Time Masters Book One; The Call (An Urban Fantasy, Time Travel Romance) (60 page)

Shona smiled as her eyes brightened. “Thank you. I cannot ask you to get too involved, as I do not know how dangerous this might get. I have strange feelings of warning. But I am gla
d you are with me here, now. Th
e
waiting is what is so hard. But I do not know what I am waiting for.”

“Maybe you’re waiting for your Prince Charming to come along, just like me!”

Shona glared at
Kitty before smiling.  Kitty began to giggle just as Shona's smile widened, eyes suddenly
intent on what approached their table.

 
Kitty followed her gaze, turning completely around in her chair.

The mysterious man whose name Shona still did not know slowly walked toward them, but without his usual smooth, graceful gait. He appeared to be in great pain, but his face evoked simple pleasure and warmth as he smiled gently at them.

He stopped next to Kitty’s chair and stared down at Shona, his eyes immediately seeking her own.

Shona slumped slightly in response, and he reached out to her with a large hand. She took it without question. Warmth spread through both their bodies at the me
ager contact,
chasing away the threat of
deat
h which now
clung
to them.

She
squeezed
his hand and watched
his whole body sigh
with relief. His eyes were pained and tired, but his smile was honest, warm and strong.
Hello.

She leaned forward, squeezing his hand again.
What is wrong? Are you
not well? How can I help?

His eyes brightened at her concern and he smiled again, but did not answer.

Please, speak to me. What is
wrong? I feel so strange, like I want to help you but I do not know how
. She shook herself suddenly as if chilled.
What is happening to me? I…

Her control gone, she
captured his eyes and gripped hi
m hard, knowing that for the fi
rst time she controlled him. She stood on tiptoe, opened her mouth and very softly began to sing.

Dallan’s body lunged backward, but she held him fast, her voice pulling him back
to her as well as her hands. Th
e earlier
cold which stalked
him
retreate
d from
her song
.
Music that held no mercy for the cold
emptiness
trying to claim him.

Dallan stood straight, his strengt
h returning in waves as heat fl
owed through his veins
,
fi
lling
it. Feeding it…

Kitty sa
t, eyes wide as she watched
.

Hello, little one.
Dallan looked into her eyes, his strength now fully returned, her song ended.
I dinna ken what ye did, but I thank ye, Flower.
I
wasna feeling well.

I know.

Dallan smiled and let go of one of her hands to reach into his shirt pocket.
I’ve something for ye, Flower.
He held his closed hand over her newly released ones.

She looked to his hand then opened her own
, cup
ping them beneath his closed fi
st, and let herself be captured by his gaze again.

Dallan smiled warmly and let fall one by one the contents of his hand.

A tiny gasp of delight escaped her as rose petal
s— yellow, white, red, pink,
lavender, orange and even an odd violet— escaped his palm to fall into hers, showering not only her hands but the table as well.

He let the last petal drift slowly down to mix with the others before reaching into another pocket, this time pulling out a small piece of parchment. Dallan leaned closer, plac
ed the paper in her hands, and
without a word slowly began to back away from the table.

Shona shook her head in protest.
Please do not go.

Dallan merely smiled at her and nodded to the note in her hands.

She ignored the action.
Please, please do not leave me.

Dallan stepped forward and closed her hands over the note and petals.

He hastily glanced to the table, eyes locking on the title of the book he’d found the day before, and smiled. He let go of her hands, reached down, took the book and slowly began to back away again.

“Shona let him go.” Kitty urged
.

Shona continued to shake her head in disbelief.

He backed to the nearest aisle and quickly disappeared.

“No!” Shona lurched forward only to be grabbed by Kitty.

“Shona! Don’t you know a romantic notion when you see one?” Kitty all but shoved her back into her chair.

“What? Let me up!”

“Boy, are you naïve or what? When a man hands you a note, you let him leave and then you read it.”

“What?”

Kitty stomped her foot. “Read the note!”

Shona looked at the note in her hand, stared at it blankly for a moment, then unfolded the odd parchment.

Written in a graceful and very Gothic-looking script were the words:

Meet me in the garden.  Five o'clock.

DKM

“DKM? Do you suppose that’s his name?” Kitty asked, leaning over Shona’s shoulder to read.

Shona’s eyes widened. “I sang to him.”

Kitty put an arm around her. “I heard.”

“What is happening?”

Kitty smiled. “At this p
oint, I don’t know anymore. And as freaky as all this is,
I almost wish it were happening to me. How romantic! A note to meet in the garden!”

Shona, her senses slowly returning, threw Kitty an incredulous look. “What garden?”

Kitty looked at the pile of petals in Shona’s other hand, picked up one o
f the odd violet ones and sniff
ed it languidly. “What other garden is there?”

Shona thought a moment, her mind running maps of the city past her consciousness. “Oh my.”

Kitty nodded. “The City Garden up on the hill
, silly. Where else did you think he meant? Where else could he have gotten these?” She let the petal fall back into Shona’s hand.

