A Druid Stone

by Kim Allred

  He nodded. "Henri apprised me of the hours since a rain-soaked woman appeared at their kitchen door. I must admit, I was expecting Captain Murphy."

  "It should have been." Her words, whispered softly, couldn't hide the bitterness or the longing. She wiped away a tear and blew out a shaky laugh. "It seems trouble follows the stones. I'm not quite sure where to start."

  A soft knock interrupted them, and Sebastian patted her shoulder on his way to the door. A young lad scurried in, setting a tray on the table before rushing out, closing the door behind him.

  AJ didn't think she could eat, but the smell of fresh bread made her nose twitch with interest.

  Sebastian brought her a cup of steaming tea. "Drink this first, and then we'll have some food. Sofi told me you haven't eaten since your arrival."

  She warmed her hands on the mug and stared into the fire, her thoughts whirling as she reflected on the last twelve hours. Her gut clenched whenever she remembered the last time she'd seen Finn. His fear, his anger, and his love etched on his face. They still had Ethan's stone. She had to believe they would find her, and she absently reached for the necklace that held her wedding ring.

  Sebastian tried again. "Why don't you tell me what happened when you left us all those months ago."

  AJ released a small chuckle. "To you, it's been over a year, but to me, only a few months have gone by." She shook her head. "I can't explain it, but time passes differently between our jumps. I don't know why."

  Sebastian considered it for a moment and shrugged. "Who can explain everything we've read or experienced? Some things shall always remain a mystery. Did you arrive where you thought you would?"

  "Yes. Back to the same spot we'd left." She sipped her tea and, as suggested, told Sebastian everything. Their arrival, Finn's reaction to the jump while still injured, and the life they were building. The words flew out of her mouth, and she didn't stop until the mug of tea was cold in her hands. She sipped it and grimaced.

  "It sounds like a wonderful life."

  She stood and took his mug, dumping the remaining cold tea in the washbasin before refilling them. The pot of tea was still warm, but she preferred her tea hot. She placed it on a ring by the hearth to heat it before settling on the sofa and pulling her legs under her.

  "Our life wasn't perfect, but I was happier than anyone could be." She smiled at the monk and grasped the hand he held out.

  "Except for the man who followed you to your time."

  She looked up, startled by his words.

  "I was at the knoll too, if you remember. I witnessed his disappearance in the fog. Maire worried about it for weeks until Ethan convinced her everything was all right."

  Her smile faded, and a slow anger burned. "I won't rest until I find out how he's connected to Maire's disappearance."

  The monk sat back, startled. "Maire disappeared?"

  She nodded. "I realized it was Beckworth who'd been following me. Before I had a chance to tell Finn, Ethan arrived." The words tumbled out as she walked Sebastian through the events of Ethan's arrival. When everything came out jumbled, the monk made her repeat the story, this time slowing down to recount Ethan's story from when Maire and Ethan had sailed from France on the Daphne Marie. She told him of their arrival at the earl's estate in Hereford, their time in London, and their return to the country. It felt good to talk about Maire, and though it was a false security, it made her feel closer to her missing friend.

  "The last anyone saw of her was when she departed for Peterstow, supposedly to purchase medicinal seeds she couldn't find in Hereford. When her guards returned to say she'd been taken, Ethan spent two months searching, but neither he nor Thomas could find a trace of her or who took her. With nothing left to lose, he jumped to the future to see if we could find something from history..." She stumbled over the words, then tried again. "I know it sounds weird, but Ethan hoped that something that occurred during this timeline might have been written down, and we'd be able to find it in my time." She shook her head. "I've lived it, and it still seems strange."

  She released a sigh and sat back. She hadn't stopped talking once she began, and other than getting her to repeat the story, Sebastian never interrupted. Now that it was all out, she wasn't sure what to do. She assumed she was numb from the events of the last two days, starting when she found Beckworth standing in the kitchen at the inn. Her struggle with him before being tied up, Finn and Ethan rescuing her, Beckworth's capture and surprising escape, and her misfortune of Beckworth discovering the Heart Stone dangling from her necklace. Then zap—the two of them landing two hundred years in the past. And worst of all, arriving in France at a time of war. Numb didn't even begin to cover it.

