courtyard and he ran down and tried to rescue Angus. She slashed at him with a dirk, which I’m sure was probably charmed, but he was able to get away with only the one wound. He hid until after she disappeared and then came to find you. And it’s a verra good thing that he did. The dirk had some kind of poison on it, which entered his body when he was stabbed. It created that horrible odor we could smell. Since I knew it was there, I was able to drain it from his bloodstream. It would have killed him if he hadn’t found us soon. Oh, and he says he’s verra sorry he’s been avoiding you lately.”

  “Are you telling me that Chester can talk to you?” Dylan knew he no doubt looked as bewildered as he felt.

  “I wouldn’t say talk, but I seem to be able to read his thoughts. That’s the best way I can describe it. I see pictures relating to what he’s thinking.” Maggie eyed Dylan anxiously, wondering if he would believe her.

  Dylan leaned in and drew her close. Chester licked Maggie’s hand and then laid his head in Dylan’s lap contentedly.

  “Chester, don’t get too comfortable,” Dylan warned the dog. “Maggie and I have things to do. You stay here with Angus, boy.” With a quiet yap, Chester repositioned himself so that he was curled up on the floor by the bed.

  “We should go,” Maggie announced. “I’ll go to the kitchen to ask Mary for some food and supplies. You go to the stable and get the horses. I’ll meet you in the courtyard.” She gave Dylan a quick peck on the cheek and quickly left the room.

  “Chester, take good care of Angus. We’ll be back soon.” The dog lifted his head and uttered a low bark in response.

  Leaving the room, Dylan hurried towards the stables. He trusted Maggie implicitly, but he was a little apprehensive about this undertaking. He shook his head at himself. Who was he kidding? He was a lot apprehensive.

  * * *

  THEY MET in the courtyard – Dylan with the horses and Maggie, accompanied by Mary and what seemed to be enough food to feed an army. Mary was quite proud of her efforts and Maggie had decided it was better not to argue with her about what they needed to take. Mary was used to equipping the men – all of the men – with whatever they might need for a journey away from the castle. She had packed far more than Maggie felt was necessary, but as Mary was the one with the experience, Maggie had quietly accepted her decisions. Along with copious amounts of food, Mary had rounded up clean plaids and a bottle of Sir Robert’s finest whiskey. Maggie quietly smiled to herself as she watched Mary handing things to Dylan, who packed them expertly into their saddlebags. They rolled the plaids and tied them to the saddles and while Mary nervously fidgeted, Dylan found a safe spot for the bottle of whiskey.

  Just before they were ready to leave, Maggie thanked Mary for her help. “’Tis nothing. I wish ye a safe journey. Take care and come back safely to us.” Mary seemed ready to cry as Dylan threw an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. She covered her face with her hands and hurriedly left them, rushing back towards the kitchens.

  “All set?” Dylan asked.

  “All set.” Maggie adjusted her saddle and with a leg up from Dylan, climbed atop her horse.

  “Where to?” Dylan mounted and then nudged his own horse towards the gates.

  “Something is telling me we should take the road back towards the bridge. I believe that’s where we’ll find her.”

  “Let’s go, then.”

  As they approached the gate, Robert, Cailin and Cormac came rushing from the castle.

  “Wait!” Robert ordered.

  Maggie and Dylan stopped dead in their tracks and turned in their saddles to look back at the others. The three men came rushing to their side. “If yer going in search of the witch, we’ll be joining ye,” Cormac announced firmly.

  Maggie and Dylan exchanged questioning glances before Maggie looked back down at Cormac.

  “That wouldnae be a good idea,” Maggie said. “Ye must stay here. Brielle may come back and ye’ll need to be here, to defend Breaghacraig.”

  “Jenna will be most upset if some harm comes to ye, Dylan.” Cormac took hold of Dylan’s reins.

  “Don’t worry, Cormac. We’re going to be fine.” Maggie did her best to sound as if she believed in what she was saying. “We’ll be back, before ye know it.”

  “I left Chester here with Angus. Take care of him for me, will you?” Dyl
an reached out to clasp Cormac’s shoulder and for a long moment, Maggie wasn’t certain Cormac would agree.

  “What if ye cannae defeat Brielle?” Cailin asked. “What will happen then?”

  “That’s why ye need to be here. All of ye. I have faith that I can stop her, but just in case something goes wrong, ye must stay here to finish the job and to protect your home from her.”

  Cormac reluctantly let go of Dylan’s reins and Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed they were going to let them go off on their own and Maggie would prefer it that way. In her time at Breaghacraig, she had seen how they all loved one another unconditionally, and would be deeply scarred by the loss of any one of their clan. The thought of Ashley, Jenna or Irene being left without the men they loved, wasnae something she wished to have resting on her shoulders. She was going to take care of this. It’s what she had been training for and what she now understood was her destiny. No matter what happened, she had confidence that she would prevail. She was surprised by the level of her confidence. When she had first started this journey, Maggie had been apprehensive and unsure of herself, but now she had a newfound sense of who she really was and what she was capable of achieving. She also knew what was at stake if she were to lose to Brielle. With Dylan by her side, Maggie was sure this was one battle she would win. With that thought firmly in mind, they left Breaghacraig behind and began the search for Brielle.

  CHAPTER 15

  “Well, mother, I am off to undo the damage I have done.” Sir Richard sat atop his large black destrier, tall, handsome and dressed all in black. “I will be back as soon as I can, but in the meantime, I know you will run the castle as smoothly as if I were still here. If you need any help, Edward will be of assistance.” He nodded to his brother, who stood protectively by his mother’s side. Edward was young, but he was capable. He was already as tall as Richard was and still growing. He was going to be a fine man, and Richard hoped he would be a man unscarred by life’s emotional upheavals.