Time Masters Book One; The Call (An Urban Fantasy, Time Travel Romance) (40 page)

Maggie sighed. Money
? No, he had plenty of that. Th
en what? Why was he having her and Evan raise Shona the way he was?

And what if she and Evan were to take things into their own
hands and tell him to buzz off
? What if they told Shona that all these years she and Evan hadn’t been her parents, adoptive or otherwise, but her jailers?

She sighed again as she stared blankly into her cup.
What would he
do?

Kill Evan. Yes, that’s what he would do. At least that’s what he said he would do if she were to refuse to comply with any instructions given concerning Shona’s rearing.

But would he really go through with it? Could he?

Maggie got up from the table, not wishing to think on any of it further.
She set her teacup on the kitchen counter and went to the refrigerator, sure that her daughter and guests would be ready for a break by now, not to mention a distraction for herself. Besides, she and Shona hadn’t had any dinner to speak of. She had decided not to
cook
as Evan wouldn’t be home until late. What to serve
then,
sandwiches or fruit? She opened the refrigerator and stared at the cont
ents, still undecided. Both? Th
en she
wouldn’t have to worry about it and Evan could grab some of it when he got home. Yes, that’s what she would do. She herself could do with a bite aside from the distraction. Besides, Julia always grabbed an evening snack before working with Shona. Everyone would be covered.

Maggie
gather
ed
everything she would need and arms full
,
carefully stood, her load precar
ious.  S
o much so she didn’t even notice the man who stood on the other side of the refrigerator door.

“Oops, almost forgot the mustard,” she mumbled as she turned.

Maggie froze, her mo
uth caught in a silent gasp. Th
e items in her
ar
ms dropped one by one to the fl
oor in a rapid succession of thuds as the man’s cold brown eyes met her own. “Oh no,” she whispered and took an involuntary step back. “Philip…”

Lord Philip Brennan pushed the door of
the refrigerator shut, eliminat
ing the wall between them. He smiled broadly, his eyes menacing. “Hello, Maggie,” he purred as he took a step forward.

Maggie stared, horrifi
ed. “What are you doing here? What do you want?”

“Why, isn’t it obvious, my dear?” He cooed as he took one of her hands in his own and gave it a pat. “It’s time.”

She snatched her hand away. “Time? Time for what?”

Philip again smiled broadly as he glanced to his now empty hand. He
then
looked down at her, his face dripping satisfaction. “I’ve come to collect.”

The Bonding

My lover thrust his hand through the
latch-opening
;

My heart began to pound for him.

I arose to open for my lover,

And my hands dripped with myrrh,

My fingers with fl
owing myrrh,

On the handles of the lock.

I opened for my lover,

But my lover had left; he was gone.

I looked for him but did not fi
nd him.

I called him but he did not answer.

Song of Songs 5:4-6

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Shona sat curled up on the sofa as she had been before Mr. Eaton excused himself. What a strange man, she thought, as she pressed a button on the stereo controller. A trumpet fanfare played, followed by a man singing
with a pleasant, melodic voice.
She closed her eyes and threw back her head. The thing was hungry… again.

Shona rocked as her body absorbed
the music, feeding. She briefl
y pondered Mr. Eaton’s behavior. How odd that she had found him talking to the television remote. Perhaps he was just playing a little joke on her to make her laugh. She had to admit she hadn’t been very cheery the last few days even before the bizarre events and mysterious man of the library. Maybe this was his way of lightening things up? Who was to say? My, but she was feeling good all of a sudden!

She opened her eyes just as Lany entered the room, his own eyes going directly to the stereo. They appeared to widen as he stopped to listen to the music. He stared at Shona and studied her with an incredulous look on his face, then swallowed and forced a smile. “What… nice music. Tell me, what is that?”

Shona
blinked a fe
w times as she tried to recall
how to make her mouth work.
“Isn’t it lovely? ‘An Aff
air to Remember’…”

Lany came cautiously to the sofa, sat himself down on the edge of the opposite end and stared at her.

She smiled back at him. “Isn’t it lovely?” She repeated.

“Lovely,” he mut
tered fl
atly whil
e looking for John’s tablet, finding it on the fl
oor next to his feet. Retrieving it, he tried to get comfortable just as the music tu
rned stormy.
Shona’s body stiff
ened in response, blood racing,
muscles
tightening.

Lany’s eyes widened. “Shona? Are you ready to continue? I’d like to get through as many of these as possible before Mr. Eaton returns.”

She sat staring back at him dazedly, as if she had forgotten who he was. He leaned toward her slightly and waved a hand in front of her face. “Shona?” He could hear something resembling the beginning of panic in his voice. He hated that sound. “Shona?”

No response. “Oh, my living stars…” He moved closer, trying to get a good look at her pupils, then remembered he might not be able to tell anything that
way. Muirarans had such a diff
erent physiological makeup from humans. He sighed in frustration.

The music. It must be the music. One of those love songs was playing again. He jumped from the sofa and headed for the audio equipment, pondering what might happen if one played a Sousa march while in her company. Too bad the only copy of Sousa’s work he knew of was locked up in Sutter’s Province. Maybe he could pick up a copy someplace?

