Silent Vows (20 page)

“Ha! What father would allow that?” He opened 170

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the decanter of Scotch and poured some into a glass.

“The father that sent me away knew the risks, and the consequences.” She pointed out to him.

“Why is he here?”

“I do not know. He ran in after Fin, Lizzy and Simon.”

“Something must have gone wrong.” He finished his drink with one swallow. “Find your brother and send him to me.”

****

The sparsely furnished room, with towering walls and a fireplace on one end, surprisingly looked exactly as he’d pictured Myra’s home to be. He hadn’t expected her parents to be so young. He should have, he chided himself. During these times, people were married and having children before the average twenty-first century kid received their High School diploma. Still, their youth surprised him.

Todd scanned the room and lit three wall sconces to add light to the dim space. “Jesus. I’m really here.”

A timid knock sounded at his door. He spun around, uncertain what to do.

“Yes?” He called out.

“’Tis Amber, Myra’s sister. May I come in?”

“Ah, yeah.”

A mass of dark hair popped through followed by the youngest MacCoinnich. Todd knew instantly how Myra must have looked as a child. Amber held a bundle of clothing and quickly placed them on the bed. “My mother asked that I bring these. She asked that ye, ah, I mean you, come down once you’ve changed.” A warm smile followed her words. Her attempt to make him comfortable didn’t go unnoticed.

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“Thank you.”

Her long skirts made wispy sounds as the fabric moved along the floor. She stopped in front of the fireplace. “The room’s cold. Would ye-you like a fire?”

“Ah, well...” the girl didn’t give him time to say a thing. She simply opened her hands and flames leapt between the logs. Amber turned and charmed him with another smile.

“I don’t suppose there’s any way I can learn to do that?”

She giggled before walking up to him and patting his hand like a parent would a child.

“Welcome to Scotland,” she said before leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Todd removed his clothes and tucked them away in a chest at the foot of the bed. He kept his leg holster and back up revolver in place and shrugged the long sleeved shirt before attempting to put on the snug pants he’d seen only in stage plays or history books. “Oh, hell. I feel like Peter Pan,” he mumbled to himself.

He took his time composing himself before working his way downstairs. Todd found Myra and her mother by the fireplace in the main hall. Myra caught her lip between her teeth, and her eyes sparkled with joy.

Todd asked, “Where is everyone?”

“My father, Fin and a few others went to search for the remaining stones.”

“They’ve been quite a while.” Lora added.

Behind him, Lizzy descended the stairs, her arm around Simon, both transformed by the clothing they wore.

Todd didn’t need an introduction to the couple who followed them. Tara McAllister, now MacCoinnich, stood by her husband and looked exactly like the photo he’d studied in an attempt to find her.

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“Todd Blakely, this is my oldest brother Duncan and his wife Tara.” Myra made the introductions.

“We’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Blakely,” Tara managed.

“Aye, a lot,” was all Duncan said. He did shake Todd’s hand, but his death-grip reminded him of his place.

The door opened and Fin and Ian strode inside.

Lora hurried to her husband’s side. “Did ye find them?”

“Only one, love.”

“What does that mean?” Simon asked.

It means we’re screwed, kid
. Todd kept his thoughts to himself, refusing to think beyond the day. “It means we’re stuck here, doesn’t it?” Lizzy asked on a sigh.

Fin nodded. “Aye. All of you.”

Silence filled the room until Amber bounced down the stairs. At her side was another MacCoinnich son, the family resemblance, striking.

Todd did a little mental math and realized there was an end to Myra’s family. His eyes shifted around the room. The men stared at him, while the women watched Myra.

Amber broke the tension. “’Tis time to eat. I’m sure Lizzy and Simon are hungry.”

“I’m starving,” Simon said as he followed the girl into another room.

They gathered again around the table, serving themselves after dismissing the kitchen help for the night.

Simon sat close to his mother with Fin flanking him on his other side. Ian sat at the head of the table with Lora and Myra close at hand. Todd sat strategically on the far end of the table.

