63. Chapter 63 - Ash

Popping my shoulder joint back in place improved the pain immensely, but all the rest of this situation was insane. I was lying in a cart, being dragged around by horses. I had been in a shootout, Lochie had done something to me that scared me and hurt terribly, and now we were going somewhere — where were we going?

To a castle.

None of it made sense, but there was a Florida boy here. That was weird. Did that mean this was a dream?

None of it seemed real.

I realized that the cart was metal, and the wheels had rubber tires. Near me was a nameplate — TuffCart. It was bouncing me, but they were pulling me slow, trying to keep the bouncing to a minimum. I was actually getting lulled to sleep, probably the effect of the drugs, too. Watching the trees go by, an endless woods, what woods? I was definitely feeling, loose. Looser. Looserer.

The cart rolled, the movement shifted side to side. I looked up at Lochie, he was up on a horse, riding beside me, backlit by sun, hot, straight backed and competent, gosh he was hot. Roll shift, shift roll.

He looked down, his expression was really concerned about me.

Yeah, well me too.

"Ye well, Ash?"

I raised my good arm, my hand wrapped in white bandage, and pointed at him, "You are not real, m'laird." I giggled.

His jaw clenched.

None of this is real. Do you hear me? None of it.