Time Bound

by Lora Andrews

  “Caitlin, no.” Ewen grabbed her wrist.

  Magic caressed her skin. She could taste it on her tongue—cool and sweet like whipped lemon cream. “It’s okay.” She pushed through the barrier, pulling him with her.

  They stumbled into a small room about six feet long by six feet wide. The same strange symbols covered the interior of the adjacent walls. Candles flickered to life. Caitlin laughed. “This is so weird.”

  She did that when things got strange. Laughed. Not a humorous laugh, but a nervous giggle that squeaked from her throat. She wiped her face with both hands. She’d been in sixth grade the last time she’d lost control of the “giggle.” Sister Leah had accused her of cheating on her math exam in front of the whole class. Laughing had not helped her freak status then, but hey, this was different. Magic candles just lighted on their own. She was entitled to a nervous laugh or two.

  A stone chest sat on the floor against the main wall. A scene reminiscent of the others found in the corridor was etched onto a raised panel at the front of the box. The lid looked heavy and ornate, like something she’d see in an Indiana Jones movie. A large triskele was engraved in the center of the lid.

  Ewen crouched beside the crate. “Perhaps the answers lay inside?”

  Their eyes locked, an unspoken hope surging between them. She held her breath. It had to be the stone.

  It had to be.

  The lid grated against the floor when he heaved the cover and gently laid it down. They looked inside together. A brown leather book sat alone inside its stone fortress.

  Her lungs deflated, and she unclenched her hands. “A book?”

  Ewen kneeled and lifted the tome from within the box. “The hide feels freshly tanned.”

  “I doubt anyone has been here in hundreds of years.” She knelt beside him.

  “Aye, my thoughts as well.” He swept dust from the floor with his palm and set the leather bound book down. “It would not be beyond reason to believe this tome is protected by magic, not after all we’ve seen this day.” He ran a hand down the entire length of his face. “Christ.”

  “I know.”

  He opened the book and carefully thumbed through the pages. Vivid images in shades of blues, reds, and golds graced each page. “It’s written in ancient Latin.”

  “Is it a bible?” It certainly looked like an ancient medieval bible. The complicated designs were intricate and surrounded in gold leaf. Inscribed lettering scrolled across the page in uniform strokes.

  “No, although it does resemble similar tomes found at the abbey, this is an account of your clan’s guardianship of the Tempus Stone, a testament that goes back millennia.”

  “Millennia?” She couldn’t wrap her mind around the timeframe. “The MacEwens guarded the stone for thousands of years? Could you have mistranslated the text?”

  He shot her a look that said no. “The history starts before they were MacEwens, back to the time of the high Irish kings.” He frowned as he turned one page after the other. “Every guardian chronicled their time with the stone, from the first guardian to—”

  Ewen turned the book over and leafed through to the last few pages. His index finger hovered below a very recognizable name.

  Mariota.

  “My grandmother’s page.” The sheet was three quarters full. “Turn the page, Ewen.”

  Time slowed as the thick ecru sheet fell against its sisters, the last page blank. But for one name scrawled at the top, awaiting its story to begin.

  Caitlin.

  She covered her mouth. “Me?”

  The pages of the book flipped until it lay open-faced on the floor between them, a battle scene spread over two sheets. On one page, a beautiful, dark-haired woman stood in front of a slab of stone resembling an altar, her arms raised to the sky. Three luminous stones floated in the air. And behind her, their faces shadowed by night, stood four hooded figures.

  “It is as we feared. You are bound to the stone.” His eyes fixed to the pendant around her neck. “And the sorceress who sent me forth in time.”

  Caitlin looked at the next page. The scene was horrendous. Winged creatures—demons and sphinxes and griffins armed with swords and magic—battled against the dark-haired woman and an army of what appeared to be human soldiers. Maimed creatures—gods?—and humans alike fell to their deaths, the ground littered in the spoils of war.

  She felt the heat of Ewen’s stare on her chest. Or was it the pendant warming her skin?

