Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Dunstaffnage Castle 1498

John placed a scroll in the bolt hole at the bottom of the mantel, knowing Colin received it in the twenty-first century, just as he had exchanged letters from the seventeenth century with Colin. He sighed, grabbed his whisky, and stared into the dancing flames of the fire.

He remembered when Marie caught him as he retrieved a letter from Colin. John smiled. That happened when Marie learned about the stones and the Fae. It didn't shock her, as he suspected. No, she was understanding.

****

John bent over near the fireplace mantel and opened the box hole. He pulled an ancient scroll from the hole and stood up just as Marie opened the door. He shoved the document in his vest and tried to appear indifferent.

Marie stopped in the doorway, stunned. "John, what are ye doing?"

John stepped to the desk and sat, folding his arms over his chest. "Nothing, Marie." The crackling of paper followed his statement.

Marie closed the door and approached the desk. "Mrs. A. said I would find ye in here working."

She pointed to his chest. "What do ye have there?"

John shrugged, and a slight crinkle followed his movement. "Nothing."

Marie looked at John's chest, then at his face. "I know ye told me that Brielle had to pick up supplies, but it's been a week. I can't even get her on her cell." Marie sat in the chair opposite the desk. "I'm worried, John. That isn't like her."

John shrugged again, keeping his arms folded to hold the document inside his vest.

"Have ye heard from her? It's been a week since she disappeared."

John nodded. "Yes, I have. Said she got delayed getting some stones."

Marie glanced at her hands and glanced up at John. "John, they've delivered all the stones from the quarry. We don't need any more stones."

John leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. The scroll, forgotten, fell to the floor.

Marie rose from her chair and picked up the parchment.

John reached across the desk and grabbed the roll.

Marie shifted backward, avoided his hand, and held the scroll to her chest. "What is this?"

John strode around the desk and tried to grab the document from Marie's hands, but she stepped away and half-turned her body.

"It's nothing, Marie. Ye need to give me the scroll. It's castle business and something ye shouldn't see."

Marie glanced at the parchment crumpled to her chest. She looked at the fireplace mantel, and John followed her gaze. The box hole door stood open.

She stared at it for a moment, then slowly turned to John. "John, what is going on? Where's Bree?"

John ran his hand through his hair and raised his voice. "It's nothing, damn ye, now hand over the scroll."

Marie jumped slightly, blinked, and slowly handed John the scroll.

John snatched the document, stormed to the fireplace, closed the box hole, and returned to the desk. He placed the letter on the desk and rested his head in his hands.

Marie slowly walked to the chair and sat in her seat. "John, I'm really worried. If something is happening and ye cannot tell me, that is okay. Just please tell me Brielle is okay."

John shook his head. "Oh God, Marie. That's just it. I don't know if she's okay. Colin's gonna kill me. I hoped this message would inform me. I can't tell ye how or why or even where. None of this makes sense."

John peered into Marie's eyes. "It's been such a burden to carry the worry alone. Ye don't understand how crazy I've gone, not knowing what has happened. I suspected I realized, but I'm not for certain." He ran both hands through his hair. "Damn, if I tell ye all of it, ye would call me bat shit crazy." John glanced around the room and then slashed his hand down. "Ye can't mention it to anyone that ye've seen even this much. I can't tell ye. I'm not allowed."

Marie jumped from the chair, rounded the desk, and took John's hand in hers. "John, whatever it is, it will be okay. We'll get through this together." Marie stared into John's eyes and nodded. "Just share with me what ye can. We'll go from there."

John nodded, picked up the scroll, stood, and broke the seal. As he unrolled it, he walked to the mantel, not sure what Colin's first message from the past would be.

22 March 1720

J-

I made it here in good time. My work has begun. Archie is a big help.

He has your nose.

Something has blown through the chapel doors. If you're missing a storm back there. She's here.

She was injured slightly but safe—no word from Brigid and no idea how I'll get us both back.

Following note in a few days.

