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“Tis my mother,” said Magnus. “Daena trust her.”

“She hates me,” I added.

He chuckled. “I can see. Where did she get those scars on her face? They match yours.” He pointed at my cheek.

My hand went to it. It was healing fairly well but was still long pink line down my cheek. I had been rubbing vitamin E oil on it twice a day.

I said, “Hers were given to her by her second husband. Mine was, um—” I shook my head.

“No worries, sorry I mentioned it. I was struck that they looked similar. All right, I definitely need that nap.”

Magnus said, “Aye, knock on our door when ye are ready tae go tae dinner, we’ll accompany ye. You daena need tae dine with her alone, tis too much tae ask of a guest.”

44 - KAITLYN

We turned into our room. The whole left wall should have been panes of glass, but instead was solid, silver metallic.

I located a button on the wall and pressed it. The windows instantly changed to clear and, holy crap, we were on like — I peered over onto the sprawling, chaotic, mostly glass and metal, city. We had to be on the 150th floor. There were other towers all around us, their points vanishing into the sky and the ground so far away it was impossible to see. Vertigo inducing. “What city is this?”

Magnus remained sitting on the bed. “I think tis mine.”

My eyes went wide. “Shit, this is huge.”

There was a sign on a building opposite. A woman with her arms around a man. The words said, “For when you’re ready for anything,” the brand name was ‘Notwen’. I had no idea what they were selling, but the words were English. Could this be an American city? New York? A drone, similar to the ones that had been terrorizing us in the eighteenth century buzzed up the side of the glass on the floor below. I pressed the button and instantly the glass tint returned to solid silver.

The bed was ornate, antiqued silver. I tried without success to pull at my laces while Magnus took off his now-empty sword belt, sporran, and shoes.

Magnus pulled me over to stand in front of him while he loosened my lacings. I looked down at the bare ring finger on my left hand and tears welled up in my eyes. “I don’t have my ring, Magnus, I left it in Lizbeth’s bedroom and it’s gone…”

Magnus was quiet as he worked on the laces. “Tis nae matter in it, mo reul-iuil, I⁠—”

“There is a matter in it. There is. That was the ring you gave me when we married.”

“Twas too small though, ye need a larger stone such as Emma⁠—”

“Magnus, you hush, that is not what the situation calls for. That is my wedding ring and I love it. It’s from the 1600s the same as my husband. It has an eternal knot around the band and the garnet might be small but it was a stone passed down through your family — it symbolized everything about us, and now my hand is bare in your mother’s house. It seems really really awful that it’s gone now.” My lower lip trembled and full-blown tears were sure to come next.

“Tis nae gone, Lizbeth has it.” He had my laces loose enough and turned me around to face him.

“What if it’s lost?”

“Madame Greer will keep it for ye. She kens the worth of jewelry. We will return for it as soon as we can.”

I took a deep breath and pouted. “But how will people know we’re married? It’s the symbol of⁠—”

Magnus gave me a sad smile. “Tis the symbol of my love for ye, but tis nae my love, mo reul-iuil. Tis only a reminder. There is nae magic in it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Aye. I am sure. And if ye need a reminder, ye just ask me tae tell ye. I will say it. I mayna be as pretty, but I will say it louder.”

I sighed and joked, “You are plenty pretty enough.”

He chuckled as he helped me pull the bodice up and off over my arms. My breasts, my ribs, my lungs, my whole self went phew and relaxed downward. It had been days of wearing it. I hung forward. “I may never be straight and perky again.”

He joked, “Tis a shame, ye were quite nice when ye were perky.”

I stood up straight and released my skirt and pulled my shift off over my head and then started peeling off my long underwear. Until I was naked standing before him. “I want you to know this isn’t an invitation. This is me getting comfortable for a nap. My birthday suit is the only pajamas I have.”