Page 26 of Crown of Tides and Fury

We all held a weapon in our right hand and grabbed onto the person to our left. The foyer disappeared.

10

A Return To Castle Ross

The wind howled around us, pushing grasses almost horizontal, whistling in the trees that lined one edge of the field, insisting we weren’t welcome.

Beyond the branches, I made out the gray stone walls of a castle that exactly matched the stormy sky. We moved in that direction, gleaning more details as we went. Parts were in ruins. A single tower still anchored one corner where two walls of battlements converged. There was a short wall with an arched opening leading from the parking lot to the castle. I could clearly see where a moat and drawbridge might have existed hundreds of years ago.

The only proof of the current century were the three cars in the parking lot and a few metal signs posted on the walls and hanging on a chain fence at the entrance.

No monsters in sight.

Further down the hillside stood a large white house. Hundreds of years lay between the two buildings. A kilted man stepped out of the front door and headed toward us. He looked like he belonged at the castle instead.

He waved his arm over his head and smiled as we closed the distance, all arriving in the parking lot at the same time. “Wickham!”

“Quinn.”

The man nodded to the rest of us, then looked closer at Wickham. “Jules is on the phone with yer sisters. They asked if we’d seen any trouble. We havenae. But we’re loadin’ the children and takin’ them to Monty and Jillian’s. He and I will come back, o’course.”

“Ye’re not equipped for this fight.” Wickham gestured to the arch and led Quinn that way. The rest of us followed. “I need to ken who ye have in the castle.”

Quinn shook his head. “It’s closed ‘til Monday. New floor has to seal.”

“I fear someone’s found the tunnel.”

Quinn stopped. “Impossible. Ye said it was impossible. That the bairns were safe—”

“No one is safe now. Gather yer family and get far away. Leave Scotland altogether—”

“Leave Scotland,” Quinn scoffed. “Are ye mad?”

Wickham paused under the arch, took hold of Quinn’s arm, then tilted his head our way. “Ye see these people? They’ve trained to face the monsters we suspect are here. Mere sword arms cannot best them. Even yers, grandson. So do as I say. Call Monty and Jillian, everyone ye love. Ireland and Europe arenae safe either. Go to the States. I’ll explain when I have the leisure to do it.”

“Flee Scotland? And what of yer own family? Have ye sent them away?”

Wickham’s shoulders fell. “Months ago. I never imagined the danger would spread here, to ye, nor to Muirsglen. But it has.”

Quinn looked at the castle as if he could imagine what was going on inside it. He reached in his sporran and handed Wickham a wad of keys. “For the family. Aye, we’ll go. And if I must drug the bastard to get him out of Scotland, I’ll do it.”

“The bastard?”

“Montgomery.”

Wickham chuckled, nodded. “Tell him I’ll call for the pair of ye, for Ivar, Percy, and Gaspar as well…if the front lines fall.”

* * *

Wickham ledthe team through the enormous wood doors of Castle Ross and marveled that the metal hinges were still holding tight. Though, with Quinn Ross looking after his family's interests and running the tourist traffic through the grounds, they might have been replaced a time or two.

The great hall...

Long ago, he’d brought Ivy forward in time, to be on hand to witness the end of the Curse of Clan Ross, to impress her. If he could return to that day, knowing what would follow, he’d have never taken her back to 1954…

He trod as quietly as possible through the arch at the back of the dais. With the Ross families out of harm's way for the time being, there was no rush now. Best to take the bastards by surprise. Kill them, seal the tunnel once more, and be gone before Orion finished his swath of destruction.

If he had to bring the whole mountain down, he’d do it.

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