Shona raised her face to Kitty’s and smiled. “Imagine that.” She looked to the petals in her hand, brought them to her face and inhaled. Her smile broadened. “Maybe he is as you say, my Prince Charming.”

 
Kitty half-giggled, half-snorted. “Despite everything else going on, no matter how weird it’s b
een
I think you’re about to fi
nd out.”

* * *

“Master Lany, yer wrinkling me shirt! Let go!” Angus batted Lany’s hands away from his shoulders.

A strangled laugh escaped the very excited Lany. “Ha! Did you see what happened? I’ve never seen or heard anything like it! Angus, do you know what this means?”

Angus smoothed his shirt. “Aye, it means I ironed me clothes this morning
fer
nothing.”

“Angus! The Maiden sang and didn’t even fall into Flux. She healed Dallan
without so much as lifting a fi
nger. Her voluntary abilities must be strong enough, because of the music she feeds on, to be used without having to draw strength from both her hearts. She and Dallan won’t have as high a risk factor on assignments. As far as I know, this has never happened before.”

“Makes sense to me, being as how she feeds on music to begin with.
Mayhaps ‘tis some sort o’ residual that she used on him.
She may still ha’ to Flux, Master Lany. Mayhaps today she had some to spare.”

 
Lany calmed down somewhat. “Hmm, you could be right. Let’s get Dallan and see what kind of shape he’s in. I think he wandered over there.” Lany waved a hand in the likely direction.

“If ye asks me,” Angus began as he shuffled after Lany. “I think she gave
him a wee too much song.”

“What makes you say that?”

  
“The lad had an awful silly grin on his face and he didna even see us. Passed us right up.”

“He’ll be fi
ne, don’t worry.”

Angus snorted in answer and stopped short, crossing his arms over his chest. “Fine eh? Look at him!”

Lany also stopped and took in the sight of the Weapons Master, sprawled in a chair, his back to a table, head resting on its surface, arms spread out to either side of his tall warrior’s frame.

But it was the look on his face that drew Lany’s attention. Dallan’
s face was fi
xed in acute, euphoric, dreamy adoration.

Lany nodded. “You’re right, she overdid it.”

“How long
will
it last?” Angus asked his own face twisted up in disbelief.

Lany shook his head and shrugged. “Hopefully long enough to get the job done so we can
get out of here and go home. Th
is is to our advantage.
And at least he’s fi
ne now.”

“A bit too fi
ne, if ye
ask
s
me.”

Dallan sighed with contentment.

Lany tried not to laugh as they approached him
. Angus simply moaned in disgust.

Da
llan raised his head
as if drunk. “Afternoon, gentlemen.
‘Tis a right fi
ne day, is it no?”

Angus buried his face in his hands while Lany stood and chuckled to himself.

“Weel, lads. Ha’ ye seen John anywhere about? I need to tell h
im something.” Dallan’s head fl
opped back against the table with a loud
thunk
.
The blow didn’t even faze him. He sat staring at the high ceiling overhead, a contented grin spread across his face, eyes glassy with romance.

Lany shook his head again. “Oh, great. She’s made him impervious to pain. Shona doesn’t know her own strength.”

Angus shuffled back and forth as he stared at Dallan, his face a frown. “Disgusting.”

“Well,” Lany began with a sigh. “I suppose it could be worse.”

 
Angus snorted and scratched his head. “Och, aye, Master Lany. How could it get any worse?”

The Weapons Master raised his head, looked at the two men now standing
with mouths agape and began to giggle soun
ding almost like a little girl. He then began to hum a jaunty little tune, bobbing his head this way and that to the music.

Lany grimaced and glared at Angus. “You had to ask,” he mumbled as he stepped over to grab one of Dallan’s arms.

Angus did the same. “C’mon now lad, up with ye. Ye’ve
gots
an appointment to keep.”

“Appointment?” He squeaked. “Ah, with the lass.” He stood abruptly, dragging Lany and Angus up with him. “We best
be
off then, eh?” He took off at a quick pace as the other two men groaned and started after him.

All this trouble, grief and worry, Lany
thought, and now to top it off
, a
love-sick
warrior to contend with.
Of all the ways to have to save two lives, not to mention the Known Lands.
He shook his head as he and Angus followed Dallan through the library in se
arch of John. It just didn’t fi
gure.

But then, whatever did?

Each friend represents a world in us,

A world possibly not born until they arrive,

And it is only by this meeting that a new

World is born.

Anaïs
Nin

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“Well, Lordy, why didn’t you call and tell me you’d be here? You two know I always come on Friday afternoon.” Tomy blocked Shona and Kitty’s path, her arms folded across her chest.

Shona raised a brow and blinked as if she wasn’t sure it was really Tomy, not quite recovered from her recent encounter and subsequent separation from Dallan.

“Shona, girl, are you all right?” Tomy stepped forward and put her arm around her. “What happened? Are you sick?”

Kitty giggled.

“What’s so funny?” Tomy quipped in response.

Kitty continued to giggle. “She’s better than you think.”

Tomy shook her head and gave her attention back to Shona. “What’s the matter?”