having me come and go, but it won’t be for much longer. Soon they’ll be home or they... yeah, soon we’ll know. Then I’ll stop and we can get back to ordinary—”
“If I came with ye would there be a church?”
“What...? I mean... yeah, there are churches. What do you mean, Fraoch?”
“I mean, there has been a great deal of ye saying, ‘I ken ye, I understand ye, I love ye...’ Am I tae be that man? M’wife has tae understand me?”
“I hope so. I mean, I hope I understand you. What do you mean?”
“I mean, ye are doin’ this because ye think I am too weak tae do it.”
“I don’t... that’s — not it at all.”
“I am nae weak. I am nae. I just think tae travel this way is nae as God intended it.”
“I get that and I understand—”
“See? Ye are sayin’ it again, ye ‘understand’ me. I am nae tae be understood, I am tae be obeyed.”
“Well that took a fucking turn. Are we fighting? I don’t think I have the bandwidth for fighting when I’m about to jump for the billionth time.”
“We arna fightin’.”
“Good.”
“Because ye are goin’ tae stop understandin’ me.”
I joked, “I am not sure you mean what you think you’re meaning.”
“I understand m’meaning verra clear. I am goin’ with ye tae Florida, and I am nae afraid tae. I am nae, and daena say it anymore. Ye daena understand me, stop sayin’ ye do. I winna allow it.”
“Okay, wait, you’re coming to Florida?”
“I am, and ye arna tae make fun of me, or tae laugh at me. Tis nae humorous.”
“You’re right, this isn’t funny at all. Do you really want to?”
“Daena try tae get tae the understandin’ of it, Hayley. Tis because I am yer husband, am I nae yer husband?”
“You are.”
“My word is the rule. If I say I am goin’ tae Florida, ye should be m’wife and tell me ye are glad of it, and then we will go.”
“I’m glad of it.”
He looked off into space for a moment.
“How dost we do it?”
“I’ll twist the vessel and you’ll hold on.”
“If there are things that I see... what will happen tae me?”
“You might get nervous. You might be scared, but I won’t laugh, and no one will laugh, because we’ve all seen things that we didn’t know—”
He scowled. “Dost I need tae protect ye? Will there be a danger when we arrive?”
“No, when we arrive Quentin will meet us. He respects you and he’ll be glad to see you. Zach will make us food. We’ll be at Magnus’s house, our house. He let’s us all...”
“He told me I was welcome but twas afore he kent I was his brother.”
“Well, he’s not normally someone who holds a grudge, so — do you need to tell Sean you’re leaving?”
“I told him this mornin’.”
“So you’ve been planning this?”
“I hae been. I am nae weak, Hayley. Ye canna think it of me, I am your lord and master.”
“Yes, definitely. I mean, you’re my best friend too, and we established that you aren’t to go around bossing me like a lord and master, but yeah, you’re my husband and I love you. And I rarely understand you, because you are so strong and I’m...”
A slow smile spread in his beard. “Tis a much better way tae say it.”
“You have been here protecting the Campbells and now you’re coming with me to Magnus’s house to make sure his family is okay. And because you are worried about me, like a good strong husband.”
He fully smiled. “Thank ye, m’bhean ghlan.”
“You’re welcome. So are we going to do this, it’s cold as balls out here.”
“How should I hold ontae ye?”
“Put your arms around me.” I turned so my back was to his front. “Clasp your arms so you’ve got me tight.” He did. “It’s going to hurt.”
“I daena mind pain, I am strong enough.”
“I know, I love you Fraoch, thank you, hold on.” And I twisted the vessel’s ends and the storm grew around us, wind and fury and lightning and thunder. Fraoch tightened his hold, and I wrapped my arms around his head and felt the familiar grasp, and pull, and wrench, and the screaming that went on and on.
Seventy-one - Hayley
I forced myself to wake up. I opened my eyes and managed to raise my head. Fraoch was lying in a crumpled heap a foot away. Quentin was crouched beside me. He mouthed, “He came?”