So this was the twenty-first century? He pushed down the awe and apprehension that warred in his gut and took a deep breath. Where and when he was didn’t matter in the least. What mattered was finding Madeleine.
He heard a voice talking in another room, low and clearly male.
It was Rodric MacKay’s voice.
A shot of adrenaline went through him. If Rodric MacKay was nearby, it meant Madeleine was too.
It also meant he’d brought Rory into a great deal of danger. The boy did not look any worse the wear for their journey. How had he managed to open a portal through time? That was a question for later.
Putting his hands on Rory’s shoulders he said, “We are going to play a game, lad. Yer mam is close by but she sent me a message to say she wants to play hide and seek. She wants ye to hide until she can find ye. Sounds like fun, eh?”
Rory shrugged. “Okay.”
“Good lad.”
He guided Rory across the room, away from Rodric MacKay’s voice and through a door at the far side. They entered a small hallway with two more doors off it. He stuck his head inside one to find a small room containing what looked to be a porcelainbathtub with tiles on the floor. The room was empty so he pulled Rory inside and crouched in front of him.
“Hide in here. Ye mustnae come out, no matter what ye hear, until me or yer mam comes for ye. All right?”
Rory nodded and sat down on the floor. Deryn gave him what he hoped was an encouraging smile and closed the door behind him. Then he cocked his head to one side, trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from and crept towards it.
This strange dwelling was made up of several rooms, each so outlandishly kitted out that Deryn felt as though he’d stepped into another world let alone another time, but he didn’t let this distract him as he crept silently through this alien place.
He stopped outside a closed door. Rodric MacKay’s deep voice came from within.
“I said it isnae over. And it isnae. I will achieve my goal. I will get what I’ve worked so hard for. Rory might be beyond my reach now, but that doesnae matter. All I need is another child. And I think maybe ye can help me with that.”
With a wordless howl of fury, Deryn kicked the door open. Madeleine was fastened to the bed with a manacle around one wrist, her beautiful face pale with fear. Rodric MacKay stood over her and both looked around in surprise at his sudden appearance.
“Deryn!” Madeleine screamed, her voice filled with both hope and fear. She yanked at the restraint, trying to reach him, but the manacle held her fast.
Deryn threw himself at MacKay, sending them both crashing to the floor. He rained down blows on the bastard, all rational thought gone, only the desperate, primal need to defend the woman he loved coursing through his veins.
A savage satisfaction poured through him as his blows connected with flesh, but his advantage lasted only a moment. MacKay recovered from his initial shock and fought back. Hethrew up an arm to block Deryn’s punch and then drove his knee into Deryn’s groin. Blinding pain erupted through his body, causing him instinctively to curl around it.
MacKay rolled away from him and came easily to his feet. “Ye!” he hissed in a voice filled with rage. “How did ye get here?” Then his eyes widened in understanding. “Rory! He’s the only one that could have brought ye through that portal! Which means he’s here! Ye’ve brought him back to me!” He laughed delightedly, as if this was some sort of game then knelt and grabbed the front of Deryn’s shirt. “Where is he?” he growled. “Where is the boy?”
“Far from here,” Deryn lied. “Where ye will never find him.”
“Liar,” MacKay snarled. “He’s here somewhere isnae he? Somewhere close.”
Deryn head-butted him. The blow was hard enough to make his ears ring but he was rewarded when MacKay went tumbling away, clutching at his shattered nose.
The pain in Deryn’s groin had lessened a little so he climbed unsteadily to his knees. His sword. He needed his sword. Where was it? He’d lost it somewhere during the battle in Torryn Keep and now the only weapon he had was his belt knife. He drew it.
“It’s over, MacKay,” he growled. “Give up now and perhaps ye’ll be allowed to live.”
“It’s never over,” MacKay hissed in response. “Ye of all people should know that. And now, by bringing my son to me, you’ve given me what I need to bring the battle here, to this time, where the Seelie are weak. I should thank ye, Deryn. When I fled here, I thought my plans had been thwarted. But they havenae, thanks to ye. Now, if ye will excuse me, I’m going to go and get my son.”
“Over my dead body,” Deryn growled. He lunged at MacKay with the knife. It should have been a killing blow, aimed towards the man’s ribs. But suddenly MacKay wasn’t there and a bootwas crashing into the side of Deryn’s head, sending the knife flying from his hand and Deryn thumping onto his back.
What was going on? Nobody should be that fast. Nobody should be able to move like that.
“Ye caught me off guard last time,” Rodric growled. “It willnae happen again.”
“Deryn!” Madeleine screamed. “Careful! He’s Fae!”
Fae? What? Deryn pushed up to a sitting position. The room spun around him but he made out Rodric MacKay heading for the door towards the room where Rory was hiding.
