Page 5 of See A Highlander (A Highlander Across Time #10)
CHAPTER 5
N ow that Annie had learned of her fate, she looked at the room differently. Before she thought that it was possibly just a very good setup. Now she could see that there was just too much detail in everything around her for it not to be true. She moved her fingertips over a burlap sack. It was rough to the touch. Inside there was grain.
“You’re telling the truth, aren't you? We’re in a different time? That is, we traveled through time, I mean,” Annie said quietly.
“Aye, lass. That seems to be the case. I have never seen anyone dressed like the likes of you before.” Tom had finished bandaging Bella's arm and moved to the table to picked up a different cream, then turned to Annie.
“No, I suppose you haven’t if you weren’t here when the others came through the door,” Annie agreed.
“All right, let me see to your cheek,” he said putting his hand out to her. She stepped closer and he gently turned her face with his fingertip.
He gazed at her through his dark lashes. Annie noticed how his gray eyes swirled like sparked with interest, and swallowed hard. He was very attractive to her and his touch was delicate. It was making heat run through her entire body. This didn’t make sense to her, because she had an overall feeling of fear and panic at learning that she was stuck in time. However he was making her lose all track of that realization with his touch.
It grew quiet and awkward in the moment. The chemistry between them was thick and obviously mutual. Annie’s bottom lip slipped between her teeth and her breathing picked up as their gazes locked.
“I'm hungry and thirsty,” Bella whined, breaking the spell that was over Annie and Tom. “Is all you have this grain in these bags?” Bella pouted.
“Bella, seriously. Could you not complain for one moment?” Annie said.
“All done,” Tom said, moving his hand away from Annie’s face. He smiled gently at her before adding, “You shouldn’t be in here without food and drink. Let me speak to the guards outside. I shall return in a moment,” Tom said. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
“You don't believe this nonsense, do you?” Bella said.
“What are you talkin about?”
“This ridiculous notion that we’ve traveled through time. This is obviously a trick. We’re being filmed or something.”
“I don't think so. Something's not right here and I knew it from the moment we stood up in that room down by the door. This actually makes sense to me as scary as it is,” Annie replied, thinking back over some of the stories she’d read when researching Dunscaith Castle.
“No it doesn't. I'm sick of this. Do something, Annie. Take charge. This is your trip after all,” Bella said continuing to whine. She leaned her head on Annie’s shoulder.
Annie was annoyed and moved her shoulder. She couldn’t put aside her disgust with Bella, even though they were in this insane predicament together. It was just like Bella to act clingy and fussy whenever there was a problem, and completely forget that she was in any sort of trouble with Annie.
“Don't lean on me like that. Did you forget that you attacked me? Did you forget that you had sex with my boyfriend? Get away from me.” Annie moved across the room putting some distance between her.
Bella gasped. “You can't be serious. Look what is happening to us. Can't you put that aside for a while at least until we're back in the car? Then you can go back to hating me.”
“I don't hate you, Bella. You are a disappointment, and I don't trust you. That is different than hate.”
“Fine think whatever you like. But get us out of this situation now,” Bella insisted.
“Just chill out, okay? We don’t even know where we are right now. We’re obviously not in our own time period, no matter what you think. At least we're lucky that the people who’ve found us are nice. It could be worse,” she said.
The door opened and Tom entered. “I've had one of the men go in search of some drink and food for you both,.”
Bella got in his face. “What’s going on here? Are we prisoners?”
“No, of course not.” Tom frowned. “I understand your frustration, it’s just with you being from a different time, we’re waiting for my cousin, the Laird to return and decide what needs to be done.”
“Laird… I don’t even know what that word is. So if I’m not a prisoner then I’m free to walk out of this room?” Bella asked defiantly.
“Aye—”
“That’s all I need to hear. Goodbye. I’m out of here.” Bella opened the door and walked out.
“But, lass…” Tom called after her.
“Just, let her go,” Annie said.
“But she is not properly attired, and not everyone here understands…” he frowned again, “She doesn’t know her way around, either, she could get lost. And?—”
“Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine. She’ll probably call her way out of here if necessary. I’m sure she’ll find out for herself that everything isn’t what she thinks it is. It’ll be the only way to make her believe what’s happened,” Annie said.
“Well I guess you know your friend better than any,” Tom said.
“We’re cousins. Definitely not friends.”
Tom’s eyebrows shot up and he gave her a curious look. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her, and trust me, that’s not even a foot.” Annie scowled. “She doesn’t care about anyone but herself and she’ll do whatever she wants no matter who she hurts.” Tears began to well in her eyes, so she turned her back to Tom, not wanting him to see her crying.
She felt Tom place a hand on her shoulder, as though to comfort her. Squeezing her eyes shut she willed the tears away. She was relieved that Bella had left the room, even if they were in an entirely different era and she might get herself into trouble. She still wasn’t even sure if this was all real. It could be some elaborate cosplay, or a prank arranged by another vlogger knowing she was coming here. There were those assholes out there who pull crazy ass pranks on other people for views, so she couldn’t entirely rule it out, but her gut was telling her that Tom was being truthful about where and when they were.
Still, she had to ask, “Is this a trick, Tom? And if it is a trick, how far is it going to go? Are you an actor hired to trick me because of the livestream? It was hyped on social media quite a bit, so it would make sense that some other vlogger might try and toy with us.”
“Is what a trick? Your being here?” He studied her. “And I’m not an actor, I’m a healer.”
“This, all of this. Is someone paying you to make me think I’ve traveled back in time? Is all of this a hoax?”
“No, lass. Though I suspect, this is a normal response to such a thing, as several of the others told me they thought something similar when they first arrived as well. It means you have your wits about you which is a good sign. But no, I am not lying to you.”
“I don’t think I can trust you,” Annie blurted out. She suddenly realized that ever since Billy and Bella betrayed her trust, she was hesitant to trust anyone. It was still too fresh in her head.
“I value honesty, lass. I do not make promises I cannot keep, and I do my best to keep my word, always,” he said.
Annie found that she was startled by the look on his face. He was serious. He almost seemed offended that she would think he was lying. She found him even more attractive than she had when he first walked through the door. Was he really a man of honor? Or was he just really good at faking it? She thought that Billy had been adorable and sweet, but really, he had just been manipulative. Annie didn’t trust herself now in her abilities to gauge what a person was like. She’d thought Bella was a loving cousin who respected her and she was definitely wrong about that having looked past her immature flaws.
Annie felt hurt and broken by what had happened. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to get over it. Add that to the fact that it now appeared she was somewhere in the past, it was all just a bit too much. Still, Tom seemed genuine and her instincts, though damaged, were telling her she could probably trust him. “I—” she started.
But just as she was about to speak, there was a knock at the door.
Now what? she wondered.