Time Masters Book One; The Call (An Urban Fantasy, Time Travel Romance) (22 page)

“John will have to perform the ceremony?”

“The
current
Time Master is to perform it. That’s the custom. Eaton has to be there
in case anything happens to Kwaku, not to mention to help hold Dallan together.”

“You don’t think anything will happen, do you?”

“To Kwaku? Are you kidding? It’s the rest of the population I’m concerned about.” He kissed her hand again.

She smiled at him. “How long will you be gone?”

Lany shrugged. “Days, maybe a couple of weeks. Not long.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because the Maiden won’t last much longer.
Don’t w
orry
,
Dallan can do it
.
Besides, he and the Maiden already had a preliminary bonding as children, and he’s answered the Call on his own. She’ll call a few more times before th
is is all over, but it’s the fi
rst and last time he answers that are the most important. All in all we’re pretty lucky. We can’t ask for much more.” He pondered his last remark. “Except maybe that Kwaku stay here, bu
t I don’t think that’s likely.”

Cari grinned and rolled her eyes at him. “No, I don’t think so.” She glanced around, searching. “Where’s Vyn?”

“Probably with Dallan. Vyn’s spent most of the last week with him.”

Cari’s eyes widened with concern. “Is he all right? Has he been able to hold up? He’s still in one piece isn’t he?”

“Living stars, of course he’s all right. You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”

Cari’s looked changed to relief. “Thank the Creator. I was worried.”

“You and me both. But it
’s okay. Oh, and Vyn’s doing fi
ne too.”

Th
ey both burst into laughter.

* * *

Dallan sat on a wooden bench outside his
cottage,
his body leaned against its outer wall in his favorite position. Vyn sat on the dusty ground near his feet, drawing circles in the dirt with a stick. “Did John say what he wanted, lad?” Dallan asked hi
m, a half smile on his face. Th
e boy often made him
smile. So little else did.

“He told me to tell you to wait for him here. He had to talk with my dad about something.” Vyn poked at the dirt now, bored with the circles.

Dallan let out a long sigh and scanned the area. Nothing. John had helped him over his earlier dizziness, settled him wher
e he now sat, and run off to fi
nd his assistant. The dizziness was gone, as were most of the
details of his nightmare. Like most of his dreams only the emptiness remained. And pain.
But this one had been very diff
erent.
“And he didna say when he’d be here?”

Vyn stopped his poking and stared up at him. “For a grownup,
you sure are impatient!
”

Dallan snorted. “Th
ere be diff
erent kinds o’ patience laddie.”

Vyn cocked his head to one side, mimicking Dallan’s expression. “And you’ve lost all yours. Right?”

Dallan’s jaw tightened slightly. He glared openly at the boy, but did not force the look.

Vyn nodded his head. “Yep. My dad gets that same look when he’s lost his. And he never tells me when he’s found it again. He’s always losing his patience. Where did you lose yours thi
s time? Maybe I can help you fi
nd it.”

 
Dallan’s look softened. “I’m afraid mine’s nowhere to be found. If I want it back I’ll ha’ to fetch it myself.” He glanced at the other cottages nearby. “I just wish I kent where to look.”

“My mom always fi
nds my dad’s for him. Maybe if you had a wife, she c
ould fi
nd yours.”

Dallan raised a jesting brow. “I dinna think one o’ those ‘twould do me much good. Och, I’d need my patience well beforehand lad, not after.”

“What do you mean?”

“To ha’ a wife takes patience, lad. Lots o’ it.”

“Why?”

Dallan shrugged. “Because they need so much care.”

“What kind of care?”

Dallan looked him in the eye, his glare returned. “Ever had a pet, lad?”

“I had a mouse once, but my sister Sara stepped on it and squished it.”

Dallan’s mouth pressed into a smile. “Weel, ye wouldna want yer sister near yer wife then once yer old enough to ha’ one?”

“Have you ever had a wife? What happened to her? Do you have a little sister too?”

Dallan laughed. “Nay, laddie. I’ve never been married and I havena any sisters.”

“Oh. Do you have any brothers?”

Dallan’s smile vanished.

“Well, do you?

“Aye, lad. One.”

“What’s his name?”

Dallan closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and leaned toward Vyn, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked at the boy, capturing him, “Alasdair.”

Vyn smiled. “What’s he like?”

Dallan swallowed
and almost choked. “Verra much like you, laddie. Verra much like you.” He leaned back against the wall, eyes closed, and waited for the pain to subside.

“See, I told you they were together,” came a familiar voice.

Dallan opened his eyes and looked u
p into the face of Lany Mosgofi
an. A woman was with him. She was pretty, with a generous build, medium height, wise blue eyes and ash-blonde shoulder-length hair. Dallan slowly stood. He may have lost his patience but he still had his manners.

“Dallan, this is my wife Cari. Cari, Dallan MacDonald.” Lany waved a hand between himself and the woman.

She took a step toward him a
nd
held out her
hand in a sideways fashion. He
automatically took it in one of his own and bent to kiss it. “Tis a pleasure, sweet Lady, to meet you.”

Lany quickly noted the Scot’s sudden formal speech and looked to see his wife’s reaction. She caught the look, brow half raised as if to say,
you’ve
taught him well.
“It’s a pleasure meeting you too, Dallan. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Dallan glanced at Lany, then back to Cari, wondering just what she had been told.

“When are you leaving, Dad?” Vyn stood and went to his father.

“In just a little while. You’re going to take good care of your mother for me while I’m gone, right?”

