Ronan hoisted Ashley’s pack and noted there were other tours here as well as their own, and many people walked up to the top of a dirt mound. There was a flag fluttering in the breeze at the top.

It was almost a relief to realize that nothing looked familiar.

There were still trees, but he couldn’t see a bog of any sort.

Presumably the ocean was in the distance, but all he saw was a nearby town.

The people from the tours made their way up the hill, and he hung back. He was having trouble containing his emotions. As always, anger seemed to rise to the fore.

He clung to Ashley’s hand as she seemed to be the calm in the storm brewing within him.

Ashley gave him a funny look. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Ronan nodded but was feeling anything but okay. In fact, he felt sort of sick.

Horrible things happened here back in his day. And now people toured and looked on? But, life did move on, didn’t it? For everyone else, anyway.

He wanted to tell Ashley to just go and join her friends, but couldn’t seem to let go of her and she squeezed his hand, offering the support he couldn’t ask for.

They’d fought here, killed here and the memories were hitting him hard, making him crazed, even as he saw the difference in the people, and the scenery.

Finally, he followed Ashley. When they reached the top some sort of an oblong circle ran in front of them, a path of some sort, and he could see people running on it in useless circles.

He set her pack at his feet. “What is that?”

“It looks like a track. Maybe there’s a high school nearby?” He didn’t know what that was, but something else caught his attention sending chills up his spine.

Apparently, the spot they were on was a viewpoint, and he recognized something in the distance.

Braxton Hall; still there after all these centuries.

So, this was a viewpoint to the battlefield itself. They’d fought down below.

Many of the trees were gone, and even the grass seemed to be cut back, but he recognized the place.

His gut hollowed.

He’d always wondered if the visitors to Culloden had ever taken into account that the very earth they walked upon, the grasses and the heather, had once been so stained with blood, that he’d wondered afterward if the grass would grow in red.

The same applied to the battlefield here, but the grass here was as green as at Culloden Moor.

Blood had been spilled long ago, and yet standing here, looking out over it, and remembering it once again while in the company of onlookers, well, it was completely different from how he might’ve thought it would be.

Ashley glanced up at him. “What is it? You have a funny expression.”

He shook his head and as he looked down over the field, he wondered what would happen if he were to walk down there, to wander the exact spots where he’d actually killed men in the past.

Would there be ghosts waiting for him? Wondering why he was here? Hoping they’d be allowed the same opportunity?

Or would there be nothing but the wind, and he himself, the only one left from that battle long ago.

He didn’t want to know.

It wasn’t for him to know.

Ronan’s hand shot out to block Garth as he tried to pick up the pack for Ashley.

“I can take care of my own lass, you see to yers.”

Garth gave him a look of wide-eyed astonishment, and then turned to Monica. “Wow. Try and do someone a favor, huh?”

The two of them moved off, laughing.

He stood back as Ashley, her friends, and the others from their tour took pictures, chatted, and read the plaque at the top of the hill.

And when they were ready to go, he eagerly led the way back to the bus.

He couldn’t get away from the place fast enough.

* * *

On the bus again, Ashley was slightly concerned about Ronan. He seemed tense, maybe even upset, and she didn’t know why.

Despite the possessive feelings she had for the guy, she didn’t really know him, and he could disappear as quickly as he’d appeared.

So, best not to speculate.

And, best not to grow too attached. Said the girl clinging to his hand and laying her head on his shoulder.

It only took about forty minutes to get to their hotel in Edinburgh, and soon Logan stood up to take charge once more.

“All right, you party animals, here’s what’s on the agenda for tonight. We’ll get you checked into your hotel, and then dinner is in a couple of hours at a local restaurant. And then, it’s out on the town for us! I don’t want to say tonight is the highlight of the tour, but it certainly will be one of them.”

Lewis parked the bus, opened the door and got off to deal with the luggage.

Logan continued. “Edinburgh is famous for its haunted spaces, and if the truth were known, the entire city is something of a graveyard. But as City of the Dead would not make a good slogan for Scotland’s capital, we had to relegate the title to a tour instead.”

He glanced out the doors. “Come along and we’ll get you settled. Later we’ll meet in the lobby at five. Dress warm, because after supper we’ll be taking a walking tour to St Giles’ Cathedral, then on to the South Bridge Vaults, and then to pay a visit to see the Mackenzie Poltergeist, over at the black mausoleum. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the graveyard, as well as the prison. We’ll close out the evening by seeing the underground tunnels at Mary King’s close. You might need a couple of stiff drinks after visiting the place, but not to worry as we’re to finish up at a nearby pub.”

