Page 30 of Highlander’s Curse (The Daughters of the Glen #8)
Ellie’s face clearly reflected an internal battle over the words she chose.
“It certainly seems like it should work that way, doesn’t it?
” With a shrug, she picked up another item from the bundle and headed around the bed to where Abby waited.
“By all means, you can try wishing yourself back any time you want, but I wouldn’t hold my breath expecting it to work. ”
“Wait.” Abby caught Ellie’s hand with her own as the other woman held out another garment to her. “What do you mean it won’t work?”
Again Ellie shrugged. “I’m not saying it absolutely won’t.
I’m only saying it didn’t for me. The real version of Faerie Magic isn’t at all like the fairy tales you and I grew up on.
You can’t just rub a lamp and get three wishes.
See, the thing is, the Faerie Magic works for its own purpose.
It’s almost like the Fae are only loaning you their Magic to get you to do something they want done.
If they granted your wish, they had a reason.
They want something to happen. Whether it’s some lesson you have to learn or some task that needs to be performed, until that particular thing is done, no matter what you want, you’re stuck here. At least, that’s how it worked for me.”
If all this was real, how completely awful for this poor woman to be stranded here, so far away from her own time.
“Couldn’t you ever figure out your task? Is that why you’re still here?”
“Oh, no,” Ellie chuckled. “I’m here because this is where Caden is. And I was meant to be with Caden.”
“In fourteenth-century Scotland,” Abby countered, fully aware of the sarcasm in her voice. “With no cars and no cell phones, and not even any freaking toilet paper.”
Ellie’s responding giggle was infectious. “Oh, honey, believe me, there are things that are so much more important than any of that stuff. I wouldn’t trade my life with Caden MacAlister for all the toilet paper in the entire twenty-first century. You wait and see. You’ll get used to it here.”
“Used to it? Oh, I don’t think so. I can’t even begin to imagine wanting to live in the fourteenth century. If I really am out of my own time, you can bet I’m going to do whatever it takes to get myself back to where I belong.”
Ellie shrugged. “But until you manage that, since you’re an archaeologist and all, maybe you can think of this as a hands-on learning experience.
You know, like an up close and personal chance to study the things you normally only see after they’ve rotted in the ground for centuries.
” She leaned back over the bed, digging through the piles of clothing while she spoke as if she were discussing nothing more important than the weather.
“Well, darn. I guess I didn’t grab those little slippers after all.
You wait right here, and I’ll be right back. ”
With that, she hurried out the door, pulling it softly shut behind her.
Abby brushed her hands down the long overdress she’d slipped over her head, absently smoothing the soft fabric as her mind worked frantically to process all she’d been told.
Just because wishing didn’t work for Ellie didn’t mean it wouldn’t work for her. Assuming it had ever worked at all.
One way to find out.
“I wish to be back to my own time.” She stood very still, eyes closed, waiting.
Nothing.
Maybe the Faeries were simply concerned with her well-being and didn’t want to send her back into danger.
“Okay, then. I can respect that. I wish I were safely back in my own home, in Denver, in my own time.” Again she waited, watching for any tiny sign that might indicate it was working.
Where was the green lightning Ellie had spoken of? Or the green bubble of light she’d seen in the cave? Or even—oh, my God!—the green glow she’d seen the night in the bar when she’d wished to find the one man for her?
Maybe it was true. Maybe it was all true. But if it was, why wasn’t it working now?
The little dog at her feet let out a growly moan and laid her chin on Abby’s bare foot, her big brown eyes actually looking sorrowful.
“Sucks, doesn’t it, dog?” Abby reached down to scratch the little furball at her feet. “I’m doing the wishing thing, just like everybody keeps swearing is true, but I’m sure not seeing anything.”
“Missy’s real sorry it didn’t work for you.”
Abby jumped, thinking for a moment the dog had spoken, since she hadn’t heard Ellie’s silent entrance.
“I’m sorry, too.” Ellie handed over a pair of soft leather slippers.
“But I can’t say I’m surprised. Like I said before, Faerie Magic works on its own mysterious timetable, only when it’s good and ready.
You know, it’s likely that, since the Fae sent you along with Colin, he’s part of whatever it is they want from you.
One thing I’ve learned: there are no coincidences when it comes to Faerie Magic.
Everything that happens, happens for a reason.
I’m guessing that whatever you have to do to get home, you have to do it with Colin. ”
Colin was the missing piece of her return-home equation? In that case, wherever Colin was, that was where she intended to be.
“He’s downstairs?”
Ellie nodded. “As far as I know he is. The midday meal is the largest one of the day. One thing I should mention, though. We don’t really talk openly about the Magic in front of everyone.
Though the whole clan has heard the Faerie stories, they don’t all have firsthand knowledge of their truth.
We try to keep that limited to just the immediate family. ”
Abby nodded her understanding. She could see how that might tend to be the sort of thing that could scare off the hired help.
“So.” Ellie smiled brightly and looped her arm through Abby’s. “Speaking of the family, you ready to meet them?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” What she was really ready for was to find Colin MacAlister and give that wishing thing another go.