“All the power in the world can’t buy me the happiness you’ve given me. Give it to him. If he really wants it.”
“You know I do,” Ascott snapped, taking a step toward them.
Caleb held out the medallion. “The coins are a perfect match, Ascott. Together they offer you the chance to earn your heart’s desire, if you use them properly. But use them improperly, and they’ll destroy you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Ascott tugged the leather pouch out of his pocket and carefully removed the other coin by its chain. He snatched the one from Caleb and held them up together, letting the gold medallions twirl. Multicolored beams bounced like a dancing rainbow over the walls.
Caleb watched Ascott’s eyes brighten as greed enveloped him.
“Lovely,” he whispered. He slid the chains over his hand and let the coins graze his fingers. The moment the medallions touched his skin he jerked his hand away as if he’d just touched red-hot coals. He caught Caleb by the shirt collar.
“Why are the coins too hot to touch? What did you do to them?” He shook them in front of Caleb.
“I did nothing. They are special, individually, and as a pair.”
“What’s the secret, Harrison? Obadiah told Elizabeth that it took both of them to make a man powerful.”
“I guess that’s right,” Caleb said. “The bearer does get his just reward if he possesses both coins. But I’m not sure how it works.”
Caleb circled his hand around the medallions, letting Ascott see that he held them without pain. “Mary Rebecca told me to find the key by looking into my heart. I found it. Hopefully, you will too.”
“In your heart? That’s foolhardy,” Ascott scoffed. “You are definitely a fool if you think I’m giving these back.”
He yanked them out of Caleb’s hand and shoved him away. Becci reached out to steady him, and he saw the fear spark in her eyes. He circled her waist with his arm and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
“You have what you wanted, so leave, Michael,” Becci said tipping her head toward the door.
“You think I’ll disappear if I go through there? Well, think again, the portal’s closed, otherwise he wouldn’t be here. And who’s this?” Ascott asked, nodding in Luke’s direction. “Here I thought you’d never been with a man, but I can tell he’s your son. He has your eyes. I guess she is your type, Harrison.”
Caleb took a step forward, but Becci caught his arm. “He’s not worth it, Caleb.”
Ascott laughed, and, with greed clouding his expression, he turned away with an arrogant, lofty stride. Suddenly, he glanced back at them, his eyes wide with terror, and he began to fade from sight.
“Noooo!” he yelled, his voice slowly fading in the echo of time.
Sunlight peeked through the clouds and brightened the room. Caleb gasped as some force suddenly latched onto him and dragged him toward the door. He caught the door frame with one hand and clutched his chest. He was being pulled back to the past, but the invisible force wasn’t touching Becci or Luke.
Becci rushed toward him before he could tell her to stay away from the door. She clung to him, one arm around his neck and the other clutching Luke. “Hold me, Caleb. Hold us, and don’t let go.”
It wasn’t working.
“Take Luke,” Becci ordered, shoving the boy into Caleb’s arms before he could answer. He held Luke against his chest, while Becci searched for something that might close the portal. She grabbed the trinket box and threw it into the whirling vortex. The winds caught the box, spinning it in circles then spit it back into the room and strengthened its pull on Caleb and Luke, drawing them closer to the entry.
“No!” Caleb cried out to the forces trying to drag him back to his era. “This is my life. I belong here—we belong here.”
Gradually, the glittering aura began to spiral in the center of the doorway, drawing the colored edges into nothingness. The winds stopped howling, the thunder ended, and the lightning vanished.
Becci rested her hand on Caleb’s arm then took Luke from him. When he looked at her, he saw a myriad of emotions in her eyes—concern and more. He saw love. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around them and rested his chin on the top of Becci’s head. His heart pounded wildly. Becci loved him.
The clatter of metal hitting the floor echoed through the bedroom as if stamping approval to what they had together. They turned in unison to stare at the two shining medallions.
“The coins!” Caleb exclaimed. “Ascott couldn’t keep them in the past.”
“No!” Becci shouted as he started toward the door. “You can’t go through there. I don’t want to lose you again.”
He felt the fear in the tight curl of her fingers, and he turned and caught her hand in his. “You won’t lose me, Becci. The gate is closed. I’ve found what destiny had in store for me. I love you with all my heart. I think I have from the moment I saw your sparkling green eyes full of life and love.” He brought her hand to his lips.
“Now we’re keepers,” he explained. “The coins come with a world of responsibility, and neither of us can even begin to guess the extent of it. But I know we can handle whatever happens as long as we’re together. The door will only open when someone needs our help.”
“How do you know that?” she asked, looking bewildered.
He dropped a kiss to her lips and rested his forehead against hers. “I don’t know how. I just know. When we’re called upon we will be expected to serve. Until that time, we must guard the coins with our lives. This is Berclair Manor’s inheritance that will some day belong to Luke. You and I have been chosen to teach him right from wrong.”
He led her into the hall and picked up both medallions. He looked from the tiny circular pieces in his palm to Becci. “I would rather lose everything I’ve fought so hard to gain than lose you.”
Dodging Luke’s attempt to snatch the shiny medallions, Caleb slipped one around Becci’s neck then brushed his knuckles down her cheek.
