Chapter 15

Colin adjusted his grip on his sword and shook his head. “Wrong answer.”

Seeing his woman lying with her face in the dirt made him feel a rage he’d never before experienced. For a moment, his world narrowed to him, Ellie, and that foot…and Colin vowed to himself that O’Connell would never again be able to use his lower extremities.

O’Connell gave him a smirk and drew his own sword—but he pointed it at Ellie. “One move, and she’s dead. If you’re going to kill me, then I’ll take Claire with me to hell.”

“That’s not my daughter,” Nioclas stated flatly. “She is my cousin by marriage.”

“Whose marriage?” O’Connell sneered.

“Mine,” Colin replied, his voice deep and steady. “Take your foot off Lady O’Rourke before I do it for you.”

He felt rather than saw Ellie freeze, and when O’Connell realized his mistake, he faltered. Colin took that half second of hesitation to swing, but the crafty bastard ducked, stepping off Ellie as he did so.

Colin went after O’Connell, their blades crashing and sparking as they fought. Colin maneuvered them away from Ellie, hoping one of the lads would move her out of harm’s way, but a scan of the chapel showed she was surrounded by fighting.

She was curled into a tiny ball, her beautiful gown torn and dirty. Her eyes were tightly shut, tears tracking through the dirt on her cheeks.

It renewed his wrath, and he pushed O’Connell into a pew. The man jumped up on it to assume a higher vantage point, but he tripped backwards, landing on his backside on the other side of the bench. Colin easily hopped it and disarmed him, then put the point of his blade to the man’s neck.

“Stand,” he ordered.

Slowly, O’Connell stood, defiance still in his eyes.

Colin’s voice was little more than a growl. “Call off your men. Now.”

O’Connell stood mute for a fraction of a second too long, and Colin pricked his skin. Blood dripped from above his Adam’s apple, and he grudgingly halted his men.

Colin jerked his head once, and Reilly bounded over. There was little else he loved more than a good sword fight, and judging by the bodies that littered the floor, Reilly had had himself a good one.

Reilly’s bloodstained sword replaced Colin’s, and O’Connell remained still, his eyes following Colin as he leapt over the pews to where Ellie lay, still curled in her ball.

“Keep your eyes closed,” Colin murmured, sheathing his sword as he bent down next to her. “I’m going to carry you out of here. You’re safe now.”

Keeping her eyes tightly shut, she nodded mutely, accepting his words, and Colin easily lifted her into his arms.

He gave a nod to Nioclas as he passed. “Do what you will. I’m going home.”

• • •

Ellie kept her eyes closed well after Colin had swung them both onto a horse and galloped away. She hadn’t wanted to see what she’d heard; the groans of the men were horrifying enough, and she didn’t need the mental images to go alongside them.

For long minutes as they rode, all she heard were the sounds of birds, rustling leaves, and multiple horses’ hooves. She breathed deeply, trying to rid her nostrils of the metallic scent of blood. She smelled the earthy, fresh, woodsy scent of the forest, and the clean, crisp night air. The combination was soothing, and, encased in the warmth of Colin’s solid embrace, her shoulders began to relax.

“Did he touch you?”

Though low, Colin’s controlled tone was a sharp reminder that he wasn’t quite the CEO in a suit he’d pretended to be. She stiffened again and shook her head quickly. She opened her eyes; the black of the night was still around her, and she couldn’t see anything in front of them, though the wind pushed her hair from her face. “I want to go home, Colin.”

Colin gathered her even closer. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner. It took me far too long to realize something was wrong.” He drew a shaky breath. “Seeing you at that altar almost killed me.”

She paused at the feeling behind the words, but her night had been hard enough without delving too deep into that. Realization dawned a second later. “That was you in the pew!”

“It was. We had to ensure that no one else was around the chapel before we attacked, and I didn’t get the signal until the service was finished. That was the shortest wedding in all of history, to be sure. But I wouldn’t have let him leave that building with you anyway.”

“I’m not really married, am I?”

He slowed the horse, and the others around them slowed as well. “No. God, no. In Brehon law, the bride must agree, or the marriage must be consummated. Ideally both.”

“He planned on doing that part,” she said, her shaking starting anew. “He was serious, Colin. If you hadn’t been there…”

“Hell, Ellie. It took everything I had not to charge up that aisle.” He pressed his cheek against the back of her head. “Everything. I. Had.”

Her heart leapt into her throat, and she sagged against him, her breath whooshing out of her. “Colin?”

“Mmm?”

“Thank you.”

In response, he pulled her even closer to him.

• • •

Gwen carefully plaited Ellie’s damp hair. The soothing motion made Ellie sleepy, but as she had already proven to herself earlier, once she lay down in the bed, sleep would elude her, and the sounds and smells of battle would start up her shakes again.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Gwen ventured.

“No.”

Gwen continued to braid, slowly and methodically. When she finished, she unraveled it and began anew.

She’d been braiding Ellie’s hair in the same manner for over an hour.

The fire was still going strong in their shared chamber, and the bolt was securely in place. It was a cozy and safe space for them to rest their heads while they awaited Reilly’s return; when he got there, Colin would bring them back to their time.