Todd wasn’t easily intimidated, but Ian MacCoinnich’s deadly stare caught him off guard.

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Even the encouraging smiles from Myra didn’t block the chill coming off her father. Stiff spines came from Duncan and even the teenager, Cian.

Fin tolerated him with more patience than the others. Nothing like engaging in a little battle to bring a couple of guys together.

“We need to find her weakness.”

“Or a power to keep her from controlling our breathing.”

“Maybe you can send her back again,” Myra added.

“And let her take the stones with her? I don’t think so.” Ian’s voice of authority stopped that flow of conversation. “Grainna is dangerous to all time now. There is no way of knowing if she can work with the stones and the power they hold.”

“I thought the stones were controlled by the Ancients,” Todd said.

Myra nodded. “Ultimately they are, but Grainna is very powerful. There’s no telling what she can do.

They are dangerous in the wrong hands, and her hands are most definitely the wrong ones.”

“What about the guy who was with her?”

Fin spoke up, “He looked familiar, but I couldn’t see him well in the dark. Simon, did you hear his name?”

“She didn’t talk much, at least not out loud. I heard her call him Mr. Steel, but I never heard a first name.”

Tara perked up and asked, “Blond hair? Same build as Duncan?”

“Yeah, he had blond hair, but he was a little shorter.”

“Duncan, remember the other knight who challenged you at the Renaissance Faire?” Tara took a deep breath and turned to Fin. “Could that have been him?”

Fin nodded. “Aye, Tara, I think you’re right. He 174

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was the only man who matched us on the field. I remember him talking with Grainna once or twice during the Faire.”

“So, he is practiced in horsemanship and fighting in our time?” Ian asked.

“Aye.” Duncan and Fin both said together.

“Did he have a gun, Simon?” Todd sat back and gave up trying to eat.

“I didn’t see one.”

“Do you mean a matchlock gun?”

Todd reached down to his leg where his backup was clamped onto his ankle. After removing the clip and checking the chamber to make sure it wasn’t live, he handed the gun to Ian.

“No, not a matchlock. These are much more powerful with mechanism to kick out an empty shell and reload with one squeeze of the trigger. These keep your enemy at a safer distance.” Todd watched Ian’s frame relax as he studied the weapon. He took his silence as an invitation to elaborate. “Matchlocks will eventually lead up to this design.”

“How can something so small be deadly?”

“The speed and power propelling the large caliper bullet make up a deadly combination. Of course the closer you are to the perpetrator, the more likely you are to hit them.”

“All men in your time have such weapons?”

“I wouldn’t say
all
. Hunters, law enforcement officers, and some homeowners own them, but very few walk around with them strapped to their hip.

Except of course, most criminals seem to have them.”

“It would be best to assume the man with Grainna does as well,” Ian stated flatly.

“I don’t think so,” Todd argued. “If he did, he would have held the gun on Simon, not a knife.”

Liz shuddered with the memory fresh in everyone’s mind.

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Ian handed the gun to Duncan. “Maybe, but we take no chances. Until this man and Grainna are found, none of the women or children are to leave the Keep. This includes you Cian.”

“But...”

“Nay, Cian. You are needed here and your training is not complete. I will not have you in battle and risk you being captured then used as a pawn by Grainna.” Ian’s decree gave little room for argument and his tone was final. “Duncan, you and Fin are to show Todd our ways, in horses and weapons. I trust you are willing to defend this family.”

It wasn’t a question really, more of a statement to which Todd gave immediate agreement.

“Then you will go with us when we search. You and your weapons.”

“What good is a gun if Grainna is immortal?”

Myra asked with evidence of worry etched in her face. The conversation stopped.

“How do you know that she is immortal?” asked Todd. He couldn’t help but wonder if anyone at the table knew for certain such an unbelievable fact.

“It is written in the legend,” Myra told Todd.

“It is also written that she is powerless, and we know that isn’t true,” Duncan reminded them.

“Maybe there is some type of loophole. Some way to destroy her.” Tara offered.

