Chapter Four

M urmuring voices made Callum's ears perk up, and he ceased his relentless pacing as he ran toward the basement door. Seven hours had passed since Sorcha disappeared, but Callum hadn't slept or even sat down. All he'd done was consider ways to save her, things to say when he'd meet her in her time. His pulse quickened when he realized that someone had finally arrived at the visitor center. Desperation and adrenaline shot through every cell in his body as he called out for help.

"It's Callum! Can ye hear me?" he shouted as he banged on the heavy wooden door and rattled the knob to make more noise.

The voices stopped just before the doors swung open. Luckily, he stepped back in time to avoid being hit by the door. When Murielle and Samuel stood on the other side, he sighed with relief and rushed toward them. He'd not slept a wink or done anything but ponder his encounter with Sorcha, determined to find her again.

"Callum?" Murielle asked, her sleek blond hair catching the light as she stepped closer. "Are ye all right?"

Callum shook his head. "Ye know a lass named Sorcha, aye?"

Murielle frowned and looked at Samuel with concern in her eyes.

Samuel shook his head as he regarded Callum. "We do know a lass named Sorcha, yes. But surely not the one you are referring to."

"From Pinnata Castra. Red hair…Queen Caitriona saved her father from a smallpox outbreak in 685?"

Murielle stepped forward, and for the first time, Callum noticed her red-rimmed blue eyes and shaking hands. "How do ye ken this, Callum?"

"She was here! Last night, I came down to the basement to store some pamphlets and heard a voice. When I reacted to it, the stool I used to prop the door open flew across the room." He pointed to the black metal stool near the wall. "It was Sorcha! She told me she'd been stuck down here since her death! Murielle, there is a clergy member… a priest, or a monk, who will come to Pinnata Castra. He will accuse Sorcha of being a witch… or whatever the equivalent of a witch is at that time. He drowns her, claiming she used some dark force to survive a plague. Sorcha said that, just before she died, he threatened to go after Queen Caitriona and her sister, Emilie. I need to get to her! I need to save her!"

Panic overcame him. Now that he was free to leave the basement, he wanted to run full speed toward the cave and save Sorcha.

"Callum." Murielle put a hand on his shoulder and looked at Samuel before speaking.

Samuel cleared his throat and closed his eyes. "You cannot save her, Callum."

"Sure, I can! I know all the stories! Emilie saved Wee Lucas! Why cannae I save Sorcha? I have to try! I… I love her…" His voice trailed off as the words slipped through his lips so naturally that he hadn't even had to consider the truth of them. How could he be in love with a woman who died so long ago… a woman he'd spent only a few hours with? He couldn't explain it, but he had to find her.

"Callum, she is gone. She died a week ago. Murielle and I were visiting when it happened. She is likely the first case of what is now considered a witch hunt in Scottish history. Only, they didn't call it that back then. We apprehended the priest, and he is currently being dealt with. King Brodyn had to lock him away and send a messenger to seek a church official. Only they can determine his punishment. He cannot hurt Cait or Emilie now. But Sorcha is lost to us. I'm so sorry."

"No." Callum backed away and clenched his fist.

A tear slid down Murielle's face. "I loved Sorcha, Callum," Murielle croaked. "She was a great friend. I was there when her father fell ill, and she sought help. Cait was able to help because she was vaccinated against smallpox, which I dinnae ken at the time, of course. I havenae slept a wink since it happened. We almost canceled this book signing, but Burghead is home to us, and I didnae want to disappoint the people."

Samuel looked around the basement and rubbed his freshly shaven chin. "Murielle… this building… isn't it built pretty close to where Sorcha's home was?"

"Aye." Murielle nodded. "Now that ye mention it, I believe this may have been the exact location of her home." She looked at Callum with sorrow in her gaze, but the twisting, gnawing ache in his stomach made him break eye contact. He couldn't bear the pain. All he'd thought about all night was how to save Sorcha.

"It was AllHallow's Eve. I suppose the veil was thin enough for her spirit to be seen," Samuel added.

"It wasnae just her spirit," Callum whispered as he looked around the room. "She was whole. Real. Solid. We talked all night, but at midnight, she disappeared." Talked, fell in love, and made love…

"The veil had closed," Murielle murmured with understanding. "To think that Sorcha has been trapped here all this time… my poor sweet friend." Murielle clutched her chest as tears ran down her cheeks. "Ye couldnae have saved her, even if ye tried, Callum. Ye cannae cross the veil of time."

"How can ye possibly know that?" he asked with frustration. He wasn't angry at Murielle or Samuel, of course. He was angry at the universe for bringing Sorcha to him, only to rip her from him immediately without any hope of saving her.

"A soul can only exist within one body at a time. You and Ronan share a soul. He couldn't cross over with Murielle, and I suspect it's because his soul is occupying your body now. Ronan is occupying your soul in the year 687. If you crossed over, God only knows the catastrophic consequences," Samuel explained.

