Chapter 6

Im in search of a Fae that kidnapped a child, Edward explained to her as she put on her boots and they set off walking down the dirt road.

Ivy had hesitated for a moment when the man had suggested she come with him to something called, the Sept, but hed pointed in the same direction shed been walking anyway. What harm could it do? Edward might have been a strange man, but hed saved her from being dragged into the lake. Besides, if hed intended to hurt her, he had plenty of opportunity regardless of whether she agreed to go with him.

Still, he did say such strange things. She wrinkled her nose, hearing that familiar word again. What do you mean, a Fae?

You really dont know, do you? My word. Edward shook his head. Well. Its good I found you when I did, then. Were headed for the right place.

What do you mean by that?

The Sept of Clan Grant, he explained patiently.

Ivy hurryied to keep pace with his long-legged strides. The lights in the distance were growing closer, but not close enough to give her any sense of where it was that they were going.

For centuries, Clan Grant has presided over the borders between the human world and the world of the Fae… and the presence of yourself and all the others falls squarely in our jurisdiction.

All the others? Maybe it was the multiple near-death experiences in one night, but Ivy was struggling to keep up with what this man was saying… as much as she was enjoying his accent, shed have enjoyed it more if she knew what the hell he meant. Others like me, you mean? People whove — nearly drowned in the lake?

Edward hesitated, and when she looked sidelong at him, she saw reluctance in his eyes. It was a little annoying, how dark it was out here. She had a suspicion he was rather handsome — what she could make out of his face was, at any rate — and she wanted to know if she was right before she got any more besotted with the deep, sonorous timbre of his voice. Hopefully, this Sept would be better lit, whatever it was.

Therell be a lot for you to learn about, I think, lass. Best wait for the experts to explain.

Ivy narrowed her eyes. Sounds like you know more than me.

A smile tugged at his lips. A little, perhaps.

That makes you the expert. And you seem like a well-spoken man. So — tell me what you know. His reluctance made her exhale with frustration. Edward, please. I woke up in a lake with a chunk of my memory missing, and then a horse tried to drown me. I need to know whats happening to me. Wouldnt you? Put yourself in my shoes for a minute, would you?

A brief glimmer of amusement in his eyes. Id rather not, if its all the same to you. Theyre wet.

She managed a laugh at that — a weak laugh, but still a laugh. That was a good sign, she suspected. Alright. Keep your nice dry boots. But tell me whats happening.

Alright. But reserve judgment until youve heard it from those who study. Im good with iron arrows, but Im no scholar. He exhaled. You said you dont know what Fae are.

Only the stories, she shrugged, faeries and the like. She often told clients about how a lot of faerie stories probably had to do with undiagnosed autism — it was comforting evidence that the condition wasnt something that had simply materialized over the last few decades.

Right. Well, theyre not simply stories. Thats the first thing to know. Faeries and their ilk are all very real.

Ivy looked sidelong at Edward, keeping her expression neutral, and let the silence hang. It was the oldest trick in the book for psychologists, and shed often used it to great effect… but if Edward was lying, he was doing a very convincing job.

I know thats not something commonly believed, where youre from.

Where Im from? Do you mean Columbus?

Not exactly, Edward said, shaking his head. Thats the second difficult thing, I suppose. Youre not — wherever that is. Youre in Scotland.

Scotland, she repeated flatly, unable to stop herself — or hide the tone of borderline derision in her tone. Right. Howd I get to Scotland? Was it the faeries?

Aye, it was the Fae. Edward sounded a little frustrated, but she could hear him keeping his voice calm. You see why I wanted to leave this to the experts.

It sounds like a fairly unlikely story, she pointed out, feeling a little guilty for letting her tone slip into impatience before. There was no sense alienating him — even if he was telling her a profoundly delusional story. Odd, though. Shed spoken to people in the grips of psychosis before, or who had fully committed to their delusions… generally speaking, they were a lot more defensive of their visions. The way he was responding to her skepticism didnt fit that pattern. If anything, he sounded like a psychologist who was gently trying to correct a patients misconceptions about reality. If anyone was deluded here, it was Ivy… at least, that was what his bearing would suggest. That didnt mean he was telling the truth, though.

You havent even heard the worst part, Edward said, shaking his head. Perhaps I should have started with that.

Whats worse than faeries and international travel I cant remember?

Are you sure you dont want to wait until were at the Keep? Youre already speaking to me like Im a raving madman.

Sorry, Ivy said, meaning it. Ill be a better listener.

He raised an eyebrow as he glanced at her sidelong. Alright. Its… how best to put this? Youre in a different place, yes. Youre also in a different time.

A different…?

Its the sixteenth century. From what those who came before you have told us, thats… a few hundred years before you were born, aye?

She nodded faintly, schooling her expression. An unwell mind could come up with all kinds of surprisingly creative delusions, but this was something altogether new. International time-travel… facilitated by faeries. But shed promised to be a good listener. So, to summarize — Ive been brought to sixteenth century Scotland. By faeries?

Thats the short version, aye.

And Im not the first — there have been others, which is why you know whats happening, more or less. And youre taking me to meet these others, who live in… a Keep? Is that like a castle?

It is a castle. On the Loch, in fact.

The Loch?—

Loch Ness, he said, nodding to the dark water beside them.

She took this in, biting back on the hysteria that was rising in her. Working as she did with so many autistic and neurodivergent children, she was no stranger to hearing creative, outlandish stories… she often had to lean on her willpower not to laugh too much at her clients. The difference there, of course, was that they generally knew that they were creating works of fiction.

Youre taking me to a castle on the banks of Loch Ness, where a society of people live who… protect the borders between the faerie world and the human one? And I came across this border, somehow? But I was in the human world before.

Thats the fourth thing.

So theres a fourth thing.

Youre dead.

She stopped walking, a cold lump settling in her stomach. Thats not funny.

Edward turned back to her; his expression worried. Its no joke, Miss Jones. From what weve learned, the Sidhe only bring people through from the other world who are about to lose their lives. The last thing you remember — were you in some kind of danger?

A flash of the drunken drivers red face, the squeal of her brakes echoing in her ears… she bit her lip hard, mind racing as she fought to stay calm. I suppose I was, but–

It was the same for the others. The Sidhe are our allies, on the other side of the burgh. They keep to themselves, mostly, and communications are never easy, but… they regularly send us women just like you. Women who were in danger there, who end up thriving here among us. Women whod do a lot better at explaining all of this to you than I would, which was why I wanted to wait until–

Sorry, Ivy said again, shaking her head as she closed the space between them. They started walking again as she continued, Youre right, I asked you to explain it to me, and — you did. So. Thank you.

Youre welcome. Edward looked uneasy, still. Youre lucky I found you when I did. Dont you know to steer clear of Kelpies, where you come from?

I dont even know what a Kelpie is. Or a Sidhe, or a Fae, or half the other words youve used.

A Kelpie is a Fae creature. They pretend to be horses, struggling on the edges of bodies of water… then they drag you into the depths once you touch them. They generally try to get you onto their backs first, actually, he added, a thoughtful look on his face. That one must have been in a hurry.

And you said you were hunting it? The Kelpie? Why not suspend her disbelief? she thought with a shrug. Why not play along with the mad tale this man was spinning? Let him share his delusions… shed get to the bottom of it sooner or later. Besides, shed always quietly loved fairy stories. Maybe shed glean some real insight into what was going on from what he said.

Not the Kelpie, no. I was hunting… something else. A much longer story. He shook his head, then pointed. For another time, perhaps. Were nearly there.

And Ivys jaw dropped at the sight of the enormous castle that had loomed up out of the darkness before them.