  “She wears the triskele.”

  The tone of his voice sent a shiver up her spine. Caitlin snapped her eyes to the image of the woman. To the pendant glowing at her neck. “It could be a copy.”

  He shook his head grimly. There was sympathy in his eyes. And something else. “It was she who sent me to your time. And worse, I remember her now. When I was a child, she visited my mother. Bartered for herbs and poultices.”

  “Then this can’t be the same woman who sent you back. The timing doesn’t fit. This scene…it looks like the start of whatever got the MacEwen’s involved in guarding the stone. She’d have to be thousands of years old.”

  “I know who I saw, Caitlin. It was she who sent me to you.”

  It couldn’t be. “Or someone who looks like her.”

  “Nay, I am certain. Only on the day she sent me forward, she was weak. She no longer wore the triskele. There was another amulet around her neck.” He closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face, scrubbing away all traces of the fear she’d seen in his eyes a minute ago. Glancing at the open book laid bare on the floor, he said, “The link between you, her, and the stone is unmistakable.”

  And you. He was as bound to this whole mess as she was.

  “I had no part in bringing you here, Ewen, I swear.” At least not knowingly.

  “I know.” The furrow grew between his brows. Then his face tensed, and he jerked toward the entrance.

  A shout from outside the room. Someone was inside the cavern.

  Ewen jumped to his feet.

  “MacLean. Caitlin,” Daniel called. The guard skidded to a halt outside the opening and bent down to the ground. He picked the flashlight off the floor, jiggled the weight in his hand, then scanned the area. His gaze settled briefly on the opening.

  Caitlin and Ewen exchange a confused glance.

  Daniel stood and continued down the hall, calling their names.

  “The man looked me in the eye, yet did not see me.” Ewen moved closer to the opening and stuck his arm through. “Odd.”

  She rose from the floor and joined him. Tentatively, she brushed her fingers through the invisible barrier and smelled a faint whiff of lemon. “I feel the energy on my fingertips.”

  “Aye.” He looked at the strange symbols bordering the opening. “A ward perhaps, allowing only those of MacEwen ancestry to enter.” Before she could poke holes in his hypothesis, he placed a finger to her lip. “You pulled me in, remember? And therefore I entered with you.”

  “For someone who hates magic, you know a lot about it.”

  He shrugged. “I made but an educated guess based on the facts we both observed.”

  Heavy footsteps pounded against the stone in Daniel’s direction. Ewen took a step back and shoved her behind him. A stocky man, dressed in a dark suit similar to all of MacInnes’s guards, came into view, except this man wore a gold band wrapped around his left biceps.

  A gold band with an ankh engraved at its center.

  Caitlin squeezed Ewen’s arm. This was no coincidence.

  Ewen patted her hand and followed the man’s movements. He held a gun. Definitely not one of MacInnes’s guards. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was certain. The gold-banded guy cleared the opening without noticing her or Ewen.

  “Where’s the woman?” the man asked someone farther ahead, presumably Daniel since he was the only other person underground.

  “Why the gun?” Daniel asked. “Did MacInnes send you?”

  The man laughed. “Don’t worry about MacInnes. Tell me
where the girl is, and I’ll make this painless for you.”

  No response from Daniel.

  The banded guard fired his weapon.

  Ewen shoved her to the ground. Grunts and the sound of a scuffle sounded outside the room.

  “Stay here until it’s clear,” Ewen whispered.

  She grabbed his arm. “You can’t go out there. There could be more of those guys. They can’t see us, Ewen. We’re safe here.”

  “Aye, and if Daniel dies and MacInnes believes we had a hand in his death, then what? Until we find the stone, or your parents, you are at his mercy.”

  He was right and she hated it.

  A second banded guard emerged in the corridor.

  Ewen leapt through the invisible barrier and shoved the man against the wall. They fell to the floor and rolled, their backs slamming into the magic field. Ewen smashed the man’s wrist against the stone floor and knocked the gun from his grasp, sending it skating down the hall and away from the skirmish.

