Authors: Mackenzie Morgan
~ ~ ~ ~
Hayley was sitting on the porch with Marcie and Rayne when Kevin arrived. While Hayley was getting her bag, Marcie said, “If your invitation for us to come for a visit is still open, we’d like to take you up on it next weekend, if it’s convenient, of course.”
Kevin nodded. “Fine with me. Have you mentioned it to Marcus?”
Marcie laughed and shook her head. “My brother’s not big on letters or invitations. It’ll be fine with him.”
“When would you like for us to pick you up?”
“I was hoping we could go Saturday morning, spend the night, and come back around lunchtime on Sunday. Would that work?”
“That’s fine,” Kevin said. “I can’t say for sure whether I’ll be able to pick you up or not, but someone will.”
Marcie thanked him as Hayley came out with her bag. “We’ll see you next weekend, Hayley,” Marcie said as she hugged the younger woman. “Take care.”
After Kevin dropped Hayley off at the chapel, he went back to the office and asked Isak to find Marcus. “Tell him I need to see him sometime today but it’s not urgent.”
Fifteen minutes later, Marcus knocked on Kevin’s door. “You wanted to see me?”
Kevin sighed. “I told Isak to tell you it wasn’t urgent. Have a seat.” After Marcus sat down, Kevin said, “You know we took Hayley to your sister’s house for the weekend.”
Marcus nodded.
“When I picked her up this afternoon, your sister asked if she and her family can come for a visit next weekend.”
Marcus groaned. “I’m sorry, Myron. I’ll talk to her.”
“What? You don’t want her to come?”
“That’s not it. I don’t want her to impose on you.”
“She’s not imposing. I invited her. When I brought Caleb to visit I told her they could come stay at the castle and visit with you anytime they wanted to. She decided to take me up on it. They’re perfectly welcome here. This is your home.”
“That’s gracious of you, but I know how pushy my sister is. I’ll go up there.”
Kevin shook his head. “Marcus, it’s already set up. They’re coming next Saturday morning and staying through lunch on Sunday. I’m letting you know in case you have any plans that need to be rearranged. That’s all.”
“You’re sure you wouldn’t rather I go up there? You know how my sister can get, or maybe you don’t, but Hayley does. Ask her.”
“Everything will be fine. Just be sure you move things around in your schedule so you’ll have time to take them around and let them see the area. I’m sure you can get a buggy or wagon from Neiven, or horses if you prefer. Get Hayley to join you. Maybe have Miranda fix up a picnic basket for you to take with you. Treat this as a weekend off and have some fun.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Of course I am,” Kevin said. “Relax and enjoy it.”
Marcus nodded as he stood up to go. “Think I’ll go look at my calendar and see what’s up for next weekend. And Myron, thanks. She may be a pain sometimes, but she’s my pain.”
Kevin laughed as he picked up his pen to get back to work.
~ ~ ~ ~
While Kevin was tackling his messages, Rhianna was tackling weeds in the garden areas behind Doreen’s house. She’d been working for half an hour when Doreen sat down at the edge of the garden. “I’ve got a question.”
“About the garden?” Rhianna asked.
Doreen shook her head. “About you and Myron. I can’t figure the two of you out. Most of the time when he’s around, you act like you’re friends, maybe relatives, but nothing special. But sometimes he looks at you the same way a hungry man looks at food and you’re as bad as he is. No one looks at a friend like that. That’s the way lovers look at each other. What’s going on?”
Rhianna sat back on her heels and stared at Doreen. “I don’t know how to answer that. What do you mean we look at each other like lovers?”
“You know what I mean,” Doreen answered. “Like the person you’re looking at is the most important person in the world, like Callie and Petar looked at each other. Are you friends? Or is it more?”
“Well, we’re not lovers,” Rhianna said hesitantly.
“Are you sure?” Doreen asked. “I get the feeling you want to be, and so does he.”
Rhianna felt heat flood her face.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”
“But I haven’t,” Rhianna said slowly. “We’re friends, good friends, but just friends.”
Doreen’s eyebrows slowly climbed up her forehead. “If you say so. But don’t expect anyone who knows you to believe it.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Monday afternoon, Kevin and Chris took everything on Theresa’s list out to the cave she would be using on the island and set up bedrooms for her and Taelor, a kitchen area, a sitting area, and two examination rooms. Then they set up the cave that Landis would be living in. Most of the stuff they used came from the castle storerooms, but some of the furniture was from Dayed’s shop. When they got back to the castle, it was time for dinner.
