Timeless Mist (35 page)

She watched silent
ly
as Iain strode out of the
keep and met up with Raibert. He glanced up once, and looked at her. This
was
it, it
was
over. Kris knew it. She'd
blown it. Her on
ly
chance at love, at real true love, the kind she'd on
ly
ever read about, and she'd blown it.

Iain
was
a hard man, fair, but hard. She
wasn't
sure he could live
with know
ing
he
was
married to a hated
Campbell. And what if the rest of the clan found out? They would probab
ly
lose all respect for
Iain. Then what would happen to her? She could
n't
and would
n't
do
that
to him. If anyth
ing
happened to him because
of her, because of her last name, she'd never be able to live with it. But what
could she do about it now?

Kris looked to her left. The view
was
breathtak
ing
, but
not
h
ing
could soothe her at this moment. She needed
a walk. She needed to think and put th
ing
s
back into perspective. She also needed a plan. If Iain turned her away, or
turned her out, she would need too somehow survive.

The thought crossed her mind to
go speak with Sorcha, to let her know what
had
happened and what
was
go
ing
on. But she
could
n't
deal with
that
just now. After she
calmed down some, maybe. But
not
now.

She would take a walk. Maybe to
that
ridge again. It might
help to soothe her frazzled nerves enough to think more clear
ly
.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Kris glanced up at the brilliant
blue sky as she walked along the wooded path. She
had
no particular destination in mind when she
left the castle; she just needed to get out for a walk and clear her head. After
her fight with Iain, she needed time to think.

She looked down when someth
ing
caught the corner of her
eye. Gold? Out here in the middle of the woods?

She stooped and brushed away the
brambles cover
ing
whatever it
was
, then
stopped and gasped, sitt
ing
down on the ground with a thump.

The watch.

She reached for it slow
ly
, unsure as to whether or
not
she
was
imagin
ing
it.

Her hand closed around the cold
metal and sent shock waves through her body. After all this time, after all
she'd been through, could this be a way to return to her own time? And did she
even want to return to her own time?

Hold
ing
the watch by its chain she again studied
it's intricate design. It definite
ly
looked
like
the same
one. There
was
on
ly
one way to know for sure.
She brought it closer and rubbed her thumb over the lion's crown, search
ing
for
that
one protrud
ing
point
that
had
opened the hidden back.

Gentle pressure with her f
ing
ernail did the trick. The
back popped open and immediate
ly
the same haunt
ingly
familiar melody began to play. Kris could see the tiny scratches on the inside,
and knew, without a doubt, it
was
the same watch.

This could then return her home. Maybe.
She just
had
to figure
out how the timepiece worked. She
was
positive it
had
been
that
, along with the
inscription on it,
that
had
sent her whirl
ing
through time in the
first place.

A noise to her left made her look
up. A cottage stood in a small clear
ing
in the woods. An old woman
was
bent over retriev
ing
pieces of wood.

Kris hurried over to her. "Here,
let me help you with
that
."

"Ahh thank ye, lass. 'Tis
difficult work for an old woman."

"You do
n't
have
anyone to help you?"

"Laird Iain comes by e'erday
to lend me his assistance, as does Raibert. But they are away just now, arenae
they?" She looked at Kris, "Ye are the laird's new lady."

"I suppose I am."

The woman led Kris inside and
showed her where to deposit the wood.

Kris straightened and looked
around the tiny cottage. It
was
more spacious than it looked from the outside. The large room she stood in
was
a kitchen with a small
table and two stools set by it. It held a large cook stove, as well as pots and
kettles. Herbs hung from the ceil
ing
in one corner of the room dry
ing
.

"You must be the healer,
Morag. Lady Sorcha
has
told me about you. She's
very
impressed by your heal
ing
abilities."

"Aye lass." The old
woman stirred whatever
was
in the kettle on the fire then added a few more pieces of wood to the fire.

The old woman straightened. Kris
looked at her a moment and felt her jaw slide down. "It's you!"

The woman continued to look at
Kris, a serene expression on her face.

"I've seen you before. In
the future. I mean in my time." She shook her head, baffled. "You
were
at the faire in Rannoch!"

The woman nodded slow
ly
.

"You sold me this
watch." Kris held up the chain in her clenched fist.

The woman sighed. "Aye,
lass, 't
was
I who sold
ye the watch."

"Why?" Kris whispered,
reach
ing
for one of the
stools and sink
ing
slow
ly
onto it.

"Ahh, lass, 'tis my
punishment, ye see."

"Your punishment? You take
me away from my fami
ly
,
my life, fl
ing
me back
through time and it's your punishment?" Kris shook her head. "I do
n't
understand this at
all."

The old woman retrieved a jug
from beside her hearth and sat across from Kris. Pour
ing
what looked
like
wine into two goblets, she handed one to Kris.

Kris drank deep
ly
, belated
ly
hop
ing
there
was
not
h
ing
in the wine
that
would
do someth
ing
else
crazy to her.

"The wine isnae tainted,
lass."

Kris smiled weak
ly
.

"Will ye hear my tale?"

Kris nodded, unable to speak for
the lump in her throat. Could Morag send her home?

"Once, a long time ago, I
was
a verra bonny lass. I
was
also verra vain about my
beauty, boasted of it
quite
vociferous
ly
. My twin
sister and I fell in love with the same lad. We began a competition of sorts,
to see who could win the love of this young lad. My sister won him." Morag
sighed deep
ly
. "On
their wedd
ing
day, I
was
heartbroken. I thought I
could
have
any male I
set out to get, but Aidan
was
tru
ly
in love wi' my
sister. 'T
was
a
devastat
ing
blow to
me. On their wedd
ing
night, I tricked my sister into leav
ing
and took her place. Ye see, we are twins, so I dinnae think Aidan would be able
to tell the difference." She lo
were
d
her head a moment.