"Furthermore," Murielle said, gently taking his hand. "Sorcha's line died with her. If ye saved her… then what? She cannae have children, or else the timeline would be altered. I believe, if ye were meant to save her, she wouldnae have appeared to ye a week—and a few thousand years—after her death."

"And, Callum, what would you say to her? That you met her spirit in the year 2023 and traveled back in time to save her?" Samuel shook his head. "I know how painful this is. I really do, but I see no scenario where you were ever meant to save her. I'm so sorry, Callum."

Callum couldn't respond. What was there to say? He'd spent the night holding her, loving her, getting to know her in a soul-searing way he'd never experienced. And for what? Just to be left empty, aching, and broken.

Murielle looked from Callum to Sam, then back again. "I have something I'd like to give ye."

"Murielle… are you sure? It means a great deal to you," Sam questioned.

She nodded and smiled. "I'm sure. He needs it more than I do."

Callum wrinkled his brow as he watched Murielle unclasp a small brooch from her purple blouse. "Cait gave this to me after Sorcha died. It's her cloak pin. She wore it every time she left the house on cold days. Here."

Callum observed the small silver brooch in Murielle's palm. A crescent shape with intricate swirls intersected with a V-rod—a prevalent Pictish symbol. Slowly, Callum put out his hand, and Murielle gently placed the clasp into his palm.

"I cannae take this from ye."

"Then we can share it," she said with a smile. "Ye keep it for now. I think it will help ye heal. Sorcha was a verra special lass. I amnae surprised she had such an effect on ye after all these years. And I dinnae ken what happened between ye both down here, but I assume ye had as great an impact on her as she had on ye."

What did it matter? She was gone, and Callum was left here alone to suffer the loss of a woman who never existed in his time.

Clearing his throat, Callum placed the brooch in his pocket. "Yer signing is starting soon. Do ye need help setting up?"

Samuel shook his head and patted Callum on the shoulder. "No, we can handle this. You have been trapped down here for what I assume is several hours. Go home, eat, shower, sleep—whatever you need to do. We will be all right." Samuel slipped on a smile. "Hey, just think. In January, you're joining our archaeology program at the university. We'll get to spend much more time together. Soon, you'll be helping us excavate the cave."

Callum nodded. Maybe they were right. After all, they knew more about the limitations of traveling through time than he did. His excitement to start at the university was stunted by the pain of losing Sorcha, but perhaps it was good timing. After this experience, how would he continue to work here? He'd languish away in this basement, hoping for any sign of the woman who stormed his heart, consumed his body, and then left him with nothing but her memory.

When Murielle and Samuel grabbed the boxes of their books and ascended the stairs, Callum remained. He wasn't quite ready to walk away, nor was he certain that Sorcha was gone. After all, she'd been able to see him for years, even if he couldn't see her.

Pulling her brooch out of his pocket, Callum ran a thumb across the cool metal's surface, knowing that just a week ago, Sorcha had worn this clip. It was almost 1,400 years old, and yet it wasn't. The entire concept was mind-boggling, and though he'd pondered time travel since the day he'd met Murielle, he'd never had the urge to try it until last night.

But, he had to heed Samuel's warnings. Sorcha was gone. He couldn't save her. And he'd be risking a possible catastrophe if he crossed over. He shuddered to think what would become of his and Ronan's soul if their bodies occupied the same time or space.

Still, it wasn't fair. He was doing just fine until Sorcha showed up, and part of him wanted to shout at her for leaving him, even if he knew it was ridiculous.

"Are ye here, Sorcha?" he asked, looking around the room. "I wish I knew if ye could hear me. I was going to save you. I wanted to run to that cave, pass through, save ye, and bring ye back here to live with me." He chuckled at his foolishness. It had never been an option. What had he been thinking? Murielle was right. If he'd found Sorcha in her time and told her the truth, she'd have run away in fear. Nay, they were meant to have one night together and nothing more. Though, he couldn't understand why. What was the purpose of any of it?

Sighing, Callum held up her brooch. "If this is all I have of ye, I shall cherish it forever, along with your memory. Just know that ye are loved. I cannae explain it. I just know ye and I were meant to be together, even if just for one night. Ye've changed my life. I love ye and pray ye arenae stuck here. I hope that ye have moved on and found peace."

With an achy pit of anguish settling in his belly, Callum left the basement where her home had once stood, where he'd lost his heart to a woman who didn't exist, and felt a shot of pain through his heart when the door slammed behind him. He knew today was his last day working here. If he stayed, he'd languish away, spending time in the dark, lonely basement, hoping for another glimpse of a woman he'd never have.

Nay, life was for the living, and he had to go on, even if he'd never forget Sorcha—a woman lost to the pages of history. But to him, she'd live on forever in his heart.