Abby had to bite her tongue more than once during the meal. She had to be careful with what she said, and if she relaxed too much, who knew what would come out of her mouth? She took another mouthful of food. She had to admit she enjoyed the stew if she didn’t think about what it contained too much. However, she hated the awkward silence. She always felt as if she should say something in those situations, but she was proud of herself for controlling that side of her and not speaking one word.
Iain ate his food without so much as a glance in her direction. He was obviously glad she’d kept quiet, and she got the distinct feeling if he didn’t think he was in her debt for saving him, he wouldn’t be taking her with him. She gazed at him through her lashes. No. He wouldn’t have left her. He wasn’t that type of man. Not like Peter, running away and leaving her to the muggers.
Thankfully, they soon finished with their meal.
Having already packed earlier, it took no time at all for Iain to collect the partly dried rabbit meat. Abby raised her brows as he tied the strips to his sword before he secured the blade in the scabbard on his back.
She guessed he saw her quizzical look, because he said, “The cold of the night will keep it from spoiling until I can finish drying it in the sun tomorrow.”
Abby wondered again if the sun ever came out in Scotland but kept her thoughts to herself and nodded.
He held out his hand and she stared at it. “Take it,” he said.
Her fingers trembled at the thought of placing her hand in his rough, massive one. She made a fist. “That’s okay, I’ll just follow you.”
“It’s dark and I don’t want us to be separated.” He waggled his fingers. “Take it.” When she didn’t immediately do so, he said, “We’re nae going anywhere until ye do.”
She shrugged and held her breath as she placed her hand in his. She was right; her fingers tingled, and a jolt of electricity speared up her arm. Watching her with his piercing gaze, he tightened his clasp, which only accentuated the effect. Not knowing what else to do, she nodded, letting him know she was ready to go.
All the way back to the moor, Abby prayed the orb was still there.Please be there. Please be there.It kept her mind off the weird feeling her hand in Iain’s elicited within her. If she stopped concentrating on the device for more than a few seconds, her fingers prickled at the warm glow that spread through her body. His skin wasn’t rough exactly, but thick, like tanned hide. She sensed the strength in his hand and was thankful for his company in the cold night.
She had pulled her skirt over her other hand to keep her fingers out of the cold air and hastened her steps to keep up with his massive strides. They kept quiet as they approached the windblown trees they had hidden under just three days before.
Iain pulled her hand down as he stooped low, and then withdrew his hand from hers. Abby bent over, trying to make herself as small as she could, although she doubted anyone would see them. The night was darker than she’d ever experienced. She looked up at the sky. Not one star, let alone the moon. She shivered, surprised at just how cold it had become without his hand holding hers.
He knelt behind a clump of grass and tugged her skirt to indicate she should do the same. She did and pointed to the lone tree ahead of them. “I think I dropped it around there,” she whispered close to his ear.
As she spoke, the clouds parted ways and the moon’s light shone over the field. Abby ducked lower. Large shadows of people moved about, and two men in uniform walked toward her and Iain. Abby held her breath. They were going to get caught.
Iain placed his hand on her shoulder as if for reassurance. The soldiers stopped, and one bent down and picked something up, something from near the tree where Abby first arrived on that dreaded moor. It glinted in the moonlight and Abby gasped. She clapped her hand over her mouth before the sound fully escaped, but Iain pushed her down into the earth. She had to use both hands to stop her face from being buried. She wriggled around and tried to stop him from crushing her further.
His hot breath made the little hairs around her ears stand on end. “Stay there,” he growled deep and low in his throat.
Her eyes narrowed, but she did as she was told.
A man shouted, “Sir.”
“What is it?” another man answered.
“We found something.”
“What?”
Boots sloshed in the still-wet ground, but Abby couldn’t tell if they were coming or going.
Iain’s hand moved from her back and Abby lifted her headto peer over the bush. Her hand covered her mouth before she let out a sound.
“What have they got?” she whispered to Iain as the two men walked back to the group of soldiers. A tall, thin soldier met them before they joined the group and took whatever it was from one of the men.
“I don’t know, but it is white and shiny.”
Abby didn’t have to see itto know it was her orb, her time device, her only way home. The soldiers spoke, but Abby couldn’t make out what they said. As the tall soldier turned away, the orb shone proudly in the moon’s light. Abby’s heart sank as her one and only way of getting home was taken away from her.
She couldn’t let that happen. She had already worked out that when she turned the orb, so the gold leaves became whole, it took her back in time. All she had to do was tackle the soldier and take the orb, twist it to break the leaves’ connections, and she would return to her own time. She was sure it would happen too quickly for anyone to hurt her.
She moved to get up, but Iain’s hand pressed down on her back, pushing her into the dirt.
She quickly turned her face so only the side of her head was buried. “I have to get it back. Please let me go,” she pleaded.
