Chapter 30
THIRTY
Head throbbing, Cormac tried to stand, but his legs had a mind of their own and insisted that he stay seated. “What happened,” he groaned. Off to his left he heard another groan.
“Cormac,” Cailin rasped.
“Aye, brother, I am here. What goes on here? I’m having difficulty remembering.”
Cailin sat up just as a frantic Ashley made her way to his side. “Cailin, are you alright?”
“Nay,” Cailin responded.
“What happened? I was so tired that I decided to retire for the evening. I just woke and realized you hadn’t come to bed.”
“Ashley, where’s Jenna,” Cormac said, his head pounding with the force of a thousand drummers drumming.
“I haven’t seen her. I lost track of her during the evening and I thought she was with you.”
“Something’s not right here,” Cailin stated the obvious.
“I’m going to go look for Jenna. You two should try to get up. Did you drink too much last night?” Ashley asked.
“Nay. Not enough to have this effect,” Cailin answered.
“The last thing I remember is Sophia refilling my cup with ale,” Cormac rubbed his head and squinted. “Cailin do ye think she gave us a sleeping draught?”
“Aye. Mayhap she did, but why?”
“We’d best see if we can find Jenna.” Cormac had a bad feeling about this. Panic seized him as he forced his way up from the ground. His legs swayed beneath him, but he fought to maintain his balance and won.
Ashley reached down to help Cailin up. “Cailin, we have to find her. Let’s check the guards and see if they’ve seen anything. Where are Latharn, Donal and Fergus? They were supposed to be keeping an eye on Sophia and Jonathan.”
The three began their search and were not surprised to find that Latharn, Donal and Fergus, along with all the guards, were in the same state.
“I’m sorry, Cailin. I’ve let ye down. Sophia filled me cup with ale and I stupidly drank it.”
“As did Fergus and I,” Donal added.
It seemed that all the guards had the same story.
“Where would she get a sleeping draught from?” Cormac wondered. He felt a bit nauseous from the drink and from fear for Jenna. The others were all experiencing similar symptoms and were swaying on their feet.
“Sir, sir,” one of the stable boys came running. “Sir, someone has stolen three of the horses.”
“Are ye sure?” Cailin asked.
“Aye. I went in to feed them this morning and they were gone.”
“Which horses are missing?” Cormac wanted to know.
“Rose, sir and Donal and Fergus’ horses.”
Donal and Fergus both let loose with a curse.
“Saddle up my horse, lad. I must go after them,” Cormac said.
“Cormac, you don’t look very good,” Ashley said. “Maybe you should take a minute to rest. Get some food in your stomach. You all should,” she insisted.
“We don’t have time for that. They must be headed for the bridge.
We have to stop them. We can’t allow Jonathan to take Jenna,” Cormac was sick with worry and with questions.
Did Jenna go with them willingly? Or did Jonathan kidnap her?
How much of a head start did they have? Standing around was not going to find her. He had to act now.
“I’ll come with ye,” Cailin stated.
“We all will,” Latharn volunteered and Donal and Fergus nodded in agreement, although it was obvious that it hurt their heads to do so.
“Let’s be off then. Ashley, go back inside and tell Robert what has happened. Make sure the guards are looked after.”
“Okay. Be careful. Jonathan is a sleeze bag,” Ashley said.
“A what?” Cailin asked. Cormac exchanged a look with his brother and they both chalked it up to twenty first century slang.
The horses were brought out, everyone mounted and they rode out through the gates in search of Jonathan, Sophia and Jenna.
Jonathan stretched and yawned. “Happy you two didn’t decide to make a run for it again. Smart. Let’s get on those horses and head for the bridge.”
“Do you know where it is?” Jenna questioned.
“I do. I happen to have a perfect sense of direction. It’s not too much further,” he mounted his horse and ordered Sophia and Jenna to do the same.
“I’m so sorry, Jenna,” Sophia said.
“I know. I believe you wouldn’t have been involved unless Jonathan threatened you.
” Jenna wasn’t interested in blaming Sophia for her predicament.
She blamed herself. Once again she let her impulsive first reaction lead her into trouble.
She swore to herself that if she ever got out of this, she’d never let it happen again.
In the meantime, she had to believe that Cormac would come for her.
But what if he didn’t. Then what? That thought terrified her.
She might have to plot her own escape. And where was Edna.
She’d been all about getting Jenna to Breaghacraig. Why wasn’t she helping out? Grrr …
“Jenna, are you okay?” Sophia asked.
“Yeah. I’m just thinking.”
“Well, don’t think too hard, babe. You might hurt yourself,” Jonathan barked, a crazy laugh escaping his lips.
“Jonathan, could we stop for a minute,” Sophia said.
“No,” he tersely replied.
“I’ve gotta pee … please,” Sophia begged.
Jenna wasn’t sure if this was a ploy to buy them more time, but she was grateful that Sophia would even try.
“Fine. Make it fast. And you,” he pointed at Jenna. “Stay where you are.”
Sophia disappeared behind some bushes and when she wasn’t back in a reasonable amount of time, Jonathan’s frustration started to show.
“Sophia!” he yelled. “Get your ass back on that horse. We’ve got to go. I don’t have a problem leaving you here all alone.”
Jenna believed he meant it. “Sophia, let’s go,” she suggested.
“Okay,” a voice came out from the bushes. “I’ll be right there.” The rustling of the leaves let them know she was on her way back as she appeared out of the bushes and headed back to her horse.
