Nadia dreamed again that she was in the carving-decorated throne room beneath Dunskey Castle, wearing her threadbare 18th-century servant dress. Ciaran was here too, sprawled out on the throne next to hers in his kilt.

Kelsey stood across the room, wearing the white linen ceremonial robes of the druids. She had a garland of Rowan leaves in her hair, and a sprig of mistletoe hung from her white linen sash. Even though she stood and Nadia and Ciaran were on thrones, Kelsey’s presence filled the room as if she owned the place. Which in more ways than one, she did.

And that was all. It was just the three of them.

Ciaran's thoughts were in her head without him visibly doing anything in the dream, just as they had been with the two of them in real life back in the Highlands in 1706. Thoughts only took an instant to fly back and forth between them.

“Sae good tae be away from the Camerons, even ainly in oor dreams. We could be in maire cheerful surroundings, though. This place is like a permanent funeral.”

Nadia let him feel her amusement at his jest.

Kelsey gave no indication she had heard it.

Nadia enlarged her sense of wonder so that Ciaran could share in it. “Even here in the dream,” she told him conspiratorially, “the halberd allows us tae speak in private, ainly the two o’ us!”

“Aye,” he thought back at her, “and ’tis wull. I dinna want that druid lass kenning all oor thoughts. She looks aboot tae blow the roof off the place, sae frustrated she is that she canna hear us as nay doubt she is accustomed tae in the realm o’ dreams.”

“Och, dinna fash. She is but Sarah’s childhood friend who went tae Celtic and does the druids’ bidding.”

“Sae ye say,” he thought at her with palpable doubt in his mind.

Nadia turned to Kelsey, speaking aloud. "Bring Eoin, as wull! I'm dying tae hear if everyone's all right, and we need tae make sure he's bringing horses for us.”

Kelsey barely acknowledged what Nadia had said, throwing her hand out in a dismissive gesture. "Eoin is busy with other things and canna be here.”

Ciaran’s thought on that was clear as day. “I dinna believe her.”

Kelsey fastened her eyes on Nadia’s for longer than was comfortable, then turned them on Ciaran by turns while she spoke. “Now, I hae disturbing news aboot Tahra's book. We researched it, combed all the records we hae here at Celtic. We foond nae mention o’ Ciaran naywhere. The epic Cameron-Murray battle in this book is na mentioned, either. There be hints o’ it, but it is na spoken o’ in any historical texts, na even online. The ainly way tae ken for certain what happens is if we get oor hands on Tahra's book."

Kelsey looked like she was dismissing the idea of ever holding Tahra’s book in her hands, but Nadia knew better. She couldn't say how, she just did. Kelsey was trying to manipulate them into getting Tahra's book. That’s what was going on. She needed to bring Eoin here and tell them the truth and be straight with them, or Nadia wasn't going to help her—

"Halt, Nadia!” said Ciaran’s frantic thoughts. “She is altogether tae powerful a person for ye tae confront. Play along with what she says. Please. She can hurt you. She can separate us. It is na worth it. Yer dignity is already safe and secure in my mind withoot that ye confront her, and it should be in yers as well. I'm begging ye, let this gae."

"There is na reason she canna bring Eoin intae this dream, and I dinna see how asking her tae dae sae should upset her."

"If ye ainly ask her, aye. Howsoever, ’twas na asking ye considered a moment hence. Ye were gaun'ae demand it o’ her, and I was afeared o’ her response tae that. I… I care for you deeply, Nadia. I dinna want any ill tae befall ye."

"Ye truly believe she would hurt me?"

"Aye, I dae."

"Dae ye think I could ask her again tae bring Eoin here?"

"Nay. I dinna think 'tis worth the risk."

"I had best say something now. 'Tis getting tae long syne last I spake."

"Aye. ’Twould dae na harm tae tell her what ye ken o’ the book."

"Verra wull." Nadia raised her head up to Kelsey as if she'd just decided what to say. "Tahra had the book with her, the one time I saw her oot and aboot in the Cameron hoose. And when I went tae her quarters, she was in the bath, sae the book was on a pedestal therein. I suspect she never has that book far from her, but mayhap if Ciaran were tae create a distraction in the early morning while Tahra slept, and if it was enough o’ a distraction, mind, mayhap Tahra would leave the book behind. I could slip intae her room and grab it."

Kelsey stared intently at Nadia a moment, then closed her eyes. When she opened them, she, Nadia, and Ciaran were in the hanging room at Cameron house, making friends with Mairee. Tahra's voice could be heard down the hall… Tahra walked by the open door, clutching the book… Tahra's voice was heard berating the man... The whipping… The dying man screaming… And then they were in Tahra's quarters, listening to Tahra's voice and the voices of her maidservants in the bathroom… And then they saw the book… And read it, slowly.

"What in the waurld is happening?" Ciaran's voice said in Nadia's head.

“Sarah telt me o’ this,” she told him silently in their shared thoughts. “Kelsey does na ainly coome intae dreams, she can alsae recall memories. Apparently she can fast-forward them, just like we can in the future, with things recorded on oor televisions."

"Yer lives are beyond my comprehension," he told her solemnly, looking at Kelsey with a combination of awe and terror.

The druidess had a faraway look on her chiseled features, her fair skin glowing with energy even in the dream as she worked some sort of magic that was incomprehensible to Nadia. Then she stopped abruptly, raised her eyes over to Ciaran, and spoke as if she were revealing the secret of the universe.

"Fire. Fire would get her oot o’ bed in such a fright. Start it toward the north corner o’ the barn sae that 'tis as far from her door as possible. Raise the alarm right away." She pivoted her head toward Nadia as if she were a cyborg. "Dinna gae up the stairs nor even leave the kitchen till ye hear the alarm. Ye must gae fast, and ye must gae furious. Nay hesitation. Say ye are gaun’ae put the fire oot. If ye are caught with the book, say ye rescued it for Tahra. And mean it."

With a decisive nod, Kelsey vanished.

Nadia was alone with Ciaran in the dream world, down inside the rune-carved great hall of the ancient Celtic seat of Scotland, beneath Dunskey Castle.

He got up off his throne and stepped toward her with a question in his eyes.

She got up as well, and in less than a second, they embraced.

Silently, she asked him, "Can ye start the fire she described?"

He clung to her, snuggling his face against hers. "Aye. I ken just how tae dae it."

She breathed in the earthy scent of him. "What alarm dae I listen for, sae that I ken when tae run up the stairs?"

He chuckled as he held her. “A bunch o’ men yelling, starting with me."

"What wull ye yell?"

"Fire, fire, fire! What else would we yell?"

She laughed, and he joined in, their bodies rocking against each other in a very pleasing way. His mouth found hers again, and she threw herself into their kiss with abandon, letting joy fill her.

Abruptly, he pulled away. "I canna dae this."

He was gone, disappeared from the dream in a wink, as if no one had ever been there except her, alone in this cold damp basement throne room. It felt very lonely and empty without him there, and she stared around it, utterly confused, but also lightheaded from the kiss.

Something must have happened back in the stable to distract him, she decided. Was it morning already? That must be it. She’d better go listen for his alarm.