Heat from Caleb’s touch sent a wave of desire, hot and deep, to Becci’s most feminine areas. Yes, this man was her destiny, and she’d never let him leave her again.
Caleb slipped the other medallion over his head, noticing the scratch that marred its beauty. He now had his mother’s medallion. As the chain settled into place around his neck an iridescent cloud swirled around them. Within the mist a couple walked together, their arms entwined in a gesture that spoke of their love.
“Mother?” Caleb whispered, reaching his hand out toward the distant figures in disbelief.
“Yes, son, I’m here. I’ve always been with you and you with me in my heart. Caleb, this is Abraham, your father. He would have been a wonderful father if he’d been allowed to live, but Obadiah’s greed stole our lives from us. The spirits of Atlantis granted us this meeting as our last wish.”
Abraham stepped forward. “You’ve dealt wisely with adversity. I’m proud to have you as my son. Take care of Luke. He is the future of our heritage, as will be yours and Becci’s children.”
“We must go now,” his mother said. “Remember you are always in our hearts. Enjoy your new life, Caleb. You have found the most important ingredient. You’ve found your true love.”
The image vanished, and so did the cloud. Becci stared in awe at the spot where they’d been. “They were beautiful people, and they have a wonderful son.”
As he turned to face Becci, his heart was pounding with the rhythm of a runaway horse at full gallop. He traced the curves of her hips with his palms and slowly returned them to her waist. He’d been given a glimpse of his past to cherish. But his future, Becci and Luke, stood in front of him. He could hardly wait to create more memories, like the ones she’d already given him. Waking up with her tucked into the curve of his body had been one of the best experiences he’d ever undergone. He would follow his father’s instructions and love Becci with
all his heart.
“I love you, Becci, and Luke and I need you. Will you marry us, Mary Rebecca Berclair?”
“I thought you’d never ask her,” Lilly said from the landing. “Now at least I can get some rest—before I start making wedding plans, that is.”
Caleb watched the emotions play across Becci’s face. Lilly had interrupted them before she’d given her answer, and he worried that she would refuse. But then she said, “Of course I’ll marry you. After all, I might be carrying your child, and you’re going to do right by him—or her. Besides, you need someone to help you learn about your new world and who else better than the woman who loves you with all her heart.”
Caleb saw the teasing glint in her eyes, and he looped his arms around her, pulling her close.
“According to my parents, destiny wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He had thought he would never find love. Now he knew that anything was possible if you lived your life right and let your heart guide you.
Epilogue
CALEB RESTED HIS chin on the top of Becci’s head until he finished reading the last paragraph in the journal. “I can’t believe Obadiah never even tried to find out what happened to Luke.”
Becci shook her head. “It was greed. My great-great-great-grandfather killed both your parents to get their medallion, then lost it and hired Michael to help him get it back. He wanted everything for himself, just like Michael did. Oh, Caleb, I’m so sorry for what my family did to you. Can you ever forgive them?”
“I already have. Ascott and Obadiah both paid their debt to me, and while they lost, I won because I found something far more valuable than anything they ever sought. I found true love.”
Caleb caught the edge of the journal and laid it on the bedside table. He would be forever grateful to Catherine for hiding the books in the bedside table. Without them, Becci might have sold the manor before he managed to travel through time and all would have been lost for him.
He slid down in the bed, drawing Becci with him. After he’d shown her all the secret compartments that stored the gold and jewelry that Rebecca had hoarded, they’d pulled out Rebecca’s journal to see who Obadiah had listed on the last page as Rebecca’s murderer. Caleb had felt the tension ease when he saw that only Jacobs and Michael were listed as partners in the crime. According to what Obadiah wrote, Michael was thrown from a horse while trying to escape.
“Michael must have tried to ride Patches.”
“Patches?”
“My horse. He was a real temperamental gelding. Wouldn’t let anyone on his back but me. And he really didn’t even like me to ride him. He preferred to pull the wagon. I left him out front when I delivered the dresser.”
“Your horse. Hmm. There’s one other thing I’d like to know about.” Becci combed her fingers through Caleb’s tousled hair, then slipped her arms around him and snuggled closer. “You wrote the instructions for the secret compartments in your journal. Why didn’t Obadiah find the medallion?”
Caleb sucked in a ragged breath, cupped his hand to her cheek and kissed Becci before he answered. “Because, by sheer luck, I managed to keep my journal with me when I went through the portal. Now we have everything we need to survive.”
“More than enough to survive, Caleb. We have enough to help anyone who proves themselves worthy to use the services of the keepers of the keys.”
(Please continue reading for more information)
For more information about
Barbara Christopher
Sign up for email updates about
Barbara Christopher
(Please continue reading for more information about the author)
About the Author
Since 1990, Barbara Christopher has been writing romances, finishing seven manuscripts for projected books, before she “Got the call,” from ImaJinn Books.
Barbara, who had published newsletter articles and some poems, was now a novelist. Her family and friends had told her prior to this that happiness is doing what you love, not receiving rewards.
Nevertheless, after many years of writing in the field, she was elated.
Keeper of the Key Page 32
