Chapter Eight
Rachel
" Athairich , no!" I place myself between Joey and my father, using my own body as a barricade. The man who gave me blissful pleasure mere moments ago gazes at the laird of Dùndubhan with a smirk playing on his lips and a canny gleam in his eyes. "I said, no, Father. You will not harm this man."
I must stand up to my father. I shan't let him harm Joey.
"Father, how did you find this chamber?" I demand. "No one had entered this room until I stumbled onto it a few years ago."
"Did ye think no one else knew?" He huffs. "Ahm aware of everything that goes on in this castle."
Guidheachan. My private sanctuary is not a secret after all.
Cursing in my mind willnae alter the situation. But I couldn't stop myself from thinking that phrase. It means "son of a bitch."
My father squints at me, then snarls a litany of Gaelic profanities. When he finally gives up, setting the tip of his sword on the floor, all the fight seems to have drained out of him.
I feel a wee bit faint as I stand my ground in a manner I have never done before, not with my father. His eyes dart between Joey and me as if he's figuring out how to handle the situation.
Father swings his claymore in a circular motion as if he's trying to instill fear. He knows that won't work with me. "Rachel, step aside. This interloper has no place here. And what is he doing in your chambers? Has he molested you?"
"Of course not. Do ye think I'd let a stranger into this room without being certain I could trust him? Ahmno a fool." I lift my chin, channeling every ounce of stubbornness I've inherited from him. "Joey stays, Father. He is under my protection now."
Kieran MacTaggart's eyes narrow to slits, and I swear I can see the wheels turning in his mind. "Protection, ye say? And what makes ye think ye have the authority to offer such a thing?"
I take a deep breath, knowing my next words will change everything. "Because I am a MacTaggart witch---just like you."
My father eyes Joey with deep suspicion. "Who is this man? Why did you bring him into our home? And by God's bones, whyever did you invite him into a room I have ne're seen before? 'Tis dangerous, mo nighean . He might be a brigand."
Should I confess to the actual way in which I met Joey Finnegan? I feel Joey's hand brush against my back in a silent show of support. But my father's gaze bores into me, demanding an answer I dare not give. Not yet. I swallow hard against a lump in my throat, knowing I can't reveal the whole truth without risking even more chaos.
"He is...well, he's not from here, Father," I say, carefully choosing my words. "Joey comes from a place far away, and he needs our help."
"Far away?" Father scoffs. "Ye mean he's a Sassenach? An Englishman?"
I shake my head. "No, not English. He's from...somewhere else entirely."
Joey steps forward, his whisky-brown eyes aimed straight at my father. "Mr. MacTaggart, I mean no disrespect to you or your clan. I found myself here by accident, and your daughter has shown me great kindness."
Father's grip on his sword tightens. "Accident? What sort of misadventure brings a man to Dùndubhan, laddie? Even members of my own clan rarely visit us."
"Magic, Father, that's what brought Joey here. The sort of magic our family has guarded for generations."
"You told him of our magics?" He sighs heavily, shaking his head. "Your actions have been very foolish and quite unlike you. Have you no sense of the peril you might have unleashed in our home?"
I bite my lip, frantically scrambling for a plausible explanation.
My father glowers at Joey once again. "What is your vocation, Joey Finnegan?"
"Well, I---" Joey makes a pained face. "In the twenty-first century, I was an orphan who became a petty thief. Not proud of my lifestyle. It's just what I had to do to survive."
My father's face is turning an odd shade of crimson, and I must say something to stop him from ejecting Joey from the castle. But before I can speak, a commotion erupts from the hallway. The door bursts open, and my Great-Aunt Lachina stumbles in, her eyes wild and unfocused.
"The veil!" she cries, her voice raspy and urgent. "The veil between worlds has been torn!"
Father's attention snaps to Lachina. His brows furrow, and his voice abruptly becomes gentler. "What do ye mean, gràidh ? Explain so we might all understand your upset."
