Chapter Fourteen
LESS THAN AN HOUR LATER, I found myself covered in a black, hooded cloak and being ushered quickly into a small, black carriage with Dr. Blake waiting inside. I tried to muster a smile.
“This all seems to be happening so quickly, and sometimes I still feel like it is a dream that I will wake up from at any moment.”
The carriage lurched forward; I slumped back against the cushions and closed my eyes. I sat that way for a while, swaying gently in my seat while the carriage made its way down the street. I was startled when Dr. Blake spoke.
“Do you have someone waiting for you when you get back home, Sage? Is there some young man going insane without you right now?” The question was so out of the blue, and his eyes were searching my face so intently, that I just stared at him stupidly for several moments before I could form a reply.
“No, I don’t,” I whispered. “I don’t have anyone missing me. Not a boyfriend, not a family member, not even a friend. Isn’t that sad?” I sighed, feeling deflated. “I kept myself from having friends, didn’t allow people to get too close to me. I regret that now, because if I don’t make it back, no one will miss me. Selfish of me, isn’t it?” I glanced at him, my emotions hanging heavy in the air.
“Not selfish at all,” he said gently. “We all want to be remembered, to be loved, and to be missed when we are gone.” He gazed back at me with intense eyes. “I’d miss you a hell of a lot if you were to warp back to your own time,” he said slowly. “I hope our mission succeeds—I know it has to—but I hope you don’t go back. I hope you end up stuck here with me.”
My jaw dropped open.
“That’s selfishness, and I don’t regret it or apologize for it,” he stated passionately.
I sat there for several moments, trying to gather my thoughts into some semblance of order as I searched his eyes, hoping I hadn’t read too much into his words. I wanted to tell him that deep inside, I secretly hoped I wouldn’t warp again, either; but just then, the carriage came to an abrupt halt. We sat there for a few more silent moments, waiting for the sign that all was clear for us to go inside. A thump on the roof from the driver told us we were good to go. Dr. Blake jumped down from the carriage and held his hand out to me. I put my hand into his much larger one and felt the current between us sizzle to life.
I looked into his handsome face and hesitantly reached over to trace his lips with my finger. I felt him suck in a breath. He reached up and pulled the hood of my cloak back over my head, took my hand, and brushed a light kiss over my knuckles before helping me down from the carriage. We walked quickly up the steps to my new townhouse while Dr. Blake stayed alert, looking around us and hoping our arrival hadn’t been noted by anyone. We stepped inside as soon as the door opened, and both of us let out a relieved breath.
I pushed my hood back and checked out my new home. It was a modest-sized, two-story house with immaculate marble flooring in the foyer and a beautiful staircase that led to the second floor. Dr. Blake began showing me around the first floor. The first door to the left was a small, comfortable-looking sitting room, decorated in shades of cream and sea green; it would be perfect for hosting teatime conversations. The first door on the right opened into a larger sitting room that housed a small piano and was beautifully decorated with hand-carved, nineteenth-century mahogany furniture, upholstered in gorgeous wine-and-gold brocade.
I ran my hand lightly over the back of a lovely small settee and tried to imagine it in my apartment. I shook my head—nah, it definitely wouldn’t fit in with my hodge-podge collection of thrift-store furniture finds.
The second door on the right led into a room that acted as an office and small library. I could see myself spending many nights curled up in the chair by the large fireplace, reading. I shook my head to clear the wishful vision. We looked around the rest of the first floor, including the small, pristine kitchen, before heading upstairs. The second floor boasted two small bedrooms and a larger master bedroom with an attached sitting room. I walked in and looked around the cozy room, complete with a large four-poster bed and small vanity covered in small bottles and pots. It would suit me well.
Dr. Blake cleared his throat from the doorway. “If you will permit me?”
I snorted and beckoned him to come on in.
“Mrs. Howell sent everything you will need ahead of us. Of course, if you find that you are in need of something we haven’t thought of, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
I walked over to the armoire and opened the doors only to gawk at the amount of stuff that was crammed inside. Good God.
“Did Mrs. Howell mention that I had a few things for you?”
I wondered briefly why he seemed so nervous. “She did,” I said, my curiosity piqued.
He walked over to the bed and knelt down to retrieve a leather satchel beneath it. After he laid it gently on the bed, he crooked his finger for me to come closer. I raised my brow but went over anyway. Curiosity killed the cat and all that jazz.
He opened the satchel and took a long, wooden box out of it. When he withdrew a beautiful dirk from inside the case, my breath caught in my throat. It was probably the most beautiful weapon I had ever seen. I had handled several knives and swords while training with Dr. Blake, but this one—a sgian-dubh, if I remembered correctly—was astonishingly superior to anything I had trained with. The blade was perhaps eight inches in length, and the hilt was another four inches. The hilt was ebony with intricate Celtic knots carved into it. He handed it to me with a look of apprehension in his eyes, as if he were holding his breath for some reason.
