Chapter 2
“Auntie Edna, is everything okay?” Maggie asked.
Edna seemed to be in one of her trances as she stared into the flames of the fireplace.
“She’s seeing something,” Angus offered, concern in his voice. “Edna?”
“Aye. I’m fine, but there’s trouble brewing at Breaghacraig. Maggie, my girl, you’ll be needed there.” She turned away from the fire and faced Maggie.
“Me? You want me to go to Breaghacraig?” Maggie asked incredulously. “You want me to time travel?” She wondered if she’d heard that correctly. Wasn’t Edna the one that was needed there?
“This is something that only you can fix, my dear.”
“Edna, you can’t really be thinking of sending Maggie back in time by herself,” Angus stated.
“Aye. That is exactly what I’m thinking.
Let me explain my vision.” Edna slumped heavily into a nearby chair, as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“It seems that our friend, Sir Richard is up to his old tricks once again. Every time I think we’re rid of him for good, he reappears.
He’s much like a bad penny that way. This time he’s in league with a very powerful witch back in his own time.
They, of course, are plotting and planning to take down the MacKenzies and this time he plans to use magick, not men, to accomplish his goals.
The problem, my dear Maggie, is that this particular witch has worked her magick and is pretending to be you. ”
Maggie gasped. “Are you sure, Auntie? How does she know what I look like and what I sound like?”
“Aye, I’m sure. I’m not the only one with the sight. She’s been watching you and learning all about you.” Maggie shuddered at the thought. “She has her sights set on Dylan and is using your relationship with him to gain his trust and the trust of the MacKenzies.”
“Oh, my. What can I possibly do to stop her? There’s still so much that I don’t know. How can I be expected to go up against a powerful witch?” Maggie fidgeted nervously, alternately wringing her hands and twirling anxious fingers through her hair.
“We’ll do our best to prepare ye, but I have no doubt that ye can do this. I wouldnae send ye otherwise.” Edna took hold of Maggie’s hands. “You’re going to knot that hair up good, my dear. Ye’d best stop.”
Maggie couldn’t believe she was the only one who could stop this witch, but she certainly didn’t want anything bad to happen to Dylan.
She had been hoping Edna would allow her to go back in time at some point soon, so she could see Dylan again.
There had been a spark between them and she wanted to explore it.
She had never imagined her visit would be anything more than for the fun of it.
Now she was expected to hone her skills as a witch and save Breaghacraig, the MacKenzies and Dylan?
Her stomach was doing somersaults as she thought of all the things that could go wrong if she failed.
“I’m not so sure I’m the best person to send.
What if I can’t do it? What if she’s too powerful for me? ”
“She’s right, Edna. I think ye go too far this time. Ye cannae send Maggie.” Angus looked quite angry as he paced in front of the fire.
“I understand how ye feel, Angus. And ye as well, Maggie, but I know what I saw and I also know Maggie is the only one who can stop this.” Edna took hold of Maggie’s chin.
“Maggie, yer a much more powerful witch than ye ken. Ye’re even more powerful than me.
I have every faith in yer abilities. You can do this. ”
Maggie found that hard to believe, and hesitating for just a moment she gathered what little confidence she felt and said, “I’ll go.”
“I’m going with her then,” Angus announced firmly.
Fear had rendered Maggie speechless. Her brain conjured images of the evil witches she recalled from fairy tales. This can’t be happening. But Dylan needs me. I can’t let any harm come to him, or to any of the others. If Auntie thinks I must go, then I don’t see that I have a choice.
“Maggie, would ye feel better about this if I sent Angus along with you?” Edna asked.
“I don’t know. I imagine it would help, but do ye really want to come with me Uncle?” Maggie asked, holding her breath as she waited for his answer.
“Aye, love, I most certainly do wish to accompany ye. ’Tis been a long time since I’ve seen me own century and I’m thinking now is as good a time as any to do so.
It’s been ages since I’ve had to fight for anything.
I believe I’ll enjoy meself. And I’ll get to see me little girl, Arlena, once again.
” Angus glanced lovingly at Edna, who as always, appeared to be a little melancholy at the mention of her daughter’s name.
“Okay, then, I’ll do it.” Maggie said. I only hope I won’t regret this, she thought.
“That’s my girl,” Edna said, rubbing Maggie’s back soothingly.
“We’ve a lot of work to do before ye can leave, but I think ye’re up to the challenge.
