Breath of Yesterday (The Curse Series) (17 page)

“You were just frightened. But at least I don’t have to take you down to the dungeon with you screaming bloody murder. Instead, I can take you to a nice bedchamber. Now that was worth a little bit of blood, wasn’t it?”

I had to agree. The cut wasn’t all that deep. Also, ever since I had started taking care of Fingal’s injury, nobody would dare to refer to me as someone with a delicate disposition who got squeamish at the sight of blood. My reaction to this whole situation, therefore, seemed somewhat unreasonable. My nerves were raw, that was all. But I could finally breathe easy. I was under Fingal McLean’s protection. All I needed now was the help and support of his son. And so it suited me just fine that the latter was opening the door to my new bedchamber.

“So, what do you think?” he asked as he stepped aside to let me enter first.

The room was spacious and bright, and the simple bed with its blue canopy and blue coverlet went very well with the dark blue tapestries. To the left and right of the door, hunting trophies—antlers—adorned the walls, and the large wardrobe was painted with hunting scenes.

Payton entered behind me, closed the door, and traversed the room. He opened the window wide to allow fresh air to stream in.

“Beautiful, truly beautiful. Please give my thanks to your father.”

I ran my hand over the coverlet and sat down on the edge of the bed. I could not allow myself to get into another situation like earlier, that much I knew. I needed to enlist Payton’s help.

“Sam? Why did you say that thing earlier?”

He was leaning against the windowsill and gave me a piercing look.

“What do you mean?”

“You said you loved me. What made you say that?”

“Payton, I have to tell you something. It is really, really important. But when I tell you, you’re not going to believe me. You will turn away, you will probably think I’m crazy, and…”

In a panic, I got up and started pacing the bedroom—because I didn’t dare get too close to him.

“Why don’t you try me. I am here now, and I am listening. No more, no less.”

“It’s not that easy. What I have to tell you is something you can’t even imagine in your wildest dreams. It’s so…crazy. You noticed yourself that I’m different. This whole time I’ve been trying to find the right words to explain this to you. Would you believe me if I told you that one day you’re going to love me?”

He didn’t reply but kept looking at me with interest.

“Would you believe me if I told you that I know the future? That your life in that future is in danger, and that it is my job to save you?”

With each word, my voice got louder. I realized how muddled and confused I sounded. I had no hope that this down-to-earth Highlander would ever believe me. Which was why my next few words came only as a whisper: “I love you, but I can only save you if you trust me, Payton.”

Payton walked over to me. As he had done so many times, he grabbed my chin so I could look him in the eyes. He was so close, I was shaking all over.

“My life is in danger? And you are the only one who can save me, Sam?”

I nodded weakly.

“The Fates are not exactly in our favor if they’re sending an oaf such as you to save me,” he said airily. “And besides, you are mistaken. There will not come a day that I fall in love with you.”

I closed my eyes, unable to bear looking at him when he said things like that. I couldn’t stand that he dragged me and my feelings and my overwhelming fear for his life through the mud with a few careless words.

“Sam, look at me!” he demanded, grabbing my chin tighter. “That day, Sam, that you mentioned, is already here. I’ve been trying to fight it. I have told myself that I didn’t feel what I feel, but it was all for naught. And now tell me,
mo luaidh,
do you truly love me?”

His lips grazed mine—a silent question that I was more than happy to answer. I lifted myself up on tiptoes to return his soft and gentle kiss, and allowed myself to sink into his arms. I allowed my emotions to take me away, abandoning myself completely to his kiss. Too glorious was that feeling of being exactly where I belonged, of being where I had always wanted to be, and in all that bliss I completely forgot about being worried for his life and the fact that his time was slowly running out.

C
HAPTER
22

Cemetery by Auld a´chruinn, Present-Day October

P
ayton opened his eyes and adjusted the back of his sport seat back into an upright position. He’d been getting worse these last few days. He was sleeping a lot, frequently needing to leave the cold, wet cemetery to warm himself up in the car. His body was no longer strong enough to do it by itself. The fever was eating him up from the inside, and the cramps in his muscles made him scream in pain at times.