Stay vigilant

-C

John reread the note. He sighed and rested his hand on the mantel. "Thank God. She's with him."

"Bree, she's with whom?"

John whirled around. He was so relieved to hear about Bree he forgot Marie remained in the room. He hadn't planned to say anything in front of her. It was bad enough that she harassed him about Brielle's unexplained absence. And he ran out of excuses. But now she caught him opening the box hole and observed the scroll. He didn't know how much more he could keep hidden from her.

Colin was right. Marie was too smart, the same as Bree. They both would be on to them soon, and John didn't know what might happen then. He must tell Marie about the Fae and his duty to the stone. He hoped she would help him, help him figure out what to do next, and keep him from going crazy. John made a short mental prayer to Morrigan. Please forgive me. He drew a deep breath and caught it in his head. It'll be okay; she can help.

John turned and gazed at Marie, her presence a soothing balm to the stress he had experienced these last weeks. He strode to the desk, set the scroll down, took Marie's hands, and sat in the chair. John took a deep breath and told Marie about his duty to the Stones as captain of the castle. He detailed the dreams he and Colin shared with their Fae and explained how Colin returned in time and his task.

He expected Marie to be shocked and angry, maybe believe he went nuts at such an absurd explanation, but she didn't. She sat and studied his face with each answer. John finished with the description of the purpose of the box hole, then picked up and handed Marie the parchment. "This is the first letter from Colin from the past."

Marie read the note and bounced out of her chair. "Bree is in the past?"

John nodded. "Apparently so, and with Colin. Who is pretending to be Roderick. Oh, he looks just like him."

Marie paced behind the chairs as she waved the scroll. "How'd she get there, and when's she coming back?"

John took the old paper from her and carefully put it on the desk.

John eyed Marie as she paced. "Ye don't seem to be surprised by any of this. Why?"

Marie stopped and shot a sharp glance at John. "John, I study churches and religion, ancient religion. With ancient spiritual buildings, stories like this occur all the time." She glanced to the floor, chewing on her nail, something John saw her do when she focused on a task. "I've read some accounts of spiritual encounters, but nothing like this. Emily mentioned she believed there was magic in the chapel." Marie chewed her nail, "Had me look into the two stained-glass windows at each end of the chapel, but I found nothing." She resumed her pacing and stopped again. "Who is Archie, and why does he have yer nose?"

John laughed. "He's my ancestor, the Captain of the Castle in 1720. His name is Archibald." John shrugged. "I guess Colin calls him Archie. This makes him seem real. Like I got a new relative I didn't know I had."

Marie sat in her chair and lifted John's hands into hers. "John, we'll get through this. I can look some things up at the university and maybe shed some light on the chapel." They both startled. "…shed some light on the chapel." She sounded like one of John's rock jokes.

They both laughed, and John squeezed her hand. "We'll pull through this, Marie, together."

****

John sighed, sipped his whisky again, and recalled her nightmare just a few nights before the priest kidnapped her. She had suffered them since her arrival at the castle, and they got worse the past month. They always woke her at night. They disturbed her so badly she couldn't catch her breath and sometimes screamed.

She refused to discuss them except on one occasion. After the sword accident where Colin almost took Bree's head off, Bree experienced a breakdown that scared them all. Marie admitted a priest tied her to a boat and yelled at her in her dream. The other visions were different, though. She couldn't catch her breath each time she woke like someone had suffocated her in her dream. That night she spoke aloud before she woke, and John couldn't get it out of his head. He ran the incident over for the hundredth time.

****

Something struck him, and he jolted awake. Marie thrashed about on the bed as she mumbled. He tried to grab her, but she rolled too fast.

"Please, it's not what ye think. I am not a real nun. It's not me."

John grabbed her and caught her by the shoulders.

"No, Father, please stop. I'm not guilty. It's not me."

John shook her once. "Marie, wake up. m'eudail, my darling, it's just a dream." She thrashed and clipped John on the chin. He grunted as he rolled her over and covered her so she couldn't hurt him or herself.

