Page 42

LEXI

A SHED IN AN UNKNOWN TIME

I woke up as I was yanked off the horse and crashed to the ground in a heap.

“Ow!”

The man laughed. It was very dark, a crisp night, we were in a wide field, a hum of night bugs. The stench of animal dung. There was a small building in the darkness and I was pushed toward it. Roughly.

“Where are you taking me?”

One of the big hulking men shoved me, and mimicked my voice, high, scared.

The men laughed.

A wooden door opened on the small cold shed and I was shoved in. I stumbled on the threshold and fell forward onto my knee and shoulder, my fall barely softened by straw coving the floor. It smelled like farm animal dung, in the worst way.

I winced and rode the wave of pain until I could sit up. Then I dug my heels into the ground and shoved up against the wall, as far away from the door as I could get. It was pitch black except for a window with a small glow of moonlight.

I was captive.

I heard outside, Torin yelling, struggling, and being roughed up, then a moment later the door opened, and he was shoved in, landing on his hands and knees with a groan.

He collapsed to his side and lay there weakly.

The man at the door laughed.

They slammed the door, making the shed even darker.

I was terrified. Desperately sad. And I was really angry.

Torin was responsible for all of it, and he was the only person in the world who could help me.

I could hear a laughing conversation outside.

And it slammed into me, what if he died?

I said, “Torin? Torin, are you okay?”

There was a long pause and then he mumbled, “Aye.”

I burst into tears.

He said, “Och nae,” and pushed himself up and then shifted and turned the bulk of his big body to the wall beside me with a gasp of pain.

He got situated so we were shoulder to shoulder, with his body between me and the door, then he exhaled the air from his lungs.

He said, “Twill be alright, Princess.”

“Stop calling me that, you’ve ruined my life. You’ve destroyed my relationship, and I’ve lost everything. Why are you doing this to me?’

“I dinna mean tae cause ye harm, Prin — I just felt relieved that I found ye, I ought tae hae progressed more cautiously.”

“It’s too late now,” I sobbed, my throat tight from tears, I forced out, “I hate you.”

“I ken.”

I was physically shaking. “Who are these men, are they going to kill me?”

“I daena ken who they are, or what they want. They hae their own vessel, why dost they want mine? But they might want a royal princess, if they knew yer true self — we must be quiet about ye.”

I sniffled. “How did they find me? The minute after you told me I was a princess, they found me.”

“Aye, tis as if they were listening in.”

“This is all your fault.”

He nodded.

“You didn’t answer me — do they want to kill me?”

“They would hae tae go through me, and they winna go through me.”

Tears were streaming down my face. “You can’t die, Torin, I don’t know what to do.”

He groaned. “I canna tell if ye want me tae go or want me tae stay with?—”

“You can’t leave me!”

I said it so loud that the guard at our door slammed his hand against the wood in a loud bang.

Torin said under his breath, “Och nae... he is a dead man.”

I sobbed. “Don’t leave me, Torin, please. I don’t have anyone in the world, no one, everyone is gone and I don’t know where I am.”

His head was back against the wall, he said, his voice weary, “I would never, Prin — Yer Highness, I would never leave ye. Ye hae my word.”

My face was damp with tears and my nose was running and my hands were bound behind me so I couldn’t wipe my face, tears and snot rolling down it— I raised my knees, but my dress slid up my thighs, too short to give me any fabric.

“Och, ye are despairin’.” Torin had his arms tied in front. With another sharp intake of air, he raised his arms so that his sleeve was in front of my face. “Ye can wipe yer tears, Princess.”

I blubbered, “On your sleeves, Torin? That doesn’t seem…” But I leaned forward and wiped my face on his sleeves.

He said, “Good.”

His head dropped against the wall again, exhaling.

My voice sounded small to my ears when I asked, “Are they going to kill us?” Then I said, “Maybe don’t answer.”

