Time Masters Book One; The Call (An Urban Fantasy, Time Travel Romance) (48 page)

“What is it, Lany?”

He returned his attention to his communicator. “We have bonding, bonding and more bonding.” He chose his next words, knowing how his superior would respond. “Slow, natural,
solid
bonding.”

His pen let out what sounded like “yippee” in the background. Angus.

“Has he spoken to her yet? Are they talking?”

“Not a word as far as I can tell. Something happened about a half-hour ago, possibly her heart responding to Dallan in some way, but I can’t be sure.”

“Was she in pain, Councilor?”

Lany gave his communicator a look of surprise. “Zara?”

“Yes. Did she look to be in pain? I sensed something from her.”

Lany thought a moment. “Yes, for a moment. Was she calling?”

Silence.

“Zara?”

Nothing.

“Hello? Somebody want to tell me what’s going on?”

“Lany, listen to me carefully.” John’s voice was urgent.

“Go ahead.”

“Separate them. Do it now.”

“That’s not funny, Eaton.”

“She’s almost ready, Lany. He must have been speaking,
er
, uh, communicating, in Gaelic. Her heart’s sure to be fully awake after that. If Brennan’s on his way and she becomes any more ready…”

“I’ll take... wait a minute, I think it’s already being taken care of.”

“What?” John’s voice nearly squeaked with static.

“Kitty just walked by. The minute she sees them, it’ll be all over.”

“By the Creator, I forgot about her. You’ve been there over an hour. Where’s she been all this time?”

“Downstairs. Magazine rack.
Men’s sectio
n.
Don’t ask,” Lany answered fl
atly.

“Oh. Be sure to ask Dallan about the Gaelic. I have a feeling that’s what they bonded with as children. It’s what her heart will respond to.”

“I will. Ah, mission accomplished. Kitty just saw them.”

“Good. Stay with Dallan; he may have trouble recovering after the separation. If all goes well, Kwaku will have them Joined in the next day or so. Keep an eye out for Brennan. We’re on our way.”

“See you when you get here.”

“Don’t worry about that. If Dallan leaves before we get there, follow him.”

“Zara will be able to follow the Maiden?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll take care of my end.” Lany shut his communicator off and settled himself to watch Kitty Morgan disrupt paradise, not knowing who to feel most sorry for—Dallan, the Maiden or Kitty.

* * *

“Shona?”

Shona opened her eyes slowly. Had someone spoken her name?

She looked up at the man holding her. His eyes were narrowed to slits, planted on someone beyond her vision. She turned her head in the direction he was looking. Kitty stood not twenty feet away, mouth agape, staring back at him and looking very unsure of what to do.

Shona returned her gaze to him, now cognizant of what was going on. She put her hand on his heart and pressed slightly. He lowered his face to hers, tearing his eyes slowly from Kitty, as if afraid to let his guard down for even the briefest of seconds.

Please, she means no harm. She is my
friend.

He looked down at her, eyes still narrowed.
D’ye trust her, lass?

I would trust her with my life if I had to. She is my best friend.

Dallan looked back to Kitty.
I have a friend like that. I need to tell him
what is happening. Does she ken anything? What is happening to you?
To me?
Can
she help keep ye safe?

“Shona? Are you all right?”

She looked at Kitty over a large bicep and merely nodded knowing her voice wouldn’t work right now,
then
gave her attention back to him.
I will
tell her. I trust her. I was going to tell her today anyway. I…

“Shona we have to go. Your folks are probably on their way. We have to get downstairs.” Kitty took a cautious step forward.

The man softened his look and allowed her to approach. He looked from Shona, to Kitty, and back again.
Th
ere are so many questions I have for
ye, lass.
I dinna ken where to e
ven begin.
Th
is
shouldna
be real, none o’ it, but
I think by now we both ken it is. We need someone we can trust.
Yer in danger, lass.
After yest
erday ye can off
er me no argument
as to the
fact. I want to tell ye everything, but… will ye believe me?

Shona drew in a shaky breath.
At this point, how could I not believe you?

“Shona, please, we have to go. Can’t you just give him your phone number or something?” Kitty
said as she
grabbed one of Shona’s arms and pulle
d her out of the man’s embrace.

He caught her other arm and held fast, his eyes narrowed again to slits
.
Shona shook her head at him as she fought against both holds.

“C’mon, Shona, let’s go! For gawsh sakes, we’ll be back here tomorrow!” Kitty l
eaned toward him slightly
. “One o’clock. We’ll meet you here
, OK?
"

Shona shot him another pleading look. Luckily, he caught it. He held her arm even tighter and shoved past Kitty, heading in the direction of the stairs.

Kitty let go of Shona’s other arm. “Well you don’t have to push! If you want to hold her hand that badly, all you have to do is say so.”

Th
ey reached
the stairs, went down to the main lobby and out the double doors.

Kitty sighed in relief. “Oh, goodie. We beat them. Now I won’t get yelled at by Julia!”

Shona gave
her a
“so that’s why”
look and glanced down the street. No sign of her mother’s car. They must be running late. She suddenly felt a pull on her arm. The man
had backed up and now sat on a
wide marble bench
just
behind one of the
huge pillar
s gracing
the front of the library
. He still held her hand and was squeezing it, a possessive look on his face.

