Page 96 of Desiring the Highland Laird
“Sinclair…” She whispered the name as she gaped at her. “Och, I should have known.”
“What do you mean?”
“The laird, Hamish, God rest him, spoke of the prophecy many times. Some of us thought he was daft, but others believed.” She eyed her, a wisp of a smile on her face before her eyes cast downward to peer at the stone. “And this must be that mystical keystone he mentioned.”
“Part of it,” she agreed. “There are two more pieces.”
“Aye, I see that.” She extended the stone back to Evie. “Hamish had the first vision, as he called it, when Callum was awee one. Jamie was a bairn at the time and the Lady MacLeod had just passed. We all thought he’d lost his mind to the grief. But he continued to tell the story again and again as time went on and the lads grew. Callum never believed but the other two were always asking for him to tell the story of the night the keystone was split.”
“The Shattering,” Evie said. “That’s what he called it.”
“Aye, yes, the Shattering. I never did understand it.” Her eyes twinkled with comprehension. “Until now. So…yer from the future, are ye?”
“I am,” Evie said. “But I’m not going back.”
She didn’t know what made her say it aloud, but the words spilled out before she was able to filter them. As soon as she said it, Roslyn’s brows lifted in surprise.
“No?”
“No,” she said, her voice firm.
She was confident in her decision. So confident, in fact, she was certain her sisters would be joining her in time. And their family would be whole again.
Or would it? The question mark was Brianna, the free spirit with a nomadic heart and a love of sunshine and beaches. If she decided not to come, then what would happen to her, Chloe, and the keystone?
“And…how does the laird feel about ye staying?”
It was a fair question and one Evie hadn’t considered. She sagged against the bed as she heaved a heavy sigh.
“I hope he’s all for it.”
“Ah, ye havna discussed it then.”
“No,” she admitted.
But what she didn’t tell the woman was they had professed their love for each other. Would their love stand the test of time and survive a war that was sure to come? Her gaze lifted to meet Roslyn’s.
“What do you think he’ll say about it?”
“Och, lass, ’tis no my place to say.” She reached for the clothes on the bedside table, then added, “But…if I were to guess, I think he’ll say he’s happy to have ye here.” She gave her a wink. “Now, let’s get ye dressed. I have a kitchen to tend to.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
The next dayspassed in a blur. Evie spent her nights with Callum and her days wandering the keep. Sometimes, she would end up in the kitchen with Roslyn, looking for something to do. She was becoming an expert at gathering eggs. Her herbal tea was even starting to taste more like real herbal tea as she experimented and learned how to make tea from the plants in the garden. It still wasn’t enough to replace her craving for coffee, but it was better than nothing.
Other times, she went to the stable to pet the mare, the one she named Mist, Callum had gifted her. She and the mare were good friends, it seemed.
Every now and then, she spotted Jamie skulking around the keep, brooding. Roslyn told her he was still upset over the banishment of his brother and still angry with Callum for it. She did her best to avoid him.
One morning, after Roslyn helped her dress and left, Evie found herself alone in the bedchamber. She stood in front of the fire holding her modern day undergarments, watching the flames flicker and listening to the faint crackle. She stared down at her old bra and panties with a bit of apprehension sweeping through her. It was time she let go of the past. She wasn’t going to return to her old life in the future. If she was going to live in Callum’s medieval world, then she was going to embrace it.
She took a deep breath and tossed the material into the fire.
The flames shot up, consuming the cloth.
“Out with the old,” she whispered.
It was a moment she was going to savor as she watched her old life—her past life in the future—burn and turn to ash.