I’ll teach ye some spells that will come in handy and we’ll disguise yer appearance, so ye’ll have that little trick up yer sleeve.
Angus will work with ye on using weapons and before ye know it, ye’ll not only be a skilled warrior, but ye’ll be a powerful witch.
A powerful good witch who can repel the dark magic of this evil harridan. ”
“When do we start?” Maggie asked, thinking there couldn’t possibly be enough time for her to master everything Edna needed to teach her.
“I think first thing in the morning will be soon enough,” Edna answered.
“What’s her name, Auntie?” Maggie questioned.
“It’s Brielle,” Edna said.
“Do ye know her?” Angus asked.
“Aye, I do. I’ve met her once, a long, long time ago. I’ve not seen her since.”
“Is she from this time, or does she belong in the past?” Maggie had so many questions, she didn’t really know where to start.
“She is from the past, but she has her own relationship with our bridge and the time travel. That is how we met. Many years ago she tried to cross the bridge and I wouldnae allow it. She has held a grudge against me ever since. She does not normally seek out trouble, but she has a mischievous side that enjoys creating it. Richard has taken advantage of that and has asked her to help him in his quest to rid the world of the MacKenzie clan.”
Maggie didn’t understand the whole ‘Richard vs. the MacKenzie clan’ dynamic. She had heard all the stories about Lady Irene and what happened to Ashley, but why did he persist in wanting to destroy them? Why didn’t he just move on with his life and forget about them?
“Until Richard finds someone new to love, he’ll continue down this path,” Edna explained, apparently reading Maggie’s mind.
“If he would just open his eyes and see that the world is full of possibilities to find love, maybe he’d give up this nonsensical vendetta.
” Maggie responded, thinking about Dylan.
She was positive he was her possibility.
She wouldn’t let anything come in the way of that, especially not a conniving witch.
“I’d have to agree with ye. But Richard has to come to that conclusion on his own, my dear.”
“Couldn’t Brielle make him love her?” Maggie hoped that if Brielle and Richard had a love connection, Brielle would leave Dylan alone.
Edna laughed out loud. “Brielle is not interested in love and believe me if Richard has seen the real Brielle, he’s not interested either. No, she gets immense satisfaction out of creating a whirlwind of trouble and then walking away and into the lives of her next victims.”
“I don’t like the sounds of that,” Maggie uttered. “I have to fix this.”
Edna smiled softly at Maggie. “That’s my girl. Ye work on Brielle and I’ll work on Richard. I believe with a little magical intervention, I can make him see the error of his ways.”
“Are ye sure yer telling us all of it,” Angus asked. He sounded skeptical.
“Of course not, love. I’ve told ye all ye need to know.” Putting her arm around Maggie’s waist, Edna walked with her to the dining room to set up for their evening diners. As they left, Maggie glanced back to see Angus shaking his head in apparent disbelief as he prepared to man the front desk.
***
The next morning Maggie began her training, bright and early.
She started with Edna, who taught her the basics—or Witchcraft 101, as Edna liked to call it.
Maggie learned how to create fire out of thin air.
Of course, she already knew how to create a fire in the hearth, but she always had fuel to work with in those instances.
This fire was definitely different, but she could see it would be useful to understand how and when to use it.
She also learned how to levitate items and move them from one spot to the other.
She was a quick study and Edna seemed pleased with her progress.
It only took a few tries for her to master the magick Edna was showing her.
They worked well past lunch, which Maggie’s grumbling stomach could attest to, but knowing how important it was for her to be armed with a thorough knowledge of witchcraft, she ignored it.
Maggie had known she was a witch from an early age.
Her mother had tried to steer her away from it, but Aunt Edna insisted it was her duty, as a member of the MacKinnon family, to learn to use her skills for the good of those around her.
Ellen, Maggie’s mother, had not been verra happy about this pronouncement and she had moved her family to a nearby village and opened a teashop, in the hopes of keeping Maggie away from any witchcraft.
Try as she might, Ellen couldn’t dissuade Maggie from what she had begun to see as her destiny.
Any chance she got, Maggie would visit with Edna, wanting more than anything, to follow in her footsteps.
In deference to her sister, Edna hadn’t given Maggie any training during that time. She hadn’t wanted to upset Ellen, so instead, she had merely given Maggie a glimpse into her world, showing her what she could do, but not how to do it.