He whispered in her ear, "Marie, please wake up. It's John. Ye're here at the castle. Ye're safe." She calmed down but still panted. John rose a little, peering at her face as he brushed her hair aside. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Marie gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

John caressed her face. "Marie, what dream is scaring ye so?" He kissed her lightly, but she didn't respond, just stared at the ceiling.

"Marie, m'eudail. Talk to me." A tear ran down her face into her hair. John placed both hands on her face and shifted his eyes even with hers.

He shook her head slightly. "Marie, look at me."

She blinked and looked into his eyes.

She shook her head and tried to turn away, but John wouldn't let her. "No, ye tell me what has sacred ye so much. Ye talk about a priest and it not being ye. Tell me. I want to help."

Marie gazed at him and silently cried.

At a loss, John rolled to his side and gathered her in his arms as he held her close. "Doesn't matter. Ye have nothing to fear. I promise." He kissed her head and held her tight until she finally relaxed and fell asleep in his arms. He lay awake and promised himself he would do anything to keep her safe.

****

John's da clapped him on the back. "It's a good partnership, and we were the ones to make this happen for the MacDougalls. What a great day in history, eh, son?"

John smiled. "Yea, Da." They stood in the study with Laird John MacDougall and the Captain of the Castle, Douglas MacArthur, their ancestor. When John spotted his father next to their ancestor, John still did a double take. The expression looked like he saw a ghost. He glanced back at his da and witnessed his da do the same.

John squinted at Laird MacDougall. "Ye sure yer cousin is okay with yer guards swarming the priory? I mean, we are going to be on holy ground."

Laird MacDougall waved him off. "Aye, he's not only fine with it. What this priest has done has disgusted him, saying it's a sin above all sins. Lust for power and using a helpless woman to boot. His only stipulation, no killing on holy ground, says it damns the soul to eternity."

John rubbed his head and shook it.

His da glanced at him. "What is it, John?"

John looked at his da and shrugged. "Well, I'm puzzled, is all."

All three men stared at him. He looked from his da to Captain Douglas to Laird MacDougall. They all carried the same questioning expression, and John chuckled.

He scratched his chin as he spoke. "Well, Morrigan said Marie became part of the plan to retrieve the Stone of Fear."

Laird MacDougall nodded. "Aye, and what of it?"

John glanced at him. "Well, that's it. There's nothing we've seen or heard about the stone. If she's the plan the Fae made to retrieve the stone, where is it?"

All four men sat in silence.

His da broke the quiet. "If we have seen no sign of it, then she already possesses it."

John paced in front of the fireplace. His kilt swung as he crossed back and forth. "But if she has it, why hasn't she used it? I mean, on the priest to escape or to travel back in time?"

His da barked a laugh. "First, ye have to know how to use it, but I suspect she has it and doesn't even know what she possesses."

John shook his head. "No, Da, she's a historian; plus Bree saw the Stone of Fear, described it for us all. She would know what she held if it stayed in Marie's hands. But I agree she may not know how the stone works."

John stopped, and his gaze went to his da. "What if the priest knows what he has? What if he has used it?"

His da shook his head. "No, ye'd hear from yer Fae Morrigan if he had. I haven't heard from her since…" He glanced around the room and cleared his throat. "…in a long time."

John peered closer at his da. "I haven't seen our Fae, and ye haven't seen her. Where the hell is she?" He huffed a sigh. "Damn Fae."

Laird MacDougall chimed in. "Either way, we'll know no later than tomorrow. The sailor who spotted them said their ship docks in the morning. Before sunrise, we'll go to the monastery and lay out our plan."

Douglas raised his glass. "To saving Marie."

They all raised their glasses and clinked them as they said together, "To saving Marie."

John sipped his whisky and stared into the flames. The Fae Fable came true. He just prayed her dreams weren't coming true as well. If they were, he needed to get to Marie before the priest found the stone and gained control of both realms or, worse, hurt Marie. And if the madman already had—holy ground or not, John would kill the priest.