to get the family set up, they’re all safe, you’re welcome. Why’s Fraoch in a stretcher? You cool, Fraoch?”
“I am nae cool, Quentin—”
“He was beaten by Lady Mairead’s soldiers, he was threatened at gunpoint by Mags, he is not okay—”
“What the hell? Magnus was—?”
“On a murderous rampage... Look, just follow me. The doctor needs to get him settled.”
We stood off even farther to the side while the doctor placed equipment around Fraoch’s bed. Another man, who looked as if he had fallen from the walls, was brought in. They were expecting about eight people by the number of beds.
Quentin and James looked clean and fresh. “How long were you gone?”
“We took two days, long enough for a shower, expecting Katie, but she never showed. Magnus never came. So we returned. Don’t tell Magnus we didn’t wait a week.”
“Yeah about that...” I put my fists on my hips and blew hair off my forehead. “Right after you all left, like literally right after, like she was waiting for you to go, Lady Mairead had Fraoch arrested and beaten and dragged from the castle.”
“Why the fuck?”
“She said he was Magnus’s brother, before you ask, not by Lady Mairead, but by Donnan—”
Quentin’s eyes went big.
James said, “Who’s Donnan?”
Quentin said, “Magnus’s dad, fucking pay attention, he was a total dick, Katie had to kill him in self-defense, and the uncle of the guy who’s been attacking the castle for days on end.”
“Okay, okay, dude. Man, Mags has the worst fucking family.”
Quentin and I both huffed exasperatedly.
“I asked Katie to come help as you—”
James said, “Where is she by the way?”
I said, “Please let me talk, please, please oh please let me tell you what happened, so we can figure this out, okay?”
“Okay, go.”
So Katie and I were going to intervene with Lady Mairead when Bella stepped out of the woods—” I said to James, “In case you’re not up to speed on her, that’s Archie’s mom.”
“Mags’s mistress.”
I was about to say something when Quentin said, “Fucking cut the shit, James, you know the story, shut the fuck up.”
“Yeah, sorry, uncool.”
I said, “Bella came all violent at us, and I thought she was going to shoot me but then Katie stabbed her and killed her.”
Quentin said, “Holy shit.”
“Yeah, and then Bella’s vessel activated and Katie grabbed hold of it and time-jumped somewhere.”
“Fuck. Do we know where?”
“We do now, kind of, not really, but first I ran to the middle of the field, Lady Mairead was there, plus Roderick and Fraoch. Magnus had escaped from Roderick and was holding all of them at gunpoint. I threw myself on Fraoch because I thought Mags was going to kill him and—”
“Magnus wouldn’t kill him.”
“He shot Roderick, mid-sentence.”
“That guy was an ass though, he deserved it.”
Quentin said, “So where is Katie?”
“Apparently Lady Mairead activated some vessels remotely, sending them to the past, before the vessels originated. You remember that, right Quentin — before the vessels?”
“Yeah, I remember, how far past the date of the vessels?”
“Like no one knows, could be years.”
“What is Magnus going to do?”
“He already left, he went there to find her.”
“So they’re both in the past with no vessel?”
James said, “Wait, what’s happening? I’m trying to keep up but this shit—”
“Boss and Katie are in the past, before the vessels exist. That means they don’t have a vessel.”
“Shit. I don’t know much, but that doesn’t sound good.”
I said, “Lady Mairead is going to try and figure it out. She’s going to go rescue them.”
We all stood and looked down at the ground.
Quentin said, “And we trust her, why?”
I said, “If she wants Magnus to survive, she’s the only one who can.”
Quentin said, “I do not like that she’s our only hope.”
Fifty-nine - Hayley
Fraoch called me to his makeshift hospital bed.
I went over and held his hand. “That was so scary. Are you okay?”
“Nae, but I will be. Tis naethin’ but a beatin’.” He chuckled and then moaned and gingerly held his ribs. “Dost I look pretty?”
“You look awful, frankly, your beautiful face.”
“I will grow a longer beard tae distract from m’injuries.” He chuckled again.
I said, “I think your painkillers are working.”
“I feel verra drunk.” He reached up and patted my cheek. “Ye are a bonnie lass, would ye like tae bed me?”
“No sir, I might break you more.”
“Och, I am too verra strong tae break.” He waved a hand to accentuate the thought and winced. “Och, I might be too broken tae bed ye properly.”
He picked up the edge of the sheet and glanced down. “I