Page 33 of Only a Breath Away

My eyes went wide. “Are yousureyou want to go with us, all of us in the Jeep?”

“Aye, we will go taegether, all of us, in the Jeep. Hammond, what is a Jeep?”

Hammond said, “It is one of those vehicles that ye swore in 1947 ye would never ride in again.”

“Och, twas horrid in the backroads of Italy, but in Maine it should be fine. Ye will attend me.”

Emma said, “When I call I will tell him I’m the assistant of a descendant of the Earl of Breadalbane and that she wants to speak to him about some of the artifacts he’s collected.”

Lady Mairead said, “May I see a photo of Finch Mac?”

Emma turned around the laptop showin’ a picture of the rock star. “This is from a Vanity Fair photo shoot.”

Lady Mairead scrutinized the photo. “This is a brother tae Magnus?”

Emma nodded.

Lady Mairead raised her chin. “He looks weak. He canna fight in an arena. We are reminded why Donnan picked Magnus tae be his heir.”

I said, “Ye will go and get the Bridge, we will meet back here in two days and then we will use the Bridge tae fix the timeline. Somehow. In the meantime I want tae go back tae the thirteenth century tae check it again. Perhaps this time the timeline will be straightened and we winna hae a problem.”

Zach said, “The old, ‘Hope the issue fixes itself’?”

“Aye. Twould be great if it would.” I stood. “I need tae say goodbye tae the bairns again, I will make sure they are nae feeding treats tae Mookie for ye, Madame Beaty.”

CHAPTER 30 - MAGNUS

Ireturned to the past. It was very difficult tae leave this time, as Archie begged me nae tae go. He was adamant and that worried me. I was concerned that I might be on a death errand and without their mother I might be leavin’ them orphaned. But I was torn. I had tae go, Kaitlyn needed me as well.

I felt as if I was forsakin’ her, if I wasna listenin’ tae her breathin’ in the timeline next tae mine. That I might be desertin’ her tae fate. A terrible fate. It haunted me that she was lost in time. More so than when she had jumped tae the past. I had found her in that instance, it had been verra practical and ordinary when I did, she had been captured, I rescued her there.

But now she was in an otherworldly place, a time between times, nae dead nor alive. I couldna accept she was nae within reach. I had tae find the solution.

I ate dinner beside Caillean, and then retired tae my room, I prayed, then sat with my head on the bed and spoke tae Kaitlyn. “We are trying to figure this out, mo reul-iuil. We have some ideas, everyone is working on it…. We are staying in the lake house… I miss ye there, and the kids are… the kids are swimmin’ in the lake. Ye would be so happy tae see it. We put the floats upon Isla’s arms and she shivers and says, ‘Cold! Cold!’ but she goes in all the same because Archie and Ben are in the water. They winna do much else but swim.” I took a deep breath. “I hope ye will be comin’ home soon, I am verra worn out from tryin’ tae find ye and livin’ here in the thirteenth century. Twas verra many months without the comfort of home, and then I saw ye for a matter of days — how long was it, do ye remember? I thought ye were on the pilgrimage between Scone and Stirling. I thought ye were just behind me, and then I turned around and ye were gone, vanished in air. I was…”

I exhaled. “I was verra alone while I waited for ye tae return and then ye dinna, and now I hae had the chance tae go home twice, and in between I jumped so many times, I hae a sore heart and soul... I hae seen the bairns though, but I am nae able tae enjoy it, tae relax... Zach made me a meal. He made pasta with red sauce, och tis m’favorite. He says tis too simple, that I ought tae hae better taste, but when he makes it so that tis a bit spicy on the tongue? I am growin’ hungry again. There is never enough food here... I imagine ye are hungry as well. We are tryin’ tae get tae ye. I truly hope time is goin’ at the same rate as tis here... Ye hae been captured now for three days — hold on, mo reul-iuil, please hold on.”

I grew quiet then, and listened, and felt sure I heard breathing beside my ear, a voice urging —help.

CHAPTER 31 - KAITLYN

Ihadn’t heard from anyone and the outer corridor was eerily quiet,what the hell was going on?

I called through the door and then pressed my ear to it: nothing, not a pin drop, a… anything. I went and lay down on the bed. What was happening? I listened to the shrouded breathing near my ear and then swung my feet off the bed to sit and really listen. I tried to hear.

But beyond a sense that there was something,someonethere, I couldn’t hear anything. I did feel calmer though, as if it were going to be okay.

But I was so very thirsty.

I looked around the room, there were tapestries upon the walls. I began peeling them aside and feeling along the walls, for cracks, possible doors, hopeful passageways. The window was too narrow, too high. And it was cold all day. I called out, “Hello! Hello!” On a sidewall I found a stone with a bit of cool air coming around it. I shoved and shoved against it, but it was not budging.

The other bad news was that I was getting thirstier and thirstier by the minute.

CHAPTER 32 - HAYLEY

Iwas driving to Orono in the old Jeep that Kaitlyn kept in the garage. It was rusty and only started because the caretaker of the lake house was paid to drive it occasionally. Zach had already driven it to the grocery store three times, but this time I was driving it for about an hour. I had Lady Mairead and Hammond in the back seat and she was carrying a bag of what she called priceless artifacts to sweeten the deal.

Fraoch was in the passenger seat, watching the map, and talking back to Siri as she read the directions. “Och, it says we are tae turn ahead, are ye ready?”

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