Page 1 of The Empire and the Wolf King

PROLOGUE - FRAOCH

INNIS CHONNEL CASTLE - 1301

Hayley was full of excitement when I walked in. “Finally, a storm, right? Finally a rescue!”

Emma was in bed, under the covers. “Thank God!”

Hayley continued, “Are we packing? We’re packing, right?” She looked around the room taking stock of their few possessions. “Not much to pack, will take just a minute.”

Jack pushed past me, rushin’ in and climbin’ beside Emma in her bed. He lay beside her, with his arm under his head, staring up at the ceiling. Och nae, his countenance was morose. He had just been told he dinna get tae leave the dark ages — it broke m’heart tae see him suffer it.

Hayley said, “Uh oh, is Jack okay?”

Emma nudged him. “Jack, is everything okay?”

Ben, Isla and Zoe entered, they were all frowning.

Zach sighed and kissed Emma on her cheek.

Emma looked up at him. “Zachary, where’s Archie?”

Zach said, “Well, Em, here’s the thing, that was a storm, yes, it was carrying two people?—”

Hayley clapped her hands. “A working vessel! Wow, but not Magnus and Kaitlyn? That’s fine, we’re cool with that, right? We just get out of here…” Her words trailed off.

I put down the bag I had been carryin’ and took a deep breath. “Nae, not Magnus and Kaitlyn, twas a man named Liam?—”

“Liam, Lizbeth’s husband?”

“Nae, dost ye remember when I went tae see Liam Campbell in North Carolina? He is a descendant of Sean?”

Hayley shook her head. “I don’t remember him.” She sank down on the floor against the wall.

I sat down on the floor beside her. “It daena matter. He is the caretaker of Balloch castle in?—”

Hayley interrupted, “But when do weleave?”

Ben slumped down in a chair. “We daena leave. Archie left with the couple and the only vessel.”

Hayley looked around at all our faces. “Archie left with them?”

Chef Zach said, “He is going to return them to Florida — Man, I am so jealous — then he will rescue Lochie and Quentin and James and... us, just…you know, at a different time.”

Emma frowned, deeply.

Zach said, “I know, hon, but... we’re going to be rescuedbeforeyour accident. We all decided.”

Her hand was smoothing Jack’s hair soothingly. “But you had the chance to be rescued, and you let him leave without you? Because ofme?”

“Kindof…? But also for Jack, you know, everyone would be better off if the rescue came earlier than?—”

She exhaled loudly. “But what if something happens and the rescue doesn’t come? I just... I don’t think I will forgive myself — you should have asked!”

Jack leaned up on his arm and looked down on her, solemnly. “Aunt Emma, Archie is goin’ tae come back, he promised.”

She nodded. “But you all could be in Florida right now. You’d be eating chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.” A tear slid down her nose.

Zach said, “I think on our first night back we could eat something much more exciting than mac and cheese.”

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