Chapter 2
It was still early in the morning. The sun was making its first appearance of the day. If Angus kept a good pace he’d be at Breaghacraig by nightfall. Nothing would stop him.
He wasn’t sure why Edna left when she did or why she hadn’t woken him to let him know.
Something had to be very wrong for her to go off like that.
He prayed he’d find her safe and sound with the Mackenzies and wouldn’t think about what he’d do if she wasn’t there, because she had to be.
Maggie would keep watch back at the inn while Angus sought answers to all the questions that were running through his head.
He’d met Edna at the bridge while still a young lad.
He liked to believe that it was the day his life truly began.
The Campbells had no need of him. Not being a first son or even a second, his place in the clan had been decided by his placement in the family.
Never one who’d been satisfied with the ordinary role that would be his life, he struck out on his own.
It was then he’d met Edna. Her fiery red hair and emerald eyes captured his soul upon first sight.
It seemed she felt the same for him because they’d been together ever since.
Angus stopped at a stream to water his horse and was surprised to hear the sound of cart wheels on the road intermingled with the gurgling of the stream.
He turned to see a man waving to him. “Angus?”
“Aye,” Angus replied, wondering how this man knew him.
“I was waiting for ye at the bridge, but ye were there and gone before I could catch ye.” The man tugged on the reins.
“Whoa!” he called. The large draft horse came to a stop.
“Yer a good one ye are,” the man muttered and then hopped down from the cart, patted his horse on the rump and walked towards Angus.
“Catch me?” Angus left his horse to enjoy the stream and walked up to the man.
“Yer lady always has me meet travelers when they arrive,” the man explained.
Angus was aware of that. “Yer Wallace.”
“I am.”
“Did Edna send ye?” A bit of hope sprang in his heart.
“Nae.”
“How did ye ken I was coming?” Angus asked.
“Maggie,” the man matter-of-factly stated.
“I’m searching for Edna. Did ye meet her when she arrived?”
“Nae. She did no’ tell me she was coming.” The man removed his dusty cap and scratched his head.
“Have ye seen anyone else nearby or on the bridge?” Angus wondered if someone had met her here.
“I have no’, but I’ve only recently arrived.”
“I was sure she came this way, but there’s nae sign of her.”
“If yer worried about her, I would no’ be. She’s a powerful witch, that one is. Nae one would dare try anything to harm her.”
Angus agreed, knowing it was true. Edna was a very capable witch. He’d seen her do some amazing things. “Thank ye, Wallace.”
The man bowed. “At yer service, sir.”
“If ye see Edna, please tell her that I’m on me way to Breaghacraig.”
“Ye can be sure I will.” He turned his cart around and headed back towards the bridge, leaving Angus more perplexed than he had been before.
“Edna, where are ye?” he asked out loud, knowing there would be no answer and wondering what he would do if he couldn’t find her.
***
“I’m here, love,” Edna said. Angus didn’t turn.
There was no acknowledgement. He really couldn’t hear her.
Edna’s powers seemed useless here in this house and her heart sank with the knowledge that she had no control over this situation.
None. It wasn’t like when she sent Ashley or Jenna across the bridge and she knew where they were, what they were doing and had the ability to intervene if need be.
Evanore had left her alone shortly after she’d seen Angus ride past and was off somewhere else.
Edna wasn’t even sure if she was still in the house, but she knew that there was no escaping.
The doors and windows had evaporated before her eyes as she tried to open them.
She’d tried calling on her magic, but to no avail.
Nothing was working with the exception of the orb that followed her wherever she went.
She gazed lovingly at the image of her handsome Highlander.
Angus’s hair shown like silver in the sunshine.
When he turned and looked her way, Edna’s heart skipped a beat much as it had on the day they first met all those many years ago.
She had to get a message to him, but how?
Nothing she’d tried so far had worked. She would be forced to bide her time and wait for Evanore to let her guard down.
Edna still wasn’t sure why she was here and Evanore was being very evasive.
It was a waiting game and Edna wasn’t very good at waiting.
Glancing around the room for a clue as to her whereabouts and to any information she could glean on her captor, Edna searched from floor to ceiling for a clue.
Evanore’s servant appeared in the doorway. “Mistress has asked me to show ye to yer room.”
“There’s nae need. I willnae be staying.” Edna faced the man who stood in the doorway. His face was expressionless.
“Come with me,” he said, ignoring what she’d just said.
“What’s yer name?” Edna asked.
“’Tis of no importance, ma’am.”
“I believe it is,” she replied.
He seemed puzzled as he stood very still, gazing over the top of her head.
“How will I call ye if I need something? How will I yell out yer name if I doona ken it?” she asked.
A faint smile appeared on his lips just long enough for Edna to see before it vanished and the same stoic expression he’d been wearing returned.
