shyness and humility in this otherwise cocky man. “And ye hae shewn me, m’bhean ghlan, Florida, with the marvels of a... what dost ye call it?”
“What?”
“The box with the food inside?”
“The refrigerator?”
“Aye, they are livin’ in a world without a refrigerator. Can ye even call it livin’?”
I chuckled. “No, Fraoch, you really can’t.”
“Aye, so I will get the machine tae go back tae where they are, and it will take as long as it takes me. I winna quit until Og Maggy and Kaitlyn hae a path tae return home. I will do it because I owe him as a brother.”
“Well, if anyone can do it, you can. And Quentin, he’s driven and loyal. He won’t give up.”
“Aye, we will get the path set tae bring them home. We hae tae, I hae learned tae drive the boat. I hae tae shew Og Maggy that I can go fishin’ and catch the biggest fish.”
“I don’t think Magnus ever even got to go fishing. In his defense he hasn’t had time, but I can see you’d have a lot of fun showing him that.”
He nestled his face back to my stomach. “And his bairn need him.”
“It’s so true. It breaks my heart that they are without Katie. Isla is almost a year old.”
“Aye.” We sat there quietly, until he said, “I love ye, m’bhean ghlan. If I am nae tae return, if something happens, I love ye, ye are the best part of m’life.”
I lifted his chin. “You are the best part of my life too. Come back, okay?”
“Okay, m’bhean ghlan, I will.”
He lumbered up to his feet and we went to meet the others downstairs.
Hammond had equipment and weapons in large rucksacks. Quentin and Fraoch would have to carry them on their back, because the Trailblazer, unlike the vessels, wouldn’t carry your luggage along for the ride.
They would also both have to hold onto the Trailblazer, which was a cube about the size of a shoebox. Each man had a vessel in their backpack. The trick was to hold onto the cube, so they wouldn’t be able to hold anything else.
Lady Mairead explained that she had tried belting herself to it, but, “Twas nae that I couldna hold on, twas that it was so verra painful I wanted tae get away.”
Fraoch said, “Och,” and shook his head.
Beaty and Emma and Zach and I moved to the boardwalk out of the way. Lady Mairead went farther up the boardwalk closer to the house and called back, “Madame Emma, I suggest ye move the bairn tae the house.” So Emma took Zoe, Isla, and the boys inside. Hammond remained in the dunes, closer, as if he might be needed.
From this distance we couldn’t hear what they said, but we could tell that Quentin and Fraoch were talking to each other. They checked each other’s packs, holding the tech, discussing it. They both lowered their heads and there was quiet, and then, it was like the air got sucked from the world, like the absence of matter, a vacuum, but just for a moment, like a giant inhale, then electrical charge — my mouth tasted like metal, it smelled acrid, like being struck by lightning. An explosion of force and the loudest clap I had ever heard in my life. A clap that filled my body with sound and electricity.
I tried to cover my ears but the sound was inside my head — my hair stood on end — they were gone and it was like they hadn’t ever been there.
But the worst part was the dread fear that dropped my heart to my feet, and it felt really freaking scary, like chills running down my spine and fear and — I looked over at Beaty, her face was terrified, her hands shaking. “Oh no!” she said.
And she didn’t say what, but I totally got what she meant.
Oh. No.
I was chilled. Goosebumps and fear, my spine shivered. I shook, looking up and down the beach. It sizzled. The air smelled like the fire of a lightning blast, electrical fire, burned glass.
I half expected someone to be dead on the sand and that was frightening enough but it was all so terrifying — my anxiety through the roof. “I’m going to go, I’m going to go look, I will...”
I was scared to actually look though, so I stood there and said it again, “I’m going to go look.”
Zach’s voice behind me. “I’ll go with you, Hayley.” He sounded hesitant. “Yeah.”