  When she glanced at Sebastian, he gazed into the fire, but if she had to guess, his thoughts were miles away, hidden behind a solemn poker face. He finally glanced at her and smiled. "I could use another cup of tea." He stood, and for a moment, he appeared more fragile than she'd ever seen him. Had it been a mistake to get him involved again?

  But what other choice did she have?

  "Come drink some tea, child, and I'll tell you what I know of the druid book."

  She jumped up. "Ethan said Maire might have been taken because of that book. What do you know?"

  His eyes twinkled as he held out a hand to the empty chair. "You've haven't touched Sofi's soup. I think you'll like it."

  AJ grumbled at his transparent attempt to get her to eat, but when her stomach growled loudly enough for Sebastian to give her a knowing smile, she complied.

  "Fine." She sipped the soup, grudgingly admitting it was tasty. When she broke off a piece of the remaining bread and pointed it at him, she said, "Now that I'm eating, tell me everything you know. Every time I hear the book mentioned, I get this nagging feeling I should be remembering something."

  He nodded but cautiously changed the topic. "You never mentioned if Ethan ever discovered a link to Maire's whereabouts."

  AJ finished chewing a bite of bread, then washed it down with tea. Henri's bread was as good as she remembered it. She smiled at the monk. "It was your journals."

  "Mine." His shock lifted his eyebrows until they almost touched his hairline.

  "I'll have to tell you about the historians." She thought about it. "Well, maybe I shouldn't. I guess it doesn't matter. But in two hundred years, historians will find part of The Book of Stones and your journals."

  He smiled. "So Ethan was correct to search the future to reveal the past."

  AJ snorted and tore off another piece of bread. "It doesn't get any easier to hear, but yes. You received a letter from Elizabeth Ratliff." She sat up. "Or maybe that hasn't happened yet. What's the date?"

  He placed a hand on hers. "It's mid-February, 1804. I received her letter months ago. I'm aware that Sir Ratliff was killed, and I worry about the fate of the Heart Stone."

  She shrugged. "It must be okay. I still have it, so it must still find its way through the keepers."

  "The keepers?"

  "Just one more thing to share with you, but that will keep for now. Tell me about the book. I assume it's as Ethan said, that it was written by the druid who time-traveled."

  Before Sebastian could say a word, a loud crash sounded from the room next door.

  AJ jumped up. "Beckworth."

  3

  Beckworth woke with a start, the room stifling, the sweat drenching him. When his vision cleared, he moved an arm and found it bound to the bed. Not tightly. He had some movement, a few inches. His legs were free, for whatever good that did. He glanced around and tried to recall what happened.

  Bits and pieces of images flitted through his aching head. Rushing out of the inn with AJ. Fear of Ethan catching him. The fog returning and the painful white light. Lying in the rain, pain radiating from his shoulder. She'd stabbed him again. He cursed and refocused on his surroundings.

  The room seemed familiar, but after so many years and so many inns, they all did. The hearth blazed with a fire, and the walls were aged.
He remembered voices—French. Was it possible he was at the inn near the monastery? He relaxed and sighed with relief. He might be bound, but he was in his own time. Step one accomplished.

  Why was he bound?

  Then he remembered AJ yelling at him. She'd kicked him. Repeatedly. That would explain the pain in his side, but his shoulder hurt worse. He growled. She'd stabbed him again as the fog arrived. It had been a mistake to bring her, and now it was too late.

  He stared at the ceiling. How did she get him to the inn? He snorted. What story had she weaved that would keep him trussed up? Another thought hit him. Murphy's men had stayed at the inn for some time and had probably paid well. Would they remember the little wench? AJ was difficult to forget, but most of the time she'd been dressed like a boy.

  What year was it? Maybe Murphy and Hughes were already here, following behind through the mist.

  Panic set in, and he lifted his head. Mistake. His vision blurred, and nausea clenched his stomach. Then he noticed the tray on the bedside table. A teapot and mug. A bowl. There had been short bursts of wakefulness when someone fed him. A young girl, eyes wide, her hands shaking.