Everyone chuckled.

Logan rubbed his hands together. “So that’s it, let’s get you settled in, and we’ll go from there.”

He rushed down the stairs to help Lewis, and everyone gathered their possessions and exited the bus.

Ashley glanced at Ronan. “Have you ever visited any of these places?”

“Aye, I’ve been to the Cathedral, of course. But I’ve not been to any graveyard, I can tell you that. In my day, people did not visit graveyards at night, for fear of being robbed, or worse.”

“Worse?”

“Aye, lass, worse. People used to fear the dead, not use them to provide entertainment.”

“Back in your day?”

“Aye, when I was alive the first time, some 300 years ago.”

She grinned. “Oh, that’s right.” She’d almost forgotten his earlier claim. She hadn’t seen him working with Logan at all, and so his earlier words had kind of faded into being just a joke.

Which led her to wonder, what was he doing here with her?

She took a breath, about to ask, and then slowly released it. Maybe, she didn’t want to question him too closely, in case he decided to leave.

She looked down at their clasped hands, and decided that was definitely the better course of action.

Ronan might get off the bus, and wander off, and then where would she be?

Sitting in a lonely seat, by herself, that’s where.

So, if he wanted to hang out with her tonight, and hopefully even tomorrow for the rest of the tour, she was certainly game. She’d go along with whatever story he wanted to tell her.

She pressed down the wistfulness that breezed through her. She was there to have fun, and she was definitely having a good time with him. Best not to question it too closely.

Everyone started to disembark, and when the crowd thinned a bit, Ronan finally stood, hoisting her pack, letting her out in front of him.

The chivalrous gesture had her lips curving into a smile, and as she walked the aisle, her friends in front of her, happiness bubbled within her. Today had been an almost perfect day. Far better than she’d envisioned when she booked the tour.

They went down the stairs, and she found her small purple suitcase on the walkway where Lewis placed it among the others. Ronan insisted on carrying it, and as Ashley looked around at the closed in neighborhood, she was impressed. This vacation was worth every penny she’d spent on it.

Cobblestoned walkways, medieval looking buildings made of stone and brick, it had a very Harry Potter feel to it, and she grinned at her friends.

“Nice, huh?”

They agreed, taking in the sights as they collected their luggage, and headed into The Old Town Chambers Hotel.

Logan handed out keys in the lobby, and she overheard him discussing the area. “We’re just off the Royal mile, and in the medieval district. We’re near shopping, restaurants, and pubs. There’s even a grocery store within walking distance. Some of you will have views of the Waverley train station and Edinburgh Castle in the distance. It’s only a five-minute walk to get there and there’s the museum, and the University nearby, as well.”

Logan gave them all stern looks. “Now, mind you, ye’ve time for a nap to ready yourself for tonight, or sightseeing, but probably not both. We’ve a busy night ahead of us, and we’ll be hitting the Royal Mile. We leave in the morn at first light, so plan your time well.”

“A nap sounds good to me,” Ashley said, and her friends quickly agreed. They retrieved their keys and went up the stairs ahead of her, and then it was Ashley’s turn. Logan looked at her questioningly. “Will the big guy be staying with you then?”

She shot a startled look at Ronan.

Logan had basically just confirmed that Ronan was not part of the tour, and Ashley had a quick decision to make.

“I already paid the fee. Aren’t there extra rooms available?”

“No, lass, I’m sorry. We booked these well in advance, and I just asked the management, and there are no more available.”

Logan shot a glance at Ronan. “Shall I send him on his way?”

“No!” With the two men looking at her, Ashley blushed. “What I mean to say is —”

“Ye’re not to worry about me, lass; when ye seek yer rest, I’ll find somewhere to curl up until morn.”

She took the key from Logan. “All right. Let’s head upstairs and see what it looks like.”

Ronan carried her case up the stairs, and when she found her room, and opened the door, the place was bigger than she’d expected, spacious even, one wall made of stone. There was a kitchen, a living area with a couch, and a bathroom, and bedroom. The hotel might look old on the outside, but inside everything was contemporary and nicely put together.

She let out a breath. “This looks fine. You can crash on the couch.”

He glanced around the room. “If ye’re sure. If ye’re not, I doonae mind sleeping in the hall.”

“No, this is fine.”

And it was. Ronan certainly wasn’t giving her any skeevy feelings, and there was a door she could shut. And yes, the man was twice her size, but for some reason she trusted him.

They stowed her case and backpack in her room, and then looked out the window at the gorgeous view of what could only be Waverly Station, the street below full of shops. “Wow.”