He was glad whenever he could find some sleep, because that was when he saw Sam. He saw her in his newly created memories. He could feel her presence as if she were right beside him. But the images were faint. Only moments of particular intensity seemed more tangible. He longed for those moments when yet another wave of excruciating pain washed over him, as it was doing right now.

“Stay strong, Brother. He’ll be here soon. Maybe he can help us,” Sean implored. He’d been watching the dirt road in the rearview mirror and heard the sound of a car approaching.

“That’ll be him.” Sean exited the car, waiting for the dark green Land Rover Defender to come to a stop a few yards behind them. The driver got out.

“Roy Leary?” Sean asked, even though he was pretty sure that it was the right man. The description—a redheaded giant—was to the point.

“Aye, and you are Sean? We spoke on the phone. I came as fast as I could,” he explained. “What you told me is inconceivable. Are you absolutely sure? Truth be told, it would be a sensation!” He sounded both excited and agitated.

Sean nodded and pointed toward the cemetery that lay peacefully deserted before them. Nothing at all hinted at the incredible story that had happened there.

“A sensation? A disaster, more like it. Samantha is in grave danger. There must be a way we can help her.”

They passed Payton’s car and Roy glanced through the window, greeting the young man he found hard to recognize.

“We shall see, aye? But what’s wrong with him? Wouldn’t he be better off in a hospital?”

“He’s refusing to leave this place.”

Roy raised a curious eyebrow.

Sean tried to explain.

“If I thought they could help him in a hospital, I would have no trouble taking him there. But he doesn’t have the common cold, now, does he. No medicine on Earth could possibly take on a curse. And so I’m letting him have his way.”

Roy nodded and walked toward the cemetery with Sean following behind.

“So she’s really found the portal through time, aye? I would never have dared to believe that it actually exists,” Roy admitted.

Sean pointed at the memorial stone bearing the name of the five sisters. Roy pulled his glasses from a shirt pocket and crouched down.

“This is where it must have happened,” Sean explained. “We can’t say for sure, because we only noticed the stone the next day. It looks just like all the other gravestones, which is why it didn’t spark our attention at first.”

Roy checked the names that were chiseled into the stone.

“Fantastic. The legend of the five sisters is one of the most beautiful tales ever. Their haunting story makes even a full-grown man such as myself well up. I can barely believe that there should be some truth to it. Just look at those mountain peaks. Do you seriously believe that those were young women once?”

“I don’t know. But Samantha has disappeared, and she keeps popping up in our memories as if she’s rewriting our past. We are afraid she might be caught between two fronts. Besides, we have to think about Payton, too. He urgently needs help.”

Roy examined the stone as closely and thoroughly as an archaeologist, letting the earth run between his fingers, and inspecting its surroundings.

“What was she doing right before she disappeared?” he asked quietly.

“We don’t know. We’ve tried everything, but nothing’s happening,” Sean explained helplessly.

Roy got up and wiped his hands on his pants.

“Is it possible that it only works for women? After all, the father was clearing the way for his daughters,” Roy contemplated.

Sean had thought of that before, and he shrugged helplessly. Payton didn’t have much time left, and Samantha was in mortal danger. As he reflected on the time before Vanora’s curse, all he could remember were lies and betrayal, deceit and dishonor. The blood feud between the Stuarts and the Camerons had cost many lives and brought pain and misery to all involved.

There had to be a way of taking Sam out of harm’s way. He was a warrior! He had fought many battles and had always won. And now he was feeling like a helpless child, unable to get this situation under control. They had to save Sam, if only for his brother’s sake. Payton couldn’t die without knowing that Sam was safe. That was why Roy was here. He was their last hope.

C
HAPTER
23

Castle Burragh, October 1740

O
ur hearts beat as one. We looked deep into each other’s eyes and knew that our feelings were mutual. I had to tell Payton, and it had to be now. I couldn’t keep this secret to myself any longer. But just as I was about to open my mouth, he shook his head and took a step back.