He did not want to let her go. And she didn’t want him to.

“Oh, look, there they are.” Kitty suddenly blurted, making Shona jump.

She turned away from the man just in time to see he
r mother’s car come to a stop directly across the street
with Julia’s right behind. A chill raced down her spine and she shivered involuntarily at the slight tremor of fear.

The man squeezed her hand again, calming her. She looked to him and fought the need to cry by tightly shutting her eyes and holding his hand in both of hers.

“C’mon, we have to go. Look, your mom’s getting out.” Shona forced her eyes to open and glanced at her mother who stood half-in half-out of the
car, waving at her. She
waved
weakly
back, barely able to keep the tears at bay. If one escaped, she knew she’d be in for it. There would be no way to stop them.

Someone else got out of the car and stood on the curb, leaning against it with arms crossed. Shona’s eyes grew wide with recognition and her knees suddenly felt weak.

Philip!

She let go Dallan’s hand as her body jerked slightly. Philip smiled and motioned her to come. For some unexplained reason, she felt compelled to go and began to walk away, but Dallan didn’t let go.

Kitty waved. “Hi!” she shout
ed and bounded down the
library's front
steps t
o the street
.

Shona turned and looked into the mysterious man's
eyes.
Please, I have to go.

What is it, lass? What’s wrong? Something frightens ye.

Shona realized that sitting as he was, he couldn’t s
ee the car
s
because of the pillar
.
My parents and their friend are here. I have to go. Come back
tomorrow?

He relaxed his hold and nodded reluctantly, then suddenly smiled as if struck by an idea.
Aye that I will.
He let go her hand.

She stood there a moment, dumb struck. He’d let go too easily. Or had he? It was still as though he held her, but not by any physical means.
Kitty
and I will be here at one o’clock.

As will I. Now ye best
be
off
.
Dinna worry yer mother.

She shook her head.

Go now, lass. Ye’ve yer business to attend to. Dinna worry, I’ll not be far
from ye.
He winked at her.

She smiled.
Of course, the tree.
She turned to follow Kitty.

* * *

Philip watched her closely, fi
ghting the lust threatening to erupt at the mere sight of her. A sight he’d denied himself the day before. Oh, how she had grown. This was not the child he’d seen nearly eight years ago. No, this was a woman, a maiden.
Th
e
Maiden. He licked his lips.

Shona approached slowly, as if unsure of him. He gave her a warm smile and opened his arms to her. “Little Shona! My God, but it’s good to see you!”

She came forward, caution in her ey
es, and entered his arms stiffl
y. He
hugged her quickly then let go.

“Are we ready?” Maggie yelled from inside the car.

“In a moment,” Philip called back. “My, how you’ve grown. I can’t get over how much you’ve changed. Your mother showed me pictures yesterday but they pale next to the real thing. You are absolutely beautiful.”

 
She smiled at him weakly as Julia got out of the other car. “Are you going to ride with Philip or with me, Shona?”

Shona looked from one face to the other and then pointed at her mother’s car. She swallowed hard and glanced over her shoulder in longing.

“Of course she’s going to ride with me,
" Philip began.  "S
he sees you almost every day. But don’t worry. Graves and Kent will keep you entertained until we get to where we’re going.” A sudden twinge of warning pricked him and he looked around expectantly, his eyes coming to rest at the top of the library’s front stairs where Shon
a’s own eyes had been drawn. Th
ere was
nothing but a man lean
ing against a marble pillar
watching them with little interest. Or was there more to it? Philip looked back to Shona, his jaw tight.

“Let’s go, Philip. The restaurant won
’t hold our reservations indefi
nitely and we still have to pick up Evan.” Maggie called from inside the car.

Philip forced a brigh
t smile. “You heard your mother, i
nto the car. You sit next to me and we can get reacquainted.” He ushered a still-silent Shona into the back seat and stood poised to get in himself. Pausing, he turned to Julia’s car parked behind Maggie’s and gave a small nod of his head. He then looked at the man on the stairs who now ignored them and picked at his clothing as if bored.

Graves, Philip’s longtime associate, got out of the car and went directly to him. “Problem?”

Philip narrowed his eyes at the man on the stairs as an all-too-familiar warning pierced him. He allowed Graves time to follow his stare, to let him get a good look at the man.

Graves, through with his own assessment, looked back to Philip, waiting.

Philip met his gaze and began to get into the car, but not before telling his associate in a soft menacing voice what he expected of him: two words Graves loved to hear.

“Kill him.”

Th
e man that hath no music in himself,

Nor if not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

Is fi
t for treason, stratagems, and spoils
;

Th
e motions of his spirit are as dull as night,

And his aff
ections dark as Erebus:

Let no such man be trusted.

Shakespeare

Th
e Merchant of Venice, Act V

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Shona held her balled fi
sts in her lap and prayed Philip didn’t notice her knuckles were white with tension. Where was her voice? Why
did it take so long for her to
recover? And the mysterious man; it hurt to be apart from him.