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Claire smiled graciously at them both. “Perhaps you’ve lost your way?

If so, we urge you to stay for a time and rest yourselves.

My mother will be returning soon from the Donovan lands, and she does so love speaking with travelers such as yourselves.

My brother sent word ahead, so we have dry clothing for you.

” She slid off her horse and rummaged in the saddlebag.

Laird MacWilliam stepped forward, his gray eyes assessing. “My guards are most discreet and have been trained to not listen when I demand it of them. Now is one of those times. From whence do you hail?”

Ellie swallowed, her tongue twisted into a tangle.

The man was intimidating, standing well over six feet tall with shoulders that spanned, well…

Ellie wasn’t sure what they spanned. He was one of the biggest men she’d ever met, and though his eyes held a kindness, she could feel his power.

He was a man used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it.

Just the kind of man Ellie avoided like the plague.

Luckily for her, Gwen answered first. “I think you’re asking where we’re from.

We’re from the States, but Ellie’s been living in England for so long that she’s picked up the accent.

We’re expecting our friend to show up at any moment, so I doubt we’ll need those dresses, but I really appreciate the offer. Oh! I’m Gwen and this is Ellie.”

Laird MacWilliam smiled graciously, his gray eyes alight as he kissed each of the women’s hands. “Ah, yes. The States. That explains much. ’Tis an honor, my ladies. Perhaps you’ll take your leave by our fire whilst we await the arrival of your friend?”

Gwen flushed. “Well, how would he know where to look for us?”

“Reilly knows everything,” Aidan boasted. “If he knows how to dig his blade into a man’s belly at just the right angle so as to cause him the most amount of pain, I’m certain he can figure out where you’re resting your feet.”

Gwen’s face had gone white at the description.

“Son,” Laird MacWilliam said, “there’s no need for battle-speak in front of ladies.”

Claire was much less circumspect in her rebuke. As she walked by Aidan, the dresses over one arm, she smacked him smartly on the back of the head. “Cur,” she whispered. “They’re ladies . ”

“When do you expect Reilly to come?” Claire asked in a louder voice, motioning for the women to follow her.

Ellie frowned. “We don’t know for sure. He was headed this way in his costume.”

“Aye, costume. Well, it’s not getting any warmer, and I believe night is almost upon us. The rain has let up, so please, change into these dry clothes so as to keep your health. I’ll help you.”

Claire urged them into the clothing, and when they returned to the men, she shoved their wet things into the saddlebag. “Let us be off. Reilly will come or he won’t—but either way, I’m not going to catch my death waiting for him.”

“Amen, sister,” Gwen replied with feeling. She hopped up onto the horse with Claire. “Let’s go check out the castle!”

Ellie had nothing to say to that, so instead she looked up at the beasts in front of her. “Um…I’ll walk.”

Laird MacWilliam patted her hand. “Please do me the honor of riding with me, Lady Ellie. I see you’ve not much experience with horseflesh, but lucky for you, I’ve enough to spare.”

“I don’t know how to get on,” she admitted quickly. “No, I think it’s better if I—ooh!”

Without any effort on Laird MacWilliam’s part, he gently swung her atop the black horse and hopped up behind her. “Hold onto his mane, like so. We will go slowly.”

Ellie clutched the horse’s mane as it shifted beneath her.

“Slowly” was not the term she would have used, though he said it was a walk, not a canter.

And though she was certain she’d fall off at any moment, Laird MacWilliam held her securely.

Suffice it to say, she was not sad when her feet were firmly on the ground again.

But she was confused when she looked around her and saw dozens of people in full costume acting out the daily life of a medieval castle.

Her face probably mirrored the shock on Gwen’s—even the smell was real. Horses, hay, bread baking, meat cooking, even the odor of metal from the blacksmith’s area. The portcullis slammed behind them, and Ellie jumped in nervousness.

Please find us. Someone.

“Safety,” the laird said calmly. “We close it so no enemies can get in. Rest assured that once your friend approaches the castle, he will be allowed in and welcomed.”

And while Ellie didn’t feel threatened by the man behind her, she certainly didn’t feel reassured. Everything felt a little too real for that.

Impossible. Though the sea seemed to be on the wrong side—even though she was in eastern Ireland, which she knew very well from all the time she spent there, she thought she saw the sun setting over the water. Which was wrong, as the sun rose over the water, then dipped into the land at night.

She understood cardinal direction…but she also knew she couldn’t have wandered to the opposite coast.

Confused, she clutched Gwen’s hand and followed the laird, Claire, and young Aidan into the castle. She hoped that answers to her questions would begin to present themselves, for she had no idea where to start looking for them.

Colin wiped the cold rain from his eyes and cursed. “Why can Ireland not enjoy an early summer every once in a while?”

“I too would enjoy this journey from behind the windshield of a warm vehicle.” Reilly swiped back the hair that had fallen into his eyes. “Alas, we’re not, so best to look forward to more simple pleasures, aye?”

“Like a warm bed?” James suggested.

“And a willing female in it,” Reilly added.

“Perhaps we could concentrate on finding the two missing women before seeking out others?” Colin replied dryly .

Reilly adjusted his seat on the horse and furrowed his brow. “Well, we shall see what your time bending did to get us to them. If they are not here, that answers the question of your soul mate, and we need to think of our next plan.”

Colin’s mood shifted from grim to bleak.

They’d been traveling for two days already; his first try at traveling with only his mind did indeed bring them back in time, but they were on the east side of Ireland.

With only a hunch to go on, the men decided to head towards the MacWilliam land, which was on the opposite side of the country.

They had already dodged arrows, scouts, and wickedly sharp blades from those clans who were less than pleased to have three armed men traveling through their lands.

Colin already wasted enough time imagining the horrible things that could happen to two unprotected women in any time period, but thinking about what could happen if they found themselves so far back in time when witch fires were a village celebration…

Colin’s dread turned to icy fear, and he urged his mount on.

Colin spit out a bit of mud that had flown into his mouth and hoped the horse tracks he saw ahead of them wouldn’t necessitate the use of the weapon currently resting against his back.

“If they’re not at the MacWilliam castle, we’ll need to send messengers out.” Reilly nudged his beast left to avoid a rut in the ground and Colin followed suit.

Colin’s mood plummeted. “They were wearing modern clothes, and speak no Gaelic. If they’re not at the castle, I can’t see how messengers will help us.”

James slowed his horse as they approached the tracks and squinted. “We’ll do what we have to, to get them back. If they’re not in this time and we have to split up, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Colin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “James, you’ve never time traveled on your own before. ”

He shrugged, the sword across his back shifting with the motion. “No, but I’ve been on enough adventures with the two of you over the years that I could give it a whirl.”

Reilly snorted. “How do you propose time traveling without us?”

A boyish grin ran across his face. “Don’t you carry around extra pixie dust, Tinkerbell?”

Colin barked out a short laugh.

“We’re on MacWilliam land,” Reilly announced, pointing to their landmark. Two sets of two intertwined trees were visible to their left. “These prints are most likely the marks of the scouts, who didn’t halt us. I think we’re close to that warm fire, aye?”