Chapter 7 #3
“I’m sure he can handle it.” She thought of Jean-Pierre, one of the interns on the site in France where she had spent several summers working and learning about medieval construction methods.
He’d been her first, and had treated her with care and gentleness when he’d found out she’d never had sex.
“It’s a lot easier for guys than girls, remember?
And he’s quite gentle, so Ms. Ensley won’t be in any danger. Or don’t you like her for Rory?”
“Maybe I’m a little jealous. I love Tas, but there have been a few times I wonder if I was supposed to be with our armorer.” Ava rubbed a hand over her face and sat back in her chair, tipping her head back to stare up at the rafters. “Can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth.”
“There was a time when I thought the same thing about Chieftain Darro.” She smiled wanly as her friend gave her a startled look.
“We have a lot in common, and I’ve always liked him.
He’s a very good listener, too. Alec is stunning and amazing, and I won’t even tell you how great the sex is, but he can also be stubborn, pushy and very, very intense. ”
“You’re the only woman he’s ever loved,” Ava said softly. “He’d kill for you.”
“Same here.” Olivia recalled seeing her husband talking with their new chatelaine once, and said, “I’ll bet Grace has had similar thoughts about Alec. Farlan is perfect for her, but Alec is more like her than her guy.”
The other woman nodded. “I don’t think Esme likes anyone but Darro, but I have seen her talking to our seneschal and thought they probably fit each other better.
” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m not attracted to Rory as a woman, but there’s definitely something there.
Because of it I’ve gone and ticked off Harper, when she might be someone who can help us escape this place before it blows up. ”
“That girl is a bit of a mystery, isn’t she?” Maybe she’d try to talk to the vlogger and see if she could find out more for Ava.
Someone came running into the hall wrapped in a cloud of white mist, which dissipated to reveal the tall redhead. She stopped and turned toward the remnants of the mist and swatted at it several times.
“I’ve got this, Torra. I mean it. Go hover somewhere else.
Shoo.” Once the cloud funneled out through an arch, Harper came over to tower over Ava.
“You need to come with me right now, Travars.” She glanced at Olivia.
“You, too, Gibs. Yes, I know your old nickname, don’t freak out.
The MacBren’s kid told me that, and like everything else.
I’m now more in the loop than any of you, even Grace. Let’s go.”
“Is the enchantment trying to grow more creatures?” Ava asked as she and Olivia followed Harper out of the hall.
“Not anymore.” The big woman eyed both of them. “Sorry I’m being so dramatic. Torra’s panicking, and I don’t know enough about this place or how much time we have left to act cool about it.”
Olivia realized almost at once why Harper had demanded they accompany her after they climbed the stairs and walked out onto the observation gallery of Dun Talamh’s highest tower, where the watchers on duty stood staring at the very back of the stronghold.
As she turned her head she saw an army of mercenaries led by Torra’s father, who was riding around the outer curtain wall.
All of the MacBren’s men resembled real humans this time, but something was very wrong with each one of them.
“You ladies counting arms and legs?” Harper asked her. “Because they have too many or too few. There’s also a couple guys with two heads riding headless horses, like refugees from Sleepy Hollow. Only the laird seems to be okay.”
She grimaced as she said the last word, Olivia noted, as if it had left a bad taste in her mouth.
“It’s just another alteration,” Ava said, her mouth tight.
“Torra says it’s worse than that,” the redhead countered. “Her dad is the foundation of the repeating cycle of events—like the engine that drives it. She told me that any big changes to the MacBren and his men means that the enchantment is trying everything it can to fix them. And when it can’t–”
“–this place blows up and everyone dies,” Ava finished, and gazed directly at Harper.
“All right. I know you’ve got a bee in your bonnet when it comes to me, and no doubt I deserve it.
We need to set that aside for a spell to deal with what’s going to kill us all.
You may be the only person here who can stop this craziness with the enchantment.
Maybe you can even bust us out of this place. ”
Olivia gasped as the MacBren and his men suddenly vanished, leaving no trace they had ever been outside the wall. “Does that mean we’re going to blow up now?”
The three of them fell silent and waited, but nothing happened.
“Not this time, evidently.” Ava regarded Harper. “You’ve got magic in you. Can’t you use it to shore up the enchantment?”
The big woman looked at her hands. “I can’t cast spells or control whatever this thing is that makes me turn orange. I don’t even know what it is.”
“’Tis a way in which we may discover the truth of such.” Rory walked out of the tower room and regarded Ava. “We need look into Mistress Ensley’s past while we still may.”