Page 37 of Time of the Druid (Stones of Scotland #7)

Chapter 37

I t took them a while to figure out the way back to the crannog—Matthew seemed to be in a complete daze, and Norah, as she’d predicted, couldn’t remember the way through the forest. In all honesty, she wasn’t in a much better state than Matthew. Constantly, she caught herself wondering, is this real? Could this possibly be real?

She was still riding that high of joy and disbelief, her pulse fluttering like a moth in her throat, when they found Jack. The forest air was thick with the earthy scent of damp leaves and distant woodsmoke, and her boots sank slightly into the soft loam with each step. Jack was lurking near the edge of the trees, just beyond the shadow of the canopy and not far from the glimmer of the causeway. As they emerged through the undergrowth, twigs snapping underfoot, he startled visibly—his hand instinctively twitching toward his side where he no doubt had a weapon hidden. Then, recognising them, he sagged as if all the breath had gone out of him and let out a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of years.

"I can’t say I expected to see the two of you again," he admitted. "What happened?"

Norah glanced up at Matthew, whose eyes still hadn’t quite re-focused on the here and now.

"It’s quite a story," she said. "I’ll summarise it as best I can."

So she did, rushing through the poisoning, Edmondson’s appearance, the rush of magic that had filled the two of them, and then the power that had sucked Edmondson away.

"It was like some kind of time vortex," she finished.

Jack’s eyes were wide.

"I’m not sure whether to be impressed or horrified," he said. "And do I understand this correctly—Edmondson’s gone? Truly gone?"

Norah looked at Matthew again. If anyone could understand how the magic of time travel worked, it was surely him. He nodded.

"He seems to be gone. I can never be sure, not with him, but I can’t imagine any way he could return from that. We won’t need to worry about him again."

Jack shook his head slowly, his shoulders relaxing as if a long-held tension was finally melting away. His hand fell to his side, and his eyes glistened with something like awe. Wonder spread across his face, softening the lines of suspicion and weariness that had etched themselves there over the years.

"After all this time," he said softly.

Once again, Norah wondered what Jack’s history with Edmondson was, but she didn’t ask. His secrets were his own to keep.

"Do you need to get anything from the crannog?" she asked him instead. "We want to leave as soon as we can."

To her surprise, Jack hesitated.

"I understand you want to leave," he said slowly. "But I won’t be coming with you."

"What do you mean?" Norah asked, trying to figure out what he meant. "Do you have somewhere else to go? Another time, I mean?"

Jack shook his head.

"I’m done with hopping from time to time," he said. "I’m ready to settle down at long last. This is as good a time and place as any."

Of course. Bethan, the pretty blonde woman who Jack had been talking for walks. Norah couldn’t help but smile. Jack deserved his happy ending, at long last.

"Are you sure?" Matthew asked, frowning. "This is a dangerous time period. There’s no knowing what might happen."

Jack shrugged.

"In my line of work, there’s no such thing as a safe time," he said. "Bethan has her family here, and I’ve no desire to take her away. We’ll build a good life together."

To Norah’s absolute shock, tears had begun to build in her eyes.

"So this is goodbye, then?" she asked the man who’d watched her back for so many years.

"I suppose it is," Jack said gruffly. "Take care, Norah. No more poison, for the love of God."

Norah laughed shakily, her breath catching as she stepped forward. She flung her arms around Jack, pressing her face against his shoulder as if anchoring herself to something solid. The warmth of his wool tunic, the faint scent of woodsmoke and steel, the firm grip of his arms as he returned the embrace—all of it wrapped around her like a memory she already knew she’d revisit. For a moment, she let her eyes close, swallowing hard past the lump rising in her throat.

"I’ll miss you," she whispered. "And keep an eye on Bedwyn. He’s a snake."

Jack nodded seriously, but Norah knew she didn’t have to worry about him. Jack could more than take care of himself. If anyone could thrive in the world of Iron Age Scotland, with its raiding tribes and dangerous druids, it would be him.

"Do you have anything to fetch from the crannog?" Matthew asked her.

Norah thought for a second, then shook her head.

"I don’t need to go back there," she said. "I think we’re ready to leave."

Matthew squeezed her hand, and she sank against him gratefully. Leaving Jack would be difficult, but at least she wasn’t going anywhere alone.

"How do we do this?" she asked. "Do we need a stone circle or something?"

Matthew shook his head, smiling.

"Not anymore," he said. "Not now we’re together. You give me the strength to travel through time from anywhere. Are you ready?"