General Hammond approached. “King Magnus, I am relieved you are freed.” He appraised the battlefield. “And we barely fought. You did most of it.” He offered me his hand tae pull me to standin’.
“Thank ye for arrivin’ in time. Can ye call the physician over tae attend Fraoch?”
He made a call and soon a medic was checkin’ Fraoch’s wounds, rollin’ him tae his back with a groan.
I asked, “Dost anyone ken where Bella is? She was here as well.”
Lady Mairead turned sharply. “What do you mean, you saw her?”
Hayley said, “Katie killed her, over there by the woods. Oh god, it was awful.”
I said, “She did — what?”
“I asked Katie to come help me and then Bella attacked her and I thought Bella was going to shoot me and Katie killed her and then they time-jumped—”
Lady Mairead said, “What dost ye mean, ‘they time-jumped’? The dead woman time-jumped with Kaitlyn?”
“The vessel was in Bella’s pocket, Kaitlyn grabbed it and they both disappeared. I raced here and this was happening, and...” She asked the medic, “Is he going to be okay?”
The medic began speakin’ tae her on Fraoch’s injuries.
But I couldna listen because Lady Mairead’s eyes were shiftin’ back and forth, as if she were decipherin’.
“Lady Mairead, what are ye doin’?”
“Did Katie hae a vessel? Could it hae been her own vessel?”
“She had one, she will be capable of returnin’ from wherever she has gone.”
“Nae, she canna...” She turned tae Hammond. “Hammond! Did ye activate the vessels as we spoke of?”
“Yes, Lady Mairead, I did, I set them just like we discussed, past the origin.” He looked down at a vessel monitor, like the one I used in m’house in Florida. “Three of the vessels activated and time-jumped, approximately thirty minutes ago.”
Lady Mairead’s fingers went to her lips. “Oh no.” Her breathing was quick.
“What has happened tae Kaitlyn? Tell me, Lady Mairead, ye must ken where they were going.”
“I do, Magnus, they were going tae before the vessels activated, before they existed. I thought twould be a good battle tactic—”
“What happens if ye go tae the past afore the vessels are activated?”
“I daena ken truly, but I ken the vessels disappear—”
Hayley said, “It happened to us, we arrived the day before the vessels, and our’s disappeared. It wasn’t there when we woke up. When the vessels arrived the next day, we had to steal one to go home.” She clapped her hand to her mouth. “Katie is back there, then?”
“She winna hae a vessel?”
“Nae.”
“How long before she might be able tae steal one?”
“We daena ken, we simply sent them back. I dinna want them tae be able tae gain another.”
“Why would ye do somethin’ so foolhardy? Who approved of this tactic?”
“Tis one I came up with myself. Once I realized that Bella dinna stay put, I decided we should deposit our enemies even farther intae the past beyond the vessels. In doing so we would never see or hear of them again.”
“Ye hae sentenced m’wife tae a long death. I want ye tae tell me how twill be remedied.”
“I daena ken, it—”
I yelled, “I daena want tae hear ye say ‘I daena ken.’ Nae! Nae! Ye tell me how tae get her back here.”
“There inna a way tae do it, there inna—”
Hayley said, “Just now you gave Katie a piece of string for the babies so jumping wouldn’t hurt them.”
I said, “Ye had this? Ye never told me of this?”
“Some things are just for me tae ken.”
“Ye were able tae turn off all the vessels at once, how dost ye ken tae do this?”
“I learned some things. I’ve been figuring things out, asking questions.”
“Who did ye ask questions of? Who dost ye ken?”
“I went tae the future and—”
“Tell me ye are going tae the future tae learn how tae bring her home!”
“You are asking a great deal of me. I daena like tae go tae the future on principal, and so I daena go anymore. I winna just walk intae their offices and say, ‘remember the vessels I hae in m’possession—‘“
“How are ye are goin’ tae get Kaitlyn home!” I stepped forward. “Ye tell me!”
“I daena ken how, Magnus, I suppose I could try and figure it—”
“What date did ye send her tae?”
“I daena ken.”
I glared. “Hammond, dost ye ken the day?”
“Only the settings, I have them written down.”
“Was it here, this place?”
“Aye.”
“It might be the middle of winter, she is dressed for a Scottish summer, a warm day, nae winter. She might nae last the night. Lady Mairead, how