Begin Where We Are Read online

  “Och, you challenged me without the trial of killin’ tae get tae me. I am the next king by birthright, why must I fight ye? I could say ye are beneath me, untested, unproven — it would sully my reputation tae fight ye.” Samuel looked furious.

  I continued, “I am the future king, but if ye challenge me, am I suppose tae let ye set the terms?” I looked around at the crowd for their approval. “I believe I am busy on the morrow. I have an appointment with my tailor tae let out the front of my kilt.” I stood taller and glared at him. “Tis constrictin’ tae my broadsword.”

  The people around us laughed at my joke as the two of us stared into each other’s eyes, breathing heavy, locked, a step closer tae battle when the war minister stepped between us. “Samuel. Magnus. Hold it for the arena.”

  I raised my brow and grinned at him. “Minister Donahue, I winna fight him tomorrow, but I would fight him later in the month.”

  “I will set the date in the books.” He turned away tae converse with his wife.

  Samuel stood close tae me, his chest bowed. “You got away with it this time, Nephew, but you’ll still be dead by next week.”

  “Och, nae by your hands. I imagine much greater men wish me dead. I will spend my time worryin’ on them if I worry at all.”

  He walked away by a few feet and pretended tae nae care about me.

  Lady Mairead said, “Watch him Magnus, he is deadly. We have come too far tae watch him take the throne.”

  “If he kills me I winna be the one watchin’ would I? Twould be you. Daena you mean ye have come too far? Seems tae me ye haena one bit of consideration about my life, only the outcome for you.”

  “Remember, I told ye tae go to your rooms tonight. I told ye tae rest. I warned ye. But whatever happens here this evening, you have made a vow, you arna finished with it.”

  “What are ye…?”

  She pushed away through the crowd.

  Kaitlyn

  It was as if I was floating above the lost little body of a young girl, a stranger, forlorn and crying, but I was untethered, drifting, distant. I couldn’t help. I wanted to wash her. To give her some clothes. Help her dress. Hold her while she cried, but I couldn’t do anything but cover my ears and clamp my eyes shut and beg for forgiveness.

  And when I opened my eyes to watch the young girl below she was struggling, and screaming. It was terrifyingly loud and breathtakingly long and soul-shatteringly forlorn. She was shaking so much I thought she might fall apart into pieces on the rug of the blood-splattered room.

  She stood and pushed the hair from her eyes, smearing blood across her cheek, and with trembling hands she pulled the dress from the hanger, stepped into it, and pulled the slithery fabric up and tried to twist it to make sense of its placement. A filmy fabric stretched across her breasts, formed in the wrong places, loose in the others. It barely mattered because once up she caught sight of the body again. She screamed, like she had forgotten, but there it was —

  She screamed more, her voice burned ragged from the strain of it.

  She found the key to the door in the pants of the dead man and unlocked her prison.

  The trance broke. She flung her body out the door, collapsed on the ground, struggled back up, and I was able to pull myself down to meet her, to pick her up, and beg her to run, run Kaitlyn, run away. He can’t hurt you anymore.

  Magnus

  Bella pressed against me. “That was awesome My Magnus. I adore you when you are aggressive like that. It makes me want you even more.”

  I cut my eyes at her. “I want the gun.”

  “Not until dinner, under the table. They might search you. That’s when—”

  “I want it now. Uncle Samuel intends tae kill me and he has a weapon on him. I could tell in his eyes when he was threatenin’ me.”

  She said, “I don’t know how I will give it to you here in a crowded—‘

  I pushed her up against the wall, pulled up the front of her skirt, and wrestled the gun free from her thigh holster. I released her. “Thank ye.”

  I shoved the gun intae my belt and ran my fingers through my hair while she struggled tae put her dress back tae rights. I chuckled and took a swig of the glass of wine she asked me tae hold. Then I heard someone screamin’.

  Magnus

  The screamin’ was coming from the far side of the room. I pushed Bella protectively behind me and tried tae make sense of the sound as it echoed around the Great Hall.

  I glanced over my shoulder at Bella — she was wide-eyed, scared. The sound went on, a wail of despair and fear, and it was echoin’, fillin’, shockin’ my ears.