“Aye, the view is impressive,” he said softly.

She turned to find him looking at her, and blushed. “What do you say we take a nap so we’re rested for tonight?”

She suddenly realized how that might sound. “Uh … I meant separately. I’ll go in the bedroom and you can sleep on the couch.”

His amused grin triggered her own.

“That sounds fine, lass.”

She nodded, and headed toward the bedroom, still grinning. Though she usually didn’t share a room with anyone, even with all the conferences she went to, she found she wasn’t upset in the least about sharing with Ronan.

In fact, this day just kept getting better and better.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Ashley woke up from the buzzing of her alarm.

Ronan!

She jumped off the bed, pulled open her bedroom door and looked at him, sitting on her couch. Relief rushed through her and she took in the fact that she wasn’t mistaken. He was just as gorgeous as she remembered. Her breath hitched. “Hi.”

“Lass.”

“I didn’t think I would, but I fell asleep. Did you?”

“I’ve slept enough over the centuries.”

She grinned. “Oh. Right. Well, we need to get ready.”

He looked around then lifted his hands. “I am ready.”

She laughed, then nodded. “Okay, I need to get ready.” She spent about fifteen minutes in the bathroom brushing teeth, hair, and reapplying her makeup. She looked excited, happy, and knew it had far more to do with the man on her couch than the tour.

She called the lobby to ask if she could put her backpack in the hotel safe, and then gathered her things and quickly hurried down to do so. She winked at him. “I’m afraid I’m just not a very trusting sort of person.”

“I cannae fault ye the trait as I’m the same. I can carry it with me if ye’d like?”

“I know, but this will just be easier.”

They got the pack squared away, she slung a long strap over her head, until a small purse rested at her side, and they joined their group. “You don’t have a jacket?”

“For this weather?” He made a noise of disgust.

Ashley rolled her eyes. “Well, if you get cold, we can pick one up at one of the shops.”

He scoffed, but said nothing more.

Men.

“Is everyone ready for a good time?” Logan herded them together and led the way as they walked up the cobblestone street to the Royal mile, and then headed past the shops toward St Giles' Cathedral, a looming presence in the distance.

Garth and Monica held hands in front of them, slowly moving ahead. “Are ye sad ye’ve not a man of yer own?”

“What? No!” she glanced at her friends, then said in a low voice, “In fact, if you want to know the truth, Garth came on to me several months ago, and I shut him down. Gently. He’s just not my type.”

“What is yer type?”

She grinned at him, her gaze moving from the tip of his head to his feet and then back up again to meet his green gaze. “Burly, tattooed, Highlanders.”

Ronan’s chest expanded on a sharp breath. “Is that so?” He grinned at her, radiating sudden confidence. “I will have to be on the lookout for one for you.”

She threw back her head and laughed, and he grinned along with her.

“That’s kind of you. Do you think if I play my cards right Logan might be interested in me?”

His smile evaporated. “Nae, I doonae. What I think is that for his own safety, ye’d best keep yer gaze upon me, and off the skinny guide. That one has no muscle, no tattoos, and no finer feelings for ladies such as yerself.”

“All right by me.” She was chuckling again and she grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. “Anyway, I was just kidding. I’m well aware that no one can hold a candle to you.”

He looked suddenly vulnerable. “Tis best ye not forget it.”

Ronan slowed a bit so they were in the back of the crowd and her excitement built. Edinburgh wasn’t like anything she’d pictured. With all the buildings, it was cramped, but the stonework, the crowds, and the company were leaving her on a high, and she couldn’t stop grinning.

“You said you’d been here before?”

“Aye, lass, many a time.”

“I suppose it’s changed a lot in the last 300 years?” She gave him a grin, to let him know she was teasing.

“That it has. From what I could see from yer hotel room window, the place is ten times as large as it once was.”

“And yet, aren’t we in the medieval section of town? Do you remember all of this?”

“Of course. But it does look different, with so much built around it.”

There was plenty of room to walk on the tiled sidewalks, and she could see at least four of the double-decker tour buses slowly making their way through the traffic.

She was glad that their place was so close to everything so they could walk.

Eventually, they came to a gray brick building with wooden doors sitting under a large arch, and a glowing sign above that said, Just Burgers and Beers.

There were some places to sit outside, that looked like it might be fun to watch people go by, but Logan herded them all inside. “We’ve got reservations, so come on, come on.”

They went inside the building to see wooden tables and chairs strewn about, a bar with high stools, and a sign over the wall that said, License To Grill.

Garth pointed it out. “You can tell we’re in the UK.”

