“Yer name?”
“Murdock Black,” he answered. “Ye ken the blacks. Nay one sees one of us and lives… nay one sees me and lives.”
The corner of Jack’s lips lifted into a smirk, but he didn’t make his move. He exchanged heated looks with Murdock for another few seconds before both raised their swords and started the dance at once.
The swish sound of steel blades clashing filled the air. Jack ducked, and avoided the blow to his side, then his blade pierced through Murdock’s arm.
Neither of them backed down or relented. Minutes passed and pain slithered through Jack when Murdock landed another cut on his thigh. Then the back of his leg.
His knees gave way and he dropped to the ground crying out in pain as Murdock raised his sword one last time to end him. He closed his eyes and expected the pain. The only thought on his mind in that final moment was Isla.
Jack envisioned her smiling at him, and then laughing. The light in her eyes offered him solace, and hearing her soft sounds made his heart ache less
The pain he excepted didn’t come. Instead he heard a groan, opened his eyes, and saw Murdock drop to his knees. Blood spluttered out of his mouth and his eyes widened.
Behind him, an old woman stood with a dirk in her hand and a terrified look on her face.
She saved me,Jack thought as a wave of dizziness washed through him. He wanted to thank her. He opened his mouth, but the words didn’t come until he dropped to the ground and gave into the bleak darkness surrounding him.
* * *
Isla searched the entire market where the villagers had gathered for the third day of their fair. Drums filled the air, screams and chants in their native dialect made it difficult for her to hear herself think and as her gaze scanned through the crowd in search of the tent she was in last night, she kept thinking about Jack.
Can I do this? Can I leave him?
Isla didn’t think she wanted to anymore. When she first came here, she had craved her own home… her friends, her wealth and everything that came with living in a more modern England but now in this moment, she wanted Jack.
His family… his brother who made her laugh, Moira who had taught her a lot, and even Jamie. Even as stiff as he always was with her, Isla would miss him. Being here with Jack had changed her life. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to end all now.
After another few minute’s search, she finally spotted the tent she needed to find, and dashed toward it. Isla barged into the tent and saw the gypsy sitting on the other side of her table, her attention buried on the palm of the young girl sitting with her.
Isla wanted to scream at the girl and tell her to run from the gypsy, but she held back her words, and waited until the girl left the room giggling before she spoke.
“Ye must take me back to my time now.”
Isla moved and sat in front of the gypsy. The woman smiled at her and extended a hand. “Show me yer hand, Child.”
She willingly gave the gypsy her hand, determined to not fear her this time. A long moment of silence passed before the gypsy looked at her and said,
“Yer time has come, but ye must decide what ye want to do. Will ye return to yer time? Or will ye stay?” Another second passed before the gypsy added, “Will ye stay for love.”
Isla swallowed hard and asked. “Love?”
“Ye ken what I speak of, Child… the choice is what ye must make.”
“Tell me how to return.”
The gypsy’s frown deepened, and her shoulders slumped forward a little before she replied. “Beneath the Castle’s dungeons… the caves are ruins of what was once the magnificent castle ye have lived in. The cave beneath the Castle is where ye shall find the key.”
Isla’s brows arched together, an image of the cave she had gone to by the dried-up loch in her time flashed in her mind and it suddenly dawned on her.It’s the same castle,she murmured as she lifted her gaze to the gypsy again.
“It was beneath ye the entire time.”
Isla jerked to her feet after the revelation, then she lifted the hem of her earasaid and hurried toward the exit of the tent but stopped when the gypsy said,
“Be careful, Child… what ye seek might nay be what fate has in store for ye.”
This time, she didn’t care about the gypsy’s warnings. It didn’t matter anyway as it was time for her to return home.