Time Masters Book One; The Call (An Urban Fantasy, Time Travel Romance) (52 page)

Zara was at his side, her
face frantic.
Th
ey have hurt her!
She
took her other hand.
You know the law, Kawahnee. It is death to harm a Shamaelon! Brennan
must pay!

Kwaku
let go of the Maiden’s hand, taking his wife’s in its place.
Your time is close, pretty one. Your
mo-dar’s
instinct is growing. She is not harmed to de point of lawlessness. If so, your own instinct would have hunted and tried to kill Brennan. Yet did
we not bode see him and de woman leave?

I am sorry. I do not know what is wrong with me. Is my time so close? Am I
already forgetting myself?
She looked to him, concern in her ebony eyes. 
Have I hurt you, husband? Last night, did I…?

He chuckled quietly.
“Only a scratch or two, no more dan usual. You were very hungry.”
He all but purred the words in a low whisper so as not to be heard
.

 
His voice startled her and she took a moment to let her inner heart search the house. Nothing. The guardians must have been drugged as well. She sighed and spoke in a normal voice. “There is danger here; can we not
stop it?”

Kwaku raised a brow.

“The others have been drugged. They cannot hear us.”

“I agree, pretty one, but de danger is not mine t
o contend wid. De Boyeee has fi
rst rights to it, not I.”

“With all that is at stake? How can you wait for him to sense and act on anything when he is not joined? He has no instinct or heart to guide him yet.”

“He has more dan you dink, Beloved. He protects her, reaches out to h
er with his heart
. He hungers for her almost as much as she for him. Of dis, I am certain.
"

“Can we not send for Dallan? Could we not let him be with her?”

“He protects her now by protecting himself, drawing de danger from her, dealing with it de way a warrior should.”

“Are you sure he is safe, Kawahnee? Where is he? Do you wish me to search for him?”

“No, pretty one, he does not need our help, and
I will fetch him when we are f
i
nished here if you like. In de mean time, do not worry. De Boyeee has been well taught and will deal wid de evil ones according to warrior codes.”

Zara threw him an incredulous look. “Which warrior’s codes?’

Kwaku stuck out his bottom lip and shrugged.
“Whichever ones he feels are fi
tting. Do not
worry,
he will exact justice for what has been done wid dignity and tact. He knows dis is not Genis Lee. He knows dere are dangers and laws here dat could mean more trouble.” He leaned into her face. “He knows how to act wid-out drawing attention to himself.”

“Kawahnee,” her voice scolded. “Are you sure?’

Kwaku sat up perfectly straight. “Of course! After all, was I not his teacher?”

She sighed and turned her attention back to the Maiden. “Exactly.” She opened her mouth and began to sing.

Angels all about me

Some of light, some of dark,

A battle fought which must be won.

Am I to be cursed, my heart forever denied?

Her precious love, never known?

Time tells all things,

Th
e fates of hearts entwined.

David Gingrich

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“Living stars, Dallan, this isn’t the moors. You can’t just leave bodies hanging around like this.”

Dallan tightened the ropes he was working with, giving one a healthy tug to ensure it would hold before turning to Lany. “’Twill be quite the story then to take back to yer wee bairns, will it no?”

Lany wasn’t sure
whether to grimace or laugh. Th
e Scot’s burr was
thicker than ever, a sure sign he was enjoying himself immensely. “But naked? Do they have to be naked?”

Dallan checked another set of ropes, pulling, tugging and causing a strangled wail from one of the gagged prisoners. He stood, arms folded across his chest, to survey his handiwork. “Yer the one picked the locat
ion, and I thank ye. ‘Twas a fi
ne idea.” He stepped forward to look over the chain-link fence separating them from the deep pit beyond. “I never would ha’ found this place on my own, and ye did a bonny job of handling the pistol. I’d verra much like to kee
p it. I’ve never seen one so fine, so di
f
ferent.
I’d like to see how it works. Mayhaps the heathen would volunteer and…”

“Enough already!” Lany tossed the gun onto the pile of clothes lying on the damp ground. “Come on let’s get this over with. It’s late.”

“Aye, as ye say.” Dallan turned from the fence and went to stand in front of his catches. “Weel, gentlemen, I think we’re ready. We thank ye ever so much
fer
yer earlier cooperation. I ken how dishonoring it must ha’ been
fer
ye and I really wish I could grant ye back some o’ yer lost honor by killing ye both. But Master Lany here seems to think that ‘twould be a verra bad idea.” He nodded at Lany, who had decided a grimace would be most appropriate. “So, I
suppose this will ha’ to suffi
ce.”

Dallan stepped over to the shorter of the two, picked him up and sat him on top of the fence. The fat little man teetered a bit be
fore Dallan poked him with a fi
nger, sendi
ng him over the side, his muffl
ed screams
drowned in the gag placed on him earlier. He then walked over to the taller one, Graves, and gave the thug a huge grin, then let his face fall into one of sincere sympathy as he shook his head sadly. “’Tis a real shame I no get to kill ye. I hope this doesna get back to yer kinfolk too quickly. I ken how some families wilna let a warrior come back home once he’s lost his honor.”

Lany stepped forward and tapped the Scot on the arm. “Dallan, you’re enjoying this far too much. Normally, I might, but it’s after midnight, I’m tired and I’m hungry. Just get it over with.” He walked back to the pile of clothes.

Dallan looked from Lany to the trussed-up Graves, naked & shivering against the fence, fearfully
awaiting
his turn. “I still say ‘tis a horrible shame to no get to kill him. Why, his family probably wilna ever speak to him again. I hope ye can bear it on yer conscience, Master Lany.”