Ashley chuckled and turned to Ronan to share the joke, but he simply looked blank. “You know, like in James Bond, License To Kill.”

He shook his head.

“Oh, my gosh! You don’t like movies? I’m not sure I can hold your hand anymore. It really is like you’re from 300 years ago.”

Ronan glanced down at their clasped hands, and tightened his grip, making her laugh.

From what she could see the other customers eating, she could tell that the food was going to be delicious. A waitress walked by with a tall hamburger stacked high with meat and onion rings if she wasn’t mistaken. “Oh, wow. There’s no way I can eat all that.”

“Doonae worry, I will eat whatever ye doonae.”

The waitress ushered their group into some reserved seats along a brick wall, and the ones across from them as well. As soon as everyone was seated, a waitress appeared at the first table, and started handing out menus. When she stopped at their table, she took an extra-long look at Ronan and grinned. “It looks like you’re having a party.”

Ronan took his menu. “Aye, ye could say such.”

She chuckled. “Oh, ye’re Scottish. I did wonder, as here on the Royal mile, we get a lot of kilt-wearin’ foreigners.”

Ronan’s eyebrows rose. “Do ye, then? I’ve never known any but a Scot to wear a kilt.”

She shrugged. “We get all kinds here.”

A surge of jealousy blind-sided Ashley, and she shook her head. Where was this possessiveness coming from? She’d only met the man this morning, though it seemed like they’d known each other far longer.

Instead of acting like an idiot, she perused the menu. “What do you recommend?”

“I’m getting The Frying Scotsman,” Garth said. “I’ve got to try haggis at least once while I’m here.”

“Do you have any salads?” Monica asked.

The waitress grimaced. “I’m sorry to say that we do not, but everything on the menu is good.”

Everyone finished ordering, and Ashley quickly handed Monica her phone, and said, “Please take a picture of me and Ronan together?”

Monica smirked at her, but quickly agreed. She knew exactly the reason Ashley wanted a picture with Ronan. He could disappear at any moment, and she wanted some memories with him.

He was looking elsewhere, and she wrapped both arms around one of his and leaned in. “Picture time!”

Ronan glanced down at her, and then at Monica.

“Smile!” Monica hesitated a moment, and then finally took a picture.

She looked at it. “Well, he didn’t exactly smile, but it still looks good.”

Ashley looked at her phone.

Wow, the man was photogenic, and she looked good too, smiling, happy.

She knew she’d treasure the photo.

She quickly had Garth and Monica smile, took a picture of them, and then put her phone away. “Should be fun tonight.”

“Yes,” Garth agreed, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “This is what we came here for. The battlefield was nice and all, but I’m excited to see some graveyards, crypts, and ghosts.” Garth made a ghostly moaning sound.

Ronan scoffed, looking at him like he was crazy. “Doonae be too quick to wish ghosts upon yerselves. They’re not always a friendly lot, and might very well wish ye ill.”

“You really believe in ghosts?” Monica asked.

Ronan looked at her aghast. “O’ course I do!” He looked at the three of them. “Do ye not?”

Monica giggled, Garth shrugged, and Ashley was quick to assure him, “Yes, of course I do.”

He shot Garth a glare just as the food came out and she was glad of the distraction.

They certainly didn’t skimp on meals, that was for sure. Six-inch tall hamburgers, side dishes, and tall drinks of ale.

Ronan dug in like he hadn’t eaten in centuries, which sort of made her chuckle because of his claims.

Her burger was good, but there was no way she was going to finish it.

Logan occasionally walked by the tables making sure everybody was having a good time, and commenting on the upcoming activities.

“Ye might think tis a coincidence that we bring ye here to fatten ye up, as it were. But the truth o’ the matter is, some of the things ye witness tonight might have yer heart beating fast, scare the wits out of ye, and perhaps even get ye to run.”

Logan chuckled. “Tis quite possible ye might need the calories, so eat up, eat up!”

Amid much laughter, and the comradery that had built between the group during the day, everyone was in high spirits.

The desserts looked amazing, but Logan announced they might stop at a pub later, where they could warm up with hot chocolate if they so desired.

Soon, the entire group was on their way and following behind Logan, to walk the short distance to St Giles' Cathedral. They went through two buildings, and into the courtyard to stop in what looked like a parking lot in the shadow of the medieval building. Everything seemed to be made of stone, from the uneven cobblestones on the ground, to the giant building surrounding them.

“All right, look about, soak up the atmosphere, and I’ll tell ye what life was like over four hundred years ago.”