“Uh huh.”

“Where might ye be off to?” Dallan asked.

Lany and Cari exchanged a quick look.

“And ha’ ye seen John?”

“Uh, he’ll be along shortly. Right now I’d better explain a few things.”

Dallan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What sort o’ things?”

“Well, fi
rstly…”

“Ah ha!” Kwaku appeared out of nowhere, cuttin
g Lany
off .
“I knew I would fi
nd you here, Boyeee!”

Dallan growled in irritation, Lany rolled his eyes, Cari smirked and Vyn jumped to the forefront to take on the new arrival.

“So
Mos
-go-fi -an.
Every
ding is ready?”

Lany sighed. “As ready as it can be.
Except Dallan.
I was about…”

“Ha! Do not trouble yourself. I will take care of dat!” Kwaku bellowed.

Dallan’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Ready for what?”

Kwaku chuckled low in his throat. “You’ll see, Boyeee, very soon.”

Dallan abruptly turned to Lany. “Where’s John?”

“Dallan, calm down. He’ll be along shortly.”

He spun back to Kwaku. “What’s going on? Something’s amiss here. Tell me ye good-for-nothing, or I’ll…” Dallan suddenly
forgot what he wanted to say.
He straightened himself to his full height and cocked his head.

A woman was walking toward them with a grace he’d not seen in any lass. She was beautiful, incredible. She was nearly as tall as he, he
r build lithe, her movements fl
owing. Her hair was the glossiest black he had ever beheld and her eyes captured his as easily as wind moves through trees. He had to swallow to keep himself from becoming too entranced with her, and forced his gaze away to look at Lany. “Who is that?”

“My wife, Boyeee.” Kwaku exclaimed proudly, cutting Lany off yet again.

Dallan’s
eyes widened as his mouth flopped open
. He looked to the woman again, then suddenly to Kwaku. He emitted a disgusted snort an
d turned to Lany as if to confi
rm the statement.

Lany merely nodded.

“She’s married to
him?”
Dallan squeaked, truly shocked.
“Th
e heathen?”

Kwaku struck himself in the chest proudly. “Yes! She is married to
me!”

Dallan’s entire face twisted itself into consternation as he stared at Kwaku. He looked again to Lany. “She’s married to HIM?” he asked again, totally perplexed.

Once more, Lany nodded.

Dallan looked from Kwaku, to the woman, to Lany again.
“Why?”

That was it. Lany began to laugh as he shrugged and looked at Dallan, unable to say anything through his giggles.

Dallan’s mouth snapped shut, his eyes narrowed. “I dinna believe it.”

The woman reached them and went directly to Kwaku, who embraced her warmly. They shared a long, leisurely kiss.

Dallan’s face fell back into disbelief. He was about to comment when a village lad suddenly appeared carrying a large tray laden with goblets from the cookhouse. He stood before Kwaku and his wife, bowing low. Kwaku lau
ghed heartily, while the lad fl
inched nervously.

The woman began to approach Dallan, who actually took a step backward.

“May I present my wife, Boyeee?” Kwaku laughed again as he turned his attention to the woman. “Pretty one, dis is Boyeee.”

She took another step closer, Dallan trapped in her gaze. “Kawahnee, he has a name,” she began in a silken voice, using the name reserved for those closest to the Time Master. “Why do you not use it?”

Kwaku held his hands out innocent
ly and shrugged. “He answers to
‘Boyeee’ well enough. I see no reason to change it.”

Dallan wanted to
glare at the heathen but
was
trapped
by the woman’s mesmerizing gaze.

She took another step toward him. “I am called Zara. You are Dallan, and I assure you I will call you by that name. It is a strong name. Like you.”

Dallan swallowed aga
in and nodded, struggling to find words fi
tting to speak to the awesome cr
eature standing before him. “Th
ank you, Lady.”

She held out her hand in the proper fashion. He took it in his own, at once noticing how
soft
her mahogany skin was, and kissed it. An odd tingling sensation coursed through him at the contact.

John had arrived with Zara, but had gone unnoticed due to Zara’s unusual presence. He went directly to Lany, all the while watching Dallan with interest. “Is everything ready?”

Lany glanced from John to Dallan. “Hopefully.”

“What do you mean, hopefully?”

“He means, Lord Councilor,” Kwaku began, taking a step forward, “dat we mus
t have a drink for good luck fi
rst!”

“A drink?” John asked fl
atly.

“Yes! We must drink to de success of de Call and to our journey!”

John glanced at Dallan, whose eyes were still locked on Zara’s. “Dallan knows…”

“De Boyeee knows all he needs to know for now. Let us drink!”

John scowled. “You didn’t tell him, did you?”

Kwaku shrugged.
“What is dere to tell? He’ll fi
nd out soon enough.” His eyes narrowed as his expression turned serious. “I know what is best for him, for bode of dem.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Dere can be no mistakes in dis. I will not risk eider of dem.
Will
you?” He strode away from John, his attention turned to his wife.

Lany leaned into John’s ear. “What’s he up to, Eaton?”

“I’m afrai
d to fi
nd out,” John whispered and then
turned to Kwaku. “Very well then, let’s go.”

The vill
age lad stepped forward and off
ered the tray of goblets to Kwaku. He took one from the tray and thrust it into Dallan’s hand then motioned for the boy to pass out the rest.

“
Wha
… what is
this?” Dallan spoke for the fi
rst time, newly released from Zara’s gaze. He shook himself
slightly, trying to focus on fi
rst the goblet, then on John.