Part 17 (1/2)
Lachlan felt a surge of anger toward her. If she'd stayed put, done what she was supposed to in her own time, they wouldn't have a need to tamper with the spells, and Piper's powers could remain dormant, instead of being brought to the forefront to plague her. Everything had been fine, how much more could the poor la.s.s take from her wicked ancestor before she was lost completely? She had to hang on. He couldn't, would not lose her.
”Do ye think she's wandered to the lake?” he asked, all his muscles tense, raring to smash something.
Evie nodded, looking in desperation at her wee lad. ”Catie, don't let him out of your sight, but find Quinn and Lizzie and get them to search the place. If Piper's here, call me. But take Mags and hide first.”
”Why?” Catie asked, lip quivering. She reached over and held onto the baby's foot.
”Just do it,” Evie said.
She nodded curtly at Lachlan, who itched to be going and was glad she'd finally finished telling Catie what to do. It set the hairs on the back of his neck to standing, but he didn't want to consider why Evie would instruct his sister to hide from Piper.
”To the lake?”
She nodded, halfway out the door.
”I must gather my weapons,” he said, gaining resolve until Evie's face fell.
”You can't bring weapons, Lachlan,” she said, tears filling her eyes. ”It's still Piper, even if it's taken over her.”
He stopped short, her words. .h.i.tting him like a vicious blow. His beloved and the thing he hated most were one and the same. Helplessness nearly blinded him, but Evie grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door.
He barely heard Catie whimpering as it swung shut behind him and he stopped and stood in the courtyard, dragging Evie to an abrupt halt. She turned and looked at him questioningly, pulling at his hand to get him to move.
”I canna harm her,” he said, shocked at the raw sound of his voice.
He'd never been so scared, not even to face his own death. If that was all it took to free Piper, that would be an easy choice.
A hard knuckle dug into his shoulder and he shook himself from his frozen state. Evelyn had her fist clenched and looked poised to crack him again if he didn't gain control. The small, sharp pain cleared his mind of its frenzied thoughts and he began walking again.
”Sorry,” she said. ”But you need to keep it together.”
He frowned. ”I fear I may be useless to help her.”
He watched her shake her fiery red hair back and forth, and toss a dark look back at him. ”Why won't you let Catie stay?” she asked.
He was utterly gobsmacked at the jolting change of subject and couldn't answer.
”I'm trying to distract you. You're psyching yourself out,” she explained apologetically. ”Think about something else for a second, you're all up in your head.”
Even after all this time he didn't understand a lot of what she said, nor Piper for that matter. They chattered so fast and freely, their American accents making even plain English sound like a whimsical foreign language. They were like birds, and he did love them, but sometimes he wished things were simpler.
He shook his head, glad they were walking so fast. He wanted to run, but couldn't leave Evie behind. She'd be furious, and he had to admit he needed her. If Piper wasn't herself, she was the best person to get her to come round. She'd made her see reason the last time when he was too weak from his many injuries to be much help.
”Catie has her place in our own time,” he said. ”Her mother left her a verra large sum.” Evie frowned at him and all he could do was roll his eyes. ”I appreciate ye taking her in, and I can see how much she loves Magnus, but she has responsibilities.”
”Hmmph,” Evie said, beginning to get a bit winded. He took her arm, remembering she was once again with child. It was probably what made her so mawkish about Catie.
”Lachlan, what would you say to Mellie getting married because she had a big fortune coming to her?”
”Mellie's too young to marry yet,” he said, not expecting her triumphant exclamation.
”Mellie's three years older than your sister,” she crowed. He scowled at her but she rattled on. ”You think she's so young because you're getting used to this time. Why does Catie have to sacrifice all her good, young years being some guy's wife? And don't say the money, because I've never known you to give a hoot about that.”
”Well, first of all, la.s.s, we wouldna marry her off to 'some guy' as ye say. She'd have to like him. And why should she have to be poor? It isna so verra fun.”
”She could stay here and learn a profession. There's no telling what she could be good at.”
He sighed, having heard something similar from Piper, who also thought the ungrateful chit should be allowed to stay, despite everything. And as much as he wanted to strangle her, he wanted her to be happy by equal portion.
But he couldn't find a way to explain how greatly he feared his own happiness would be destroyed at the slightest change. Everything always seemed tenuously balanced on a knife's edge. They'd barely been back from their peaceful vacation a week and now they were back in it again. As wrong as it was, he couldn't help but blame Catie, and as much as it shamed him, he wouldn't budge.
Evie stopped short, and pulled him behind a tree, groaning when it didn't completely hide them. ”Get down,” she mouthed silently.
He dove behind a small patch of berry bushes, trying to blend in and also see what had alarmed her into hiding.
They were only about a hundred yards from the lake's edge and he could see Piper standing knee deep in the murky water, looking heartrendingly small in her baggy sweats.h.i.+rt and pajama pants. A chill gust of air ruffled her hair and he saw her s.h.i.+ver. He wanted to run to her and scoop her out of the ice cold water, but Evie seemed to sense he was about to bolt and grabbed his arm.
”Can you hear anything?” she whispered.
He sucked in a breath when Piper's head swiveled in their direction, seeming to stare straight at the spot they hid.
”There's no way,” Evie breathed, and Piper's lips curled into a grin.
”I fear there is a way,” he said, not bothering to keep his voice low.
The anger he'd felt earlier before being distracted by Evie rushed back. He stood up and held out his hand to help her to her feet. She s.h.i.+vered and took it. He could see her arms were a ma.s.s of goose flesh, and felt b.u.mps p.r.i.c.kle up and down his own arms, though not because he was cold.
”Piper, love, let's go inside now,” he called out, trying to make his voice sound normal.
She kept her eyes trained on him, but took a step deeper into the water. He raced forward and she held her hands out to him. He wasn't sure if she wanted him to jump in and grab hold or if she was warning him away, but he splashed into the shallows.
”Stop,” she cried, taking a jerky step toward him. It looked as if she was fighting against an unseen force that wanted her to stay in the water.
”Piper, what are you doing?” Evie called, also keeping her voice modulated. ”You know, you could probably remember most of the spells in that book if you put your mind to it. Why don't we try that?”
”Evie, go on back, please.” Piper clenched her fists at her sides and Lachlan could see she shook violently, now past her knees in the water. She turned to him and he'd had enough. If the witch got angry with him, so be it. He was going to get her out of this lake and take her inside and plop her in front of the fire.
”Stop,” she screamed when he took another resolute step.
All the hairs on the back of his neck stood up when she slid several feet deeper in the water, as if she were being pulled. She waved her arms frantically to keep her balance, nearly going over.
”It's not about the book.” Her terror filled eyes stared beyond him.
Lachlan turned around to see what she saw, caught Evie's confused look as she too turned to see what held Piper's horrified focus. Standing just behind them, silently watching, was a small woman, her black hair streaked with silver strands, hands held in front of her. A slow smile turned the corners of her mouth but didn't reach her dark, empty eyes.
A splash behind him tore his attention back to Piper, who struggled to get back to the sh.o.r.e. With a growl, he made his way toward her, stopped by a sharp pain ripping through his temple. He grabbed his head and tried to shake it off, but it got worse, and he felt his legs giving out beneath him.