“You may call me whatever name pleases you. The mistress likes to call me Joseph.” His English accent and nineteenth-century garb gave Edna some hints about where he was from and it wasn’t sixteenth-century Scotland.
“But that’s no’ yer name, is it?”
He stared off into space and didn’t answer her question.
“How long have ye been with Evanore?” Edna asked.
“Mistress says ye’ll ask me many questions, but I am to tell ye nothing.” His stoic expression and the way he stood so very still made Edna think he must be under a spell.
“Surely she did no’ mean ye could no’ tell me yer name.”
“She said I’m to tell ye nothing.”
“Where is she then?” Edna asked, testing him.
“Nothing.”
“Grrr…” Frustration was getting the better of Edna, but she refused to let it. “Fine then. Show me to my room, please.”
The servant Evanore called Joseph turned and headed towards a grand staircase that led to a second level.
The steps were carpeted with a fine wool rug in hues of red, blue and black.
The railing was a polished black marble that hovered above the steps at hand level and ran all the way up the stairs, ending as it reached the second-floor landing.
Edna touched it, assuming it would move since it wasn’t tethered to the stairs in any way, but it didn’t budge.
She climbed the stairs, holding tight to the strange handrail.
She peeked behind her and almost bonked her nose on the orb, which was now following along behind her.
Edna assumed the orb was also meant for Evanore to keep an eye on her, just in case she had a brilliant idea of how to escape.
The servant led her to an ornately carved wooden door. He motioned to it with his hand.
Edna tipped her head as she gazed at his unmoving face.
She stood in front of the door unsure if she wanted to open it and when she didn’t, the servant reached in front of her, turning the doorknob and pushing the door open.
Edna walked through and the door closed behind her.
She took in the room starting with a window that looked out onto a great, grey fog.
Heavy brocaded curtains of a dusty rose color adorned the one window.
A large armoire stood to its left, she opened it to find bedding, towels and toiletries.
Closing those doors, she turned to face the large four-post bed on which a coverlet matching the curtains was neatly positioned.
Pillows were arranged against the headboard and an extra blanket was laid across the foot of the bed.
A large woven carpet covered the dark hardwood floors.
It was worn in some places, proving its age.
Lamps were lit on either side of the bed giving the room a warm, cozy feel.
Despite the circumstances she found herself in, Edna felt very uncomfortable.
A loud purring sound came from a chair Edna hadn’t noticed when she’d come in.
It was positioned in a darkened corner near the armoire.
On closer inspection, Edna found a large orange cat, curled up and appearing quite peaceful and unaware of Edna’s presence.
She moved closer. “I did no’ see ye there,” she said in a soft voice, not wishing to startle the cat.
It lazily opened its eyes and seemed to be sizing her up before standing and stretching its back into an arch and then settling back to a seated position facing her.
“May I touch ye?” Edna asked as she reached out her hand.
The cat’s only response was to purr more loudly.
“I’ll take that as an aye,” Edna said. She stroked the soft fur on the cat’s head, taking extra time to massage around the ears.
Edna didn’t have a cat of her own, but she often fed the cats of her village who came to visit her almost daily.
She wondered if this cat was Evanore’s familiar.
Some witches utilized familiars to help them with the magic. Was this one here to spy on her?
“I wonder what yer name is,” Edna said to the cat. “Do ye have a name? Or are ye like the servant who has a name that’s no’ really his name, but doesn’t have a name that he will share with me?”
The cat slowly blinked as it looked into her eyes. Edna blinked back, hoping she was making a connection with the creature.
Unable to sit, Edna paced the floor of the room. The orange tabby’s head swiveled on its neck as it turned this way and that following her every move.
“I’ve got to get out of here, but more importantly I need to find out why I’m here.
What exactly does Evanore want with me?” As she paced, she noticed a book set on one of the bedside tables.
She retrieved it and walked close to the window where despite the fog, there was just enough light to see by.
Unlike the windows downstairs, this one was still available for her to look out.
She wondered if it would disappear like the others if she attempted to open it.
The leather-bound book was a dark brown and appeared to have been read many times.
The binding and edges were worn through in places.
Edna held it in her hand for a moment before lifting it to her nose.
The scent of an old tome had always lifted her spirits, knowing that along with it came a book to be read and treasure.
She wasn’t sure what was in this book, but since there was nothing stopping her from finding out she opened the cover.
The cream-colored pages had yellowed some, but it was what she discovered on the first page that set her mind to reeling.
There in very neat black penmanship was a list of names.
Edna gasped as she realized she knew every single one of them…
Ashley, Jenna, Angelina, Sara… all the people she’d matched over the years were named right there on the page.
She gasped as she saw Angus listed at the very bottom, her confusion grew as she noted a black line slashed through his name. But why?