  Every person turned toward that end of the room.

  Bella grabbed my arm and pleaded, “Magnus, let the guards take you to your room, please, it’s not safe for you, please.”

  “What dost ye mean?” The screaming continued. I yanked free of Bella’s grip and began tae push my way through the crowds. “Excuse me. Excuse me. Pardon me.”

  A woman at the far end of the crowded room was pleading — “Help me please, please someone, please help me.”

  The rest of the hall was quiet, people backed away, bumpin’ intae me, making it hard tae get through the crowd tae see—

  Kaitlyn

  —covered in blood, wringin’ her hands and beggin’ for help. I pushed through and rushed tae where she stood. “Kaitlyn!” She was overwrought, her hair knotted and matted, blood everywhere, a jagged cut down her cheek, shakin’, barely clothed, but the most frightenin’ of all — she dinna see me.

  Her eyes were open but she was starin’ at the air, holdin’ her bloodied hands before her, beggin’ us tae take pity on her, blank as if what she had seen — what frightened her this much, was still there — a ghost was terrifyin’ her.

  I grasped her bloody forearms and tried tae see into her eyes. “Kaitlyn, tis me, Magnus. Kaitlyn!” I shook her tryin’ tae get through the fog of her mind. “Kaitlyn what are ye—”

  Her wail was long and piteous.

  “Kaitlyn when did ye — what happened? Ye are covered in blood.”

  She sobbed, “I killed him.” Her eyes were wild, left and right, not focusin’.

  “Who, who did you kill?”

  “I killed Donnan.” The room erupted into mayhem behind me.

  * * *

  The crowd was closin’ in. I pulled her behind me and held ontae her with an arm. She clutched at my shirt but I dinna think she kent twas me.

  A man’s voice said, “Guards arrest her.” I searched for the place it emanated from but found nobody tae argue with. The guards were advancing.

  I spoke tae the crowd. “I need tae check Donnan’s rooms.”

  Uncle Samuel stepped forward. “Give us the woman, Magnus. She has committed murder.”

  I put up a stayin’ hand and tried tae sound imperious. “We daena ken, we daena ken what happened. We canna—”

  Samuel pressed toward me. “Release her, Magnus, turn her over to the guards.”

  “I winna. I am the heir of Donnan. I am the next king. This is my wife and I winna turn her over.”

  Samuel stepped toward me, his hands out placatingly. “Magnus, calm down — your wife? You can see this will need to be investigated.“

  I yelled, “Minister Donahue!” The war minister stepped forward from the crowd. “What is the protocol? I am the next king am I not? I order the—”

  Samuel stepped forward again, closer, making tae grab for Kaitlyn. “You may be the son of Donnan, but I am his brother. You’re protecting his murderer. We will need to determine the true next-in-line.”

  I pulled my gun and aimed it at him. Guests gasped and stepped back.

  Without takin’ my eyes from him, I asked again, “Minister Donahue, am I not the next in line for the throne? And as such, tis within my rights tae tell the guard tae step back. I order ye, Uncle, take three steps back. There may come a day when ye fight for my throne, but today is nae the day.” Samuel put his hands up but stepped back into the crowd.


  I waved the gun around the room. “Anyone want tae argue with me about my rightful throne?”

  Kaitlyn was sinkin’ behind me, I strengthened my hold on her. “Anyone?” I began walkin’ backward tae the door. Kaitlyn clutched my shirt, cowering against me, yet stepping along in time.

  I made it tae the door and pushed Kaitlyn through it. Lady Mairead ran up behind. “Go fast tae Donnan’s apartments, Magnus. I will meet ye there.”

  I turned tae see her slip back through the door tae attempt tae calm the crowd. I grasped Kaitlyn around the waist and pulled her up the flights of stairs and down the long hall — a door was open, light spillin’ out, a handprint of blood smeared across the open door. I pulled tae a stop—

  A stark room, a bed, Donnan naked on his back, dead in the middle of it. Everywhere a struggle. Blood all over.

  Kaitlyn covered her mouth to stifle her cry. I wanted tae join her. The room told me the full story and hearin’ it made me want tae kill him anew.