Todd’s head scrambled with all the possibilities.

For now, he sank into his seat and watched as the family pushed food around on their plates and mulled over the facts as they knew them.

Simon, who had remained quiet most of the night, finally spoke up when he asked his mother,

“We’re not going home, are we?”

Todd sent Simon a sympathetic look.
We don’t go
home.

Liz’s gaze went past her son and settled on Fin 176

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silently asking for answers.

“Simon. Remember how you said you didn’t like your school?” Fin asked.

“Well, yeah, but...”

“But what? Cian can work with you to teach you what men need to know here.”

His withdrawn eyes widened.

“Aye, and I can help with your Druid gifts as well. Like we did last week,” said Cian.

“Does this mean I’m going to miss my midterm in algebra?” he asked his mom.

“I think so.”

“Cool.”

Todd earned a disapproving grunt from Liz when he told him, “You’ll never use algebra anyway.”

Tara chuckled and offered Todd a smile.

“I’m tired,” Simon announced as he pushed his chair away from the table.

Liz jumped to her feet. “Come with me. You can sleep in my room tonight.”

“Elizabeth?”

Todd wasn’t used to hearing Liz’s full name used. From how quickly Liz swiveled toward Fin, it was obviously something she didn’t like.

“He will be safe with Cian.”

Liz’s jaw tightened. “Simon, why don’t you change, I’ll be up in a minute.”

Simon nearly bounced out of the room. Several family members stood to leave.

Todd waited and watched. Once Simon was out of earshot, Liz grit her teeth and glared at Fin. “I want him with me.”

“He’s safe with Cian,” Fin repeated

“And he isn’t with me?”

“I didn’t say that!”

“You implied it.”

“You cannot be with him every second, 177

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Elizabeth.”

“Who says so? You?”

“It isn’t possible or healthy.”

Liz clenched her fist. Anger and fear washed over her features. Her whispered words solidified her feelings. “I almost lost him, Fin. I won’t let that happen again.”

“I know. I won’t let it happen, either.”

“None of us will, lass,” Ian spoke up softly.

“I don’t know what I would have done if we hadn’t reached him in time, and she left with him or hurt him.”

Fin lowered his voice, touched her hand lying on the table. “We rescued him. He is safe and in the other room. She will not get to him here. I promise you.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

After a moment of silence, Ian stood. “Blakely.”

Todd met his eyes.

“A private word.”

Taking a deep breath, Todd stood and followed Myra’s father from the room.

****

Todd took pride in his ability to read people and their worth with few words. So far, Ian proved to be a man he wanted to be on the same side with. His absolute authority over his family and his men was awe-inspiring and exactly as Todd imagined Lairds in the sixteenth century should have been.
Shit
, he needed to stop thinking like that. It’s the way they were.

Ian said nothing as he poured generous portions 178

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of Scotch in two glasses and handed one to him. One thing Todd knew, the impending conversation with Myra’s father would be the one where Ian would determine Todd’s worth. A quick comparison of meeting the parents in the twenty-first century didn’t hold a candle to this encounter. A spark of humor mixed with the tightly woven anxiety sitting on his chest. A slight grin tempted the corners of his mouth.

As Ian flicked a hand toward the hearth and the coals caught fire, Todd thought of it as the Druid way of flexing one’s muscles.

It worked.

Minutes ticked by while the men drank and stared into the flames. At first, Ian clearly wanted to intimidate him. Yet as Todd relaxed into his seat, he glanced and noticed Ian’s jaw lose its twitch and his breathing evened out.

What a bitch of a day.

Todd let the Scotch trickle a path of fire down his throat, thankful for its numbing effect.

“I didn’t want to send her to your time.” Ian broke the silence. “But when faced with her death in ours, we had little choice.”

“I imagine I would do the same if I had a child.”

Todd stared into his cup.

“The bruise on your eye, how did you come by it?” He had almost forgotten about Fin’s fist greeting him that very morning. It seemed so long ago. “Fin.”