Lady Mairead leveled her eyes. “Drop tae your knees, Magnus.”

The ground was cold, hard stone.

“And why are ye here? You were nae expected for two more moons.” She relaxed in a chair languidly waving her hand as she spoke.

“Kaitlyn has lost our bairn.”

Her gaze snapped to mine. “Oh? I would think her physicians would be better at healing than that.”

I decided nae tae answer.

“That is distressing. I suppose ye are quite broken about it? When did it happen?”

“Yesterday.”

“Ah. She is still fresh with the loss and yet ye kneel here. Tis a cold manner about ye I dinna suspect.” A malicious smile spread across her face.

“I assured ye that I would come tae protect my family. You and I have a deal tae that end. But I dinna ken ye would extend the protection tae Kaitlyn as she is—”

“Barren?”

“The doctors said she may soon try tae have another—”

“But nae with ye, Magnus, because ye winna be there.” She leveled her gaze and added, “I imagine this has been a verra difficult day for ye, but I am glad ye have come without more discussion. All this conversation is wearing thin as a moth-eaten tapestry.”

She watched my face.

“And I wouldna worry over Kaitlyn, she is a verra capable woman. She will find another husband tae protect her. I winna need tae involve her anymore because without providing an heir to us she has become insignificant.”

A growl escaped from my chest.

She made a clucking noise then huffed. “Well, I suppose it canna be helped that ye are presenting yourself tae your father without an heir. Tis quite important tae him, ye ken. But there will be more wives, more opportunities tae gain his favor.”

“Lady Mairead I would appreciate an end tae this part of the discussion. I have left Kaitlyn as ye asked. I have presented myself as ye commanded. I have little power in this, but I respectfully ask ye tae refrain of speaking of my wife, Kaitlyn Campbell, anymore.”

She watched me slowly then stiffly nodded. “My guards said they found ye without your time-vessel? Where is it?”

“I daena ken. Once I awoke twas nae with me. I believe it has been stolen.” I stared straight ahead at her left hand.

“You winna tell me where ye have hidden it?”

“Nae. Twas nae my doing.”

“This complicates things because I would like tae offer ye a nice bed with a big dinner before we journey tae your father’s court. But ye are nae bein’ forthright with me on this matter. And ye well might steal away…”

She seemed tae contemplate it for a few moments then said, “Guards show him tae the dungeons but I need him uninjured on the morrow when we travel.”

“May I stand? I will go with the guards freely. I am ready tae travel whenever ye are ready tae go.”

She waved her hand dismissing me. I stood and walked between two guards tae one of the cells in the lower part of the castle.

Kaitlyn was walking on the beach at the edge of the water, her head bowed, her hair streamin’ behind her. The sun was going low but still shone on the tips of the strands. This was a familiar view — the curve of her head, the stillness of her movements, her concentration and purpose. She bent and sifted through the shells searching for shark teeth. She scooped up a handful of wee shells and then sprinkled them back to the sand. Then she moved tae the next promisin’ area. And I felt fortunate, in this sparklin’ sunset and beautiful landscape, tae watch her as she moved.

There would be a moment when she would realize I was standing on the end of the deck. She would pull her gaze from the sand and look up. And across. And she would smile as if she had been waitin’ for me. Her face lightin’ up—

So I stood on the deck and waited for her tae turn.

I raised my hand.

And then I called, “Kaitlyn!”

Her stillness dinna change. She dinna look.

“Kaitlyn!”

I tried tae run tae her, but I couldna move. All I could do was call across the beach for her, trying tae get her tae turn tae me — “Kaitlyn!”

“Kaitlyn!”

I woke with a rush of air clutching my chest. “Och.” The bed was a cold stone slab. Torturous tae sleep on but I wouldna be tryin’ tae sleep again.

I leaned against the wall and tried like I had been tryin’ all day tae get on top of my breathin’.

I was offered an oatmeal brose for breakfast while sitting in my cell. Finally, after long hours of cold damp air and darkness and nothing much tae do but keep my mind blank so I wouldna despair, Lady Mairead appeared.

She spoke through the door. “Magnus, I will need a few more days before I am able tae leave.” She paused tae wait for an answer but I was unable tae come up with anythin’ tae say.

Four days. That was how long she kept me waitin’ in the prison. Each night I half-slept because when I did sleep I woke with nightmares. Every night the nightmare was the same — Kaitlyn, her head turned down. She wouldna look at me when I called her name.

“Magnus, gather your things we will journey today.” My entire body was stiff and unused. I stretched and stared at the door waiting for the guards tae open the lock. When I stepped into the hallway, there was barely any light.

Lady Mairead said, “You look like a bear, and ye have a smell that is verra offensive.”

“Aye, it has been a long wait. I arrived here under the impression ye wanted me in better health than this.”

“I did, but there’s nothin’ tae be done with it, ye will have tae go as you are. The guards will attend us tae the field and we will journey tae your father’s court. Twill be a long journey, the worst of them all.”

“I dinna ken they had a difference.”

“I like tae break the journeys up with a rest in the middle. Tis why I usually have chosen Florida. Shorter distances I have found tae be almost bearable. Almost. But this time we will journey all the way tae your father’s court.” I fell into line behind her. Four guards accompanied us carrying large bundles. “Your father advised me tae break the distance intae pieces, but I dinna ken where the stops would be, ye dinna seem tae want tae stop in Florida, for instance. Tis verra complicated tae plan tae arrive in a strange place and time.”

She spoke like this about the pain and the complications and the plannin’ that went into the journey the entire time we walked. “So after deliberating we will jump the entire distance.”

I stopped listenin’ after she made the first point: Twould be painful. The worst so far.

We set out across the wide fields and then she commanded the guards tae leave our side. The guards deposited their bundles around her feet and left.

She dropped her skirt hem to cover the sacks. “I have been collecting,” she informed me. “I need ye tae understand I winna have ye causing trouble.”

“If I cause trouble what will happen tae me?”

“It’s nae yourself that ye would need tae be worried for.”

“Exactly. I am nae going tae cause trouble. I am simply going tae do what needs tae be done.”

Her eyes squinted.

She said, “Until ye met Kaitlyn Sheffield we were nae at odds.”

“Her name is Kaitlyn Campbell and we daena need tae discuss her. We arna at odds now.”

“Good.”

“When we arrive will there be an immediate danger? Somethin’ I need tae be ready for?”

“Nae, tis quite civilized. Cover your ears, I daena want ye tae ken the numbers.”

I clamped m’hands over my ears and went as still and blank as I could tae prepare for the journey. Lady Mairead stood beside me and twisted the ends of the vessel alignin’ the numbers until they glowed. She kept the vessel facin’ away so I couldna make sense of it. Then her lips were movin’ as she spoke the numbers. She clasped a hand around my upper arm, and a moment later the agony began—