"He knew the moment he
kissed me
that
I
was
nae the fair Aeval whom
he'd wed. When my sister returned and learned of my deception, she
was
furious. When she
was
finished rant
ing
, she sent me away until
she could decide on my punishment."

"You
were
banished?"

"Aye. When she decided my
punishment, I
was
sent
here." She gazed into the fire a moment before continu
ing
with her tale. "First,
she turned me into the old woman ye see before ye and sent me away from her
court. As further punishment, I
was
to find seven lads and lasses and unite them with their true mates. I willnae
be allowed back to Aeval's court until I accomplish this task and learn what
the mean
ing
of true
love is."

"Am," Kris took a deep
breath and blew it out, "am I the first one you've done this too
then?"

"Nay, lass, there ha'e been
others."

"So what happens if you
fail? I mean what will happen to you if it does
n't
work right?"

Morag shrugged, "I ha'e nay
had
that
happen yet, but if it does, then I move on
to the next. I cannae return to court until I ha'e met the requirements and
accomplished the task set before me.

Kris sat quiet
ly
for a moment, digest
ing
what Morag
had
told her.

"Just who is this Aeval
anyway?"

Morag took a deep breath, "She
is the faery queen."

"Oh." Kris
was
surprised she did
n't
feel shocked at this
revelation, but with e
very
th
ing
she'd been through over
the past couple of months, it
was
no wonder. "Your name is
n't
really
Morag, is
it?"

"Nay, lass. I am Aoife, twin
sister of the faery queen."

Kris nodded. "So why did you
choose me? I
have
a
life and a fami
ly
to
take care of. I
had
a
life I
was
happy with.
I
was
busy, and it
was
a full life." At
Morag's skeptical look, Kris grew defensive, "so it
wasn't
always happy. But it
was
my
life."

Morag took a deep breath. "When
I saw ye at the faire, ye looked so lone
ly
.
I know ye
have
a fami
ly
and ye love them all
well, but what of yourself lass? Ye've ne'er
had
the one th
ing
yer
heart tru
ly
yearns
for--a love
that
will
last through all time."

"I did
n't
need it. I'd learned to
live without it. I can still be happy without it." Kris shook her head,
not
understand
ing
any of this.

"Search yer heart, lass. 'Tis
what it wants, what it needs above all else."

Kris sighed soft
ly
, unable to continue to
deny it. Morag
was
right. She'd always dreamed of find
ing
love, a true and last
ing
love. She'd tried
very
hard to make it work with David for just
that
reason. She
hadn't
wanted to give up. But she
had
.
When she'd broken it off with him, she'd given up on
that
dream, convinced it
was
just an impossible
wish—until now.

"So tell me, Kristianna
Campbell,
have
ye
found yer love?" Morag peered close
ly
at her, wait
ing
for an
answer.

    Kris stood and walked to the
window, peer
ing
out
into the dusk. "I thought I
had
."
She whispered at last. "Now," she turned and looked at Morag,
"now I'm
not
so
sure. I love him well enough, but…" she shrugged and forcib
ly
swallowed the
very
large lump in her
throat, "I
not
sure he can ever return
that
love."

"Dinnae sell the laird
short, lassie. He is a hard mon, aye, and more so because he
has
had
to be. Ye ha'e brought him a long way in
soften
ing
."

Kris shook her head. "But
this is too big for him to come to terms with.
Not
on
ly
did I lie to him,
but I lied about who I
really
am. I'm a Campbell, he's a MacGregor. I do
n't
think it's at all workable." She sighed as a tear escaped.

"Love can o'ercome many th
ing
s."

"
Not
this. A bird may love a fish, but where
would they live? I love a medieval laird, one who's most hated enemy are the
Campbell's, though
not
without good reason.
Not
to mention the fact
that
he is a good deal older than me." She shook her head, sadness near
ly
overwhelm
ing
her. She knew what she
had
to do, the question
was
could she do it? And if
she did, could she live with it afterwards?

She looked at the watch still
gripped in her fist and came to a decision.

"I love him." She
closed her eyes and took a firmer grip on the watch. "And because I love
him so much, I
have
to
let him go." Her voice
was
bare
ly
above a
whisper. "I…" She stopped, took a deep, fortify
ing
breath and pushed the
words out of her mouth, "I want to go home."

Morag shook her head, "so be
it then, lassie."

The next th
ing
Kris knew, the floor
beneath her seemed to give way. She
was
float
ing
, or f
lying
through the air, the
sense of inertia mak
ing
her want to vomit, while the pain in her head near
ly
split it in two. So intense
were
the forces batter
ing
her from all sides,
that
she gave into the
blackness clos
ing
in
around her.

*          *          *

The bright sun shin
ing
through the window woke
Kris. Her head pounded and her mouth tasted disgust
ing
. She kept her eyes closed, will
ing
the spinn
ing
to stop. A memory tugged
at the edges of her mind.

She lay still, her eyes shut
tight, and tried to calm her pound
ing
heart and labored breath
ing
.

Voices. She heard voices from
somewhere as if from a long distance off. Then, with a suddenness
that
staggered her, her
memories flooded back.

Iain.

She sat up with a start and
groaned as the pain in her head near
ly
laid her flat again. Forc
ing
herself to remain still she kept her eyes closed until her head stopped pound
ing
and she thought she
might be able to move a bit without throw
ing
up.

She opened her eyes slow
ly
, wonder
ing
what she would find when
she did so. Would she be home? Would she still be in her and Iain's room?