Time and Space (9 page)

Cadence gasped, unable to believe her ears. It couldn’t be, she must have misheard. “You have the Sulcat?”

Islynn’s eyes popped open wide. “You know of it?”

Cadence nodded, her mouth hanging open in shock.

“What is it?” Fianna asked.

“One of the Three Jewels of Ireland,” Cadence said, still unable to believe it was here.

“What, that old myth?” Fianna laughed. “My mother used tales of those magical treasures to frighten Fionn and me into behaving. She made up all sorts of wild tales about their powers.”

“It’s no myth. Your family possessed the moonstone Gealach for centuries and never knew its power. If not for our father finding it and Carter figuring out how to use it, neither of us would be here now.”

“How is it possible two of the jewels are here in Moone Castle?” Fianna asked.

Islynn reached into the neck of her dress and yanked on a leather strap until a caramel colored stone wrapped in a metal frame was visible.

“It’s a cat’s eye.” Cadence owned a similar looking stone pendant Carter had given her when she graduated from high school.

Fianna’s eyes went wide, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

“’Tis not an actual eye, Fee,” Islynn said gently.

“It’s the name of the type of stone,” Cadence added. “What is the stone’s magical power?” Cadence’s heart was pounding as Islynn took the stone off and handed it to her.

“It allows me to follow my Breena through time.”

“How?”

“I know not. The blessing and curse of the stone is that I retain all of my memories of our time together.”

“How many lives have you shared?”

“We have met fives time. The last was fifty or so years ago in France where we were both tortured and burned as witches.”

“You are fifty summers old?”

“No. When I am about to die, I evoke the power of the stone. Then my soul is reborn and the stone follows me to my next life.

“Were all of your meetings through time just as tragic?” Fianna reached for her hand.

Islynn nodded.

“When will you stop using the stone?”

“When we are able to share a happy life together.” Islynn said through tears.

“Does Bree remember your times together as well?”

“No, remembering is my curse to bear alone, just as knowing the future is yours, Cadence. When Breena and I meet again, she will have no knowledge of me whatsoever.”

Cadence shivered and wrapped her arms around Islynn. How had a girlfriends night turn into a sob-fest? The only thing that could possibly make this worse is if Fianna asked what her future held. The last thing Cadence wanted to do was share the news of a forced marriage and dying in childbirth. Thankfully, Fianna held her tongue and hugged both women.

A loud, insistent pounding against her door woke Cadence from a sound sleep. “Go away,” she groaned.

“No chance, my beauty.” Donnall’s chipper voice called before he burst into the room. “The bread will not bake itself.”

Cadence flopped onto her stomach and pulled the covers over her head.

“Just because you suffered a bad day does not mean you can abandon your responsibilities.”Donnall sat on the edge of her bed and tugged the bedclothes down. More than anything, he wanted to crawl under the covers with her and delay the start of his own day. “Now, rise and shine or I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you to the kitchens in your nightgown.”

“Barbarian,” Cadence snorted.

“That’s my little mouse, finding your fight again.” He pressed a kiss to her head.

“Go before I fight you.”

“I would very much enjoy that, but I will stay and escort you downstairs.”

Cadence growled and sat up. Her fiery hair was a mess. Donnall reached out and finger-combed her red locks into some semblance of order. The strands were silky against his fingers and smelled of rosemary.

“Thank you for sending up a bath for me last night.”

“You are welcome. We were all rather harsh on you and you deserved some time alone and to be pampered a bit and feel better.”

“I do feel better, but embarrassed.”

“You have nothing to be ashamed of. No one knows what happened between us. I would never share our private moments with anyone.”

“So I won’t be the laughingstock of the castle?” Cadence asked brightly.

“Only if I have to carry you to the kitchens dressed as you are now. Dress quickly, I have a meeting with Fionn and the council to attend.”

“Will you wait for me outside my door?”

That idea was for the best. Donnall wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself if he saw Cadence’s creamy skin on display. “Of course.” He headed toward the door. “I have a surprise for you.”

Cadence snorted. “I bet you do.”

“Not that, although…”He took two quick steps back toward the bed.

“Donnall!” Cadence burst out laughing.

“Fine,” he sighed. “Get all of your work done and you’ll get your reward.”

Once Cadence was in the kitchen, he headed out to see Padraig, the blacksmith. Along with Fionn, the three of them had been thick as thieves as lads. “Good morning, old man.”

Padraig was bent over his work. “Fuck off, laddie,” he said good-naturedly.

