“Wow,” she whispered.
“In this day and in this hour, we thank the Ancient’s for our power.” Lizzy tilted her head to the side and with slow measured movement, Helen felt her backside touch the floor. The flames on the candles made a small snapping noise and all blew out at the same time. The light cast by the fire was the only glow in the room.
Lizzy let go of Helen’s hand and patted her knee. “You did well.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Yeah, I think you did.” Tara stood and helped Myra from the floor. “We’ve been doing this for a while and I don’t ever remember feeling my skin sizzle as much.”
“Oh, aye, I felt it, too.” Myra rubbed her bottom as she spoke.
“We all add to the circle. We can do some things solo, but together we’re just better. Don’t know why, we just are.”
The door behind them clicked as Cian left the room without saying a word.
“What’s up with him lately?” Tara asked.
“Wish I knew,” Myra said.
“Is he acting odd?” Helen thought it was his stoic personality and not a new behavior. He seldom smiled or even acknowledged her presence, let alone tried to talk. He only really said something when it was important. No chitchat from that one. He embodied the textbook Highland warrior image.
“He isn’t himself.”
Tara moved the candles around the room while Lizzy picked up the cloak. “Whatever’s eating at him is getting worse. I wish he’d talk to someone. He used to open up to Simon.”
Lizzy folded the cloak over her arm. “He needs a girlfriend to knock him out of his funk.”
Helen smiled. “Is there such a thing these days? From what I see, people are either married or flirting.” She’d seen a fair number of sideway glances and raised eyebrows from the huge men downstairs but nothing else.
“There isn’t a club scene or a movie to go to if that’s what you mean, but courting in this time isn’t a whole lot different than in the twenty-first century,” Tara said.
“We don’t call it courting.”
“And casual sex isn’t all that acceptable here either,” Lizzy explained. “But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. With all the extra girls running around, you’d think Cian would find someone to hook up with, even if it’s temporary.”
Helen shrugged her shoulders and said, “Privacy is at a premium around here. Kinda hard to find a secluded place for a quiet thought let alone an intimate moment.”
The words no sooner left her mouth, then she realized what she’d said. And to whom she’d said them. Heat filled her cheeks, and she was certain they turned a deep shade of scarlet. Holy cow, she’d just told Simon’s mother about her desire to steal a few minutes alone with Simon. Talk about awkward.
“And on that note,” Tara chuckled. “Let’s get this to Amber and see if it works.”
Lizzy lent her a smile as they left the room. The woman really was a gem. Too bad she and the rest of his clan lived so far in the past. They’d be a lot of fun to hang out with in the future. A future Helen was having a hard time picturing going back to as they walked down the long candle lit hall connecting the bedrooms, or chambers, as the maids called them.
Myra knocked softly on Amber’s door before they walked in. More pale than Helen had seen her, Amber sat by the small fire burning in the hearth with a wan smile as they approached.
“We have something for you to try.” Lizzy unfolded the cloak from her arm for Amber to see.
Amber glanced at each of their faces. “You’re all so hopeful.”
“We think it’s going to work.”
“If flashing lights and a breeze coming out of nowhere is any indicator, something happened.” Helen sat on the edge of the bed as she spoke.
“Try it on,” Myra said.
Amber lifted herself out of the chair much like a woman three times her age. “Even if it doesn’t, thank you all for trying.”
“If it doesn’t, we’ll go back and try again.”
Amber turned away and presented her back to Lizzy.
Lizzy shook out the garment and hesitated for a moment before placing it over Amber’s shoulders.
Amber drew in a deep cleansing breath and blew it out with a sigh. Her frame started to tremble and Lizzy placed her hands on Amber’s arms. “Are you okay?”
“Aye.” When Amber turned around the tired lines that had etched her face since Helen had met her started to fade. A tear ran down her cheek. “Aye.” She took a step and nearly fell.
Helen shot to her feet.
Lizzy caught her and Myra rushed forward. Tara reached Amber first. “What’s wrong?”
“Something didn’t work.”
“Nay, I’m fine.” They assisted Amber back into the chair. “’Tis like the weight of Scotland has lifted is all. I’m a wee bit dizzy.”
“Do you want to take it off?” Lizzy asked.
Amber pulled the edges of the cloak further around her. “Nay. ’Tis working. The images from the minds below are fading, slowly...but they are fading.”
“It worked. Thank God it worked,” Myra latched onto Amber’s arm and smiled when Amber didn’t pull away in pain.
Helen watched the sisters fuss over Amber. One offered her water while the other placed another log on the fire. Such a loving family.
Not her family.
This was a family Helen was destined to leave. Temporary, like everything in her life had always been.
“I’ll go find Simon and let him know what’s happening.”
Lizzy spared her a glance as she left the room. The others hardly realized when she left.
Outside the chamber door, the hall was relatively quiet. A low rumbling of voices drifted from below. Somewhere in the past hour, her head started to pound, and now the pain edged toward migraine status.
Helen tugged out the binding from her hair and let it loose, removing some of the pressure. A couple of aspirin would be helpful, but she doubted there was anything like that available. She pushed away from the door in search of Simon.
More than one set of eyes followed her as she entered the main hall. Men clustered in groups. Some sat before the fire to keep warm while others dozed on blankets. It was strange seeing so many men in one place. Helen knew the men protected the Keep in shifts. Most likely those who slept had kept long hours during the day while the rest of them found their rest.