Part 3 (1/2)
”I did all those,” he said, tapping the screen and running his finger over the pictures. ”I get along all right with coding, I just dinna like it much, and as ye can see, my artistic skills are sorely lacking.”
”It seems like magic,” she sighed. He laughed again and looked uncomfortable. ”Ye'd really rather work on a farm?”
”Absolutely. Not much money in it, though,” he said with a shrug. ”Which is why my parents want me to go to programming school. I've been slacking too long, they say.”
Catie learned he was nineteen, and apparently had to make his decision quite soon. He acted as if he would end up doing what his parents wanted, which she admired on principle, but hated to see him unhappy. She wanted to tell him she understood completely. Having to get married to secure a large sum of money when she didn't care at all about such things, and only wanted to live peacefully on her aunt's farm seemed quite the same dilemma to her.
When they were done eating, they watched a program that moved her to tears it was so dramatic, then he took her back to the castle. A perfect gentleman, or at least as much as he could be with the lax rules of the day. In fact, as she thought about it, she decided he was more of a gentleman, because he acted properly on his own, with no chaperone to berate him if he did wrong.
Between exploring the village with Mellie and wandering the castle grounds with Shane, the week flew past, and she only worried about Lachlan for the few minutes each night before she fell into an exhausted sleep.
On the day he and the witch were to arrive home, Mellie asked her if she was nervous about seeing her brother again and she realized she'd been deep in denial, her stomach plummeting at the thought. She could barely make conversation, and begged off taking a drive in the golf cart with Shane. When she wasn't helping Mel clean, she spent the day pacing and wringing her hands.
”I'm sure everything will be fine,” Mel said. It was late and they were due any time. Catie wore her long dress, thinking it would be difficult enough for Lachlan to adjust to her being there. If he saw her in jeans and a t-s.h.i.+rt, his head might explode. ”He won't be angry,” Mel a.s.sured her.
”Have we even been speaking of the same person this last week?” she asked, unable to understand why no one seemed afraid or even the least bit intimidated by her brother.
Mellie only laughed, then tilted her head to the side. ”I hear the car,” she said. ”They're going to be so shocked.”
Which was it? Was everything going to be fine or were they going to be shocked? Mellie's eyes were glued to the door, and unable to stand the suspense, Catie ran and hid in the pantry. Not entirely sure it was the right decision, she was stuck there for the moment. She pressed her ear against the door and listened to Mellie greet them, her voice sounding overly loud and jovial.
The witch sensed something was off right away and asked her what was wrong. Catie's vision started fading and she clung to the door handle. What would she see when she came out? She prayed she wouldn't be blinded by a spell, finally hearing Mel call to her to come out. Swallowing hard, she edged around the door. Mellie squeezed Piper's hand and took off. Catie was on her own.
Lachlan swore and looked like he might faint, but Catie only had eyes for the tiny dark-haired woman beside him. She didn't seem dangerous at all. In fact, she had a kind, though somewhat confused and nervous, expression on her pretty face. Catie blinked a few times, but the woman didn't change or waver, grow horns or fangs or sprout a tail. Catie pinched herself to make sure she still had her wits about her. She had no point of reference, but felt fairly certain she wasn't being enchanted.
Lachlan advanced and wrapped her in a hug before shaking her and dragging her to meet the woman. Piper Sinclair's eyes welled up with tears as she hugged her as well. The twenty-first century certainly was huggy. Catie stiffened, but no agonizing pain or creeping s.h.i.+vers came from Piper's touch. What was going on? She shoved away and started to cry, feeling foolish, but unable to stop.
The fact that Lachlan was alive and well, and not mentally or physically shackled to a witch overwhelmed her with relief until that same fact fired up the anger she'd almost forgotten in the past week.
He was not in danger. At all. She had ruined her chances for a good marriage in her own time, risked her life to come here, stolen poor Miss Burnet's ability to get home, and for nothing.
”Catie, la.s.s, what is it?” he asked, leading her to the bench to sit.
She shook with rage and took several steps away from him.
”Let me get you a little something to drink,” Piper offered, hurrying to open a bottle of whiskey. ”Such a shock. A little nip will take the edge off.”
Catie wondered if that's how she would do it, get her under her power through food or drink. She pushed away the proffered gla.s.s and turned back to Lachlan.
”Why did ye come here?” she demanded. ”Why did ye leave?”
His face fell and he rested his hands on the table. She saw him thinking, deciding what he was going to say. What lies he was going to tell her. She was sick of it.
”What's happened? Has something happened to Quinn? Tell my why ye're here, and alone.”
She choked on a laugh and shook her head. He wasn't even going to lie, just ignore her question altogether. ”Nothing's wrong with Quinn,” she said. Even in her intense anger, she couldn't let him think there was something wrong with their brother. Not the way both of them had let her think he was dead for months. ”I want to know why ye left.”
Piper put her hand on his arm to keep him from exploding at her, but Catie couldn't feel grateful. ”Oh, Catie. It's such a long story. Maybe we should all get some sleep and Lachlan and I can explain it to you in the morning,” she said.
Catie refused to look at her, continuing to glare at Lachlan. ”I am so verra sick of being lied to.”
He wiped his hand over his face and nodded to Piper, who looked like she might try to intervene again. ”It's fine, love,” he said, patting her hand and smiling at her tenderly before turning to Catie.
Catie stepped back, stunned. Lachlan was in love with Piper. He wasn't bewitched, just besotted. She should have been happy. She tried to be grateful that all was well, but only felt stupid. She'd acted the way they treated her, like a reckless child. She'd ruined everything.
”I do want to go to bed,” she said, new tears flooding her cheeks. ”I dinna want to speak anymore tonight.” She felt ashamed at putting off the confrontation. Another childish move.
”Of course, honey,” Piper said. Her kindness sc.r.a.ped like ragged fingernails on Catie's nerves. ”Lachlan, tell her it's all right.”
Before her brother could say another word, Catie ran to her room and slammed the door.
Chapter 5.
Even though they were supposed to be besties now, Wodge still tied Lizzie to a tree and she was achier than ever throughout the ride the next day. He was giddy at how close they were and near dusk, he pointed out the castle to her.
”The witches do it in the woods,” he said, spurring his horse to go faster.
She almost laughed, thinking that should be a b.u.mper sticker. However this ended, she wanted it to end already.
”Why?” she asked. He'd been chatty all day, but hadn't said anything useful or even lucid. She'd almost given up hope on getting any solid information. ”And how do they do it?”
He shrugged. ”There's something about that land,” he said. ”Probably an ancient evil. Evil's how they do it, by the way.”
She nodded, used to the evil talk after five days of it. ”How do you do it?” She'd asked that question and he'd ignored it so many times, she didn't think he would answer.
”Portals,” he said impatiently.
”Yes, but how?” she pushed.
He shrugged. ”I honestly don't know. I know where they are though, and where they go, and that's what matters.”
Indeed. She prepared her face for a possible wallop. ”How did you first find out about them? Was it an accident, like what happened to me?”
He whirled around fast and she flinched. No matter how prepared she thought she was, she didn't want to get hit again. He stared at her and chewed on his thin bottom lip.
”My father disappeared into one when I was fifteen. I found out he'd been doing it for a while. However, that time, he never came back.”
”And you're trying to find him?” She frowned, oddly disappointed.
”Something like that.” Wodge's lip curled unpleasantly, clearly lost in his memories.
They paused while he took a long drink from his canteen, begrudgingly offering her the dregs.