Page 40 of Cottage in the Mist (Time After Time #3)

Lily turned and walked back the way they’d come, watching the dappled light dance against the water as it streamed through the trees.

Quiet descended, and she made her way upstream until she reached a copse of small trees.

Weaving her way among the saplings, she found shelter behind an outcropping of rock and relieved herself.

Score one for the future. Flush toilets couldn’t be discounted. But there was more to life than modern conveniences. Laughing at her musings, she stood up again, tugging the linen shirt and plaid back into place.

The quiet seemed to have deepened. As if the animals who lived in the woods had all paused—listening.

Lily shivered. She was letting her imagination run wild.

Fergus and William and Jeff were only a few yards downstream.

There was nothing to fear. Yet somewhere, deep inside her, something called for her attention.

She stopped, listening, waiting for some sound to validate her hesitation. Her fear. For a moment there was only silence. And then she heard it.

A keening wail. The hair on the back of her neck rose and she strained to hear more as the sound died away.

For a moment there was nothing but the wind and the trees and the rushing water.

And then… and then the sound repeated itself.

A hollow, echoing cry. Soft and yet penetrating. An animal—no, a human—in pain.

Senses on alert now, Lily stood, heart pounding, waiting for the sound to come again, knowing with every fiber of her being that someone needed her help.

Silence. One beat. Two. And then again the cry.

She ran forward, heedless of the noise she was making, intent only on finding the source of the sound, of helping whomever might be in need. From behind her she heard footsteps crashing through the undergrowth. Fergus, Jeff and William, no doubt. They, too, must have heard the cries.

But despite the knowledge that they were coming, she didn’t stop.

Her need to help superseded every other instinct—including caution.

Someone was in trouble and she was the closest. Crashing through the undergrowth, she leapt across a fallen tree, marveling at her own agility.

Adrenaline spurred her onward as a groan of pain filtered through the forest.

Ahead, the stream curved into a horseshoe creating a small clearing filled with sunlight, the trees forming a ring of silent guardians on its edges.

“Wait,” Fergus gasped as he reached Lily, grabbing her elbow and pulling her to a jarring halt. “Ye canna ken if ’tis friend or foe.”

“Whoever it is, Fergus, he needs our help.” Lily jerked her arm free, despite knowing that the older man was speaking the truth.

All she could think was that someone was in need and that she was in a position to help.

God knows she’d had her own pain of late and she’d been grateful for the people that had offered their support.

Strangers all of them—Bram included. She knew she was being a fool, and yet the cry resonated deep inside her.

Someone needed her. And she was damn well going to be there.

“Lily.” Jeff’s voice reached her as she started creeping forward again. “Caution.”

She hesitated, her gaze sweeping across the clearing. Fergus and Jeff moved to flank her on either side, William just behind. All of them waited—listening.

The wind rose, and then the keening began again. Rising and then dying as the breeze rushed across the waving grass.

“Over here,” Lily called as she moved forward.

A large rock rose out of the ground on the far side of the little meadow. Lichen covered one side, silvery-gray stretching up like long fingers across the face of the boulder. At its foot, a dark shadow moved, then was still.

“He’s here.” Lily dropped to her knees, her eyes assessing the man who lay at her feet. A thatch of chestnut hair matted with sweat and blood. Dark brown eyes staring up into hers. Pain dimming everything but the barest hint of humanity.

“It’s all right,” she whispered as she searched his body for injury. “We’ve found you now.”

The man—not much older than she was—sighed, the exhale colored with pain and relief. Besides the blood on his head, his shirt was also stained with blood, the sheer size of the spot taking Lily’s breath away.

“Oh God,” she whispered as she reached for the hem of his shirt, ripping away the bottom. Folding the linen, she made a bandage of sorts and pressed it to the wound, feeling the pulse of his heart beneath her hands.

“What’ve ye found, lass?” Fergus asked as he joined her on his knees before the fallen man.

“I don’t know.”

The injured man’s eyes met hers, his fear palpable. “We’re here to help,” she soothed, wishing for better words. “Can you tell me your name?”

The man opened his mouth, a gurgle of God knows what escaped, and then he swallowed, his eyes taking on a glint of determination. “Robby.”

She could barely make out the sound. “Robby?” she asked, her heart pounding.

The man nodded. “Corley.”

“Can ye tell us what happened then, lad?” Fergus asked as William and Jeff joined them.

He opened his mouth but no words came, his gaze still locked with Lily’s.