Ashley grinned up at Ronan. “Did you hear that? Four hundred years. You might just learn something you didn’t actually know when you were alive the last time.”

Ronan gave her a slight shrug. “Mmm. We shall see.”

* * *

“The St Giles' Cathedral is where the bells used to ring out, warning Scottish citizens of, well, usually English attacks, or church.”

Ronan looked up at the building, searching for the bells.

“If you look about, you’ll note that we’re standing in a carpark, but that wasn’t always the case. This was once the largest graveyard in Edinburgh. Back in the 1600s, the plague arrived, causing over 19,000 deaths in a single year. You’d bleed out of every orifice, and if it didn’t kill you, if the vomiting did not rupture your internal organs, then it might be the boils that did you in. They were the size of golf balls and they’d rupture, and leak poison that would soak back into your sores, killing you another way.”

Ronan felt suddenly queasy.

“Right where you’re standin’, was the biggest mass plague-pit in the history of the world, with some 6000 souls, piled high, and stinking to high heaven. The bodies smelled so bad, that they had to be removed, but how to do it?”

Ronan glanced around, chills running up his neck. What he was doing there? Surely such a place must be cursed?

“Well, as per usual, the English were outside the walls, trying to invade. So, being wily Scots, they came up with an ingenious idea. They built a giant catapult, and flung the bodies over the wall, causing the English to flee.”

As others laughed, Ronan’s throat clenched in horror at the thought of it.

“Just so ye know, ye don’t have to worry about standing on any bodies, as they’re not buried under this carpark any longer. Although, there is one body still buried here, a famous Protestant, a priest who wanted to be buried here. He worked in the Cathedral for a short period of time, but decided he wanted to come back here, and be laid to rest forever. So right now, he’s probably under the minivan.”

Ashley laughed along with the crowd but Ronan had a hard time joining in the fun.

Logan continued. “So that’s not all that happened here back in the day. There were no iPods, televisions, or movie theaters for entertainment, so what did they do instead? Witch burnings and executions, of course! If we go around to the front of St Giles', there is a big cobblestone square, and that’s where the burnings and hangings took place. Now, if someone wanted to accuse you of witchcraft back in the day, if they didn’t like you, or wanted your job, or your money …”

Logan continued talking, leading them around to the front of the Cathedral, but Ronan stayed at the back of the crowd.

He was having trouble containing his emotions, and as always his anger started to rise to the fore.

He’d seen a few witch burnings in his time, and it was nothing to laugh about. The stench of burning flesh … the screaming… the relief when it stopped.

Living at Culloden Moor, the lot of them had shed some of their superstitions, and even back in the day, there’d been doubt about whether the females were witches or not.

It sickened him, and to hear it bandied about in such a nonsensical fashion, lit a fire within him.

“Ronan?”

He pulled his gaze from the Cathedral, to Ashley, and when she reached out a hand, he gripped it like it was a lifeline.

There was something about her that seemed to calm the storm within.

She gave him a searching look. “Are you okay?”

He was anything but, and in fact, was feeling sort of sick to his stomach, weak-kneed, and breathless.

He wanted to tell Ashley to join her friends, but couldn’t seem to let go of her.

She squeezed his hand, offering the support he couldn’t ask for.

Finally, he followed her, and as they rounded the corner in front of the Cathedral it was to hear Logan telling more stories.

Ronan tried to block them out.

He’d had enough of that in life, and certainly didn’t need it now.

The crowds had swelled once they hit the square, more tourists gawking at the building, listening in, the people who obviously lived there paying them no mind as they went about their business.

He wrapped his arm around Ashley, pulled her to his side, as once again, he tried to block out the myriad of reasons people would accuse others of witchcraft.

It had been a dark time.

It was not something he wanted to remember.

He was there for Ashley, until and unless, he was convinced otherwise.

So instead, he focused on the feel of her, warm against his side. The arm she’d wrapped around his waist, the feminine leg pressed against his own larger one.

He scanned the crowd, remembering his duty to keep her safe and focusing on that instead. The site of the shops, selling their wares, lifted his spirits. Some things never changed, good things, like the smell of fresh baked bread, the carts of fruits and vegetables, roasting meats.

Of the things they’d discussed over the years upon the moor, food had been of great interest, and many had been pressed to describe their favorite meals upon many occasions.

As the smells wafted through the air, a sweet, sugary scent caught his attention and he bent down to whisper in Ashley’s ear, “Would you like a sweet?”

Ashley glanced up at him, her eyes still worried. “Sure, let’s go.”

The two of them left the crowd and went in search of dessert.