“Sam, whatever I’m feeling for you, it’s not right. We can’t be together. I don’t want to get you into any more trouble than you’re already in.”

“You won’t. Please, Payton, don’t say things like that.”

He pushed me from him as I tried to get closer again.

“
Bas maillaichte!
Everyone here in this castle is going to be against us, don’t you see? You are a Cameron. If this fact shakes me to the core—
me!
—then how do you think everyone else is going to react? They are not going to see
you,
the girl with the beautiful eyes who stole my heart. They will see only one thing—the clan colors of the Camerons. That’s all they will see, I swear to you.”

“But—”

“No, Sam. We can’t see each other anymore. I will ask Father to assign someone else to guard you. Trust me, it is safer for you.”

He was about to turn around and go, but I held him back.

“Please, Payton, stay! Don’t leave before I have told you the whole story.” I could see the agony in his eyes: He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to be with me, but it was against his loyalty and honor to follow his heart. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to be caught on such an emotional roller coaster.

“What I said before, about the future…” I tried to help him recall our talk earlier. “I don’t know how to explain this to you, but your life really is in danger. Not now, but later on. You have to believe me.”

I was terribly distraught and hated hearing my pathetic attempts at telling him the truth while trying not to put the responsibility and blame—about everything that would happen and needed to happen—on him. It was pitiful. Even I wouldn’t have believed myself.

“Are you blessed with the powers of the
second sight
?” Payton asked, looking at me attentively.

Second sight?

I’d heard that term before. Clairvoyants were said to possess
second sight
. But nobody could say for sure whether it was a blessing or a curse, I thought.

I recalled the fate of Cassandra, probably the most famous seer in Greek mythology. Apollo, the Greek god, had offered her the gift of prophecy so she would give in to his advances, but she rebuffed him nevertheless. As a consequence, he cursed her gift so that nobody would ever again believe in her prophecies.

I suddenly wondered whether I wouldn’t be burned alive at the stake. Was the
second sight
to the Scots perhaps as unpopular as witches were?

“Uh, well, something like that,” I stammered. I was still contemplating whether time travel was less threatening than the gift of prophecy.

Payton nodded. He seemed alert and interested, as if he thought magical blue vapors might suddenly surround me as I pulled white rabbits from my sleeves.

“Do you believe me?” I asked doubtfully. I wasn’t sure whether I should continue talking if he didn’t.

A loud knock made us both jump. I backed a good distance away from Payton while he opened the door. Ross stood outside, holding a bundle under his arm.

“What are you doing here, Ross?” Payton asked.

Ross looked up and down the hallway, then back at Payton, who was still standing in the doorway and blocking him from entering the room. He tried to catch a glimpse of me, behind Payton.

“I have something. Samantha left it on the cart, and…uh, I mean, I wanted…I’m sure she’d want it back,” he explained, lifting the package under his arm.

I recognized the beige-colored bundle as my old housedress, and even though this was the most ill-timed moment he could possibly have picked, I was relieved to have it back. Walking past Payton, I stepped into the hallway.

“Thanks, Ross. How
n
ice of you to bring it back.”

I smiled, but he barely paid any attention to me. His eyes bored holes into Payton’s chest; his clenched fists gave away his anger.

“I didn’t know you had company. He’s not bothering you, is he?” he asked loudly enough for Payton to hear.

And Payton heard him just fine, judging by his contemptuous snort.

“No, Ross. I’m fine. Thank you for the dress. And please don’t worry about me. I’m under the laird’s protection now. Nothing is going to happen to me.”

“I see.…Well, in that case
…
I won’t disturb you—I’ll just return this.”

He thrust the dress into my hands and took a step back.

“
Slan leat,
Ross!” Payton dismissed the young man. He stepped aside so I could return to the room.

But Ross wasn’t easily fobbed off. “Sam,” he said, “do they allow you to take your meals in the Great Hall?”

