“Are ye sure ye are using it right?”
Caitlin scowled at him. “Yes, I’m sure. The GPS doesn’t lie.”
Kai shrugged. “Aye, but it doesnae tell the whole truth either. Perhaps the wizardry it uses to find yer location isnae available here. Or perhaps there are things around us that it canna recognize.”
“Like what?”
“It doesnae matter,” he replied, his expression turning serious. “Put it away before one of the lads sees it.”
She didn’t understand why he didn’t want anyone to see it but she tucked it away anyway and huddled deeper into the blanket, feeling alone and trapped. She closed her eyes and prayed for some kind of miracle, for someone to come and rescue her from this nightmare.
Then, out of the blue, Kai started to sing. His voice was low and raspy at first, and it took Caitlin by surprise. She opened her eyes and watched in amazement as he belted out a lively tune in a language she didn’t understand. Gaelic? He had a half-decent singing voice. After a moment, as if they’d done this many times before, the others joined in, their voices creating a surprising harmony.
What the heck?
As the song came to an end, Kai turned to her with a sly grin. “So, lass, what do ye think? Are we a talented bunch or what?”
“You’re passable, I suppose. What was the song about?”
Kai’s grin widened. “Ah, that’s a secret. Ye’ll have to learn Gaelic if ye want to find out.”
Caitlin rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the tip.”
Conall cleared his throat. “Ahem. Would ye like to hear my latest poem?”
“Nay, we wouldnae!” Oskar shouted. “Save it for later when we all need to get to sleep!”
Conall scowled at him. “Well, ye are gonna hear it anyway, ye bunch of savages.”
He cleared his throat again and began reciting a poem. It was about love and war and the beauty of the Highlands. Oskar groaned. Emeric threw an apple core at Conall. Kai shook his head, an expression of long-suffering patience on his face.
“What do ye think?” Conall asked when he’d finished.
“What?” Emeric said, blinking rapidly. “Sorry, what did ye say? I fell asleep for a moment there.”
“Ye are hilarious, ye know that? Very well, ye paragons of artistic appreciation, let’s see if ye can do any better.”
Emeric shrugged. “We canna all have the education ye have, my friend. Not all of us grew up in a noble house.”
“But I was the best story-teller in my village,” Oskar added, pushing himself up straight.
“Really?” Conall replied, his voice dripping sarcasm. “How come ye’ve never mentioned it before?”
Oskar ignored the man’s jibe and launched into a story about a Fae princess who fell in love with the local lord. It was full of forbidden trysts and heart-break and had Conall and Emeric groaning again.
“Are they like this all the time?” Caitlin asked Kai.
“Oh, ye have no idea,” he replied. “Ye’ve caught us on a good day. Just wait until they are all in a temper. That’s fun.”
Caitlin surprised herself by snorting a laugh. She shook her head in bemusement. She couldn’t figure these people out. They were strange and dangerous —and clearly crazy— and yet...and yet...she found that she was no longer afraid of them.
Her gaze settled on Kai. He caught her looking and grinned. Flushing, Caitlin looked away, studiously studying the road ahead.
What had brought these men together? They were so different from each other— in looks, in personality, and in background if what Oskar had said was true. Were they some sort of reenactment group? Some kind of historical research society? She had no idea.
And yet, there was a bond between them that was hard to miss.
They lapsed into silence as they continued their journey but Caitlin felt more comfortable than she had before. Perhaps everything would be all right. Perhaps Kai really was taking her to a place where she could call a cab and get home. She glanced at him. He held the reins loosely and to outward appearance looked relaxed—just a man out for a ride on his cart—but there was a watchfulness about him that reminded Caitlin of a stalking cat. He seemed to miss nothing: not the cry of a hawk overhead, nor the sudden movements of a hare racing across the hillside.
