The Guardian by Diana Knightley
Forty-five - Magnus
The afternoon was spent up on the walls, appreciating the sun, a wide sky with a high breeze blowing tufts of clouds across it. There was warmth on m’skin, but I had tae pull the wool around tae keep the wind from cutting through.
The day continued, and having lengthened a bit, the wind grew stronger, until twas almost a gale. We sat low on the parapet, blocking the wind, watching the area in the woods where our clearin’ was. It was close enough that when we saw storms we could get there in time, but Fraoch and James had been waiting there most of the day in case Kaitlyn arrived.
Then they returned tae the castle and Quentin and I rode out tae sit and wait — especially as the cold night descended upon us. If Kaitlyn returned someone had tae be there tae protect her until she awoke.
Quentin said, “What if she doesn’t return today, what if she doesn’t return tomorrow? I know it’s a terrible thing to think of, but what will you do?”
“I believe she has gone tae be a part of a meeting between Lady Mairead and Sir Padraig, I daena remember the date, but twas in the year 1926, in Los Angeles.”
“So you would just wait there for her?”
“Aye, I ken the restaurant, Twould nae be so difficult.”
“Maybe you don’t think so, but it sounds arduous to me.”
I chuckled. “It could be that their meeting is January 2nd, it might be easy. I’ve done far worse than visitin’ every day in a year.”
“I suppose you have.”
“Also we hae the meetin’ places: Lady Mairead has the safe deposit box at C Hoare and Company Bank in London, another in the Bank of New York where messages can be placed. We hae a house on the Upper East Side, Lady Mairead bought it in the 1920s when she was friends with the Whitneys, there is a safe in a back closet of that home. Tis like a mailbox passed through time.”
“Weird, you never mentioned that before.”
“I haena?”
“Nope, in all the years we have been trying to communicate with each other, we haven’t had a safe in a closet in New York, that’s new.”
“Och. Tis a long time since I thought the timeline was confused.”
“Well, if that is a new addition, at least it’s a good one.”
“Aye. I suppose tis.” We sat quietly.
Then I asked, “Hae I mentioned the home on the Cape?”
“No, how many houses do you own? Mister I-was-renting-a-house-in-Florida!”
“At least seven, but I think they hae always been m’houses?”
“Dude, no, they haven’t always been your houses. Your mom’s been buying real estate this go around. Next you’ll tell me you own a plane, please, God, own a plane.”
“Of course I own a plane.”
“Really?”
“Nae. But I hae ridden on one once, as ye ken, so I daena need tae fly anymore.” I shivered.
“You time travel all the time, at great risk, but a plane is too much?”
“I also daena think Kaitlyn wants tae own one because she worries about the air.”
“The air danger or the air pollution?”
“Pollution.”
We both looked up. The wispy tufts of clouds that had been racing across the sky were billowing, higher and higher. There was a dark edge tae it and then the sunlight darkened as banks of clouds covered the sun.
“Och, there is a storm, but it inna here.”
“It’s in the direction of the castle!” We both jumped on our horses and rode that way.
* * *
As we emerged from the woods we could see a spiraling storm right above the castle, as if twas centered inside the courtyard. This was somethin’ we had never dared tae do and only a few times had been tried, during the battle for the walls, years ago, when the army of Uncle Samuel had fought against the Campbells. It had been too dangerous tae even consider for the convenience of it.
Wind was whipping debris into a tornado within the castle. The slates from the roof were projectiles. Rubble spun. Quentin and I pushed our horses forward, he yelling, “Go go go!”
We raced down the causeway, forcing the horses faster, until, as we neared, they reared and balked at the wind. A thick branch whipped past us tae the water.
I checked the walls but could see no men and as I gained on the front gate, an explosive arc of lightning sparked down on the tower house, electrifying the castle, with a thunderous boom, but more terrifying, an explosion — matter up intae the sky, a cloud of smoke, and then yelling from the castle, everywhere men running back and forth. We made it intae the gate, tae see chaos.
Men were running toward an area of wall that had fallen. A fire had started there with wind whipping the flames higher. It had gone from a lightning spark tae a castle fire in mere seconds.
We tied our horses near the armory. The guard was nae there, men were grabbing guns, but they were nae our men. Quentin began firing, hidin’ behind a post, shootin’ towards the armory, I saw more men running up the stairs tae the nursery.
Zach came running up from the kitchens. “There’s a fire! Fuck! We need to go get the kids from the nursery.”
The wind was ferocious. With my gun drawn, and an arm up tae block the buffeting blasts, we skirted the courtyard tae the closest stair.
I killed a man going up, and another in the hallway. There were three men attempting tae barge in through the nursery door. I found Fraoch there, in the far stairwell, his gun sighted on them, the closest shot, but men were coming up from behind. James jumped out and shot one of the men advancing, while Fraoch and I shot at the men at the door. Zach came running up, “Are all the kids in the nursery?”
More of my guards, hearing the battle, joined us, and from inside the nursery came screams and wailin’ from the bairns. Fraoch was fighting men as they rushed up the stair behind him and I raced past him tae the door, shooting, killing all three men and bangin’— “Tis me, Magnus! Open the door!”
From inside, the sounds of bairns cryin’ and large furniture being pushed across the floor. Then Hayley threw the door open and inside was a barricade, now in disarray, but built as we had planned, with women and children cowerin’ in the room beyond.
James and I pushed more of the barricade away and passed Hayley and Emma guns. “Are all the bairns accounted for?”
Hayley said, “Yes! I counted heads.”
“Everyone!” James yelled, “Line up here! We need you holding onto the person in front of you, we’ve got to leave!”
I led the way, with Zach standing at the wall, ushering all of them through, James at the rear. I spoke tae Quentin on the walk-n-talk, “We are movin’!”
“Alright Boss, I’ve cleared the south stairwell.”
Smoke billowed from the far end of the hall, fire was racing along the balustrade.
Zach was telling everyone, “Cover your nose and mouth, hold onto the shirt in front of you!” I led the train of women and children along the hallway and down the stairs tae the courtyard, where Quentin held the door.
I glanced up, battles were happening on every floor. “Tae the chapel!” I yelled.
Hayley led down the short distance, rushin’ while clinging tae the walls. We urged them along, yelling, “Go go go!” Isla was carried by Beaty, screaming and trying tae reach me. Mookie was on a leash pulled along behind. Archie met my eyes, I said, “I will see ye soon, wee man.”
And he was pushed along, toward the chapel with Madame Sophie holdin’ ontae him and Ben. Tears streamed down her face, she looked terrified. I said tae Zach and James, “Help them barricade, protect the doors!”
I turned tae see Quentin, calling me tae follow.
I yelled tae Fraoch. “Head tae the cave! I’ll come as soon as I ken they are safe!”
Fraoch left across the courtyard in the direction of the gate. Everywhere around us were the sounds of gunshots and explosions.
I met Quentin and we took two stairs at a time. As soon as we emerged from the stairwell there was crossfire from the far walls. The storm was behavin’ verra different from how we expected them tae behave. It was still churning, the wind was fierce, Quentin yelled tae be heard over it, as lightning struck again, and again, “They must be jumpin’ one at a time to keep this storm lasting for so long!”
My hair was lashin’ my face, my kilt whipped against m’legs, twas difficult tae keep tae my feet in the blasts of wind. Twas frightenin’ tae be buffeted up on the walls of the castle, and we were exposed under the flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder. “How would they have so many vessels?”