  I enfolded her under an arm and hustled her down the hall tryin’ the next door and the next. The last opened ontae an office. With a glance I saw my sword and its sheath across the desk. “Kaitlyn, stand here.” I crossed tae the desk for the sword.

  I pushed the gun intae my belt at my waist.

  Kaitlyn had gone thankfully quiet on the matter so I could think better.

  Lady Mairead stormed in. “Kaitlyn has killed him. This is very complicated.”

  I crossed tae stand in front of Kaitlyn again. I finished buckling the strap on my chest. “I ken.”

  “And you didn’t kill Samuel. You should have when you had the chance.”

  I asked, “Tell me, did ye ken Kaitlyn was here?”

  She looked shocked. “What?”

  “Did ye ken she was here, Lady Mairead, did ye?” I looked wildly around for one of the vessels.

  “If ye must hear it, Bella told me. I was trying tae convince Donnan tae let me take her home.”

  I stopped looking for the vessel. Fury beat my chest with fast breaths. “Bella told ye that Kaitlyn was here?”

  “Yes, she saw Kaitlyn here. We were trying tae get her out before—”

  “Before I found out, and ye were tryin’ tae get me tae go tae my room tonight. What would have happened tae her—” A cough broke my words. My ribs hurt so much I wanted tae fall tae the floor. I gasped for breath.

  She said, “I wanted ye tae go tae your room because ye are nae well. You’re blue Magnus, you’re wheezing, and the doctors should see tae ye. I will take Kaitlyn tae Florida. Ye can stay here—”

  “You winna touch her. I want all the vessels.”

  She shook her head.

  “Give them tae me now or I will kill ye tae get it.”

  She pulled a vessel from a pocket within her dress. “Tis the only one I have and I hardly think this necessary tae—”

  “Tis necessary. The fact that I haena killed ye yet is surprisin’ me. I have been verra merciful, but daena push me. I want all the other vessels. Where did Donnan keep them?”

  “If ye are leaving, ye need tae go fast.”

  “Give me the vessels!” I held my ribs riding a wave of pain.

  She went to the desk, used a key tae unlock it, and pilfered through a drawer. “He kept one here, the rest are locked up in his vault. It will take too long tae get tae them.”

  She handed me the second vessel. “You need tae be out of this castle tae travel. The place where I journey from is through a tunnel but it’s a long distance. Go fast, I will hold them off. Go tae Florida, see a doctor. Minister Donahue and Governor Georges and I will do our best tae hold the kingdom. But I think Samuel has an army of men who will be looking for ye. Go.”

  I nodded and put the vessels in my sporran.

  “Kaitlyn, can ye run?”

  Magnus

  I ran down six flights of stairs tae the tunnel entrance, an arm around Kaitlyn, lifting her, draggin’ her sometimes. I couldna speak. I could barely breathe, but when I looked back at her face, she was cryin’ and was lost tae me. She stumbled tae the ground. I pulled her up by an arm and she saw her hands again and began tae cry at the sight. Her sobs echoed on the walls of the tunnel, comin’ at me from all directions. I pulled her tae standin’ and forced her tae run.

  * * *

  Men were comin’ along the passage behind us and I feared I couldna run fast enough. We turned corners but men were close behind. We were nearin’ the end though. The tunnel here was stacked full of Donnan’s plunder, filling the edges of the floor, leanin’ against the walls, and jutting into our path. I was beginning tae stagger. I shoved a marble statue so it fell across the hallway. I tossed a painting on top. I pulled a rolled tapestry and tossed it across that. Twould nae hold them for long.

  A few more feet and I shoved another sculpture over and another. It barely slowed the men down. We came tae the door at the end and shoved through it tae a wide rock ledge juttin’ over a rushing river.

  I slammed the door shut behind us and pulled Kaitlyn toward the edge. I coughed and held an arm across my ribs tryin’ tae bear the pain. “We are leavin’ Kaitlyn, I have ye, we are together. Daena be afraid.” I pulled her close tae my wheezing chest, pulled one of the vessels from my sporran, twisted it, and coughed so that I almost doubled over. I recovered just enough tae say the numbers. The storm built above us as the men were comin’ through the door.

