Page 76 of Promises to Keep

“Oh,” I said as I took it.

Magnus kept his eyes locked on Hammond.

Hammond asked, “Did you have somewhere you needed to be, Kaitlyn?”

“Yes, absolutely, I...” Was I supposed to go to the compound, that was it, right? Or Balloch, should I go to Balloch and get Lochinvar?

Hammond said, “It might be better if she came with us. Safer. There are dangerous things afoot.”

“Nae, twould be better tae let her go...” Magnus added, “Dost ye ken, Hammie, what happened that caused me tae be dragged intae the middle of the arena?”

“Of course not. How could I...?”

“Indeed.” Magnus said, “I will go with you, but I want Kaitlyn tae be given free passage, allow her tae travel safely, and I will do whatever you want.”

“Magnus, that is not necessary, it is just…”

I said, because I thought there was just confusion between them, “Hammond is just…”

But Magnus shook his head, telling me to wheesht.

Hammond spoke into a radio he had fastened to his chest.

Magnus said, “What is that about? The men at the road?”

I hadn’t noticed anyone at the road, but when I looked up I could see men entering the square. We were way outnumbered by about ten soldiers wearing black and gray camouflage. They all carried weapons. We were trapped and—

Hammond pulled a golden metallic strip from his pocket, it was similar to the choker I had once worn. “Magnus Archibald Caelhin Campbell, you are under arrest, you will need to come with me.”

“Ye would assault yer king? Ye ken this is treason, Hammond, ye ken this means yer death. I believed ye tae be a cousin and an ally.”

“You believed wrongly, I see now that your lineage is not my future, there is another path, one in which I have more power.”

Hammond stepped closer. “Put your hands on your head.” The men were closing in on us.

Magnus put his hands on his head. “Kaitlyn, run.”

I turned, brushed past Magnus and fled into the house as he sprung forward onto Hammond. I raced down the three side steps to the small gallery and glanced back to see Magnus dragging Hammond in a headlock. I raced through the gallery, past all the fine paintings and shoved out through the back door, with Magnus right behind me, holding Hammond who was struggling to get free.

Magnus was yelling at the soldiers, “Get back! Daena follow us!”

I unlocked the door, flung it open, and raced into the alley. A dingy, mud-swamp kind of alley, with puddles and filth and grime — it looked like where everyone threw their laundry water, but also probably a few people pissed back here too.

I glanced left and right. Magnus yelled, “Twist the vessel! Balloch!”

I started to work the numbers, panicked out of my mind. The door behind us opened, men were running down the alley toward us.

“I know! I know! I’m trying to...!”

Hammond plowed his elbow into Magnus’s side knocking him into the wall.

I rushed after them, twisting the vessel. “Hold onto me!”

Hammond was kicking and elbowing, it was hard to get close to Magnus, to twist the vessel while holding onto Magnus who was in a massive struggle. I clamped my arms around Magnus’s upper arm and as the vessel charged, as the wind rose and the thunder and lightning started, Magnus shoved Hammond away as hard as he could, but my face was pressed to Magnus’s arm, and my tight hold had some of Hammond’s jacket and so Hammond and at least one other man had hold of us as we ripped through time — the last bit of consciousness I had was Magnus yelling, “Wake up as fast as ye can, Kaitlyn!”

And then the searing pain hit my body and I was torn from the world of Belle Epoque Paris, in the middle of a storm. Repeating to myself a mantra, an urgent urge... get up get up getup getup getuupppppgetuuuupppppp

CHAPTER 38 - KAITLYN

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