As soon as Kevin finished eating, he left for Lormere. When he got to Darwyn’s house, he saw a bed, a chest of drawers, and a big armchair sitting in the front yard, and several boxes and bags stacked on the porch. Before Kevin could start up the steps, the front door opened and Darwyn stepped outside.
“Namir and Calhoun are waiting inside to talk to you. They have a contract worked out. All you need to do is sign it.” Darwyn waved towards the furniture on the front lawn. “I’d like to take all of this with me. It’s mine. I left the furniture that was here when I got here for Calhoun to use. He says he has everything he needs.”
Kevin nodded as he climbed the stairs. “We’ll take your stuff to your new home after I meet with Namir. Have you eaten dinner?”
Darwyn nodded. “Calhoun and I had dinner with Namir and his wife tonight.”
“Good.” Kevin motioned towards the door. “Let’s get the contract stuff out of the way and then we’ll go.”
Half an hour later, Kevin shook hands with Namir and Calhoun and thanked them for having the contracts ready and waiting. Then he turned to Darwyn. “I think I’ll take you first and come back for your stuff.”
“I can take some of it,” Darwyn said.
“Have you ever traveled by key?”
Darwyn shook his head.
“It’s a bit rough the first time. You don’t need to have anything in your hands.”
Darwyn frowned. “Should I just leave the furniture here then?”
Kevin shook his head. “I can come back and get it. I’ve been in and out of the field so much I don’t notice it anymore, but the first time I used the key, I nearly passed out.” Kevin took out the key and held it in front of him. “Put your hand on my arm. We’ll enter the field as soon as I turn the key. It’ll feel a little strange, but not bad until we come out again. That’s when the dizziness and nausea will hit you. It’ll pass if you stand still and concentrate on breathing until you feel normal again. It won’t take long, maybe three or four minutes, but it’ll seem like forever.”
Darwyn put his hand on Kevin’s arm and nodded.
Kevin looked at Namir and Calhoun. “I’ll be back for his stuff in a few minutes but you don’t need to wait for me. I hope this works out well for both of you. Let me know if you need anything.” Kevin turned the key and he and Darwyn left Lormere.
Kevin took Darwyn to a small clearing on the valley floor at the foot of one of the mountains. When Darwyn recovered enough to look around, he asked, “Where are we? And how long did it take us to get here? It looks like morning.”
“It is, but it only took us a matter of seconds to get here,” Kevin said. “It’s morning because we’re on the other side of Terah.”
“What province are we in?”
Kevin shook his head. “We’re not in any province. We’re on an island in the middle of the Trynordic Ocean.”
Darwyn slowly looked around. “What are we doing here?”
“This is where you’ll be living for the next few years.”
“You’re going to explain all of this, aren’t you?”
Kevin laughed. “As soon as I get the rest of your stuff. How do you feel about living in a cave?”
Darwyn shrugged. “As long as I don’t have to share it with a bear or something I guess it’ll be all right.”
“Good. When I get back, we’ll find one and get you set up.” Kevin turned the key and went back to Lormere to pick up Darwyn’s stuff.
~ ~ ~ ~
It was after midnight in Camden by the time Kevin and Darwyn found a suitable cave and set up his living quarters. While they worked, Kevin explained about Landis, Warren, and Garen’s men. Once they were done, all Darwyn wanted to do was stretch out and get some sleep, so Kevin said he’d be back later with some food and left.
Tuesday morning Kevin slept later than usual, so Chris was already in the office when he got there. As soon as he sat down at his desk, Chris shut the door and said, “I filed Calhoun’s contract, but what about Darwyn’s? We need one for him, too.”
Kevin leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. “After everyone gets settled, I’ll sit down with Garen and Darwyn and we’ll work one up.”
“So Garen’s going to act as district minister?”
Kevin shrugged. “Who else? He’s the one everyone will go to if they need something.”
Chris nodded. “When are you leaving?”
“After one more cup of coffee.” Kevin yawned. “I need it to wake up.”
Kevin spent the rest of Tuesday morning getting Theresa and Taelor and all their stuff out to the island and settled in the clinic. Shortly after dinner, he started moving Garen’s men out to the island.
