Page 53 of Love Beyond Words
Raudrich nodded. Even with the anger he had for Calder, it wasn’t an easy thing to give up on family.
“I shan’t. Safe travels, friend. May he be safe and well when ye find him.”
Harry walked away from him and mounted his horse with ease as the rest of the men waved and took off toward the gate. He called back to him as he took his place at the tail end of the group.
“Enjoy yerself, Raudrich. Doona squander time that the rest of us would cherish. Farewell for now, my friend.”
He waited until he could no longer see them before turning toward the castle.
He didn’t care for Laurel’s tears. The pain in her eyes as Marcus screamed at her had made him hurt all over.
If it was just to be the two of them there for weeks, he would see to it that her smile was returned to her as quickly as possible.
* * *
I didn’t call Kate right away. I knew that before I spoke to her I needed to gather myself. I needed to reflect on how I felt about being stuck in this time for the rest of my life, and I needed to decide what I would tell her.
What surprised me more than anything was that the panic I expected to set in never did, neither did the heartbreak or fear. The truth was, I wasn’t upset about staying here.
It wasn’t that I was ignorant. I knew that with time, there would be many things I would miss. But deep down, if Marcus was destined to be here, then I knew I was destined to be here, too. We were family. Neither of us had ever functioned very well without the other. Boston just wouldn’t suit me without him. And I knew—even as angry as he was with me now—seventeenth century Scotland wouldn’t suit him without me, either.
There was only one person and one ornery cat that I would miss immeasurably—Kate and Mr. Crinkles. But for some reason I couldn’t quite explain, Kate’s distance didn’t overwhelm me with pain. It didn’t feel permanent, even though I knew it most likely was. At least, I would be able to speak to her. That was no small blessing.
I didn’t hear Raudrich open the unbolted door. I was too busy turning Morna’s magical phone over and over in my hands as I tried to decide how to tell Kate that I would never be returning home.
“Come, lass. Ye’ve been in this room for far too long today. How would ye like to venture out of this castle and meet some of the people of the village?”
As curious as I was to meet even more people from this time, it was the last thing I wanted to do tonight. My mind was much too occupied.
“It’s all right, Raudrich. I don’t want to run the risk of bumping into Marcus, and I’m exhausted anyway.”
He laughed and came to crouch down in front of me as he placed his hands on my knees.
“From what, lass? Sitting by the fire all day? ’Tis not good for anyone to sit all day. And ye needn’t worry about crossing paths with yer friend. He’s gone.”
I started and pulled back in my seat.
“Gone? What do you mean, he’s gone?”
“I’ll not lie to ye and tell ye he’s pleased with any of this, but as we spoke with him and tested his powers, he couldna deny their existence. He agreed to join us. He became one of The Eight this afternoon. He’s gone with half the men to train and learn how to use his magic. He willna be back for weeks.”
Perhaps, I shouldn’t have felt so relieved at Raudrich’s news, but I was. Confrontation had never been my thing, and confrontation with those I loved most was definitely something I shied away from. With Marcus gone, I could move about freely without worrying about his angry glances, and I couldn’t help but be glad about it.
“Oh. Well, that’s good, I suppose. What’s everyone else doing? There was so much noise earlier, but it’s quiet now.”
He smiled rather guiltily.
“They’re gone as well, lass—on their way to the mainland to search for Calder. ’Tis only ye and I,” he hesitated, “and Machara and poor Freya in all of the castle. While I’ve much to worry over, I doona wish to do it this night.”
He moved his hands from my knees and gathered my hands in his own.
“Do ye know how long it has been since I’ve had time without duty or obligation, Laurel? I havena had a day to myself in over two years. Please doona make me celebrate this time of freedom all on my own.”
His excitement made him look much younger than he was—like the young boy inside him was finally getting a chance to peek out for the first time in ages. How could I possibly say no?
For the first time all day, I smiled.
“I…I look like a bit of a mess. I’ve been crying, and I’ve worn this same dress for days. It smells of horse.”