Lachina's gaze fixes on Joey, and she points an accusing finger at him. "This one...he has crossed through time itself. Dark forces pursue him, Kieran. Forces that threaten us all!"
The room falls silent, save for the crackling of the hearth fire. Never have I known Lachina to be so afeard. Her face is pale, and she wrings her hands.
My mother, who had remained in the background thus far, now clasps Father's hand. "Relax, Kieran. Let's hear what this guy has to say before we toss him down the garderobe shaft."
"Mayhap you are correct, mo chridhe . Your wisdom always exceeds mine."
Joey surreptitiously clasps my hand, squeezing it gently. I can feel the tension radiating from him, but he stands tall, meeting my father's glowering gaze.
"It's true, Mr. MacTaggart," Joey concedes, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. "I don't know how I got here, only that I was at the modern version of this castle when---wham!---I got sucked into a tornado and then dropped into a whirlpool in the moat. And I think...well, I'm beginning to realize it must have something to do with your family's magic. Jeez, I can't believe I'm talking about witchcraft."
Father's eyes dart between Joey, Lachina, and me. "Rachel, ye will explain this. Now ."
I lay my hands over my belly, lifting my chin. "Joey appeared at Dùndubhan through a portal. One that I suspect our ancestors created long ago, though it had been dormant for many moons. He's from the future, and he escaped to Dùndubhan because bad men were after him."
Before the laird can chastise me, Màthair interjects. "Rachel, if Joey is wanted by bad men, maybe there's a good reason for that. How much do you know about him?"
How can I respond to her question? I know so little about the man I allowed to ravish me, yet I know in my bones that he would never harm me. My family remains too skeptical to understand my feelings.
"The threads of fate are becoming entangled," Lachina whispers. "The universe is weaving a new tapestry here at Dùndubhan. I've seen visions of dark figures, men with strange weapons, searching for something...or someone."
Joey steps forward. "Mr. MacTaggart, I---"
"You will call me Laird, ye cacan ."
"Sure, whatever." Joey's jaw is clenched, but otherwise he seems almost relaxed. "I know this sounds crazy. Hell, I can barely believe it myself. But I swear to you, I mean no harm to your family or your secrets. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on and how to get back home."
"And where exactly is this 'home' of yours, laddie?"
Joey hesitates, his gaze darting to me before he answers. "New York City. In the year 2025."
A collective gasp echoes through the room. Even Father, usually so stoic, can't hide his shock. "Impossible. Alyssa was brought to this time by my aunts' magics. They did not send you here. Aye, Lachina?"
"Yes, but..." She shakes her head. "Kieran, please believe me. Darkness is coming. The men who sent this laddie here are fearsome enemies."
I seize the moment, pressing our advantage. "Father, Joey needs our help. And if Great-Aunt Lachina's visions are true, we might need his help as well. Whatever forces are pursuing him could be a threat to all of us."
Father studies Joey with the intensity of a hawk eyeing its prey. "And what skills do ye possess that could possibly aid us against such a threat?"
Joey straightens his shoulders, meeting Father's gaze with a determination that makes my heart swell with pride. "I may not have magic, but I know the future these men come from. Their weapons, their tactics. I can help you prepare for what's coming."
A tense silence falls over the room as my father considers Joey's words. I hold my breath, acutely aware of the weight of this moment. Finally, Father's shoulders slump ever so slightly, and he nods.
"Very well," he says, his voice gruff. "Ye may stay, for now. But know this---if I catch even a whiff of treachery from ye, I'll not hesitate to run ye through myself."
Joey lifts one brow, and his lips curl into a cocky slant. "Understood, Mr. Laird Man. You have my word."
Should I or my family trust a thief? Joey has been good to me, but we met only this morn.
Father turns to me, his expression stern. "Rachel, you will no longer enter this hidden room. Henceforth, you shall remain within sight of at least two members of the family at all times." He turns to Joey. "I will accept responsibility for ensuring our guest does not attempt to escape. If anyone approaches the castle, we will keep Joey out of sight and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble." Father grasps my shoulders, pulling me closer to glare into my eyes. "But you, Rachel, are not to consort with him under any circumstances. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Father."