Oh stars, what was he thinking? Maybe Shona’s inner heart had begun beating after all and this was a subtle attempt at reaching
him!
If so…

Cari. Yes, he’d think of Cari and the kids and all the things he’d promised to get done when he got back from this assignment. Let’s see, help Jeremi rebuild the tree house, teach Vyn more Muiraran history like he’d asked, take Sara to the, the…

The Maiden was heading straight for him!

He looked from side to side. Trapped! She had co
me around the sofa and stood fi
ve feet from Lany, who was froz
en to the spot. He wanted to fl
ing himself over the sofa and break for the stairs, but his feet thought it might be funny to keep him glued in place while the Maiden came closer.

She was inches away now, looking up at Lany, Muiraran trust and innocence dripping off of her. He leaned back as far as he could; his feet still planted in place, the wall behind him the only thing keeping him from toppling over. Of all the things to have to happen!
She was not only drunk on the music
,
she was becoming the music
! Amorous, romantic, passionate, her breathing coming in slow, deep breaths, her eyes roaming Lany in a languid manner.

“Help!” Lany squeaked.

Shona raised a curious brow and took another step closer.

“Oh, stars. Shona, I must ask…
tha
… that you go sit d… down.” One more step and they would be touching.
One touch and all could be ruined!  At this stage
, other than perhaps her father,
no one but Dallan could touch her without
doing
any damage.  She had to be kept completely pure.  Her inner heart, on the other hand, had its own ideas, and Lany could feel it once again pushing and pulling at him.  T
he lure of it was overwhelming and he could feel himself begin to sweat with the lessening of his control.

She took another step closer. 
He thought he might faint!

The Maiden looked up into his eyes and he felt her Muiraran inner heart begin to press at him. If he broke, it would be the end of him, the end of everything! He tried his feet. Nothing.
Oh Great Creator,
he thought,
if I ever needed supernatural strength, it’s now. Please…?

The Maiden began to lean toward him, eyes full of innocence, her lips slightly parted.

“Shona, no!” Lany scolded as if correcting a naughty puppy.
A puppy that was about to ruin him and all that the Elders and Kwaku had worked so hard for.
Why couldn’t he move his feet? Her heart had him and was pinning him, moving in for the kill…

The music still played.

Living stars, he had never g
otten the chance to turn it off
! Love songs! He might hate love songs the rest of his life, if he lived through this, that is.

The Maiden’s expression changed from childlike innocence to acute longing.
Lany felt Cari slipping away from him. “
Nooooo
.” Funny, he couldn’t quite remember what his wife looked like. “No, Shona…”

“Lany!”

Lany forced himself to concentrate. “Eaton!”

“Don’t move!”

“Who’s moving?” Lany screeched

The music suddenly stopped. John stood, the stereo’s remote clutched in one hand, his face white. Dallan stood just behind him, his eyes intent on the Maiden.

Cari! Th
oughts of his wife fl
ooded back. The image freed his feet and
struck Shona in the heart, practically knocking her over. She doubled over and clutched at her stomach in pain.

Lany turned to John, who was all serious intent, cautiously moving toward the sofa and the Maiden, then glanced at where Dallan had been standing. If all theories held with Dallan this close to her, the Maiden’s heart would start to call.

Dallan lay in a heap on the fl
oor.
But had anyone been home to answer?

“She’s calling.” John managed through clenched teeth.

“I’m aware,” Lany stated sarcastically as he stepped over Shona and made his way to the spr
awled Scot. “Get up, Dallan. Th
is is no time to pass
out!” His voice was starting to sound less hysterical, a good sign.

Better yet, he was mobile. He quickly headed for John, who now harbored a pained look on his face. “Quick; think of Anwen!”

John’s brow furrowed in concentration. It seemed to work; the color was coming back into his cheeks.

Lany looked at Shona, who la
y curled up in a ball on the fl
oor, her mouth opened in a silent scream
.

He quickly moved away again as
Dallan was back on his feet. The murderous
look
on his face
plainly saying,
she’s mine,
leaving
no doubt that somebody
had
been home when the Maiden called.

Lany put his hands up in a “go-right-ahead” gesture, and Dallan tore his gaze away as inst
inct took over. He
went down
on one knee and
bent over
the Maiden, examining her.
S
omething deep within him stirred. “What is she? Who is she?”

“Dallan
.” John had managed to fi
nd his voice. “
Touch her.”

“N
ow’s the time, Dallan.
” Lany added.

The Maiden raised her eyes to Dallan, sending a jolt of heat through him. He swallowed hard. “Where?”

“Anywhere,” John groaned.

The Maiden’s eyes were looking into Dallan’s… pleading. He swallowed again and rea
ched for her with one hand, off
ering it to her. She looked at it as if she didn’t quite know what it was for.

John let out a frustrated sigh.

The Maiden, suddenly looking disinterested, stood up. Dallan was left bent on one knee, a captive of his own indecision as she looked down at him and studied his face… cataloguing.