Page 83 of The Winter Laird

Two days into their ride, Brianagh was at the end of her rope—literally. She’d worked her fingernails to the quick scratching at the fibers, and she was nearly through them. She hadn’t a clue as to her whereabouts, but as Burke repeatedly stroked his sword in a loving way, she thought it best to get away from him as soon as possible.

She’d been devising ways for two and a half days, but the man was vigilant in his watch. He even watched her go to the bathroom in a cold, calculated way.

She was tired of being frightened. It was exhausting.

Bri thought if he was going to kill her, he would’ve done so already. Also, if he was going to use her as bait to get to Nioclas andthenkill her, he’d be going much slower so Nioclas could catch up.

All her self-defense classes were useless—they were taught with modern-day amenities. She didn’t have her car keys to jab in his eye, she didn’t have any heels to slam into his foot, and she didn’t have a can of Mace, although that would’ve been the most handy.

Unfortunately, Burke clammed up every time one of his men so much as questioned their destination, so she was fairly certain he wasn’t going to blab his evil master plan to her. As the third night fell, she was still deciding how to go about it when she recognized where they were.

Dowth.

And suddenly, Brianagh knew exactly what Burke’s plans for her entailed.

* * *

“Open the time gate, Brianagh O’Rourke.”

Brianagh stared at him, open-mouthed. “I-I can’t!”

His sword was against her throat in a split second. “You can, and you will. Open the gate!” he growled.

Brianagh’s mind raced. If he needed her to bend time, then he wasn’t going to kill her if he thought she could do it. Immediately and with a confidence she didn’t really feel, she took a step away from the sword. “Put that away. I can’t travel through time now because it only works at sunrise. I can’t control when it’s effective.” She sat down by the front of the structure, then leveled a stare at him. “And you have to cut my rope—I need both hands.” She was quaking inside, but her voice didn’t hint at it.

Burke gave her a long look, then looked at the sky. The moon was brilliantly full. All around them the trees were bathed in the bluish light, casting long shadows across the open field where they stood. Dowth itself felt strangely comforting.

Brianagh drew her strength from it. “When sunrise comes, you will see if I can open this or not. But I cannot open it without the first rays of the sun.” She was babbling, making stuff up, but she needed the extra time to figure out what her next step was. She knew she couldn’t open it herself. “I’ll, ah, also need to know where you want to go,” she added.

It seemed like a good thing to say. Reilly apparently knew how to bend time to his will. Perhaps she could make it bend to hers as well. Say, to wherever Reilly was resting his head. He’d be helpful in getting her back to Nioclas.

Brianagh stopped short and realized what she’d just thought.

If she really did have the ability to time-travel, she could go back to her family through this very ancient site. She could leave it all behind and live out the rest of her days in comfort: electricity, hot water, showers. Chocolate.

But the reality of leaving Nioclas—of never seeing him again, nor feeling his arms around her, or feeling his presence…no.

She couldn’t leave him. She didn’t want to leave him, because she loved him with every bit of herself.

She loved him.

“We stay here until sunrise, then,” Burke snarled. “With any luck, MacWilliam is lying cold in his grave. He can’t sneak up on us here.”

One of the men called Burke over, and he dragged Brianagh with him, apparently not willing to have her more than an arm’s length away.

“We found these tracks in the snow,” the guard said, squatting down next to them. In the light of the moon, Brianagh saw Burke frown. She strained to see what they were looking at, then had to bite the palm of her hand to stop her gasp.

She’d know those tracks anywhere. Doc Martens.

Colin.

* * *

Brianagh didn’t dare look around.She had no idea where he was, if he was alone, or how he ended up here, but all the guards agreed the track was new. There were other footprints, but they were much less distinguishable. They couldn’t tell if it was just one other set, or if there were more than just the one person, nor could they determine what kind of boots they were.

She cleared a spot on the ground, brushing away the snow, and gathered her cloak underneath her as a barrier, as she’d done each night since her capture. Carefully, she lay down, facing the opening of the monolithic structure, scanning it for any indication of her cousin.

She saw nothing, but she knew he was somewhere close, patiently waiting for his chance.

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