A moment later the door of the cottage opened and two men stepped out, both holding wicked looking axes.
“Wait here,” Cam said, motioning for Rachel to stay hidden. He tied the horse to the nearest tree before climbing down.
She watched as he moved to the left, scanning the ground as he went. He leaned down, picked up a stone, and then hurled it toward the far side of the cottage. It landed with a thud and the two men looked that way, heading toward the trees on the far side of the clearing.
Cam crossed the space to the cottage like the quietest wind, darting inside and out of sight. Rachel held her breath, waiting for him to emerge.
The guards finished their sweep and returned, seeing the open door and walking inside, axes ready in front of them. She barely had time to react before Cam emerged. Blood was dripping down his face as he walked slowly over, a heavy leather bound book in his hand, his sword sheathed. He was not even out of breath.
How could she have fallen for him? He looked like what he was, a murderous brute from a violent time. She couldn’t possibly stay in a time when people were being slaughtered on what seemed like a daily basis.
“Come on,” he said, wiping the blood from his face with the back of his hand. “Let’s get to the stone circle.”
“You know where it is?” she asked, trying to ignore her revulsion.
“Aye. Cullin Point is not far from here.” He glanced up at the sky. “We should make it before nightfall.”
The horse made the journey a lot quicker. Once Rachel got used to riding it, she almost enjoyed it. Her pleasure was lessened knowing she was stuck in the Middle Ages with a killer. There would be no way back.
“Maybe there’s a spell in here that can get you home,” Cam said, tapping the book she was gripping tightly between her hands. “I didnae get chance to read it.”
“How do you know it’s the right book?”
“It was the only one in there.”
“What did you do, to those men I mean?”
“Dealt with them.”
He refused to be drawn into the matter so Rachel dropped it, concentrating on not letting go of the book. “What do I do if there isn’t a spell that’ll get me home?”
“Philip will ken a way tae dae it.”
“How do you know?”
“He knows much more than me about such things. Look, there’s the circle.”
In a long open stretch of heather, a jagged circle of rough gray stones pointed up at the sky. They rode toward it, dismounting the horse at the edge and leaving it enjoying the few tufts of grass that lay between the masses of heather. “Find the spell,” Cam said, turning to look at Rachel.
“Yes,” a voice said from the far side of the circle. “Find the spell, Rachel.”
They both looked as from behind the tallest stone the barefoot man emerged. “How did you get here so fast?” Cam asked, walking slowly toward him.
“That’s not the question you should be asking. The question you should be asking is what happens if you take another step toward me?”
From behind other stones more men appeared, all of them grinning wickedly at Cam. He paused, calculating his odds.
“I wouldn’t,” the barefoot man said. “Their bows move faster than your sword.” He turned his attention to Rachel as Cam stood glaring at him. “If you give me the book, I’ll tell you the spell that will send you home.”
“If you know it, why haven’t you used it?” she asked, gripping the book tighter.
“Oh, aren’t you a clever one?” He took a step toward her. Cam blocked his path. He stopped, looking indifferent. “The spell needs you just as the necklace needs you. You’re the key to all of this, don’t you understand?”
“I understand you need to leave us alone before I cast the spell that deals with you once and for all.”
“You could do that. Or you could give me the book and I’ll tell you who your birth mother is. How does that sound for a deal? The answer to the question you’ve always wanted to know. Who are your parents? Give me the book and I’ll tell you.”
“Dinnae do it,” Cam said, turning to plead with her. “He’s lying.”
