“Ye are right about one thing, Kai Stewart,” she said. “Someoneisgoing to come along that path behind ye any minute, but it might not be who ye expect it to be. That person will bring a choice about which man ye want to be and which road ye wish to take.” She released her grip, grinned widely, then reached up to pat him on the cheek. “Choose carefully, my boy.”
Without another word, she turned and walked into the trees. But before she rounded the bend, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. “They are almost here, by the way. Ye had better be going.”
And then Kai heard it: the unmistakable clop of horses’ hooves.
“Damn!” he swore under his breath, spun on his heel, and went sprinting back the way he’d come, careful to keep out of sight and make no noise.
Irene MacAskill’s words rang in his head. Why had she come to speak to him? He did not have Fae blood like his half-brother, Rory. He was not a time-traveler like his mother, Madeleine. He had never had anything to do with the Fae. So why him? And why now?
It doesn’t matter, he told himself as he resumed his position in the undergrowth overlooking the path.Only the mission matters.
To his right, Magnus gave him an enquiring look. Kai shook his head to indicate there was no danger. He pushed his thoughts aside and waited. The clop of hooves drew steadily louder. He peeked through the foliage and spotted a wagon approaching. It was laden with supplies: sacks of grain, barrels of ale, bolts of cloth. A fat man in expensive clothes rode on the bench, holding the reins loosely in one hand.
Behind the wagon rode a lone rider, a man with a broad-brimmed hat pulled low over his face. His horse was a sturdy bay, well taken care of, and the rider was armed with a sword and a brace of daggers.
Kai glanced at his men. Magnus nodded grimly, and Oskar was a silent shadow in the undergrowth. Kai couldn’t see Emeric up in the trees, but knew he would be ready.
He raised his hand, ready to give the signal. But before he could move, the bushes lining the road below began to thrash. A second later, a figure stumbled out into the path of the wagon.
The wagon driver yelled and yanked heavily on the reins, pulling the wagon to a screeching halt mere inches from where the figure stood shakily, swaying slightly as if injured or drunk.
It was a woman.
Kai stared in shock. She was wearing the most bizarre clothes he had ever seen: black skin-tight trews and boots that were bright pink. She had a bag slung on her back and some kind of harness around her waist from which dangled some odd bits of metal and a coil of rope. The woman stumbled as if dizzy and then collapsed onto her knees.
Kai quickly changed his signal, uncurling his fingers and holding his palm up, telling his men to hold their positions.
This was unexpected. What was going on? And who the hell was that woman?
Chapter 3
Caitlin’s skull feltlike it was splitting. A headache had erupted behind her eyes the second she’d stepped through the arch. For an instant, the ground had gone out from under her and she thought she was falling, but then her feet had hit solid ground and she’d staggered, enveloped by the smell of leaf-litter and soil.
Then she’d heard the sound of horses and gone stumbling towards it, hopeful that perhaps the riders might have some aspirin they could give her, or at least some water.
Now, as she staggered to her knees, unable to keep her feet any longer, she looked up and saw a farm cart bearing down on her pulled by averylarge pair of horses.
