“Are you tellingme the Cauld Ane have the ability to time travel?”
“Not just theCauld Ane,” Haddi said. “Any wearer of the rings may use them as they wish.However, the Fates do not take kindly to interference from those they have notchosen, and great calamity may befall the earth should the rings be used forevil gain.”
“I don’tunderstand.” I squeezed Phin’s arm. “If the rings belong to the Cauld Ane, whydo the Fords’ have them?” I turned to them and added, “No offense, I’m justtrying to understand.”
“None taken, ofcourse.” Sophie said with a smile.
“Because theFates chose Sophie and Jamie when we were no longer able to safely guard therings,” Skarde said. “And the rings remain safely in their care today. Wellhidden, out of sight and out of time.”
“You don’t livein this time?” I asked.
“You could sayour home is a bit out of the way,” Sophie replied.
“My wife has afatal heart condition,” Jamie said. “The Fates brought us back in time inservice of the greater good, and in return, healed Sophie of her ailments.However, she must remain back in our time or the effects of her conditionreturn.”
“How is ityou’re here now?” I asked Sophie, who turned and motioned to Haddi.
“I’ll let Haddiexplain.”
Haddi nodded. “I’mable to shield her from the effects of our time as long as she is in mypresence. A skill I’m currently teaching my young apprentice.”
“But evenHaddi’s magic can only protect me for so long before I must return,” Sophieadded.
The Fords spokewith accents, formality, and a cadence that suggested they were from anothertime, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint it.
Sophie andJamie both aided and served in the American Civil War, love. But they were sentback during the early two-thousands.
I gasped.
“We try to limitthe Fords’ visits for times of emergency and Council meetings only.”
“Then I am trulyhonored you’ve joined us,” I said.
“Now that you’vebeen introduced to the Council, let’s get to know you, shall we?” Arric said,causing my mouth to turn into the Sahara Desert instantly.
This was all toomuch. Time traveling Civil War veterans, magic spells, reincarnated Vikingwarriors, what in heaven’s name had I found myself in the middle of? I began tohyperventilate and felt like I was going to pass out.
Gerðu andannað skýi. Hjarta þitt í stein. Snúðu tauginni í stál. Þú ert óttalaus og ekkihægt að brjóta þig niður.(Make your breath into a cloud. Your heart intostone. Turn your nerve to steel. You are fearless and cannot be broken.)
Phin’s thoughtsshot through me like an electrical storm, and I became suspended in time. Theworld around me was frozen, enveloped in white smoke and bright blue streaks oflightning. Intense shockwaves ripped into me, one after another, filling mewith peace, understanding, and courage. I have no idea how long I remained thatway, as the concept of time became irrelevant, all I knew was I was somewherein between the grains of sand trapped in the hourglass.
Before I knewit, I was back in real time again, standing before Arric Gunnach and theCouncil of Oracles.
“What would youlike to know?” I asked, confidently and without hesitation.
I spent thefollowing hour answering the Council’s questions, and never once did my fatheror the Hand of the Cross enter the conversation. Phin was right. They didn’tview me as the daughter of the enemy at all. They spoke to and about me as aCauld Ane. A new addition to a loving family, who had each other’s back. It waslike nothing I’d ever experienced before, and for the first time since bondingwith Phineas, I felt one hundred percent Cauld Ane, my mind finally catching upwith my heart. This all became a fiery collision between logic and emotion,truth and feelings, death of the old and birth of the new.
“Yes, youngone,” Haddi spoke from his seat at the Council table. “YouareCauldAne.” The next thing I knew, Haddi was standing beside my chair. “A veryspecial Cauld Ane at that.”
I just aboutleapt out of my seat, letting out a short, sharp, scream, causing Haddi tocackle with delight, clapping his hands like a deranged madman.
“I think my soulleft my body for a few seconds there,” I said, catching my breath as thelaughter of the Council died down.
“I told youHaddi’s wise and powerful, but I failed to warn you he’s also a trickster,”Phin said, wrapping an arm around me.
“I’m afraid myold pupil knows his master all too well.” Haddi grinned, kneeling before me.“May I have your hand, Your Highness?”
“If you’replanning on proposing, I should warn you I’m recently bonded and my mate isextremely jealous.”
