Page 40 of The Empire and the Wolf King

“Well, I winna tell ye, and daena look it up, I daena want ye tae ken as it will determine how ye behave?—”

“I overheard Uncle Zach say he dies a hero.”

“That is all ye need tae ken, Archie.”

“We are plannin’ our next battle, he’s goin’ tae fight for my crown, my throne. As soon as I return.”

“Good, ye hae made allies, this is wise…. And now ye hae been living in the past for a decade? Who else is with you?”

I used my fingers as I listed, “Zach and Emma with Ben and Zoe, Fraoch and Hayley, and Haggis, and Isla and Jack… and me…”

“All are well?”

“Barely, we often dinna hae enough food, we had nae medicine for Madame Emma?—”

“What has happened tae her?”

“There was a wagon accident, she broke her foot and it haena healed. She canna walk and is not well… not at all. I fear for her.” I scowled. “Ye ought tae hae sent the vessel tae us earlier.”

“I sent—” she snapped her fingers, as if she was searching for their names. “Liam and Blakely tae that year,specifically, so thatifthe vessel worked it would appear on the timeline where it would not be noticed, and I needed ye tae be the age of someone who would be useful. I think I chose well enough, ye are battle ready?—”

“Haggis is verra auld, if he dies…”

Her brow raised. “The dog?”

“Da will never forgive ye if Haggis dies of old age afore ye rescue him, if ye had the chance tae do it earlier.”

She waved her hand. “Tis ridiculous, but I understand it, the gravity of it. When we return tae rescue them, we will go much earlier. I winna stand for my grandchildren tae live in such privation. This is not an issue.”

“Then I will be nae more.”

She barely nodded. “In your current form.”

My eyes drew tae the window, wonderin’ what that entailed. The sky was blue, the land looked and smelled of Scotland, of home. Yet we were centuries away. I looked at my hand wrapped around my drink, it was made up of sinew and bone, veins, muscle, I was living, alive, I had a battle tae wage, a life I was livin’ family and friends, and yet…

I noticed she was trembling. “Grandmother, tis my turn tae ask, are ye well?”

“Nae, child, I am not well. There are not many times in my life in which I feel this weakened, but as I hae aged, the times are coming verra regularly. Magnus and Lochinvar and Fraoch and the rest left weeks ago and I hae been here taking care of the business of the kingdom. I used tae hae a partner in the task, Colonel Hammond, I do miss him… But instead, now, I am tasked with running the kingdom alone. The halls of the palace ring with silence. My voice echoes in the dining room. The help are not helpful.”

She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “This is a lot tae lay at the feet of m’grandson. My apologies.”

“Nae problem,” I reached out and placed my hand on hers.

She froze, looking down at our hands.

Then she raised her chin. “Just when I was going tae seek out the comfortable camaraderie of my family, I found myself stranded by the vessels. It seems a mere moment later I found out that my Sean has passed. I hae been wracked by the news, unfortunately. Now I am receiving ransom notes from Asgall — a video! It has been difficult tae ken where and what tae do next. The only thing I could think of tae do was get Liam, the caretaker of Balloch, tae deliver a vessel tae ye.”

“The first vessel got me tae Uncle Lochie, but then it stopped working.” I patted the back of her hand. “Twas a good thing I remembered the one under the oak tree from m’childhood.”

“Aye, thank heavens. Now we must rescue everyone and find a way tae battle this evil man. And I ought tae give Sean a proper burial. Has anyone told Lizbeth, dost ye think?”

I said, “I daena think so, I daena ken how they could… and we never found his body, Grandmother. Though we did put up a marker.”

Her hand went to her throat. “Never found his body!”

“Aye, Edward either ordered a mass burial of the men who died on that field and we daena ken where?—”

“Ye looked? Dear God, tell me ye looked!”

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