“Is that my dagger?” He bent over to examine the work. Padraig was a master craftsman. His work was always of the finest caliber.

“Yes, but explain to me why you needed it so fast. I’ve not had time to embellish the design.”

“It is for Cadence. If we survive the English you can embellish it all you like.” He knew Cadence would appreciate function over form. It would not matter to her that the weapon was plain, only that she could use it to defend their people and herself.

“For Cadence? Why does the girl need a dagger other than to keep herself safe from you?” Padraig laughed.

Grinning, Donnall clapped a hand on the burly blacksmith’s back.  “I want her to be able to protect herself hand-to-hand if the time comes.”

“’Tis a smart idea, but do you think she could use it if she had to?”

“You’d be surprised what people will do to survive.” He hoped Cadence would never have to prove she could use it, but he knew she would if it push came to shove.

“Make sure she has a care when handling the weapon. It is wickedly sharp.” Padraig handed the dagger to Donnall.

“She is a smart lass, Padraig.” Far too smart for the likes of him.

“So why is she spending so much time with you?”

Donnall snorted. “She is so different from any other woman I have ever met.”

“How so?”

“She wants to help defend Moone rather than hide from the enemy. She wants to learn how to survive here and she is very independent. It is as if she does not need a man to survive.”

“So, she is not on the hunt for a husband like the countless lasses whose heart’s you’ve broken?”

“True and that only make her more attractive.” It was almost as if her disinterest in him made him more desperate to have her.

“My Maeve was just like that, only without wanting a dagger of her own.”

“She led you on a merry chase.” Padraig had been miserable for months until Maeve finally agreed to be his wife.

“It seems your Cadence is doing the same.”

He hadn’t thought of it like that before but Padraig had a point. “Maybe so.”

As much as she hated to admit it, Donnall was right. No one knew what had happened out at the stone cottage. Once she’d apologized for sleeping late, she’d gotten on with her task and started making bread.

“How are you feeling after spending the day astride that beast?” Aggie called out from across the room.

Mallory snorted. “My legs never hurt after riding Donnall.

“I had my first horseback riding lesson yesterday. I was not riding Donnall.” Although it had been a near thing.

“You are a woman, why do you need to ride?” Mallory sneered.

If she weren’t a lady, she’d punch Mallory in her smug face. “The English Army is coming to kill us and take over Moone. We all have to be ready to fight.”

“What good can a bunch of kitchen girls do against an army of well-trained soldiers?” Aggie asked.

“Who butchers the meat for dinner every day, Aggie?” Cadence was smiling ear to ear.

“Me and the girls.” Aggie wore a confused look.

“How much harder would it be to use those skills against someone trying to kill you?”

“I am not sure I could harm someone else.” Aggie shook her head.

“Could you do it to save Jilly?”

“I would do anything to save that little lass.”

“You have lost what little is left of your mind, Aggie.” Mallory said sourly.

Cadence sighed, trying to hold on to what little of her patience she had left. “There are seventy-two men against three hundred English. If we add the women of Moone into the mix we’d have one hundred and fifty able bodies to join the fight.”

“I’m shorter than even you. How do you possibly think I can help Moone?” Mallory scoffed, folding her arms across her ample bosom.

“From all the time you’ve spent kneading and rolling dough I bet you have a lot of upper body strength.”

“So?” Mallory snorted. “How is that going to help against a man who is a foot taller and one hundred pounds heavier?”

“You’d make an excellent archer.”

Mallory’s look of petulant disbelief cracked a bit.

“You’d stand high on the castle wall and loose your arrows at them from afar. Your height and strength wouldn’t be a factor.”

“Are you rabble-rousing, little mouse?” Donnall asked with a grin as he sailed into the kitchens.

“If the women took up arms it would help level the odds.”

“I suppose you will want to be the one leading the charge?” Donnall winked at her.

“I’d do anything to protect my friends and family.”

“Retract your claws, my beauty. So would I.” Donnall set the dagger in its sheath and the bow and arrows on the counter in front of her.

“These are my surprises?” She was impressed with Donnall’s thoughtfulness. She picked up the dagger and tested its weight in her hands. “Aggie, hold this.”

The older woman took the lethal blade from Cadence. “Och lass, the meat cleaver is heavier than this.”

While the other women tried their hand with the dagger, Cadence noticed Donnall pull aside Mallory. She tried to keep her eyes off the private discussion which, judging by the look on Mallory’s face, was not going well.