Gwen dragged her fingers through the dark locks, separating the heavy strands into three sections. “I’m sorry this happened, Ellie. I’m sorry I wanted to go for a walk.”

Ellie twisted around to Gwen, her face horrified. “Oh, Gwennie, this wasn’t your fault. This isn’t anyone’s fault. It just happened. Though I’m grateful that Colin’s going to take us home in the morning, I’m adopting the all’s-well-that-ends-well attitude.”

Gwen snorted, but her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know anything about medieval times, Ellie, but I do know that if anything had happened to you…what that man might’ve done to you…I would never have forgiven myself!”

Ellie leapt up and hugged her hard. “Stop it this instant, Gwendolyn. Nothing happened. I’m fine. You’re fine. We’re both fine.”

“Yeah, five hundred years in the past,” she sniffled. “That’s just fine.”

Ellie sank onto the bed with a defeated sigh. “I can’t wait to get back to my flat. I want to bury myself in my bookstore and not come out for years. You know what I mean?”

Gwen joined her and motioned for her to turn around again. She picked up Ellie’s hair and started threading the sections again. “I do. But there’s something reassuring about having a warrior sleep outside your door at night.”

“Reilly’s sleeping outside our door?”

“No, silly. Colin. He hasn’t moved from the hallway since he carried you in, and when the laird suggested he take his rest in his chamber, Colin nearly drew his sword.”

Ellie cast her eyes down to the luxurious quilt on their bed and traced the intricate stitching with the tip of her finger. “He feels responsible.”

“I could see that. Another guard switched places with him, because Laird Nioclas called him over,” Gwen told her.

“That guard didn’t do a very good job of keeping an eye on me.”

Gwen’s hands faltered in Ellie’s hair. “The man is dead.”

Ellie swallowed hard. “Oh.” She drew a shaky breath. “It could’ve been Colin.”

“But it wasn’t. Colin was an avenging angel, El. I’ve never seen anything like it. When the guard was found dead, and you weren’t anywhere to be found, dozens of MacWilliam guards surrounded all of us, and the music stopped. Colin didn’t say a word; he just listened to the entire story as it was told to him, and then he asked the laird something in Gaelic. The laird gave some sort of order, then Colin started barking out Gaelic words left and right. There was so much commotion, but he was so fully in control.” Gwen carefully unbraided Ellie’s hair again. "I’ve never seen such fierce determination. He commanded an army to save you.”

Ellie’s shoulders drooped even lower. “I’m so grateful he did.”

“You’ve chosen a good man to love.”

Ellie covered her face with her hands. “Oh, Gwennie. You know how there’s a point when you realize that something isn’t what you hope it to be?”

Gwen’s fingers stilled.

“He made it so clear that there’s nothing between us. But then he charges in on a white horse, and saves me.”

Gwen’s fingers resumed their work, though she remained silent.

Ellie barked out a hollow laugh. “He claimed me as his wife. I know it was a scare tactic to use with O’Connell, I really do. But he said it with such conviction! And he told me he died a thousand deaths when he realized I was gone.” Ellie furiously wiped away a tear. “In fact, that was the second time he told me such a thing. But, oh, his face, Gwen. The possessiveness, and the intensity with which he fought for me.” She stifled a sob. “He had me close my eyes so I wouldn’t see the dead bodies. But I smelled them. And he somehow knew that, and he pressed my face into his chest.”

“He loves you, Ellie.”

Ellie shook her head. “Maybe. I don’t know. He’s scared of what’s between us, because there is definitely something between us.”

Gwen raised an eyebrow. “I saw him charge out of here without a backward glance, only to return hours later with you in his arms. I don’t think fear is in the man’s vocabulary.”

“Maybe I’m misreading everything. But, after tonight, I have to try one more time.”

Gwen’s tone softened. “It’s frustrating, being in love with someone without the other person loving you back. For years, Reilly’s kept me in the friend zone. Years, El. I’ve thrown myself at him a few times, and they all end up with a gentle, ‘Lass, you’re too good for me’ or ‘Our friendship means too much to me to do this.’ And, Reilly being Reilly, he refuses to let me lick my wounds over his rejection. Oh no, he has to keep on being amazing and kind and wonderful. I get it, the idea that he’s afraid. But at some point, it’s time to move on.”

“I didn’t realize it was like that,” Ellie murmured, surprised. “You never told me…”

“I never told anyone,” Gwen admitted. “It’s too embarrassing, to be rejected time and again. But there comes a point when we have to move on, and accept the words they are saying to us. Firsthand experience here, El. It’s not easy, but it’s better than being lonely.”

“I have to try one more time, Gwen.”

“I know you do, Ellie. Whoever said men are simple has never met time travelers.” She chewed her lip. “Reilly mentioned the Fates, said they control everything—that they’ve laid out his destiny, and all around him. Do you think all this is destined? The walk, the lightning storm, even your terrible adventure tonight? Do you think it’s destiny? That whoever these Fates are, they planned all this?”

A feeling of deep exhaustion overtook Ellie, and she lay down on the bed, her eyes getting heavy. “I don’t know. But if it is the Fates pulling these strings, then they can go straight to hell.”