“I didn’t know you knew how to ride, Jonathan,” Jenna said.
“Nothing to it. I watched some of the guys at the castle and figured I could pull it off.”
“And what about you, Sophia?” Jenna asked.
“My family had a ranch out in the central valley. We had horses, cows, chickens. I learned to ride almost before I could walk.”
“I just learned,” Jenna said. “Cormac taught me.”
“Awww … Isn’t that sweet. True love at last. So sorry you won’t get to enjoy it,” he laughed that maniacal laugh again. It sent a chill down Jenna’s spine. “Oh, wait. I’m not sorry.”
“I didn’t think you would be. You know, Jonathan, no matter how much money you get from that insurance policy, it’s never going to be enough if you don’t stop gambling.”
“I don’t need you to tell me what I should do. It’ll last me long enough and then I’ll find another rich bitch to take advantage of,” Jonathan sneered.
They were approaching the bridge and Jenna couldn’t think of a single thing she could do to slow them up. She could only hope the fog wouldn’t appear.
“What if the fog doesn’t show up?” she asked.
“We’ll wait,” Jonathan stated.
“Cormac is bound to come looking for me,” Jenna said.
“Well, he can look all he wants. I’ve got my gun. Gun trumps sword every time.”
Jenna shuddered to think what would happen if Cormac did show up. She suddenly hoped he wouldn’t. She didn’t want to see him hurt or killed trying to save her. She prayed he’d stay away.
“Sophia, is Cormac alright?” she asked.
“Jonathan gave me a sleep potion and I poured it into the ale I was serving the men. It was just supposed to knock them out,” she explained.
“Sleep potion? Where did Jonathan get that,” she was speaking as softly as she possibly could so that Jonathan wouldn’t hear as he busily scouted around the area surrounding the bridge.
“That Sir Richard guy gave it to him. I don’t know what his deal is, but he hates the MacKenzies.
He said he didn’t want to get personally involved in Jonathan’s fight, but he was happy to help him get you back.
He said he knew it would kill Cormac to lose you and he seemed pretty pleased with himself.
” Sophia explained everything that had transpired between Jonathan and Sir Richard after they ran into him.
“Cormac told me he had it in for the MacKenzies. You’re sure he went back to England?” Jenna asked.
“He said he was. He rode off in the opposite direction after he showed us how to get to Breaghacraig.”
“Jenna, what’s the secret to getting the fog to show up?” Jonathan demanded.
“I don’t know. It shows up on its own,” she replied.
“Don’t lie to me. You know and you’d better tell me,” he threatened.
“Edna makes it happen,” Jenna said.
“Who’s Edna and where is she?” Jonathan had started to look frazzled, like he might lose it at any moment.
“She’s a witch and I don’t know.” Jenna hoped he would believe her.
“A witch! Ha! You expect me to believe that,” he spat.
“Jonathan, you travelled back in time, believing in a witch doesn’t seem that farfetched, does it?” Jenna’s patience with Jonathan was hanging by a thread. She knew she was walking a fine line with him and would have to try not to provoke him or she might find herself dead.
“Point taken,” he said. Jonathan began pacing back and forth at the foot of the bridge, when a shimmering light began to float back and forth on the other side. “What’s that?” he moved back away from the bridge.
The figure of a woman with blue hair appeared in front of them. She looked like a hologram, but Jenna knew it would be Edna. Jenna dismounted and moved as far away from Jonathan as possible.
“Young man,” Edna said. “I am afraid I am not in a position to send you back home.”
“What do you mean? You brought me here and now you’re going to send me back. And I’m bringing Jenna with me.”
Sophia was looking frightened and shaking like a leaf. Jonathan was not planning on bringing her back with him, Jenna realized. His plan all along had been to leave Sophia behind.
“You don’t seem to understand. You brought yourself here. I had nothing to do with,” Edna explained. “You went into the fog looking for Jenna and were trapped by it and brought here. I cannot undo that which was not done by me. I’m sure you understand.”
Jonathan pointed his gun at Sophia. “If you don’t send me back, I’m going to kill her.”
“Don’t be rash,” Edna calmly said. “You’ll need to give me some time to see what I can do.”
“You better hurry up, I don’t have all day here,” Jonathan snapped.
“I’ll do my best, but put that gun down for now.”
Jonathan did as she requested and stood silently watching Edna as she closed her eyes and threw back her head, arms flying out to the side.
He was so mesmerized by the spectacle that Edna was creating that he didn’t notice when Sophia came up behind him intent on stealing his gun.
They struggled for it and as they did, the fog began to swirl around Jenna.
Jonathan saw and tried to reach her before she disappeared.
Sophia tripped him and he turned on her, gun in hand.
He was just about to pull the trigger when Cormac and Cailin came crashing through the brush.
He swung the gun in their direction and Sophia jumped on his back, knocking him to the ground.
Jonathan managed to get out from under her and had the gun trained on her when Latharn came out of nowhere and ran him through with his sword.
Jonathan fell to the ground, mortally wounded.
With Jonathan no longer a threat, all eyes focused on the fog as it swirled up and away.
Cormac leaped from his horse and tried to reach it before it was gone, but he was too late.
Jenna had left him, vanishing before his very eyes.
He looked across the bridge to the spot where he’d last seen Edna, but she had disappeared from sight.
He sank to the ground in despair at the cruel twist that had taken his love from him before he could say a last goodbye.