The Second Life of Magnolia Mae (10 page)

“I will take you out to see the houses myself, but we may have to sneak past Nonna though.”

“The wood?” She quirked up an eyebrow.

“Aye, we will get more wood.” She watched as he moved his hands around the table, but where he was standing blocked exactly what he was doing.

“Come join me for a game.” He stepped back, allowing her to see the chessboard he‘d set up on the table.

After standing, Magnolia crossed the room, her long green dress barely sweeping the floor. The long sleeves hugged her arms for which she was thankful because it helped to keep the chill away. The fire warmed them for the next few hours as they played the game in thoughtful silence.

Jaceson was a formidable player, but Magnolia had learned things about the game before she’d come to this place. She was able to hold her own and match him for wins. Maybe there was a benefit to being from the future, knowledge that she could put to use.

The air was cold, sending a deep chill into her bones. Magnolia pulled the heavy wool cloak nearer to her body. With Dragoste by her side, she walked with Jaceson, inspecting the houses, and ensuring that the shelters were adequate for the animals. “There are cracks in some of the walls. They’ll need to be patched up as soon as it can be done. The people can keep their homes warmer if there is no draft coming through.”

“I didn’t notice them. I’ll get started on that before the sun sets this day.”

She nodded her head as she peered at the cracks. They were not large ones but big enough that a draft could seep into the home. She wondered if they could stuff the openings with straw then cover them to create insulation. When she mentioned it to Jaceson, he looked at her thoughtfully before he nodded.

Alistair walked toward them, his dark hair gleaming in the sunlight. “You’re supposed to be in your bed, recovering.” There was a gentleness to his voice, but stern all the same.

She wanted to protest, telling him that she had a mind of her own. “What are the two of you about?” she heard him ask before she could speak.

“Daciana wanted to check on the houses before winter hits.” Jaceson’s gaze was steady on his brother.

“She already did all of this when we first arrived.”

“Did we?” The question was soft and lost on the breeze. She watched anger spark to Alistair’s eyes.

“She doesn’t remember that. I thought that allowing her to see for herself, with her own two eyes, may ease her worries and help her to remember.” There was a grit to Jaceson’s voice.

“She doesn’t need to be out in this cold weather,” Alistair bit back.

She stepped between the two of them. “What she does not need is the two of you pretending that she is not here.” Her voice rose as she spoke, gaining strength and conviction. “I can make my own decisions. I need to ensure that these people will be safe. We could have travelled to a warmer climate for the winter. I moved them here to make a home for them, and, I will make sure that they are safe through this first winter. It’s not something that we were prepared for.”

Both men looked at her with admiration in their eyes.

She no longer cared what the men wanted. She needed to do what was right for these people. So, she continued on walking and talking at the same time, knowing that Alistair and Jaceson were close beside her. Dragoste, as always, was by her side. “We need plenty of firewood. Each house should have some close by. Do we have any empty houses?” Her green eyes stopped to stare up at them both.

“Aye, some that we could not repair in time for the winter. This was once a largely populated village. A favorite of my grandfather’s when he was in his youth.”

“Is there anything in those buildings now?”

“Not a thing. We removed the furniture that had been left and repaired it for the other houses that were in need.”

She stopped in front of a cluster of large stone buildings. Wondering if they had once been used for the royal family’s animals, she cocked her head to one side then the other, taking in the view. Not a single stone was out of place, nor appeared loose. “Good. We can store some wood in those homes. These shelters appear to be sturdy enough for the animals. Did we bring plenty of food supplies?”

“I have the castle storerooms filled with enough supplies to feed the entire village twice over this winter. There’s also plenty of tartan and linen so you may make whatever is needed.” Alistair spoke with true authority and kindness.

Magnolia realized that he had gone to great lengths to ensure their provisions and comfort.

“More supplies will be arriving any day now. Once the snow starts flying, it will be harder to come and go over the mountain pass. My father informed me that he was sending something extra.”

She turned to look up at him; his blue eyes scanned her with concern. A lopsided smile spread across her face, just as she felt a tingling sensation on her chest where the stitches were. She felt herself begin to sway as a wave of dizziness overcame her. Arms were soon around her, holding her close. She could see that Alistair’s eyes were the same bright deep blue of the sea in the distance.

“Daciana?” His voice quaked as he cradled her in his strong arms and walked with long hurried strides back to the castle.

“It burns,” she whispered before her eyes closed and her head fell against his shoulder, allowing herself to feel its hardness as a safeguard from the spinning world she saw with her eyes open.