  He remembered AJ. She had run a towel over his head before spoon feeding him. For one awful second, he pictured Edith and then Louise peering down at him, their smiles cloying as they fed him their magical elixirs.

  He must have been delirious, probably suffering from an infection. He remembered the anger in AJ's eyes as she drove the knife into him. After all the months trying to get home, and now that he was close, he'd die in an old French inn tied to a bed.

  A terrible thirst overcame him, and for the first time, he noted something else. Besides his need to quench his parched throat, his stomach ached for sustenance. He reached for the tray, but the rope binding him wasn't long enough for him to grasp the mug. It had taken every bit of energy to raise his arm. He'd never be able to hold a mug without both hands.

  He tried again, his fingers stretching to touch the tray. He grasped the edge and managed to move it an inch before he fell back, trying to catch his breath. A laugh choked out. Even a cup of tea didn't come easy.

  Unwilling to give up, he shifted his body to his right and gained another inch, the mug almost within his reach. He leaned forward, the rope around his wrist digging into his flesh. His hand trembled from the exertion. He smiled when his fingers touched the mug, then it slid as the tray lost its balance and tumbled.

  It clattered to the ground before he could stop it. He fell back on the bed and shouted with frustration.

  A minute later, the door burst open. AJ stared down at him and the tray of broken pottery.

  "Damn it, Beckworth." She knelt to pick up the tray. "Why didn't you just yell for help like the last time?"

  He was too tired to lift his head, but he rolled it to one side to watch her. She wore a simple brown dress, and her hair hung loose. Even in a dowdy gown with shadows under her eyes, she couldn't hide her allure.

  She set the tray and remnants of his last meal on a table by the window.

  "Thirsty." His voice was scratchy. He swallowed, though it was difficult with his dry mouth. "Thirsty."

  She stared at him, one eyebrow raised as she assessed him. Somehow satisfied, she found a mug that hadn't been broken and poured water from a pitcher. She bent over him, the mug near his face. "If you don't lift your head, you'll be wearing most of this. I doubt you'll enjoy lying in wet clothes."

  He obeyed and almost cried when the cool water trickled down his throat. After only a few swallows, she pulled it away.

  "More." His voice sounded stronger.

  She shook her head. "Give it a minute. If you drink too fast, you'll throw it up. You haven't eaten or drank much since we arrived."

  He laid his head back and noticed the older man hovering just inside the door. Beckworth had seen him before but couldn't remember where. The thick, plain robe suggested he was one of the monks from the monastery.

  "Are you ready for more?" AJ brought the mug to his lips, and Beckworth drank as much as she offered.

  "Should I have them bring up another tray?" The monk's words were low and soothing. If he thought it strange for Beckworth to be tied to a bed in an old inn, he gave no sign of it.

  "Maybe a bit of stew and a chunk of bread." AJ returned to the water basin while the monk retrieved the tray. She carried a small basin that she set on the bedside table. "What do you remember?"

  She squeezed out a wet towel and wiped his brow. The cool rag felt good, and he closed his eyes.

  "You stabbed me."

  "And you dragged me back in time with you. I'm not sure I'd call that even."

  He chuckled and opened his eyes. He expected to see anger or loathing. Any sign that reflected her distaste for him, but her expression was void of any emotion. "It seems we are fated to be together."

  She snorted. "Not hardly. It's more like I stepped in something I can't quite scrape off. I wonder what that says about you."

  He smiled as she wiped his face. "Story of my life, I'm afraid." He lifted his arm with whatever slim strength had returned. "Is this necessary?"

  She quirked a brow and smiled. "Absolutely."

  A light knock sounded, and they turned to find a young lad standing in the doorway.

  "Hello, Marcel," AJ cooed. "Do you mind refreshing the water?"

  "No, Miss AJ. Shall I bring more towels? Maybe some food?"

  "The towels would be wonderful. Sebastian is seeing to the food."

  Marcel nodded, grabbed the pitcher and soiled towels before disappearing.