Lany had to smile despite his exhaustion. “I’ll survive. Just do it, okay?”

Dallan shrugged, picked up the thug, set him on the fence as he did the other and held him
there
a moment. “Weel, it canna be helped. If it’s any consolation, I’ll most likely kill yer friend Brennan,” his voice was no longer full of mischief, his words serious. “I ken ye wouldna want to see him dishonored like yerselves, but I canna promise it will be a quick death. Most likely a right painful one, one deserving of deeds done, if ye ken my meaning.”

He got right in Graves’ face. “And should ye survive the night, tell him he’s as good as dead if I ever see him near my wee lass again.” He got even closer and lowered his voice. “The same goes for yerselves. If I ever see ye
again, man, I’ll kill ye as sure as the fair
sun sets
.
No matter what Master Lany says.
”
He unceremoniously shoved him over the side and waited for the muffl
ed pain-fi
lled cry of Graves trussed up body slamming against the concrete wall. He then went to the pile of clothes, took the gun, tucked it into the waistband of his shorts then picked up the clothes and tossed them over the fence as well. He turned to Lany. “Let’s go.”

 
Lany breathed a sigh of relief and then noticed the purposeful stride with which Dallan walked. He trotted to catch up. “Where are we going?”

“To the lass.”

Lany stopped. He ached everywhere, especially his empty stomach. “Right,” he mused, then wondered how Eaton was faring. “Wait a minute, let me check something f
i
rst.”

Dallan ignored him and kept walking, fast.

“Wait, I need to contact…”

Dallan spun on him. “She hasna called to me tonight. I’ve no heard her song. Something’s not right, I know it!”

Lany could hardly believe his ears. “What did you say?’

Dallan began to look
frantic. “I no can feel her. Th
e music, I canna hear it!”

“Oh, boy.” Lany reached into his back pocket and pulled out his communicator.

Dallan began to pace, staring up at the night sky. “I dinna ken how to go to her. She doesna answer my call. Why can she no hear me?”

Lany switched the communicator on.

“And those two
Sassenachh
devils, ye should ha’ let me deal with them my own way!”

“Eaton, I hope you’re there…”

“And what of that cur from the library? How could ye let him take her? I should ha’ never let her go; nay I could ha’ made her stay.”

“What is it, Lany?”

“And it hurts, ye ken. It hurts now not to ha’ her here in my arms…
holding her. I should never ha’ let her go.”

“Did you hear him, Eaton?”

“Uh oh.”

“He’s falling apart on me. I don’
t know what happened; he was fi
ne a minute ago.”

Dallan clutched his stomach and doubled over in pain with a groan.

“Lany, where are you?”

“City zoo.”

“The… what? What in the Creator’s name are you doing there? Do you know what time it is?”

“I’m aware. Let’s talk about the current crisis, okay?”

A bit of
stactic
came over Lany's communicator then,
“Do you think she’s calling?”

Dallan threw back his h
ead, and choked down a pain-fil
led sob.

Lany froze as his heart lurched. “Eaton, I’m in the middle of the zoo with no immediate means of getting him out of here. I need Zara, now.”

“Zara and Kwaku are with the Maiden. I’m at the shop with Angus. I’m afraid you’re on your own.”

Now Lany became frantic. “There’s no way to get a hold of them?”

“I’m sorry, Lany, no. Do what
you can.
Talk to him, anything.
  J
ust get him out of there and back to the shop. How far away are you?”

“Several miles, at least.”

“From the Maiden?”

“Closer but I’m not sure how to get there.”

“Head for the Maiden. Zara w
ill sense him eventually and fi
nd you.”

“On my way.” Lany shut the communicator off and stared at Dallan, who knelt, face to the sky, eyes closed, arms held loose at his sides. He took a cautious step forward.

Dallan turned toward the sound of his footsteps and looked up at him, pain in his eyes. “Can ye no hear it? Can ye no feel it? Where is she?”

Lany swallowed back his empathy and knelt next to the Weapons Master. “I think I can take you to her…”

Dallan gripped his shoulders hard. “I canna bear this much more, Master Lany. Why does this ha’ to happen? I dinna understand!” His face fell to his chest, his body now shaking with pain.

Lany bit the inside of his cheek and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Get up, Dallan. You have to get up now.”

He again raised his face, “Master Lany, did ye… did ye ken that I love
herrr
?” His entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. “I dinna feel right, something’s wrong with m… me.” He gripped his shoulders even tighter. “Help, help me L… Lany, p… please.”

Lany froze for only a second before tightly closing his eyes.
Oh Creator
please, please
help
him. Oh please, something’s wrong, what’s hap…
His eyes suddenly sprang open. “Brennan?”

“I dinna ken how to go to her, I told her… I told her in the city to run, run t ... to the b… building. It came so f… fast. And they took her. He took her from me. I… I wanted to kill him, he laughed at me… I…”

“D…
Dallan, stop.
Stop it and get up!”

“They were… in the carriage. They took her f
rom me, bound her, took her.” Dallan
grabbed the front of Lany’s
shirt,
gripping it so hard the material began to tear away from the col
lar. “I tried to go… to her. Th
en he came
and laughed at m… me. He wanted to hurt her. I wilna let him! Do ye no hear me? I wilna let him! Dinna let him take her!”

He shook Lany so hard his teeth
rattled.
A blessing, really.
Th
e action shook Lany’s senses wide awake
,
and he did what he felt was the only thing he could do under the circumstances.