The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,94

that at least one had been lost. There were nine in use. I dinna ken if m’great-grandfathers had used more. How many had been necessary tae building the kingdom? One of the vessels was marked with the name: Reyes. Was his vessel integral tae m’own history?

Without him I would—

The handle on the door between our rooms jiggled. I climbed from the bed tae open it and there was wee Isla.

I whispered, “Are ye lookin’ for yer Mammy?”

She nodded as I lifted her up and brought her tae the bed. “Wheesht, she is sleepin’.”

I placed her in the middle, climbed in on m’own side, and pulled the covers up over us. I brought the book up again and studied it some more, trailin’ my finger down the list, thinking about the risk of taking them all, all the things I might undo. The lives I might unravel.

My mind kept returnin’ tae what Zach had said — maybe I already took them all.

I was still here. Isla and Archie were still here. Possibly it was stable. Kaitlyn made a snorting noise in her sleep and Isla copied it and giggled. She whispered, “Book?”

“Tis a verra old book. I am interested in the list of vessels, wee’un, Da is trying tae decide if he should go get them.”

She nodded, her eyes full of the page of numbers, in the quiet of the room her voice tae m’ear, “Da, go get them.”

I raised my head tae look down on her. “Aye, I am tryin’ tae decide.”

“Da go get them a-ready.”

I raised my head and looked at her. “Ye think I did?”

She said, “Aye,” and laughed sweetly.

I said, “Perhaps I did wee bairn, perhaps I did.”

And I put the book on the side table and turned off the lamp. Soon enough we were all sleepin’ along tae Kaitlyn’s snores.

Fifty-two - Magnus

Kaitlyn raised her head above Isla. “What did I miss?”

“Naethin’ but a wee’un coming intae our bed.” We looked down at Isla, she was perpendicular, pushing us both tae the edges.

Kaitlyn sighed. “At least I know she’s safe.”

“Aye, twas frightening yesterday, a great deal happened.”

“And we just got you feeling better, barely, and then…”

“Aye.”

“So did you decide what to do?”

“Aye, I spoke tae Isla on it last night.”

“Wow, and she had opinions? She’s only just now two.”

“Aye, mo reul-iuil. She daena ken anything about the world, but she seemed tae think I had a’ready made a decision. Perhaps she kens down deep, like how Archie and Barb kent each other… as ye remind me, sometimes we hae memories when we haena yet done something. Maybe our bairn accept the memories because they daena mistrust them.”

“You sound a bit like Barb—”

“I am tryin’ tae think like her as well. I believe she would urge me tae try and do what has yet tae be—”

Archie and Ben banged in yelling, “Morning!”

“Oh man, looks like we’re up.”

Zach came in, “We’re headed down to breakfast.”

“We’re coming! Just a minute!” Kaitlyn climbed from bed and herded the bairn intae the bathroom tae brush their teeth.

She stuck her head from the room with the toothbrush in her mouth. “But you didn’t tell me what it is. Is it to go to war, to avenge Hammond, to fight—”

Isla said, “Mammy! I go potty!”

“Nae, I am goin’ tae win the game by nae fighting the game.”

From the bathroom her voice came to me, “Promise me it’s not death and destruction?”

She followed Isla into the room pulling her pants up, the bairn yellin’, “Breakfast! Breakfast!”

I said, “I daena ken if I hae ever been able tae promise nae death and destruction. Ye ken I always try tae keep us alive. Tis m’goal tae keep ye safe. I canna promise anythin’ but I am nae striving for war, I daena want tae fight anymore.”

Isla and Archie pulled her towards the door.

She looked around the room. “Where’s my room key? Okay, I’m ready — Magnus, I’ll see you down in the restaurant?”

“Aye, I will be there in a few moments.”

They left the room, then she stuck her head back in through the door. “You aren’t a god, you’re a man, right?”

“In all things.”

I went intae the bathroom tae relieve m’self.

Fifty-three - Kaitlyn

We all met at the hotel restaurant’s breakfast bar. I went through the line with the children. Emma helped. Chef Zach was told by Lady Mairead, “Bring me a plate, I daena want tae spoon m’food from bowls.”

When I returned from the buffet line, she asked, “Will ye be able tae eat all of that,