Page 18

LEXI

I was forming hamburger mix into little meatballs and stacking them in a small bowl, when my eyes drew to the sky through the kitchen window. No no no!

It was a storm again, what the heck?

I peered out. The wind had risen and was whipping the trees. A huge gust swept up my yard and the screen door, once again, began to bang, bang, bang.

Dude jumped off the counter and sauntered down the hall in the opposite direction, trilling like a maniac. A deserting me maniac. “You’re a terrible watch dog!”

He just kept going.

I put film over the bowl and shoved it into the fridge, washed my hands, then dried them as I walked toward the door, ostensibly to securely latch the door, but also to see .

By the time I got there it was a furious storm, like a tornado touching down in my yard.

I grabbed the screen door handle and tried to pull it closed when my eyes drew across the yard to the same spot and somehow, against all logic, a body lying there, again.

I froze.

My mind reeled.

I let go of the door, it was hurting my hand because it was so forcefully pulling.

It commenced its bang bang bang.

I had seen something unexplainable.

Had learned something impossible.

Then I had seen the unexplainable and impossible thing happen, again and again.

And here it was, once more.

I watched — how did he appear there? He had not been there a moment ago, I hadn’t looked away, but visibility had been terrible.

The banging slowed and then ceased.

There was a last big wind gust and then just a twirling breeze in the middle of the yard, lifting dirt and dust toward the sky. I stalked across the yard and as I approached, said, “Torin? Torin, are you okay?”

He groaned and his fingers shifted.

I knelt beside him. “Do you need a hospital? I can call the ambulance.”

He weakly said, “Nae, I daena.”

He rolled over onto this back with a moan. “Och nae, Mistress Lexi, how did it come that I am here again?”

I sat down crosslegged beside him. “I have no idea, I don’t understand how it works.”

“Och, tis so bright.” He put his good arm over his eyes. “I am payin’ a price for m’hubris, tis a tool of God, and I hae tried tae use it tae my own ends. I am being cursed for it, the eagle is eatin’ m’liver, Mistress Lexi, I hae become like Prometheus.”

“But you haven’t used it for your own ends, you’re here accidentally.”

He lowered the arm and looked up at me intently. “Accident or nae, tis against His will, I am trying tae return home, yet I am foiled from every direction. And I daena ken how tae do what must be done.”

“We just have to figure it out. What is the purpose of it, what is it… why did your friend want it?”

“He was worried about his family, he needed it tae rescue them.”

“So he’s stuck too, without it, and you’re stuck with it, and his family is… what is happening with his family?”

“They are royal, there is a usurper stealin’ their throne.”

“Damn, I thought you were going to say something normal like, they got lost on a hike.”

“Nae, tis about bloodlines and kings. Tis dire. Max must be verra concerned and I hae sworn?—”

“To protect him, yeah, but he might think you have deserted him.”

“Och nae, he might believe it, but I think I hae proven my loyalty through the years. It would be difficult though tae understand how I left and haena returned.”

“I just wish there was an instruction manual for it. Did you ever think there were directions? Maybe you can find them?”

He pulled the vessel close, sat up, and stuffed it in the round leather bag hanging at the front of his kilt. “I daena ken if anyone on earth kens how tae work it.”

“Except you and you can’t do it well. But you learned the other night that there are at least two.”

“Aye, I suppose there is a chance someone else kens how tae use them.”

“You just have to find them and ask.”

He nodded, rubbing his forehead. “Aye, until then I must accept havin’ m’liver pecked by the eagle.”

I exhaled. “When was the last time you had a big meal, Torin? I’m planning a nice dinner tonight. Cooper… my, um… boyfriend is coming home, so I’m making his favorite meal.”

“I wouldna want tae interfere with y?—”

“Nope, that’s unnecessary, Jen will be there, and I invited a couple of other people too. It’s a dinner party. And you can stay in the back-shack as long as you need while you figure this all out. I’ll explain it to Cooper, he’ll understand.”