Just as the tension in the room begins to ease, Lachina suddenly gasps, her hand flying to her mouth as if to stifle a scream. Her eyes roll back in her head, and she sways precariously on her feet like a reed caught in a sudden gale. I rush to her side, catching her just as she begins to collapse.
"Great-Aunt Lachina!" I cry, my heart racing. The room, which had been uncomfortably warm from the hearth's blaze, now feels as cold as the North Sea. Every eye is on us, the silence thick with dread.
Lachina's body is rigid, her breathing shallow and rapid. I lower her gently to the floor, cradling her head in my lap. Her normally serene face is contorted with fear and pain, and a thin sheen of sweat glistens on her forehead. My mind races through the possibilities---has the strain of her earlier vision been too much for her? Or is this something even more dire?
"Someone fetch water!" I shout, but no one moves. They're all too stunned, too paralyzed by the sight of the clan's most revered seer in such a state. Even my father, who usually springs into action in a crisis, stands rooted to the spot, his face a mask of concern and helplessness.
Lachina's lips begin to move, forming soundless words. I lean in closer, straining to hear her. Is she trying to tell us something? To warn us? Every second stretches into an eternity as we wait for her to speak, to give us some clue about what she's seen.
"What have you seen, Lachina?" I exclaim. "Please tell us!"
Her voice comes out in a raspy whisper, barely audible. "They're coming. The men from the future. They are perilously close to discovering the portal through which Joey came."
A bone-chilling wind whips through the chamber, extinguishing the fire and plunging us into darkness. The stone walls seem to groan and shift around us. I clutch Lachina tighter, my heart pounding so hard I fear it might burst from my chest.
"Father!" I cry out, reaching blindly in the darkness.
"Stay where ye are!" his voice booms.
I feel Joey slipping his fingers between mine, and I'm grateful for the contact. I hear shuffling and muffled curses as everyone tries to orient themselves in the pitch black. Then, a blinding flash of light erupts from the center of the room. As my eyes adjust, I see a swirling vortex of blue and silver energy, crackling with electricity.
"Holy shit," Joey breathes beside me. "It's happening again."
The vortex grows larger, its howling wind drowning out all other sounds. I cling to Joey, and he clings to me. But just when it seems we might all be spirited away to another realm, the portal is snuffed out like the wee flame of a candle. Golden light spreads throughout the room, and I see that my father has lit my lantern.
As the glow flickers across the room, it reveals the shocked and fearful faces of my loved ones. Whatever transpired a moment ago, the situation has returned to normal now. Yet a chill lingers inside this chamber. And the anxiety generated by the tumult remains on the faces of us all.
What if the magics I invoked to save Joey from drowning have caused this frightful occurrence?
"Come," Father commands. "We shall all retire to the solar to discuss the situation as well as to alert Efrica and Morna of the danger. They are waiting for us there."
I help Lachina to her feet, supporting her as we make our way to the solar. Joey hovers close by, his eyes darting around warily as if he expects more otherworldly intrusions. Father leads the way, his broad shoulders tense, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
The solar is warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the chill that still clings to my bones. Great-Aunts Efrica and Morna are here, their weathered faces creased with concern. As soon as we enter, they rush to Lachina's side, fussing over her like mother hens. She is the youngest of the aunts, after all.
"What happened?" Efrica demands, her voice sharp with worry. "We felt a disturbance in the very air itself."
Father raises a hand, silencing the room. "Dark powers may have attempted to invade Dùndubhan, and we must protect ourselves."
Guidheachan. As my Gaelic curse suggests, I wish ill fortune on whomever is determined to harm our family. What further intrusions must we endure? And what will the evil ones from the future attempt to do next?
We have many questions, but no answers.
Father seizes Joey by the throat. "You must have caused a portal to appear and sent Lachina into a fevered trance. You are no friend of the MacTaggarts."