“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter, Robby. What matters is that we’re here. And we’re going to help you.”

His name seemed familiar somehow, but remembering was nothing in the face of making sure that he lived.

Obviously, he’d been there for some time.

The crust of blood on his head and chest gave credence to her thoughts, but even so, the pulsing new blood was her main concern.

If it could not be stopped then Robby could not be saved.

Gritting her teeth, she tore the linen shirt, exposing the wound.

It was a long gash, a sword wound, clearly.

And while the edges were trying to heal, the center still oozed.

“We need to clean this and maybe cauterize it.” She wasn’t sure where the knowledge was coming from.

Girl Scouts or maybe some biology classes, but she knew she was right. “We’ve got to stop the bleeding.”

Fergus leaned over her shoulder. “She’s right. And I think burning it is the only way. Although it will hurt beyond reckoning.”

Jeff nodded and motioned to William and the two of them set about starting a fire.

Lily pressed the folded linen to Robby’s chest. “I know this is frightening,” she crooned, “but I’m not going to leave you. And in the end this will save your life. I’m certain of it.” She wasn’t certain of anything, but she needed him to believe her. Living was part believing, after all.

Robby nodded, squinting his eyes as he bit his lip, trying to not to give in to the pain.

“I’m here, Robby.” She struggled to maintain her composure. Now wasn’t the time to lose it. She concentrated instead on the young man’s face. Somehow she couldn’t shake the fact that she recognized his name.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Lily.” She smiled at him, then lifted her concerned gaze to Fergus. “Try to tell us what happened,” she said, returning her attention to her patient.

“Betrayed,” he breathed.

Lily nodded, not wanting him to stress himself further. “It’s going to be okay.”

He frowned at her words.

She focused and smiled. “All right. Robby, it’s going to be all right.”

Behind her, Jeff was holding his sword, the tip red hot.

She leaned down toward the injured man, shifting so that her arms encircled him. “I’m sorry, Robby, but this is going to hurt. It’s the only way to stop the bleeding.”

He tightened his jaw and nodded, his eyes locked on hers. “Do it, then.”

Lily nodded to Jeff, while Fergus and William moved into place to secure Robby’s arms and legs. Lily stroked his face, tears filling her eyes. Jeff crouched beside the injured man, the heated sword in his hand.

“Ready?” he asked.

Robby nodded, and Lily cupped his chin. “Think of something lovely.” It wasn’t enough, but it was all she had.

Jeff dipped the tip of the sword against the wound. Robby bucked and screamed and then was quiet.

“Jesus,” Jeff whispered. “Bloody brave bastard.”

“Aye, a rare hero, that,” Fergus added.

“Shite” was all William had to say.

Lily felt her stomach heave, but she fought against the wave. If Robby could stomach what had happened, so could she.

“Will he be okay?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“I canna say.” Fergus shook his head. “Puir wee bastard. He shouldna have lasted as long as he did.”

“I feel like I should know him,” Lily said, still trying to sort through her memories.

“Well, considering that you’ve only been here a couple of times, I’d say that isn’t likely.

” Jeff stared down at the still man, sympathy etched on his face.

“But regardless, I’d say he’s a man we should all take our hat off to.

I mean, hell, who knows how long he’s been out here like this?

The fact that he survived is nothing short of a miracle. ”

“And if he lives to see the morrow it will be yet another miracle,” Fergus added.

“So it’s that bad?” Lily knew the answer, but somehow she needed to hear it put into words.

“Aye, lass, that it is. I wish that it were different, but it’s no’. That said, we’ve given the lad his best chance. We’ll know on the morrow.”

“But we canna stay here,” William protested. “If we do, we might not catch up to Iain and Bram in time.”

“We can’t leave him.” Even as Lily said the words she realized the conundrum they faced. If they stayed to help Robby, then Bram might be at risk, but if they left Robby, then Lily wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

A rock and a hard place if ever there was one—except that there wasn’t a choice.

“We have to stay,” she declared, her eyes meeting Jeff’s and Fergus’s, daring them to argue.

“I don’t see that there’s a choice,” Jeff agreed, echoing her thoughts.

Fergus gave a gruff nod. “William, we’ll need to build up the fire.

We’ve got to keep the lad warm. And we’ll need water.

” For this he looked to Jeff. “And the rest we’ll have to leave to God.

” His gaze met Lily’s and, despite the pain in her heart, she relished his approval.

Sometimes the difficult choices were the right ones.

If only Bram could wait. Please God, let it not be too late.