Page 31 of A Keeper of Time

Edna leaned her head against the window casing and continued watching her beloved husband and the family of time travelers she loved so much. They were like her very own children. She worried about her daughter Lena. She was married to Ewan Mackenzie and had two adorable little boys. Evanore had mentioned her as one more person who must return to her own time. She would have to draw Lena to the bridge first, but to this point hadn’t. A new bout of anxiety overcame Edna. She had to keep Lena safe, but how? Her powers were muted here in this house. If she could only get outside, even for a moment she might be able to rectify things.

Riders made their way into the camp. Edna recognized Biera’s faerie steed. There were five other riders with her, but they were hidden by hooded cloaks. Everyone around the fire stood to greet them. Angus rushed to one of the horses and pulled down the rider, wrapping his arms around them. It was a woman, of that Edna was sure. She had an unsettling feeling that was confirmed when the hood was brushed back. It was her Lena. Dread washed over her.

***

“Lena! Yer here,” Angus was overcome with emotion as he held his daughter in his arms. He had to protect her from being sent back to the inn. “Ye should no’ have come.”

“Da, I had to be here. Me mother is missing. How could I stay away?”

“Me sweet lass. Of course ye’d come. Ye must be careful though.” Angus turned to Ewan, who stood just behind Lena. “This witch is determined to send everyone back to their own time. Ashley, Jenna and Sara are all in San Francisco.”

“Oh, no!” Lena’s face paled on hearing this.

“Keep her close, Ewan, and doona go near the bridge,” Angus warned.

Ewan placed a protective arm around his wife. Angus knew he would do his best to keep her safe.

The other men hopped down from their horses and removed their hoods. “Latharn? Richard?” Cormac asked.

“Aye.”

“Where’s Sophia?”

“Gone,” Latharn said, seeming unable to utter anything else.

“Angelina is with her,” Richard added.

Angus looked to Biera for an explanation.

“I found them on the road, riding away from the bridge.”

“What happened?”

“We came to the bridge to help search for Edna,” Latharn said.

“Angelina and I received word that Dr. Ferguson would be crossing the bridge and so we came to meet him.” Richard glanced around and stopped for a moment as if he was trying to remember exactly what had happened. “We stopped here to talk about Edna. Angelina and I didn’t know she was missing. The ladies walked onto the bridge while I spoke with Latharn and in the blink of an eye, they were gone. We had no idea where they went and so we started to search. Over the next few hours we got further and further away until we came across Biera. She led us back here to all of you.”

“They’re likely back in San Francisco,” Cailin said.

Both men nodded.

“We understand that now,” Latharn said.

“What do we do? How do we get them back?” Richard asked.

No one seemed to have an answer. Angus looked to the faerie queen. “Biera?”

“I can no’ undo the witch’s magic, but I ken this is where Edna is. We can no’ see her, but she is here just beyond our reach.”

A pall fell over the group as they all realized they had little power to change the situation.

“I must stay,” Lena said, holding her father’s hand. “Mother is nearby and I will no’ leave her.”

“I understand, me love,” Angus said. “Please be careful. The witch could spell ye and send ye back to Glendaloch in the wink of an eye.”

Lena blinked back tears as she looked up at her father. “I’ll be careful. I promise, Da.”

“Come, love, let’s sit by the fire,” Ewan led Lena as far away from the bridge as he possible could while still remaining close to the warmth of the fire.