  The guard threw him off, jumped to his feet, and pulled a knife from the outside of his boot.

  Ewen laughed. “That’s a wee dagger.” He toggled his fingers in a “come and get me” gesture while slowly moving away from the opening and into the shadows of the passageway. But before he did, he glanced in her direction. And for a second, those gorgeous eyes filled with emotion. Then a warning.

  Whatever happens, stay put. Don’t move.

  Caitlin froze. No, she wasn’t going to hide inside a magic bubble while he got himself killed. Those men had found a way in, therefore, there was a way out. But how many of them waited outside above ground?

  What good was magic if she couldn’t protect the people she cared about?

  She whirled around. The walls were bare except for the strange symbols etched into the stone. There had to be something in this room she could use to defend against those men. She shut her eyes and called on the magic she’d experienced at the manor, forcing it to puddle in her hands. But when she opened her eyes, there was nothing. Not a single speck of light.

  She turned her attention to the panels and focused on the symbols. The disappearing wall had been free of inscription. Maybe the same principal applied here. A hidden drawer for example, one filled with weapons or magic doohickeys she could throw at their attackers.

  The sounds of the fight grew louder. Grunts and shouts filled the small enclosure. A nervous giggle festered in her chest as she ran her hands up and down the walls. There had to be something here. Please, please, please. If not, she’d have to use herself as a distraction. That might give Ewen and Daniel enough time to kill the guards.

  Or, it could send everything to shit.

  A wave of heat crawled against her skin. Caitlin stopped. Her skin itched, and she curled her fingers into her palms to keep from scratching. It was the same reaction she’d experienced at the warehouse.

  And MacInnes’s study.

  A sensor. That was what Marissa had called her, and if Marissa was right, then the weird sensations crawling up and down Caitlin’s skin meant something magical was in the room. She closed her eyes and moved slowly against the wall until the feeling of heat intensified. A wave of nausea rolled through her stomach. She was close. Another step to the right, then another, and she was hit with the sensation of the floor moving beneath her feet.

  Don’t let me pass out. Please don’t let me pass out.

  She sucked in a breath and continued the process, breathing through each surge of nausea until she thought she’d die. Then the feeling subsided the tiniest amount. She’d gone too far. She backtracked to the left until her head spun and threatened to implode. Caitlin opened her eyes. Skimming through a vertical column of strange petroglyphs, she found what she was looking for. A lonely triskele, the size of her pendant, hidden among the other symbols.

  “Bingo.” She swallowed the bile in her throat and leaned into the wall. The pendant fit like a charm, and this time, light flared and energy crackled in the air.

  Caitlin stepped back, stuck her hand in the void, and curled her fingers around something small and round.

  “Holy Shit.” She had the Tempus Stone in her hand.

  “Caitlin,” Ewen shouted.

  Startled, she jumped away from the wall.

  Ewen called again and banged a fist against the barrier. Worry pulled at the lines of his face. “Caitlin, answer me.”

  She shoved the stone in her pocket. The nausea eased and a sense of calm settled over her. Crouching before the book, she carefully tipped the book closed and hugged it tight to her bosom. The bloody thing was heavy as all heck.

  Ewen stood in the center of the doorway, shoulder raised with his body poised to bash through the blockade.

  She slid through the barrier. “I’m right—”

  The book sprang from her clasp and rebounded through the field into the stony crypt.

  “What the hell was that?” Daniel asked.

  “I don’t know.” An incredible force, like a magical elastic band, had yanked the book from her grip like she’d been holding a piece of straw.

  Caitlin turned to go back through the wall, but Ewen held her in place. “The tome is not meant to leave this place. The ward must apply to it as well.”

  “I want answers from you two, but not now.” Daniel barged past them. “Let’s go. We haven’t much time before these guys are reported missing.”

  Back at the main room, a rope ladder was secured to the gaping hole. Daniel grabbed a rung and scuttled to the top effortlessly.

