floor. The thatch, still burning, burned the bottom of his legs. He ignored the pain shooting across his skin, and cleared what they could, as quickly as possible.
Time ticked by agonizingly slow, and still he could hear the muffled female voice. Had Abigail stayed? Was it both his lass and Gwen? Were they injured, one of them dead? Panic clawed at his gut when they finally made the stone floor slab, lifting it and pushing it over.
Smoke puffed out, the cellar unrecognizable to what it was. He reached down, hearing her choking cough, and lifted Gwen from the room.
Braxton kneeled beside them, pushing Aedan out of the way to lift her up. He frowned down into the room, not hearing or seeing anyone else. “Is Abigail with ye, lass? Can ye tell me that at least?”
His sister coughed again, the sound retching and raw. “No. I sent her home as ye asked.” She coughed again, trying to take a deep breath. “I didn’t have enough power to send us both through and so I stayed. She’s safe.”
Aedan nodded, frowning. “Take her up to the house and don’t leave her side. The smoke she’s inhaled can’t possibly be good for her. Have cook bring up a broth for her and water. I’ll bring the healer back to see her once we’re done here.”
“Aye.” Braxton left, clutching Gwen to his chest. Aedan set out to clean up the mess the clan war had wreaked on his people. He looked up at the sky, and the sky was as beautiful as the woman he’d farewelled only hours before. How could such heavens look down on such hell?
He said a silent prayer that his lass was well and safe.
Men cried out around him and he set to work, helping those he could, or notifying his able clansmen to take others up to the barracks and have them housed.
Perhaps it was for the best that Abigail had returned to her time. This period of Scottish history wasn’t for the faint of heart, and although she wasn’t a whimpering miss, she didn’t deserve such a hard life.
A future that was uncertain, and the times were unsafe, as she well knew.
He would miss her, more than the very stars looking down on them would miss the night, but knowing she was alive, a young modern woman in her right time, lessened the blow. Or at least dulled it to a bearable ache.
Chapter 21
Time, it seemed, had almost stalled. Arriving back at the hotel, Abby learned that it was, in fact, only later the same afternoon that she’d travelled back in time. No missing person’s file had been opened for her. None of her friends were missing her.
If that wasn’t enough to make her depressed, the fact that the one person who had cared about her, loved her for the last month or so, was still in seventeenth century Scotland. She flicked on the television, listened to the news with little interest. Same shit, different day.
How would she live without him?
A knock at the door sounded and she opened it quickly, the hope that Aedan stood on the opposite side dashed as a silver trolley, laden with her room service order, was wheeled in. She tipped the waiter, the smell of hot chips making her mouth water, even as her heart dropped to the floor.
She ate alone but she missed the clan meals, the laughter and chatter among Aedan’s men as they sat at the table, socializing and gossiping, telling tales during their nightly dinner.
The thought was followed by another, even more disheartening. Would she ever see him again? Would Gwen be able to pull her through time once more? That was, if her dearest friend had lived to do so? In the rush to say good-bye, her panic of leaving without Gwen, she’d not told her to bring her back when she could. Stupid mistake, and one she’d live to regret forever, should she live her entire life in the twenty-first century.
She finished her meal quickly, deposited the tray in the corridor, and headed for the shower. It felt like forever since she’d washed her hair properly, and she took longer than usual under the spray.
Aedan would love showers. He’d certainly look mighty fine with water running over his delicious figure, soap bubbles running down his spine and between his perfect ass cheeks.
Tears flowed as easily as the water, and Abby gave in to her emotions and sobbed. She missed him, would do anything to be with