“I think if they wanted us dead we would be dead already. They want us alive — this gives us a chance tae escape.”

“Do you have any of your weapons?”

“Nae, I hae been relieved of them. Dost ye hae a weapon on ye?”

I shook my head. “No weapons... I don’t suppose you have a vessel?”

“Nae, tis gone. This is nae matter, Princess, we will escape, and I will use whatever I can find as a weapon. A rock will work, ye ken, I see one there in the corner. I can beat ten men with a good rock, daena worry.”

I huffed. “But without a vessel I’m never going home.”

I glanced at his face, he was chewing his lip, breathing heavily.

My chin trembled, despairing again. “Do you have any idea where we are?”

“By my best guess, we are in long-ago Scotland, verra far from yer time, closer tae m’own.”

My teeth chattered. The fear was getting on top of me. I was wearing his cloak, but it had fallen off my shoulders and there was nothing I could do. I was really cold, shaking with fear. “This seems really bleak, it must be winter.”

“I ken, tis cold here.” He struggled and breathed heavily, twisting, pushing to get one side of the cloak up and over my shoulder.

“Och, that is all I can do.”

I nodded. “It’s okay, that helps.”

“And, Princess, I believe ye are mistaken, tis not winter, this feels like a Scottish summer.”

I chuckled, through my tears. “Are you trying to make me feel better?”

“Aye, so ye winna be frightened.”

I looked at his face and in the dim light of the moon I could see his puffy eye, a fat lip pushed through his beard. His head drooped from pain.

I said, “I’m sorry you’re so hurt.”

He chuckled. “Och nae, Princess, I hae sworn tae protect ye, I am the one who ought tae be apologizing. If Master Cooper were here he would be callin’ intae question m’capabilities as yer protector.”

“What does he think happened? Did we just disappear?”

“Aye, something like that. Dost ye think he believes me now?”

I sighed. “Maybe, finally.” I added, “They both must be so worried.”

He leaned a bit, lowering his shoulder, “Ye can put yer head on m’shoulder.”

I leaned my head against his shoulder and whispered, “Are you serious, you really think I’m a princess?”

His voice was low and rumbling, comforting in the darkness, vibrating my ear against his warm shoulder. “Aye, Mistress Lexi, I ken ye are.”

We sat in the quiet. I sniffled occasionally, trying to calm down my crying from before.

He finally asked, very low, “Dost ye believe me?”

I whispered, “No… but... I don’t know. I’m so mad at you. I was happy...”

“I ken.”

“Now I am kidnapped by some evil medieval guys, who knows where, and I might never get to go home again.”

I exhaled. “This is so bleak.”

“Tis nae, ye daena ken me verra well, Prin— I mean, Mistress Lexi, but I winna rest until ye are home.”

I adjusted my face on his shoulder, a little like nuzzling in.

Then he tentatively put his head against mine, then it grew heavy.

There was an intimacy to his cheek on my hair. It warmed me.

I nestled my head against his shoulder. Then I raised my chin and nuzzled against the side of his face, his warm beard, and then I kissed him, his warm breath on my lips, my lips parting and for a second we were kissing deeply, desperately, but then he pulled his mouth from mine, and very close, his voice a low rumbling against my skin. “Nae, I canna, Princess.”

I put my forehead against his chin and in the darkness between us I said, “I’m sorry, I’m just scared, my adrenaline was pumping, I don’t know why I did that.”

“Ye hate me and yet ye kissed me.”

“I’m sorry, I think I needed your closeness.”

He nodded against my forehead. “Aye, I feel it as well, but we canna, ye are a Princess and I...” His lips brushed my skin. “I am yer devoted Torin, but I am beneath ye, I canna take liberties with ye when ye are weak and frightened, I am nae a scoundrel.”

I put my head back on his shoulder and the comforting weight of his cheek returned to my head.

“I’m scared.”

“I ken ye are, Princess, but I will take care of ye.”

