Ishbel rolled her eyes and turned back to Mairwen.“Forgive us for endangering you so.”
“There is nothing to forgive.”Mairwen shooed away the apology as she rose from her chair and slowly circled Emily.“I could have stopped her at any time.Ye know that.”She concentrated on studying the lass, picking up and pulling in all the girl’s strengths.A satisfied smile came to her when a familiar ripple of energy brushed across her senses.“I knew it.She is descended from Esme.Probably a great-great-granddaughter, if my calculations are accurate.Would it not be about that long ago that Esme was stripped of her longevity by the goddesses?”
“Aye, at her request to die after a life of love with her mortal.”Ishbel came closer and tilted her head as she joined Mairwen to eye the inanimate lass.“She couldn’t bear the thought of living on without him when he came to the end of his life’s path.”She pointed at Emily’s face.“She has Esme’s eyes.And her smile.I never noticed it before.”
“Aye.”Mairwen nodded, seeing the resemblance for the first time.“That she does.Esme would be so proud of this fiery lass descended from her love.”
“It willna be easy convincing her of all that is a Weaver’s world,” Reese said while cleaning the blood from his face and hands.“She doesn’t know that even though something might be difficult to believe, that doesn’t make it impossible to be so.”
“She belongs here,” Mairwen said.“With us.”
“But she has family in the United States,” Ishbel said.“A loving family.”
“That doesn’t mean she canna live here and become all she is meant to be.I wish Esme were here to see her—to train her.What a powerful pair they would make.”Mairwen smiled at the fury roiling in Emily’s eyes.The chocolate richness of their color had taken on a reddish glow like that of hot coals.“She has heard all that we’ve said and is not pleased with her inability to respond.Release her, Ishbel.She is one with us, whether she likes it or not.”
“Libero,” Ishbel said.
“What the ever-loving hell was that?”Emily asked through clenched teeth.
“A calming spell, ye might say,” Mairwen said.“We will not allow ye to harm yerself or others.”She motioned to a seat at the table.“If ye will sit and maintain a calmness that I am sure ye are capable of, I will tell ye more of Jessa and her destiny.”
Emily yanked out the chair and threw herself down into it.“And you will also explain how you know about my great-great-grandmother.What did you do?A background check on my family tree so you could mess with my head when you did whatever you’ve done to Jessa?”
“She is a suspicious one, I’ll give ye that,” Reese said.He gingerly touched his red, swollen nose.“I think she broke it.”
“Go to the healer,” Ishbel said in a disgusted tone.“Mairwen and I can handle this meeting.”
“I believe I will.”Reese hurried from the room, still gently patting at his face.
“Men can be such babies.”Ishbel took a seat a few chairs down from Emily.
“He shouldn’t have tried to handle me.I warned him.”Emily folded her arms across her chest and squared her shoulders, still ready for a fight.
Ishbel grinned.“Ye did well.There is nothing wrong with setting the right impression and letting others know that ye are to be respected.”
Emily shifted her glare back to Mairwen.“You expect me to believe that you sent Jessa back in time to eighteenth century Scotland?And you don’t care that you did it without her knowledge or consent?”
“She gave her consent.Keeva and Killian included it in the fine print of the user’s agreement in the app that brought her here to Seven Cairns.”Mairwen settled into her seat, smiling as Ishbel refilled her teacup.
“Nobody reads all that stuff.If you want to use an app, you check the box and get on with it.”
Mairwen enjoyed a sip of her refreshed tea, then nodded.“I am well aware of that, as are my apprentices who designed it.Nevertheless, legal consent from Jessa was obtained as soon as she opened the app the first time.”
Emily stared at her, obviously stewing over all that had been revealed.She chewed on her bottom lip, the worry in her expression deepening her scowl.“She is the sister I never had.Family.I love her and need to know she is not only safe but happy.You have no idea all she has been through.”She leaned forward and flattened her hands on the table.“So far, everything you’ve said is impossible for me to believe.I want the truth, Mairwen, or you’re going to regret ever meeting me.”
It was time for Emily to believe.“I will take you to her on the condition that you understand you cannot stay with her, nor can she return to this time with you, at least, not just yet.She and Grant must be given the opportunity to fully connect, time toactivatetheir mate bond.”
“Activate their mate bond?You make it sound like she is an animal about to go into heat.”
“It has nothing to do with lust,” Mairwen said with a solemn tip of her head.“Although that usually follows once the bond is acknowledged.Jessa and Grant are fated mates.Their souls belong together in each incarnation, and this time, they needed a little extra help to find one another because they were born into different centuries.That often happens with the strongest of mate bonds because the darker forces create obstacles to keep them apart.”
“The darker forces.”Emily’s eyes narrowed.“What darker forces?”
“Those who would see the Highland Veil destroyed, and its protective barrier to all the worlds taken down.Unimaginable horrors would ensue if nothing prevented the planes of time and realities from mixing.All creation, as we know it, would perish in the battle between the various entities seeking to rule the chaotic infinite plane that would result.”
“And how is keeping fated mates separated supposed to bring down the Veil?”
“The Highland Veil is a tapestry of time, energy, and mystical ether.Over the ages, it becomes worn and thins a bit here and there.Some beings, depending on their goddess given abilities, are sometimes able to slip through to other worlds or times and create havoc where they do not belong, giving birth to many of our myths and legends.There is but one thing powerful enough to keep the Veil’s weave strong and intact enough to fully separate that which must be kept to itself for the good of all.”
