Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

T hunderstorms reminded him of another lifetime, another life altogether. The sounds of rain, followed by thunder soothed him. Tristan lay in bed listening to the symphony played by nature. Life was easy here in the alter-world, he admitted. No choices, pretty much just an existence of living day-to-day.

How had he allowed himself to sleep for so long! He got up from the bed, ignoring the pains that remained, and began getting dressed.

Gwyneth was gone, probably already taken back to the other realm. He didn’t feel the now familiar pull to follow, to join her in her world. Perhaps now that he’d given up on the idea of leaving, everything stopped.

His chest tightened and he fought to keep his composure. After so long, he’d finally felt hope and love. Gwen was everything he could have ever hoped for. And now, she was gone. Tristan pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes.

He wanted to rage, to scream,, to break things, but didn’t have the luxury. Instead he sat down to pull on his boots.

Gavin walked in. Tristan didn’t have to look to know. The man was like a disoriented bear. The bang of his boot against the door as he walked in left no doubt. The large knight sat down, his golden eyes peering at Tristan’s face. “I figured ye would be awake by now?”

“If it is about Gwyneth, I do not want to talk about it.”

“I understand your decision not to leave. None of us begrudge you that. I’ve been thinking…”

“We’ve all been thinking, Campbell.”

“It is about yer daughter. Did you sense her presence?”

Tristan closed his eyes, his jaw tightening, recalling his time at Meliot’s castle. It did not surprise him that after he’d damned these men to remain in the alter-world, they wanted to come up with a plan to help him.

“I didn’t sense anything. The wizard promised to return her, after Gwyneth departed. He will send a messenger.”

“Ah. But do we trust that?”

“Not one bit.”

A wave of dizziness swept over Tristan, and he closed his eyes. “Is the room spinning?”

The rotating subsided, and he opened his eyes. Gavin stood over him a puzzled look on his face. “You were fading. Do you feel a pull to the other side?”

“No.” He sat up, trying to get his bearings. “This time it was different. It is probably part of Niall’s healing. I expected to feel compelled to follow her, but it has not happened.”

“Or maybe, it is because she is still here, in this realm.”

“What? Where is Gwyneth?” His hands fisted on the man’s shirt. “What did she do?”

“She went to Meliot.”

“No! Why did you not tell me?”

“You told me not to speak of her.” Gavin replied, pulling Tristan’s hands off his shirtfront. “You are fading again.”

The spinning began again. This time, the room spun faster and faster, until Tristan feared he’d lose the entire contents of his stomach. Pitching back and forth, followed by the familiar rush of moving into another realm, he was gone. Darkness filled with stars swirled around him. He tried to grab onto something, but his hands came up empty. When he landed, he began heaving and gulping for air, trying his best not to throw up. There was no pain this time, only nausea.

Looking around, he fell back onto his back in shock. He was back at McRainey estates.

Only this time, he lay outside the keep.

“No!” He yelled into the night. “No, no, no!” He pounded his fists into the ground.

The enchantment had been broken. He was free.

A star shot across the night sky; he followed it until it disappeared. This wasn’t right! He’d chosen to stay.

He wasn’t sure how long he lay on the ground trying to convince himself to get up, but remained frozen, fearful. The stark realization that once he got up and went into the keep, he’d have to begin his new life, kept him from moving.

Almost four hundred years later and he was finally free.

How could he want a life at the cost of losing his daughter again?

Gwyneth, she’d sacrificed herself, and as expected, Meliot reneged. “Let her go,” Tristan yelled into the night. “Take me back.” A tear rolled down the side of his face to the ground, he wiped it away angrily and sat up. Meliot would not release them. Not willingly.

“This is not ending like this, Meliot. You will not win.”

Finally he stood and shakily walked toward the keep.

The front door was unlocked. Tristan found it surprising that he was able to enter and acclimate himself to the first floor of the house without anyone stumbling upon him. How long he had waited for this moment, the day he’d walk in this house freely, without being confined to the room he flashed into.

Footsteps came to a halt, and he turned to see Edith McRainey. After an initial shocked look, she rushed to him, hugging him. “You’re free. Thank God and the Virgin Mary!” Edith exclaimed. “Oh goodness, I can barely believe it.” The older woman began to cry, reaching up and cupping his face. “You’ve been through so much. I know you’ll need some time to adjust.” She looked around him. “Where’s Gwen?”

“Meliot took Gwyneth. I have to go back.”

“What?” Edith cried, “Oh no. What am I going to tell her sister?”

“Don’t worry Edith, I overheard.” A young woman walked into the room, her eyes trained on Tristan. It had to be Gwyneth’s sister. Their resemblance was uncanny, in spite of their very different coloring. Where Gwyneth was dark, this sister was fair. In contrast to Gwen’s midnight hair, her hair was vibrant in different shades of red and auburn that framed her pretty face. Her eyes were light, not dark brown like Gwen’s, but they both had the same almond shape.

“I’m Sabrina.” She held her hand out. Tristan took it. “Is this the last part of the enchantment? The sacrifice. Since the other parts are done.”

“Done?” Tristan asked confused.

“Yes, you know, the correct spell and the part where the enchantress falls in love with you,” Sabrina told him holding his gaze. “You are aware that now you’ll have to marry her, right?”

He knew his eyes widened, but he hoped she didn’t take it the wrong way. “She’s in love with me?”

Sabrina cocked an eyebrow. “Duh.”

“Of course I’ll do my duty by her,” he stuttered.

“Your duty ? You’ll only marry her if you love her. Not out of duty. Men! No matter what time you’re from, you guys are all the same. Dense.”

“Should not we be worrying about saving her first?”

“On it.” She held up her hand. “I’m going to look for a spell in the book, but I’m almost certain it’s not necessary.” She gave him a triumphant look. “The enchantment is broken. She can’t possibly stay there now.”

Tristan wasn’t too sure, but he didn’t argue. He needed time to think. Perhaps he’d summon Gavin and get him to flash him back to the alter-world.

“What the hell is going on?” The young McRainey entered the room, stopping, his mouth falling open when he set eyes on Tristan. “Oh.”

“Nephew,” Tristan greeted him, not moving, afraid he might hit the man for touching Gwyneth. “Unlike the ladies, you do not seem pleased at my return.”

Derrick’s eyes narrowed slightly. He went to pour himself a drink and drank it down, then poured another.

“It’s just that I didn’t think the legend was true,” he told them without turning. “How the hell could this happen?”

When he turned, his expression was completely composed. “Welcome back, Laird. I’m pleased that you are free and can finally return to your home.”

Tristan nodded, watching the young man pour another drink, then pour one in a separate glass and bring it to him. “How long since you’ve been able to—partake?” The question was not about the drink… Tristan understood that.

“Just a few days ago, actually,” Tristan replied, locking gazes with Derrick’s. “I enjoyed it very much.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Derrick replied, also not backing off. “If so, you would not be so eager to leave this alter-world.”

“I didn’t say it happened there,” Tristan replied, lifting an eyebrow and glancing toward the ceiling. “Did I?”

Derrick stared at him, not breaking eye contact as he took another swallow from his glass.

Sabrina huffed. “If this testosterone standoff is done, we need to concentrate on saving my sister.”