  The two remained in silence until Sebastian returned. Beckworth's mouth watered and his stomach growled as he lifted his head to see what was in the bowl.

  Sebastian gave him a smile that seemed more an apology. "The stew has been watered down. I think it will settle better until you get used to it."

  AJ fed Beckworth like a small child. After several mouthfuls, his stomach protested the greasy meal, and it lurched. He thought he was going to be sick. AJ set the bowl aside and forced him to take two bites of the bread. She then demanded he drink water, even though he was positive it would urge everything back up.

  "Now lay back. Your stomach should be fine. We'll try again after you've slept." She placed the leftover stew by the fire to keep warm then checked his restraints. "You need more rest. You have a slight fever, but it seems under control for now. The shoulder is healing, and unfortunately, it appears you'll be good as new in another day or two."

  She stood over him, and the barest hint of a smile suggested she was pleased with his situation. "I'm in the room next door, and Marcel checks in every hour. Try not to break anything else."

  AJ swept out of the room, but the monk remained. He stared down at Beckworth, a hand rubbing his chin. He fussed with something on the tray, then lifted a mug toward him.

  "I'm sorry to see you in such a state. I've mixed a few herbs to help. Drink this."

  The monk helped Beckworth raise his head to drink. The concoction tasted sweet until a bitter aftertaste made him grimace.

  Sebastian nodded. "It has a bit of an unpleasant bite. You won't notice it for long."

  Beckworth's vision blurred, and the monk split into two separate individuals. The room turned fuzzy.

  "Sleep well."

  Beckworth tried to stay awake, but his lids grew heavy, and then the edges of his vision turned dark as the room faded away.

  AJ lifted her head when Sebastian returned. She'd been studying a timepiece she'd discovered in Beckworth's backpack. The watch would be considered vintage even in this time period. "Is he sleeping?"

  The monk chuckled. "Oh, yes. He should sleep through the evening."

  "Are you sure the monastery is the best place?"

  Sebastian settled into a chair by the fire and took the proffered cup of tea from AJ. He wiped his brow and sipped. "After Maire and Ethan left, General Clermont arrived to oversee the running of the monastery. When the conflict with England started, it w
as assumed he'd remain here because of the port, but within a month, he was called away. He left his second-in-command in charge.

  "Fortunately, with the war, the monastery is no longer of import to Napoleon. Major Frain, who has a fondness for drink, set up lodging at the inn across from the docks. We're on our own, so it won't be difficult to install you in a room below the main floor. With your plain dress, you'll fit in with the staff, and the kitchen and yard should be available to you. Several of the staff remember you with great fondness."

  AJ dropped her gaze. She wondered how fond of her they'd be when they discovered she was keeping a man tied to a bed. Even hidden downstairs, it wouldn't take long for word to spread. The question was how long they would have to stay. "I'm going to need passage to England. Is that possible with the war?"

  The monk scratched his head. "With the troops at the dock, Major Frain believes their mere presence is keeping the smugglers away."

  AJ could understand their position. "That makes sense. What smuggler would sail into a port held by French troops?"

  "Exactly. Yet, the port remains busy, and very little happens other than drunken fights for the troops to break up. However, many of the ships run contraband, but when they arrive at port to take on fresh supplies, they keep their holds empty of illicit cargo."

  AJ snickered. "Smart. Once they have supplies, they stop someplace else for their cargo." She considered her options. "Do you know any of the captains that run the English blockades?"

  Sebastian's grin was the one he saved for when he was planning something. Her spirits rose. "I have a thought or two on that. First, we must leave the inn." He stood and brushed off his robes. "Get some sleep. I have a few arrangements to make but will return before first light. Be ready to leave."

  AJ glanced around the room. Other than Beckworth's backpack and her jeans and shirt, there wasn't much to pack. "I'll be ready."

  After Sebastian left, AJ returned to Beckworth's room and found him fast asleep, spittle at the corners of his mouth. He was going to be hopping mad once he could think clearly. She double-checked his bindings then went downstairs to find Sofi. Since she arrived without her prepared duffel, AJ would need a few things. If she was leaving before the stores opened, she would need help with the shopping.