I shot Payton a questioning glance, and he nodded. His lower jaw twitched, something I’d seen many times when he was annoyed, so I lowered my gaze. Ross noticed the nod, too, and slapped on a confident smile.

“I will see you there, then. I assume you will sit with the servants, and I look forward to your company.”

With that, he bowed politely and turned on his heel. I couldn’t make heads or tails of his actions. Before I could exchange a word about this with Payton, two housemaids came walking up the hallway. They brought everything I needed so that I could—as Fingal had ordered—wash the “travel dust” off me. They waltzed into my room, and Payton was forced out into the hallway. I ran after him and grabbed his arm.

“Payton? Don’t leave. Tell me first whether you believe me,” I asked quietly.

He looked past me, down the hallway.

“I don’t know,” he admitted begrudgingly. “I have fallen for you, so I guess I should believe you. On the other hand…you are also a Cameron…which is why I probably shouldn’t.” He wiped some dirt from my cheek.

“Go wash up. I need to think about it, Sam. I will come and get you for supper.”

With that, he left me to my handmaidens who must have been given orders to keep an eye on me. I heard them happily giggling and chattering away while I washed myself.

An hour later, I was nervously pacing my room. I was clean and dressed in fresh clothes, and one of the girls had brushed my hair and pleated it into a simple braided crown. The dark brown dress had a fitted waist and almost touched the ground. A cream-colored
arisaid,
a cloaklike garment, covered the wide rectangular neckline—which in turn revealed the thin, light-colored linen chemise I wore underneath.

I felt strange wearing this dress, but I realized that I had been given very high-end, expensive clothes.

The handmaiden who’d brought me the garments offered the laird’s thanks for my efforts in taking care of him. Apparently there was a fine line between distrust, which required my constant surveillance, and gratitude, which had yielded this wonderful gown.

What would it be like to turn up in the Great Hall wearing this outfit? Almost as if I were one of them?

A vigorous knock on the door jolted me from my daydreams, and I nervously pushed a loose strand of hair, which had been artfully arranged by the handmaiden, from my face. I opened the door and found myself face-to-face with Payton. His jaw dropped as he looked at me.

“Milady, I have to admit I am speechless. You look magnificent. Rest assured that the aversion of several McLeans against the Camerons will decrease significantly once they lay their eyes on you. On the other hand, there is a possibility that it will be the ladies’ turn to incite a war because you will be, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman in the entire hall.”

His silly compliment made me blush, and I tried to curtsy before pulling the door closed behind me.

“Can I count on you to protect me should that case arise?”

Payton stared at me as if seriously considering raising his sword against his own people in order to protect a Cameron. Then he winked, reaching for the strand of hair that had again fallen into my face and pushing it behind my ear.

“Don’t fret, milady. With me by your side, you are in no danger. The worst thing that could happen to you is this.”

He tilted his head and kissed me. It was a gentle kiss, almost only a brush with his lips. A touch as light as a ray of the summer sun, and just as soft and warm.

“Ready?” he asked, placing my hand on his arm so he could escort me like a real lady.

“Have you thought about it?” I whispered as soon as we were walking along the hallway and our footsteps drowned out our voices.

“Thought about what?”

“Whether you believe me? Payton, I’m serious. Time’s running out,” I implored.

“The more time I spend near you, the easier I find it to trust you. But let’s talk about that tomorrow. There is one important thing I urgently need to take care of. After that, I am all yours, I promise.”

I had no time to argue, because we were entering the Great Hall. The tapestry-covered walls and high, wood-beamed ceiling looked exactly as they did in my own era. Other than that, the room was barely recognizable. A suckling pig was roasting over the open fire inside the massive fireplace, with two young, sweaty boys rotating it. There were a lot of people sitting at the long wooden banquet table. I saw men in full Highland regalia as well as simple men in their work clothes.

