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Holly’s eyes watered and she gently stroked Svanhild’s head. Einar exhaled. He was lucky she was so kind—another woman might not be gentle towards Svanhild. He did not even wish to imagine that.

“I suppose I am, in a way,” she said.

Svanhild yawned and propped her head on her hand. “How did you travel in time, anyway?”

Holly exchanged a glance with Einar and smiled.

“I’ll tell you, but then you go to bed, all right?”

“Yes, Holly.”

“An old woman brought me to a place in Scotland, and there was a tree with a spindle carved on it. Then the spindle became golden and fell into my hands. The woman said I needed to help a Viking.” She glanced at Einar. “So, I guess, here I am. Helping.”

Einar fidgeted in his seat. He did not care that the more Holly told this story, the more believable it seemed. And if she was indeed from the future, the chances of her staying here were even less than if she was just a Pict.

“Was it a Norn?” Svanhild asked. “Golden spindles—Norns have them.”

“I don’t know,” Holly said. “Maybe.”

“Then, it is your destiny to be here. The Norn wants you here. With my father and me.”

If it was true that a Norn had sent her here, Svanhild was right.

“I guess it is, at least for some time.”

Einar’s heart beat painfully against his ribs.

For some time.

Not forever.

“Okay, young lady, story time is over. It’s bedtime now.”

Svanhild nodded, her eyelids drooping. “Yes, Holly.”

Holly kissed her on the cheek, and Svanhild went to her alcove, cuddling the cat in her arms.

Einar studied Holly as she took a sip of her mead. Was she indeed from the future? If she had been from Sutherland, he might have been able to persuade her to finish her business back home and return to him. There would have been hope.

But if she had traveled back in time, would she even consider staying?

“Do you like your life there? In the future?” Einar asked.

Holly glanced at him. “So, you believe me now?”

“Answer me, please.”

Holly leaned back in her chair. “Yes, I like my life in the future. It’s safe, and medicine is really advanced. Doctors—healers—can treat a lot of illnesses and do amazing surgeries. People live in comfort. There’s plenty of food that you can buy in the stores all day long. Cars. Coffee. You can fly and be in another part of the world in a matter of hours. Women have the same rights as men and do important jobs. Like me—I run a billion-dollar company that desperately needs me back.”

Einar listened with fascination. Some things didn’t make sense to him. Flying? Food to be bought all day long? Advanced healers? It all sounded like the domain of the gods.

“Is that why you want to go back so much? The comfort?”

“Well, yes, of course. But also, my company was supposed to undergo a major merger, and I need to be there for that. I’m the head of the company. I’ve been working on this for three years. I haven’t done anything but work for the last three years. No relationships. No traveling. I’m getting older, and I’m nowhere near having a family. So I just want to see the fruits of my hard work. If I don’t oversee the merger, I’m afraid it might fail. Without me, they’re probably freaking out. The police will be looking for me. My parents must be going insane. My friends…”

Einar nodded. She would never stay. That knowledge hurt.

“Besides, Thorir saw me. He’s after me. I think that’s why he stayed here.”