“Ye are certain? I wouldna want tae cause ye trouble.”

“No trouble at all, first, I need to go to the store for a bit more pasta, maybe a pound more of hamburger, you look like you get hungry.”

“I am verra hungry.”

I checked my watch. “It won’t take me long, I’ll be back in about twenty minutes?—”

“I ought tae go with ye, I think. I was bein’ chased, I daena ken if tis safe.”

I narrowed my eyes. “But they’re after you, if I’m not with you…”

He just looked at me.

I said, “Fine, yeah, if you want to go with me, you can.”

I started walking towards the car, then I looked back and he wasn’t following.

He asked, “Where are yer stables?”

“I don’t have stables?—”

“Nae horses? Then we are tae walk?”

“Nope, we’re going in the car. Come on.”

He followed me, his sword belt and the leather bag hanging from the front of his belt, rustling as he walked.

I reached the driver’s side first, but then realized he was standing, dumbly, beside the car. “Oh, right, you don’t know how to get in, have you ever been in a car before?”

“Nae, but I daena need tae, I will walk alongside.”

I stood with my hands on the roof. “I will go too fast.”

“I can run.”

“Still too fast.”

He screwed up his face. “I think I ought tae remain here. I will guard yer house.”

“You said you wanted to come, needed to come.”

“That was afore I kent ye wanted me tae ride somethin’ I hae never seen before, I hae had plenty of that already.”

“This doesn’t hurt, there is nothing to be afraid of, I’m a very good driver and I will go the speed limit.”

“I am nae afraid. I am never afraid of anything, I just daena want tae ride something when I canna see the horses that are draggin’ it.”

I sighed. “This is a car, it runs on energy, like the heat from a flame, right? We invented a way to capture that energy and ride it without needing horses.”

He narrowed his eyes at the car. “Tis on fire?”

“No, but it runs on combustion, like a controlled spark. If it helps, we call the power its horsepower. This car has about 300 horsepower. This is a BMW. I love this car. Imagine if there were hundreds of horses hitched up, right there.”

The corner of his mouth went up. “Tis a terrible thought, the amount of shite would be unbelievable.”

“Exactly. That’s why we invented the car.”

“Twas a Scotsman who invented it?”

“I have no idea, but maybe.” I drummed my hands on the top of the car. “You ready to go?”

“Aye, I will go because ye need the protection.”

I came around the car and opened the door. He leaned over and inspected inside.

“Sit in the seat.”

“I ken, I wanted tae see what I was doin’ first. Tis like a carriage. Ye are certain tis nae just for the women? If there was a horse I could ride alongside ye. Twould be safer I think, I would be up higher, I could see danger comin’. I could warn ye if the road was washed away.”

“None of that is necessary, and I don’t have a horse... climb in — boy are you in for a good time.”

He took off his sword belt and placed it on the back seat. Then he slid into the seat, leaving one foot out on the ground, his hand on the roof.

“Whatcha doing, Torin?”

“Tis so I can jump out if I need tae.”

“You won’t need to, you have to get all the way in, or we can’t drive.”

“I am expected tae drive?”

“No, figure of speech.”

He drew his foot in and I closed his door and went around to get in the driver’s seat.

I pulled out a key and put it in the ignition. My Beamer roared into life. I grinned. “Hear the power?”

He said, “Och nae, I hear it, it daena sound like tis working.”

I revved it. “You like this, Torin?”

He ran his hand through his hair. “It daena seem safe.”

I said, “Put on your seat belt.” I leaned across him, pulled the belt across his wide chest, and clicked it into the buckle as he watched every movement, but then his eyes settled on the side of my face. He was very close, his chiseled cheek right there, almost close enough to kiss.

Dear God, what was I doing?

His eyes narrowed.

I nervously laughed, pulling away. “Sorry, all up in your personal space.”

His voice deep and rumbling, hot, he said, “I daena mind.”