I recognized the overweight blacksmith and his skinny helpers sitting at the lower end of the table. I spotted several women wearing similar dresses to mine, but also maidservants whose simple robes in pale earth colors were made of rough wool and gave away their lower rank. A beer maid brought a mug of beer to the table and gave me a hostile look in passing.

Suddenly dogs were bolting through the hall, and one of them made directly for me. It was Barra, who leapt toward me with her tail wagging, full of joy at seeing me again. A sharp blow of the whistle stopped her from throwing me down into the straw spread all over the floor.

In the sudden silence that followed, several curious heads turned in my direction. Some were staring at me, while others put their heads together and whispered quietly. Still others spat on the floor as the name
Cameron
was carried from person to person.

I felt sick to my stomach at seeing the blatant hostility toward me. Only Payton’s hand, which firmly held mine, gave me a sense of assuredness. But even his eyes hardened. He stared across the hall toward Ross, who looked surprised—and not altogether pleased.

“Come on,” Payton whispered, leading me to the head of the banquet table. Fingal, Blair, Sean, and Kyle had already taken their seats.

Everyone’s eyes were on us.

Fingal got up, and I tried a clumsy attempt at a curtsy again, until the laird reached for my hand and allowed me to stand up straight.

“Mistress Cameron, I am glad you have followed my invitation. Would you please raise the goblet with me in front of all my people so we can drink to your oath.”

He handed me his goblet, which was lavishly decorated and encrusted with precious stones. His piercing eyes prompted me to do exactly as he had commanded, and so I lifted the cup to my lips, and drank. A satisfied nod was his sign to me that I could now lower the cup and return it to him.

“
Mòran taing
, milord!” I thanked him, glad to have memorized those few Gaelic words Payton had taught me.

He raised his goblet into the air with a satisfied smile, and he turned to the people in the hall.

“Please welcome Mistress Cameron as a guest in our midst—and drink!” he demanded. He motioned for the beer maids to refill everyone’s vessels before emptying his; then he offered me a place by his side. Payton pulled out the chair and handed me a full goblet before taking his seat opposite me.

I found myself sitting across from Fingal’s sons, on the women’s side of the table, and I greeted the lady beside me with a shy smile. Her long, jet-black hair hung down her back. Several strands of hair to the left and right of her temples had been pleated into braids, which had then been wrapped around her head in a crown. Her skin was lily-white and in stark contrast to her shiny dark hair and emerald eyes, which looked at me with open hostility. I almost knocked over my mug of ale when I realized whom I was sitting beside: Nathaira Stuart.

I could tell by looking at this mysterious beauty that she would have preferred crushing me under her heel like an insect to having to share a table with me.

I reached for my beer to hide the uncontrollable shaking of my hands. I prayed nobody would notice that I had broken out in a cold sweat. This woman was the source of all evil. She was a witch and a murderer, a liar who would kill her own mother in the very near future. If her confessions at the motel back in the present were anything to go by, years must have passed since she’d poisoned her stepmother.

And even though I knew that she was with Blair, somehow I hadn’t counted on meeting her here.

I wiped my forehead with the flat of my hand and didn’t dare lift my eyes from the table. I feared having to look into this woman’s face one more time.

How many lives could I save if I killed her?

Somebody kicked my shin under the table, and I raised my head. I saw Payton’s questioning look, and I attempted a smile.

“Can I offer you a piece of meat?” he asked, pointing at the steaming piece of suckling pig a servant was holding out to him.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel hungry at all. I didn’t think I could swallow a single bite of food with Nathaira sitting beside me. The thought of poison brought a bitter taste to my mouth, and the hostile look in her eyes made my blood curdle. But it would have been impolite to refuse Fingal’s meal, so I nodded and pushed my empty wooden plate over to Payton.

He loaded it with a slice of meat, turnips, and a chunk of bread before returning it to me. Then he offered me his dagger so I could cut up the meat—other than that, we only had wooden spoons for utensils. I observed the other guests to see how they skewered chunks of meat with the tips of their knives and lifted them to their mouths. Trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible, I started to eat.