“I don’t know, and to my annoyance, I want to find out.”
I almost laughed at his disgruntled tone.“How would Nessie even know about me?”
“I’m surprised you’d even ask since Astaria mentioned her sister relocating to Nessie’s loch.”
“Actually, that doesn’t explain anything.Why would Astaria or her sister have visions of me in the first place?I’m not a person of any import, just a history professor hoping to become a novelist,” I exclaimed, only to have a sudden exciting thought.“Do you think Nessie wants me to pen her biography?”
Alistair blinked long dark lashes before saying, “Doubtful.”
“You never know.She might want to set the record straight.Get her true story out there.”
“And bring even more annoying visitors to her loch?Highly unlikely.”
“Perhaps she wishes to aid me with my research into the lost treasure.”
“Now you’re really grasping.The Nessie I last visited with was neither kind nor benevolent.”
“You said it’s been years.Maybe she’s changed.”
“By all accounts, she hasn’t.If she wishes to see you, then it likely won’t be for anything pleasant.”
“According to you.I’m sure people would say the same about meeting you.You’re not exactly a ray of sunshine,” I pointed out.
“And they would be right.I am not a nice person, but Nessie is worse.Apparently, I still have a conscience, hence why you live.Nessie, however, no longer seems to care about anyone but herself.”
“You’re just trying to convince me to not go.”
“Hardly.If you want to throw away your life, go ahead, but don’t expect any help from me.”
“Aren’t you peeved a Red Cap sent by Nessie invaded your castle?”
He shrugged.“It’s dead now, and technically it wasn’t targeting me.”
So much for his speech to the monster when he’d confronted it.I’d been raptly listening and watching as he came to my defense.Apparently, he didn’t mean what he’d said.
“You should try to get some rest.Dawn is still a few hours away, and while the ferry docks around eleven thirty, it doesn’t depart until after four.”
“What about you?What are you going to do?”
“The Red Cap needs to be burned, lest it heal from its wounds.”
“It has no head.”
“And?”With that unsatisfying reply, he exited through the busted kitchen door, and I hugged myself.When that didn’t warm my insides, I poured another glass of whiskey and took an eye-watering gulp before wandering towards the window, where I could see an orange flicker.A peek outside showed a fire burning, the flames sickly, the orange stained green and putrid yellow.
Illuminated by the pyre stood Alistair, who made it clear he wanted nothing to do with me.Once I got on that ferry, I’d likely never see him again.Pity.I could have learned so much from a man who’d lived through the history I’d studied.
Despite his suggestion, forget going back to sleep.Blame the adrenaline that still coursed through me from the encounter with the Red Cap.I still couldn’t have said why I’d suddenly woke or even knew to move.A good thing I had, or the blade that came smashing down would have cut deep, a reminder that, despite the monster’s claim it came to abduct, initially it tried to kill.
Before I knew it, I headed outside.Hearing me, Alistair turned his head.“I thought you were going back to bed.”
“No point since I’m wide awake now.Something occurred to me.The Red Cap claimed it was to bring me to Nessie but?—”
“The tear in the mattress where it tried to strike you while you slept says otherwise,” he interrupted.
“Was it lying about the kidnapping?”
“I’ve been thinking about it and can only surmise the Red Cap initially tried to disobey, and when it failed, the compulsion to serve became stronger than its own will.”