I was flustered. I put on my own belt and tried to change the subject. “What’s the round bag with the silver clasp that you wear on the front?”

“Tis m’sporran.”

I repeated, “Your sporran,” blowing air at my forehead trying to cool off. “What’s the design on the front?”

He said, “I tooled it m’self, tis a stag.” He ran his hand through his hair.

“I like it, is that a thistle on the clasp?”

He nodded.

I pushed my favorite driving cd into the player: the Dave Matthews Band, the best song, Crash into Me. I loved the vibe of the music as I drove down the two lane winding roads through these woods.

Yet, as the first notes began to play, Torin’s hand tugged his lobe with a wince. “What is the...?”

“Too loud?”

I turned the volume down. “This is an um...” I had almost said ‘love song’ but said instead, “Perfect driving music, we must play it while we careen down the road. The beat inspires the speed.”

Then, my hands on the wheel. I grinned again. “Ready?”

He said, “Tis against all of m’better judgement tae say aye?—”

I threw the car into reverse and pulled from the driveway. He gripped the dashboard and jerked forward and back as if I had peeled out. “Tis sorcery!”

I laughed, “You told me you time-traveled here by holding onto a little can-shaped vessel, and you think my car is sorcery?”

He had one hand on the dashboard, with his eyes averted towards the space between our seats. “They are both the dark arts and I am goin’ tae burn for eternity for havin’ done it.”

I looked both ways and pulled us out onto the road. “That is being overly dramatic. This is an invention, just like a carriage, and we are going to go to the market. If you want to close your eyes you can, or you can keep them open and enjoy the ride. It won’t hurt, I promise.”

He glanced up, then quickly averted his eyes again.

I cheerily said, “It’s right up here, we don’t need to go to the big store outside of town, this is a mom and pop right up the street. It’ll have what we need.”

He took a quick glance, then tucked his head again as I turned a corner. He muttered, “Och nae.”

I said, “Torin, I think you would get really comfortable if you just look. This is much safer than riding horses.”

“It canna possibly be true. How can I find ease when we hasten so swiftly?”

“We are only going forty miles per hour.”

He said, “Tis fine, I am comfortable, I just prefer tae ride this way.”

“Just sit straight in your seat and look, just look, I promise it will be okay.”

He slowly pulled his head up and settled straight in his seat and drew in a long breath and then exhaled. He had sweat rolling down his cheek from the angst.

I said, “See, I know it’s going fast, but check this out.” I pressed the button and rolled down my window.

He watched and then looked at his own door.

He punched the button and rolled his window all the way down and then put his head out.

The wind blowing through his shoulder-length hair, rustling the wolf fur trim on his cloak, his chin forward, the sun shining on his chiseled cheek and the tendon on the side of his thick neck, his wide shoulders, his biceps.

.. he was so freaking hot, he was warming my insides.

I looked away quickly. “There you go, that’s the spirit, and now we’re at the store.

” I pulled into a space in the small parking lot.

Using big gestures that he could mimic, I unlatched my seatbelt and then waited for him to get his undone. Then I opened my door with the handle and he fumbled on his door until he figured it out.

He stepped from the car. Then he unbuckled his brooch and swept the cloak from his shoulders. He placed it on the seat of my car.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Aye, that was verra fine, Mistress Lexi, I am glad ye convinced me that m’presence was necessary — dost I need m’broadsword?”

“Nope, and you have the long knife, right?”

“Aye, m’dirk.”

“You have your dirk, we should be fine.” I started walking across the lot.

He followed, saying, “But this is nae long enough for a—” Then he interrupted himself, “Och nae, it daena feel right, I need the broadsword,” and jogged back to the car.

I stood with my arms folded watching him as he navigated opening the car door, pulling out the sword belt, and strapping it around his hips.

He swaggered up to me.

Holy cannoli he was so hot, everything he did was making me yearn — what was I doing? I swept my hand through my hair and tried to focus on the task at hand.