  “Go on, lass, I’ll be right behind you.”

  She adjusted the coat around her waist to hide the small bulge in her pocket. She couldn’t afford to have Daniel discover the stone before she and Ewen had a chance to talk about their next move. There was no way she was giving MacInnes the stone without proof her parents were safe.

  Catlin gripped the rope and hauled herself up. The rung sunk under her weight; the ladder swaying as she climbed. Ewen held the rope steady. She climbed up and over to the top.

  Once Ewen was out, Daniel folded the rope in haste. “MacInnes is off the radar.”

  That didn’t sound like the man she hated. “What does that mean?”

  “And the guards?” Ewen asked.

  “Belong to the Order. Cordelia’s men.”

  The Order?

  The men exchanged a look. The guard reached behind his waist and pulled out a knife. “Expect trouble. Protect her until I can get us to a safe house or at least figure out what the fuck is going on.”

  Ewen nodded and shoved the knife in his waistband.

  The three of them took off running across the field, scaling the small cliffs and jumping over everything else like they were being chased by a band of fiends. They came to a stop about a hundred feet from the car. There was no sign of the red-haired guard anywhere near the vehicle. A dark SUV was stationed diagonally to the Mercedes.

  What was it with bad guys and black SUVs?

  Daniel signaled they crouch to the ground. He and Ewen scanned the nearby fields for signs of trouble.

  “Stay put,” Daniel said to her, then locked eyes with Ewen. “On three.”

  Ewen and Daniel bolted for the sedan before she could finish counting. Edging from the back of the car, the men split off, Daniel to the driver’s side, and Ewen to the passenger door. Daniel opened the driver’s door and frowned, and despite the distance, she could see the heave of his chest.

  Ewen turned and jogged toward her. She got up and ran to meet him halfway. When they reached the car, Daniel had pulled the dead guard from the seat and was dragging his body to the trunk.

  Someone had slit his throat.

  Gentle fingers clasped her chin and turned her face from the gruesome sight. “Don’t look.” Ewen took her hand and led her to the passenger door. “Get inside and be aware.” He shoved the knife in her hand.

  She heard the trunk open, followed by the thud.

  When Daniel and Ewen returned, the mood was somber. Ewe
n slid into the back seat beside her and closed the door. The engine came to life.

  “Shield yourself, “ Ewen said with a half-smile. Then he took her hand in his, squeezing gently.

  For once, she was grateful for the workings of her anxious brain. It served as a natural shield, preventing his thoughts and feelings from penetrating her mind. When she leaned against him, he released her hand and wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

  Outside, the rain had ceased. Fall had turned the leaves, and although beautiful, the landscape lacked the fiery reds typical of a New England autumn. God, she missed home. She missed her parents. She missed her boring old life. Caitlin sighed and gripped the dagger in her lap. Where the hell was MacInnes?

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  “Who is Cordelia Morelli?”

  Standing in front of the tiny bathroom vanity, Daniel smeared a blob of antiseptic cream over his through and through. He was lucky the bullet hadn’t hit bone. Caitlin felt bad, she did, but she wasn’t about to let up on her questioning until she got some answers. “Well? Who is she?”

  “MacInnes’s benefactor. That’s all you need to know.”

  “That’s all I—” She clamped her mouth shut. Two of the Order’s guards—whatever the hell the Order was—attacked them. They had a body locked in the trunk of their fancy-shmancy car, and they were hiding out in a hole-in-the-wall bed and breakfast until he could confirm whether or not the manor was “clean.” All valid crap that warranted more than a “that’s all you need to know” response.

  Maybe it was a good thing the bullet hadn’t killed him because she was about to strangle him with her bare hands.

  If Ewen didn’t get to him first.

  She ground her teeth. Yelling at Daniel would get them nowhere. “Why did they follow us to the castle? What is going on?”

  Ewen leaned against the door frame, his hulking height overshadowing the tiny bathroom. “You said MacInnes was off location or—I don’t bloody well remember the word. Have you made contact?”