I said, “It’s hard to get comfortable with my hands in the back.”

“Lie down.” He raised his hands so I could lay across his lap. “I hae gotten past the pain and m’eyes hae adjusted. I will get yer bindings off yer wrists. Then ye can do mine.”

“Do you think you could?” I shimmied onto his lap, with a wince.

“I will try, and I am sorry ye were injured on the horse, Princess.”

I settled in a way that had my torso across his thighs, my wrists by his hand, and he began to pick at the ropes.

There was too much to think about. My mind was a jumble, a cacophony of stress.

I needed to try to understand my whole past, everything in my life, my parents, my relationships, the money that had been set aside for me — it was all so complicated.

I couldn’t even begin to think it through.

I would need to, once I survived this. If I survived this. ..

...then I realized Torin was humming.

I listened for a moment.

“That’s beautiful, what song is it?”

“Tis nae a drivin’ song, tis a walkin’ song from the Scottish highlands.” He sang a few lines, in a wonderful, deep brogue. “...now the summer is in prime, Wi' the flowers richly blooming, And the wild mountain thyme, A’ the moorlands perfuming; All around the bloomin’ heather, Lassie will ye go?—”

There was a bang and the door crashed open — I shrieked and turned over, hiding my hands.

A big man stood there. “What ye doin’ in here?”

Torin growled, “Naethin’ for ye tae worry on.” My heart raced, what if he took me? What if they beat Torin again. I froze, terrified.

Torin’s hands rested heavy on my shoulder, keeping me down on his lap.

“Ye are singin’.” The man swayed. He seemed drunk.

Torin said, “Ye are a detestable lout — The lady is restin’ and ye are makin’ a racket, go leave us be.”

The man swayed, then said, “Ye keep quiet, ye are a captive.” He staggered away, slamming the door behind him.

Torin gently pushed my shoulder forward, adjusted the cloak across my back, and wordlessly began picking at my bindings again.

He said, “I am sorry he frightened ye.”

I nodded. I couldn’t speak, I was so frightened, my whole body was shaking.

He put a calming comforting hand on my shoulder. “Ye ken I will protect ye?”

I nodded again. I did believe he was going to protect me.

And I desperately needed protection.

“Ye daena hae tae be afraid. Please daena doubt me.”

I nodded once more.

He went back to gently pulling at the bindings on my wrists. Then he said, “Can ye speak? I need tae hear ye.”

I said, quietly, “I know, I know you will protect me.”

“Thank ye.”

I whispered, “Does your face hurt?”

“Aye, Mistress Lexi, as Max would say tae me, ‘Ye ought not try tae beat a man with yer face, Torin,’ I tried anyway and only succeeded in hurtin’ m’self.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Tis naething much, I will use m’agony as the power I need tae get us free and tae seek revenge. I greatly look forward tae the revenge. They frightened the princess, I will make them pay.”

“I like having my own personal avenger.”

“Ye hae me, if it takes m’last breath.”

I turned to look up at his face, it was aglow in moonlight, battered and bruised, but still handsome.

He looked down on me with a sad smile. “We ought not be alone, yet here we are once again, discoursin’ in the night. This is goin’ tae cause trouble for ye.”

“You promised to save me from trouble.”

“Aye, I did. I will, startin’ now.” He chuckled. “As soon as I get these cursed bindings off yer wrists.”

He worked quietly and then I said, “I thought of something, Torin, I was thinking about a piece of jewelry I have...”

He quietly asked, “What is it?”

“I have a… it’s a locket with a gold thread inside. Engraved on the front is a crown, and… thistles… and an ‘R’. It’s very small, made for a child, I think. It always seemed too dainty for me to wear. I often wondered what its purpose was. Mom told me it was a family heirloom.”

I adjusted my knees, which were cold and stiff from the ground. “Do you think the crown might mean some?—?”

I felt him shift.

I turned to look up at his face, his eyes had gone to the window...