Garen had called it right with his men. Six of them went to the island with him, four decided not to. The three families who chose not to go had already loaded up and moved to the closest town. Sean, the man who was betrothed when he left Trendon, offered to stay with the rest of the wives until they joined their husbands Sunday, but then he wanted to go to Trendon and find out what had happened to the woman he’d planned to marry.
Kevin felt uneasy about leaving the women and children who would be moving to the island with only one man to help out in case of emergency, but Garen wasn’t concerned. He said his wife and the other wives would be fine, that they’d been on their own for a couple of years.
When they got to the island, Garen and his men were pleasantly surprised to see where they would be living. After Kevin introduced Darwyn, Theresa, and Taelor, he told them a bit about the layout of the island, emphasizing that if they went in the water, they were not to go beyond the reefs.
Callie’s first question was where could she set up a kitchen, and her second question was where was the food she’d ordered. Kevin made a quick trip back to Milhaven to pick up the food Cryslyn had packed up for her and the wood stove Chris had set aside for her. Then he helped her find a cave with a suitable natural chimney.
Once Callie was settled, Kevin went back to Milhaven one more time, this time to pick up the baskets of food Miranda had fixed for them to eat while they were getting set up. She’d packed sandwiches, meat, fresh fruit, lots of bread, cheeses, and a big pot of stew.
As soon as Kevin felt sure they could manage, at least until the next evening, he left. It was almost three in the morning back in Milhaven and he was exhausted. He went straight to his bedroom, plopped down on his bed, kicked off his boots, and was sound asleep before they hit the floor.
Chapter 44
May 21
Wednesday evening Shana paced back and forth through the dark shadows beside the old shed. She didn’t want to go inside, it made her feel trapped, but she felt exposed standing out front. As she neared the front, and the bit of light from the setting sun, she looked at her fingernails. She’d been chewing on them for the last thirty minutes. If Rolan didn’t get there soon, her nails would be a bloody mess.
Shana was scared to death of Rolan, but the fear was more for her parents than for herself. But even when her fear was at its worst, it didn’t hold a candle to the fury she felt at how he’d trapped her into this mess. He’d shown up at their house in the middle of the night, blown the door off its hinges, used his magic to grab her parents, and told her if she didn’t get a job at the castle and spy for him, he’d kill them. Then he vanished, taking her parents with him.
The first time she got a message to meet him at the shed, she fully expected to die, but he didn’t kill her, he just kept threatening to do things to her parents, evil things, if she didn’t do as he said. So she’d done what he’d told her to do, and hated herself for it.
She’d considered talking to Myron about it, but she wasn’t sure he’d understand why she spied for Rolan. And if she had gone to Myron, Rolan would have found out about it. She wasn’t his only spy. She hadn’t told anyone Landis would be at the chapel that day, but someone had. And somehow Rolan had found out she’d known about the plans. He’d beat her up pretty bad over that.
While she waited for Rolan, the burning in Shana’s stomach became so intense it was all she could do to stand up straight. She’d give anything for a cup of the tea Sister Agnes had mixed up for her. As soon as she was done with Rolan she was going home and brewing a pot, provided she was still alive.
As Shana pictured herself sitting in her kitchen with a cup of tea, a faint light flashed near the front of the building. Rolan was there.
“Get inside, girl,” Rolan hissed. “I don’t want to be seen out here.”
Shana walked over to the door and opened it. Rolan followed her inside.
“Now, what can you tell me about Landis?” Rolan began.
Shana shook her head. “Nothing. I haven’t seen her or heard any conversation about her in months.”
Rolan backhanded her. “Do you expect me to believe that? Remember every time you lie, your mother pays.”
“I’m not lying,” Shana insisted as she rubbed her cheek. “You know I’m in charge of Laryn’s house. Those are the only conversations I hear, and no one out there is talking about Landis.”
Rolan narrowed his eyes and studied Shana for a moment. She was nothing but a scared little mouse. There was no way she had the guts to lie to him, especially not after what he’d done to her the last time she’d held something back. “So what have you heard?”
“Nothing much,” Shana said. “It’s been quiet out there. Laryn’s brother and his wife came to lunch this past weekend. Other than that, the only visitors they’ve had were Myron and Rhianna, and it’s been a couple of months since they were there. Laryn and Steve have been spending a lot of time with some friends of theirs, a sorcerer from Ragenon, but that’s it.”