Although she had tried several times, she couldn’t make contact with Siobhán. Couldn't contact the woman her flesh and blood sisters considered their enemy. Couldn’t tell the woman who had become her closest friend and mentor in their last life that it was unwise to let Aodh live no matter how useful his dragon seemed.
“Constance,” Madison pleaded, breaking through the sound barrier Constance put up without understanding quite how she did it. “You need to open this door, so we can talk to you.”
“Your sister is right, lass,” Cian said. “You need not face this alone. We can help.”
Help with what? She knew they feared she had aligned herself with Siobhán. Knew they had no intention of letting her out of their sight once she opened her door. She had followed her sisters’ thoughts. Understood how concerned they had become, and with good reason.
She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head when an all-too-familiar wave of unexplainable trepidation rolled over her. Then, a horrible mix of fury and heartache over something unseen. Something she couldn’t quite grasp. All she knew was it was best that her dog, Zeke, a husky, of course, not be around her when she felt it. That he wasn’t safe.
“It’s always one of three emotions.” She drifted to the window overlooking the old oak tree out front. “Why?”
Since arriving here, she had been feeling each or all of those emotions at any given time. Fury at Aodh, she understood. The other two, trepidation and heartache? Not so much. They made no sense. Not based on what she remembered.
To the best of her knowledge, she had conquered her fear of him in another life. Yet still, she knew part of the reason she kept Zeke away had to do with him. That he might show up here in the twenty-first century and hurt anything or anyone affiliated with her.
What of the heartache, though? Where did that come from? She didn’t feel heartbroken about anything. Except perhaps about those she’d no longer be able to help when she traveled back in time? Her certainty that she would be on the opposite side of the war from her sisters if she didn’t act now? That she might very well face them in battle?
To that end, she needed to get to the oak tree and travel back without Madison and Cian intercepting her first. Or, she could walk right out of this room. Considering they would likely see her if she went out her window, acting like nothing was going on seemed to be her only option. If she could use magic to hold them back, she would, but again, she had no idea how to do that. How she'd even created a sound barrier.
Suffice it to say, she needed to get back to Siobhán. Convince her former druid sister to stand down. Discover a means to keep peace between the kingdoms until she figured out what came next. Figured out how she and Siobhán could remain close without Constance losing her siblings in this life.
And she needed to plot Aodh’s demise.
To finally have her payback.
She had tried in her dreams. Been there at Siobhán’s castle somehow. Roared in fury over his massive black dragon. Wished she could finish him off right then and there.
Her magic might be blossoming and more powerful than she anticipated, but until she reunited with her druidess blade, she was only capable of so much. Unable to truly understand how she did things.
What she could achieve so far, however, was blocking her sisters from reading her mind. Surprising, considering how powerful they had become. Yet she was certain they couldn’t follow her thoughts. So opening her door and playing the part she had perfected days before was her best option.
Heronlyoption.
That in mind, she tucked her talisman in her pocket, made the cross over her chest, squared her shoulders, and cracked her door open just enough, glad to hear her voice sounded as hoarse as it felt.
“I’m so sorry,” she said softly, making sure to peek around nervously. “I just needed...to be alone.”
She looked from Madison to Cian, the tall, black-haired formidable man standing beside her, and understood the appeal. He was certainly attractive. But, she reminded herself, he was also brother to the man she meant to kill.
“What’s going on, sis?” Worry flashed in Madison’s eyes when they swept over her. “First, you finally came out of your room for a day or so and say you’re ready to help us. Then you vanish back into it again feeling rage at the very least.”
Madison failed to mention she wasn’t able to get to Constance via magic, but she knew her big sister was fully aware of it. Knew Cian was too and likely her sisters in eleventh-century Ireland.
“I’m struggling,” Constance admitted with a voice so shaky it sounded authentic even to her own ears. She noted that Zeke sat at Madison’s feet, waiting as patiently as ever. Just as worried about Constance by the sad way he looked at her. “And I’m not entirely sure why.”
“Then come out and talk to us, okay?” Madison eyed her in that stern big-sister way of hers. The one that told her this wasn’t a question but a request. “We need to understand what’s going on with you. How we can help. Because it’s time for you to travel back to the medieval period like you agreed to. Time for you to help Ireland.”
They might be trying to hide it, but Constance sensed how wary they were of her. No surprise considering not just her odd behavior but what she sensed in her sister’s thoughts. The things Aodh had said about Constance before he returned to his kingdom. That she wasn’t to be trusted. Nothing good could come of her. That she was plotting with the enemy.
All valid concerns, but Madison didn’t need to know that.
“I’m sorry I ended up back in my room,” she said weakly. “That I didn’t stand by my word to help sooner.” She remained properly shaky when she crouched and welcomed Zeke closer. “I’m sorry I’ve locked you out so much too, sweetheart.”
Not surprisingly, for the first time ever, Zeke didn’t come to her but eyed her warily. Good. The further away he stayed from her until this was all over, the better.
“Looks like he’s as thrown by your behavior as the rest of us.” Madison kept eyeing her with concern. “So what’s with all the renewed rage?” She narrowed her eyes. “And when did your druidess magic ignite? Because it’s pretty strong. Strong enough to hold Cian and me back.”
“What are you talking about?” Playing dumb, she frowned and stood. Leaned against the doorjamb like she felt overwhelmed and weakened, only to find she really did feel that way. “I have no idea how to use magic.”