A mere ten minutes later, Nonna walked quietly over to the corner of the room where Alistair and Jaceson waited, a darkness in her eyes.

“The wound has festered. I did what I could to drain it. The rest is up to her. Her body fights a fever now, and she needs to sleep.”

Alistair refused to leave the room and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Jaceson went out of the room just as sleep finally took hold.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A
LISTAIR GAZED DOWN AT
her lying still in the bed. She’d been shivering from the cold and appeared so tiny among the blankets piled on her. Every time he placed a warm, wet cloth to her forehead, she would moan and try to move her head away. Everything had been different since his brother had brought her back to the castle on All Hollow’s Eve. He had nearly lost her that night, and, in some ways, he was certain that he had. She seemed to cling to his brother more and more, confiding in him, enjoying his company. When Alistair had been with her, she’d been more distant, almost as if she was afraid of him. Had Gordon said something to cause her to fear him, to doubt his love for her? Did she believe that it had been he who’d put a bounty out for her life?

He’d loved her from the moment he’d seen her back in the village by his father’s castle, her long dark hair blowing gently in the breeze. The simple blue dress had drawn more attention to her delicate features than an expensive gown ever would have. A fierceness had shot from the depths of her deep emerald eyes when Gordon had laid his hands on her. He knew that she would fight for what she wanted.

His heart longed for her. Watching her now, taken with a fever, his heart broke. He would see Gordon punished for this. The cloth he’d pressed to her forehead cooled in his hand. He dipped it back into the bowl of warm water, wrung it out, and pressed it back to her forehead. As he caressed her bright red cheeks with it, he wanted to tell her all that he desired, all that was in his heart. Losing her was not an option.

“She will be awake soon.” Alistair turned to face his brother. Jaceson was leaning against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, his golden eyes staring at the bed.

“What do you care? You have been out all day. You have not come once to see her.”

“I was doing what she asked me to do. Ensuring that her people would be kept warm this winter by fixing their homes. I also instructed the men to start gathering more wood to fill those empty houses so that everyone could stay warm this winter without Daciana worrying if they would have to lose their lives trying to cut more wood in the middle of a storm.” Jaceson’s gaze dropped to his feet, and his voice lowered. “I did what she wanted me to do, so when she wakes, she can get better and not worry about them.”

Alistair sighed deeply, letting out the frustration that he was feeling. “I am sorry, brother. There is nothing that I can do for her. How can I protect a kingdom when I can’t protect one girl?”

“This is not something that you could have protected her from. A fever is not something that you can fight.”

“It was a man who inflicted the wounds that festered. I could have protected her from him.” Alistair’s head hung in shame.

“We will know soon enough what to do about him. We just have to wait for my men to return.” Jaceson’s voice sounded hollow.

They both jerked their eyes to the pile of covers when they heard a low moan followed by a soft cry.

“Jace, Bash…” The mumbled words were so soft but filled with what sounded like desperation. They looked back at each other with determination in their eyes.

The darkness enveloped her, closed around her. She could hear voices, she could imagine their faces,
but she could not actually see them. “Why didn’t you come with me?”
she shouted into the darkness, her words echoing back to her. “Why did you leave me alone?” Sobs wracked her body.

“We didn’t.” Her head lifted off her chest
as
she tried to see his face,
but she
couldn’t
make anything out. “We are with you, always.”

“Jace.” It came out as a stifled whimper. “I need you.”

“No, you don’t. You are stronger than you will ever know. You were meant for great things.”

“Don’t leave me,”
she begged into the darkness.

“I have been with you the entire time,
from the second you opened your eyes. Everything will be alright,
M&M. It will be alright.”
His voice grew fainter.
“I love you.”

“Jace!”
The sobs came in waves, crashing against her soul.

“Mag, don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I’m here.” Bash sounded so close.

She wondered if she could reach out and touch him. Her hand stretched into the darkness but found nothing. “I love you,
Mag.
I loved you on the farm,
and I
love you here. You just have to see me. Like Jace said, we never left you.”

She felt something warm on her forehead;
she could only assume that he had given her a kiss. It sent shivers through her.

“I have to go now,
Mag, but you will find me. Daciana will find me.”

“Bash!” Her scream echoed so loudly it hurt her
ears. He
had left her in the darkness;
they both had. Now she was alone.
She rocked herself back and forth,
feeling
uncomfortable
—
and
hot and cold at the same time.
Why would they leave her here? Why?