I took it from him, my hand shaking slightly, and when I grasped the hilt in my hand, it fit as if it were a long-lost extension of my body, as if it had been made just for me. I ran my fingers lightly over the carvings, and then I noticed meticulously etched words down the length of the blade. Holding it closer to my face to read the words, I realized they were in another language. Ta mo chroi istigh ionat was beautifully engraved into the blade. I looked up at my silent companion.
“It’s Gaelic,” he said softly.
I held the blade out from my body and gave a few flicks of my wrist, letting my hand get use to the feel of it, but it wasn’t necessary. My hand had a mind of its own, and it felt as though it was meant to hold this dirk. I shook my head at the absurdity of my thoughts.
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “What does the engraving mean?”
Dr. Blake grinned and shook his head at me. “Oh no; you’ll have to figure that one out on your own.”
“Are you serious?” I squealed. “You’ve handed me the single most wonderful item I have ever received, and you won’t tell me what it says on the blade?”
I saw the look of amusement and determination on his face and sighed. There would be no talking him into it.
“Well, I’m going to enjoy every moment I have this. It will be hard for me to give it back,” I said as my fingers caressed the carvings on the hilt once more.
“It’s yours, Sage. I had it made for you.”
My eyes flew wide in surprise. He had this made for me as a gift? If I hadn’t known better, I’d have sworn I saw a blush creep up his neck.
“I wanted to get you something special, something to show you how proud I am of all that you have accomplished. So, do you like it?”
I nodded and murmured, “It’s perfect.” No one had ever given me something so thoughtful. I threw myself into his arms. His shock only lasted a second before he relaxed and hugged me back… as if he had a choice.
I pulled back to look into his handsome, imperfect face. “Thank you, Aldwin.” I got on my tiptoes and pressed my lips gently to his.
I wanted to tell him so much with that kiss, but I wasn’t sure how he felt, or if I should be putting myself out there. My future—our future—was too uncertain. I pulled back, slightly breathless and more than a little dizzy, and chuckled under my breath at how this man affected me. Talk about kissing a girl senseless.
H
e drew away reluctantly to show me what else he had in his case of goodies.
There was a smaller, plainer version of my dirk. It would be perfect for my garter holster, I thought excitedly. The last item he withdrew from the case made me blink in surprise. What the heck was that doing in a case of weapons?
A unique cuff bracelet was the last item. The bracelet was probably three to four inches wide and had an antique silver finish. A butterfly topped the cuff, its wings spread from one side to the other, and several precious gemstones were encrusted in its wings. The center of the beautiful insect looked like the innards of a clock or watch. I realized that it was a watch when I heard a soft ticking. A strong feeling, almost like a premonition, swept over me and made my heart skip a beat. Things were about to change imminently, and I wasn’t sure I wanted them to.
I frowned slightly. “It’s lovely, but why is it with these?” I asked, motioning toward the weapons on the bed.
His eyes twinkled like a boy about to show off his favorite toy. He moved closer to me with the bracelet in his hand. “Look. See how the butterfly is raised a little off the base of the bracelet?” His breath fanned my cheek; I nodded my head in answer. “If you apply just the right amount of pressure…”
I heard a soft click as he pressed down on the center of the butterfly, and a jewel on the side of the bracelet, designed to look like the winding mechanism, popped free with a snick. Dr. Blake pulled the small jewel free of the bracelet and showed me the one-inch needle.
My eyebrows shot up. Clearly, I had no clue about this kind of James Bond stuff.
“The needle has been coated with a substance that will knock a grown man or preternatural out for hours. It can only be used once, so use it only if you absolutely have to.”
He pressed the gemstone-studded pin into the bracelet and put the cuff on my arm. It, too, fit perfectly. I wasn’t big on jewelry, but this was just unique enough to be my style and could come in very handy.
Just then, a knock came from the back entrance downstairs, making me jump.
Dr. Blake smirked and headed for the door. “That will be your household staff starting to arrive. I’ll leave you to get acquainted with your new surroundings while I make sure everything gets underway for your big night tonight.” He turned to go.
“Aldwin…” I started.
His shoulders tensed visibly.
“I mean, Dr. Blake…”
I wanted to pour my heart out to him and tell him how much he had come to mean to me, but all my uncertainties about the future and my feelings rushed to stop me. He had stopped and was looking at me, searching my face with his good eye. I dropped my gaze to the bracelet on my wrist.
“…Thank you for everything. You have become the one constant in my life, the one person I can trust. I hope we can continue to be friends.”
He looked slightly pained at my words, and I wondered briefly if he had planned on distancing himself from me now that I was no longer his student. The thought sent a stab of pain straight to my chest.
He bowed ever so slightly and answered quickly, “Yes, of course. Friends.” He turned back toward the door, and without looking back said, “Sage, call me Aldwin. We are to be friends, after all.”
The word friends came out caustically, but before I could say anything in reply, he strode from the room and left me standing there, wondering how I had screwed up again.
Time Warper: Fated, A Sage Hannigan Novel Page 15
