Page 17 of Alec

Chapter Five

After her first night at Dun Talamh, Ava gave Olivia a tour of the main area of the stronghold, and then encouraged her to move into the clan’s guest room.

“I stayed in here myself when I first arrived,” the laird’s wife told her as she showed her the chamber. “It’s nice and quiet.”

Olivia admired the traditional Scottish box-bed that had been left open on one side. Wool blankets and a large hearth warmed the room enough that she was certain she would stay cozy. “Thank you.”

She decided to stay and take a nap, and surprisingly slept through the entire day. After a maid brought her a meal on a tray, Ava came with a night gown she could wear after washing up.

“I don’t know why I’m so tired,” she admitted to the FBI agent, smothering a yawn.

Ava smiled. “You’ve been through a lot, Miz Gibson. Go on back to bed.”

Being in a strange place where she didn’t know anyone should have kept her up all night walking the floors. Instead, Olivia climbed into the bed and settled down into the soft linens, more comfortable than she ever had been in her life.

I’m safe here, was her last thought before she fell into another dreamless sleep.

The clan’s vassals made no sound when they came in the next morning, so Olivia woke to see the fire built back up, and a basin of steaming water in her wash stand. This time the staff had also left two cups and a small pitcher filled with a hot drink that smelled of spices and honey, and tasted almost exactly like an apple tea she liked to drink at home.

Would she ever go back home?

Olivia didn’t have any close friends, and she doubted Charles or his mother would care that she’d vanished. The people she worked with had liked her, however, and would be concerned. Jack and Rebecca would be very worried, too—or had that smelly old man faked her death, just as someone had with Ava Travars?

Once she finished the drink she went to retrieve the clothes she had been wearing when she’d fallen into the trap. She didn’t much like the idea of wearing them now that they didn’t fit her new body, but she had nothing else. Then a knock came at the door, and when she opened it she found Ava standing outside with a bundle of clothing.

“I thought you might like to have some clean things to wear during the day. They might even fit you,” the laird’s wife said. “It’s really just an excuse to see how you’re doing, and if you still want to sleep the day away.”

“No, I’m awake now—and I’m fine, I guess.” She couldn’t really put into words what was going on in her head, and then recalled that the staff had left two cups. Ava must have asked them to do that in anticipation of her visit. “Please, come in.”

A few minutes later they were sitting by the fire and sharing the tea, which Ava said she’d blended herself from dried apples and pears, with lavender and cinnamon.

“I missed coffee so much when I first came here, so I tried to imitate a tea I drank at night. I haven’t given up, though. Our cook Doon and I are working on finding a coffee substitute using what we have at Dun Talamh.” She smiled. “She figures I’m a little touched for wanting a roasted bitter dark brown drink.”

“Then I shouldn’t ask if she can make the kale smoothie I always drank every morning,” Olivia said, chuckling. “Ah, do I call you Agent Travars, Mrs. McKeran, or Lady Ava?”

“Ava’s just fine,” the other woman assured her. “I’m not an FBI agent anymore, and I never did cotton to the Mistressing and Ladying the folks here use for females.”

She nodded. “Then please call me Olivia. What should I do now that I’m caught up on sleep?”

“I’d be happy to show you around the complex,” the other woman offered. “The spell trap contains the castle, and the two walls around it, but that’s all there is. Everything else you’ll see is an illusion.”

“It’s like being trapped in a giant-size snow globe,” Olivia said, thinking of her dream of standing in front of the barn. That made her ask, “Is there someone in the clan named Rory? He would be a very large, very good-looking man with features something like Alec’s.”

“Yes, he’s our armorer.” Ava frowned. “Did Alec mention him?”

“No, I think...oh, it’s crazy, really. Never mind.” She made a dismissive gesture.

“You dreamed of Rory, didn’t you?” At her astonished look she grimaced. “I’m not a mind reader. The dreams we have here aren’t like what we had in our world. They’re something to do with the magic that keeps the castle separate from reality.”

“Okay, but why would I dream of a man I’ve never met?” Olivia had to ask.

“I can’t tell you, but it’s nothing bad, or so my husband always says,” Ava assured her. “The dreams are what he calls portents, but medieval beliefs aren’t my specialty, so I’m not sure what it means.”

“Portents were signs or warnings that people in the past drew from different sources, like weather events or other natural phenomena,” she told her. “They believed they were warnings from their Gods or the universe about something important or dangerous that was going to happen.”

“Well, that explains it. These folks can be very superstitious.” Wrinkling her nose, she added, “Me, not so much before I came here. Now what seemed like coincidences to me might be more on the deliberate side, especially when it comes to you and me. I believe someone wanted us on the inside of the spell trap, and maybe even orchestrated things so we’d come here.”

Olivia recalled the hit-and-run driver who had nearly killed her boss only a week ago. Had that been part of some plan to make sure she’d come to Dun Talamh alone?