  Part II

  Kaitlyn

  Chapter 37

  Something moved near my head. I pulled myself up from the trauma and pain of the journey. I didn’t know where I was or how I had gotten here. I only knew that the shit hurt on every level. My skin. My core. My every single hair. It’s how I knew I had journeyed — the intense all-consuming pain. Because my mind was blank on everything.

  I submerged under another wave of agony and curled on my side, my hands tucked under my chin — oh my god, oh my god, oh my god — blood was all over my hands.

  I killed him. The blood. My breath was fast — what the fuck? I was covered in blood.

  I startled — a hand beside me shifted.

  Magnus.

  I looked up at his face. I wiggled nearer him and burst into tears. “I killed him. Oh god I killed him — I killed him.” I sobbed into my blood-covered hands.

  Magnus’s eyes opened barely, his voice was very low and strained. “Aye. Ye have killed him Kaitlyn, but I — I daena feel verra well. Can ye take the gun in your hand and watch the sky?” He coughed and wheezed for a long time. Groaning and holding his ribs.

  “Are you okay?” I pulled the gun from his belt.

  “Can ye walk yet?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Then I just need tae rest. If ye would watch for them twould help.”

  I laid my head on his thigh, the gun on my chest, staring up at the sky trying to stay on top of the waves of pain.

  * * *

  I woke a while later. I was barely dressed and it was cool, not freezing, but too cold to be wearing, I looked down at my outfit, a freaking strip of cloth. And I had blood everywhere.

  I would need to deal with a lot of shit when I could think about it. I was on the forest floor of a — where the hell was I? I looked up, the trees, the ground, the big rock — I was in Scotland. When in Scotland? Magnus’s eyes were clamped tight, his lips a bit blue on the edges. “Magnus?”

  “Och.” His eyes remained closed.

  “What year are we, can I go get Quentin?”

  Magnus groaned and said, “1703.”

  “Can you move now?”

  “I canna, Kaitlyn. I think ye should run tae Balloch, ask Sean tae come get me. Bring men.”

  “Oh,” I looked around the wooded area we were in. This was a lot for me to figure out. “Magnus, where is Balloch? What direction?”

  His finger pointed. “Tell Sean…” he moaned, “southwest near the river. Go fast.”

  “Shit, shit, shit, shit.” I ran. I ran as fast as I could in as straight a line
as I could, and it wasn’t long before the woods cleared and there was a field and beyond it men near the familiar gates of Balloch. “Help! Help! Sean Campbell, I need Sean Campbell, Lizbeth—” I was winded and possibly insane looking, covered in dried blood, barely dressed, and the clothes I barely wore were seriously foreign.

  The men gawked, and I didn’t recognize any of them. “It’s Magnus, Magnus Campbell, he’s injured.” I pointed towards the woods, “Magnus! Magnus Campbell! Tell the Earl!”

  One of the men left for the castle. The other men leered at me while I pleaded with the universe, “Hurry please. Magnus is injured.”

  After a few long moments, Sean and Lizbeth rushed out through the castle gates. Sean asked, “What happened, Madame Kaitlyn?”

  “Magnus is injured, he’s really — he’s sick, back there, through the trees,” I gestured the way I had come, “southwest, the river.”

  Lizbeth asked, “Tis Magnus’s blood? What happened?”

  “No, he — he can’t breathe, it’s his,” I gestured breathing in and out, though I could barely do it either.

  Sean was already gathering men and sending messages into the castle and to the stables and then he was gone, with six men, seven horses, before I could believe it was possible.

  Lizbeth wanted me to get dressed. She murmured sweetnesses over the cut on my cheek. She bustled me into the castle though I wanted to stand and stare at the woods until I saw Magnus coming. But Lizbeth led me to the laundry room where an older woman wiped me down with a cloth dipped in a bucket of water and then with the filthy blood water they cleaned the cut on my face. Watching the red water roll down my skin made me begin to cry anew and I wondered if I would ever be able to stop.

  Lizbeth asked, “Were ye attacked, Kaitlyn?”