“It wasn’t like that.” Evie waved away the thought but even so, they shared a giggle.
“Bruce tried to take the stone from me, too,” Chloe said, her voice soft. “I thought he was trying to help me find you. Instead, he attacked me. The stone was humming and glowing. I guess in my panic, I activated it.”
“Yes,” Evie said, a hint of excitement in her voice. “The stone hummed and glowed for me, too. That’s how it sent you through time. Here. To me. To us.”
A trickle of fear and dread went through her as she looked up at her sister. “It also sent Bruce here.”
Evie’s face drained of color. “What? How?”
“He grabbed me when it happened. We both landed here together. If it hadn’t been for Malcolm…” Her voice trailed off.
If he hadn’t been there, the right place at the right time, there was no telling what would have happened to her. She might be dead by now and her piece of the stone would be in Bruce’s hands.
She hadn’t thought to question why Malcolm was there. Truthfully, it didn’t matter.
“Malcolm was there?”
“Yes. You still have a lot to tell me. Like, how you ended up married.” She lifted a brow at her sister. “I thought you didn’t believe in love at first sight.”
But Chloe had. Chloe had believed Bruce was the one and had fallen head over heels in love with him. And yet he had betrayed her.
She flushed again. “Oh, well…I didn’t mean to fall in love with Callum. It just happened.”
Chloe patted the bed next to her. “Sit and tell me everything. I want to hear all about this man who has captured my sister’s heart.”
“Geeze, Chlo, it’s like you think I’d never fall in love.”
“You were busy trying to keep things together for us while I got my degree. My thanks for you doing that was leaving you for a work visa in Scotland.”
And how did that turn out? She thought about that a long moment. She was so happy at first, exploring Edinburgh and learning the city. The day Bruce had come into the museum, he had chatted her up. She was enamored with him and enticed by his Scottish brogue. He was witty and charming and gave her butterflies in the pit of her stomach.
“You don’t have to thank me for—”
“Yes, I do, Eve. It was because of you I was able to achieve my dreams.” She peered down at her red palm in her lap.A lot of good it did her to graduate with honors. If she was stuck in the past, her career was over. She shook herself free of her melancholy and glanced up at Evie. “And if Callum does anything to hurt you, he’ll have to answer to me.”
They shared another smile and a giggle as Evie sat next to her. She told her how she had landed in this time, how Callum was convinced she belonged to Clan Sinclair and had tried to leave her with them.
“Angus Sinclair?” Chloe interjected.
“Yes.”
Nodding, Chloe explained how she had met Angus, his wife, Fiona, and their son. How Malcolm had insisted they spend the night to allow her to recover and how they had traveled to Dundale together.
“I think they’re our ancestors.”
“I think so, too,” Evie said with a nod.
Her sister then told her about Hamish, Callum’s father, and how the castle had come under attack. When he was killed, Callum was named laird of Dundale. She told the story with mist in her eyes.
“There’s more. It may be difficult for you to understand, but you have to believe what I’m about to tell you is the truth.”
She drew her brows together. “That sounds ominous.”
Evie kept her gaze down as she fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. “There’s a prophecy. Hamish shared it with me before he passed.”
She remained still as she peered at her sister’s profile. She had more questions now than ever. “A prophecy?”
“Yes, and it’s all coming true.”