“Let us go, Cadence. You have much to learn this day.”

Cadence picked up the weapons and followed Donnall out of the kitchens. She couldn’t help noticing the angry look on Mallory’s face.

“What was that all about?” Cadence asked when they got outside the castle and into the watery November sunshine.

“What?” Donnall knew exactly what Cadence was talking about.

“Your chat with Mallory.”

“I promised Fionn I’d stop deflowering maidens.” There was of course one last maiden he wanted to deflower, but there was no need to tell Cadence that, yet.

“Does it count if the maids have already lost their bloom?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

“I am no longer interested in spending time in Mallory’s company, bloom or no bloom.” Donnall hoped that would put an end to the discussion without Cadence asking about his feelings.

“Which weapon are we going to work with first? The bow or the dagger?”

“I thought we would try the bow first. Have you ever used one before?”

“No, but I’ve seen enough Robin Hood movies to understand the general idea of how to shoot.”

“Sometimes you use the strangest words. I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Cadence laughed. “A movie is a way of telling a story with pictures that move and talk. Robin Hood was an English nobleman who lived in the forest with his band of merry men and stole from the rich in order to give to the poor.”

“I don’t know how to respond to that.” Donnall laughed. “Leave it to the English…” He was leading them toward the training fields Fionn used for sword practice in the afternoons. He’d set up bales of hay for practice with the arrows.

“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I think speaking to Mallory like that was kind of you.”

“What do you mean?” Cadence was right. He didn’t want to talk about his former lover. He was embarrassed for her to know he’d lain with the other woman.

“You didn’t have to say anything and you did. At least now she knows where you stand with each other.”

“I would rather stand with you, my beauty.”

Cadence laughed. “Is that my target?” She pointed ahead to the stacked bales of hay.

“Yes. We will also use the hay for you to practice with the dagger. That way you’re not tempted to try it out on me.”

“Don’t think I won’t if you get out of line.” Cadence winked.

“You may certainly try, little mouse.”

“What is step one?”

“Step one is to learn how to stand properly.” Donnall moved up behind Cadence, itching to touch her. It had been a long, lonely night in his room with only his hand for company and memories of the way Cadence had come apart in his arms yesterday.

“And you need to stand up close and position me?” Cadence asked in a low voice.

“That is it precisely. It is important to start with good form. Stand with your feet shoulder distance apart. Balance your weight equally.”

Cadence moved into position with a sigh.

“What is wrong? Do you need me to move your legs into the right position?” What he would give to bend down and rub his hands over her bare calves before moving her feet.

“Hardly. This stupid dress won’t let me move my legs far enough apart. Maybe I should hike it up past my knees?”

“No!” The last thing he needed was to spend the rest of the morning staring at Cadence’s bare legs.

Cadence frowned. “Maybe that wouldn’t be proper, but you can bet on the day of the battle I’m wearing pants.”

Donnall spun her around. Her mossy green eyes were filled with surprise. “Why don’t you take the kids and the women and use the Gealach to go home…” His voice held a note of desperation. He wouldn’t be able to take it if anything happened to Cadence, not that he’d have a lot of time left to mourn what with the tale that the English killed all of Moone’s warriors.

“This is my home and I’m going to fight for it with my last breath if it comes to that. Now show me again how to stand.” She spun around to face the target, a look of steely determination in her eyes.

Donnall stepped up behind Cadence. He could smell a hint of her rosemary soap and something else unique to Cadence. Wanting nothing more than to bury his face in her silky hair, he shook his head  and turned his mind back to teaching the alluring woman how to fire an arrow. “Your feet need to be a bit more apart.”

“That’s not possible without wearing pants.”

It was going to be a long morning if Cadence kept challenging him at every turn. “Take the bow in your left hand and hold your arm out straight. You will use your left arm to aim and your right hand to pull back the bowstring.”

Cadence pulled back the bow string and let it snap back into place. “It’s easy enough to draw back.”

“Now for the arrows. The quiver will rest against your right shoulder blade. The harness will securely hold it in place with these buckles.” He fingered the hardware to demonstrate. “Do you want to try buckling it or would you like me to do it for you?”

Cadence held out the bow to Donnall. “I’ll try it.” She slipped the harness up her right arm to rest on her shoulder. The quiver sat against her back.  There were two straps, one that would sit on her shoulder and the other which would go around her middle. Both leather straps buckled below her left breast. She slipped the leather into the buckles. “There! How’s that?”