only to spare his sister the horror of being burned,” Quinn continued. “He had no idea that he’d sentenced them both to madness. Day after day he sat next to the tomb, listening for any sound from his sister within, tormenting himself, regretting his interference. But The Kirk would not allow him to take back the bargain he’d struck. And during that time, Montgomery would cross and re-cross that invisible line into lunacy, thrilling over every little sound Isobelle made, only to cry to God to end her suffering. More than once, he tried to tear down the stones to put her out of her misery, only to be halted by The Kirk’s henchmen who stood guard until the witch was clearly dead. After ten and two days, the little sounds ceased...and the haunting began.”
At this point in the presentation, the crowd would have been startled by the squawk of bagpipes starting up a melancholy set. The next part of the story involved himself.
“My family, in the future, will be caretakers of Castle Ross. It will be my duty to see that the history of Montgomery and his sisters is retold.”
Percy laughed. “Aye. I can see where ye have the gift for spinning tales, Laird Ross. But I heard no mention of my brother Cinead, as yet.”
“Ah, but I’m not finished with the telling. For one day, in my time—over five hundred years from now, mind—a lass comes to Castle Ross with the Immediate Blood of both Ross and MacKay clans runnin’ through her veins. With the help of a pair of Muir Witches—for there are Muirs in my time as well—we helped the lass into the tomb, gave her the torque to wear, and sent her back here, to save Morna and Ivar.”
He wasn’t about to tell The Gordon’s son that Jillian had actually reunited the couple and taken them back to the twenty-first century, since the Gordons believed that Morna threw herself into the sea. Nothing good could come from telling a mighty and prideful man that he’d been fooled by a neighboring clan, let alone a woman.
It was a cowardly thing he’d done, to tell Percy his own secret in hopes of saving himself, but his tongue and his wits were the only weapons left to him.
“And she failed, this woman from the future.” Percy snorted, but Quinn could tell the man was eager to hear the rest.
“Aye, her good intentions went terribly wrong. Even Isobelle came back from the grave to try and sort things out. Her ghost cried out from the tomb on the day Montgomery was to marry yer sister, as ye may recall.”
“I heard of it. I was not there.”
The sad note in Percy’s voice made Quinn look up.
The man was staring into the next cell. After a moment, he shook himself and turned his attention back to Quinn, who pretended not to have noticed.
“After Morna was brought back here,” he said, “ye ken what she did.”
Percy turned angry, but Quinn couldn’t guess why.
“Then the prophecy was not fulfilled after all,” the man snarled and got to his feet. “And whatever prophecy there might have been for the one who kills Cinead is worthless as well.”
Quinn shook his head calmly.
“Nay. As soon as Ivar heard the news, he came to Castle Ross and threw himself from the northeast tower. They were united. In death. Had the woman not come, they might have gone on, pining away for each other for the rest of their lives. The prophecy said nothing about reuniting them in life . Only that they would be reunited. And the rest of the prophecy states clearly that as compensation to Cinead Gordon for the loss of Morna—for he was destined to lose her, one way or another—a curse was placed on the head of the one who would spill his blood."
"Pah!” Percy paced for a moment, then settled back on his short stool. “Tell me this curse."
Biggest fear. Biggest fear. What did every man fear? What would make this man frightened enough to—
"Impotence." Quinn even managed to say it with a straight face.
"What mean you?"
"The man who kills Cinead Gordon will be impotent for
At this point in the presentation, the crowd would have been startled by the squawk of bagpipes starting up a melancholy set. The next part of the story involved himself.
“My family, in the future, will be caretakers of Castle Ross. It will be my duty to see that the history of Montgomery and his sisters is retold.”
Percy laughed. “Aye. I can see where ye have the gift for spinning tales, Laird Ross. But I heard no mention of my brother Cinead, as yet.”
“Ah, but I’m not finished with the telling. For one day, in my time—over five hundred years from now, mind—a lass comes to Castle Ross with the Immediate Blood of both Ross and MacKay clans runnin’ through her veins. With the help of a pair of Muir Witches—for there are Muirs in my time as well—we helped the lass into the tomb, gave her the torque to wear, and sent her back here, to save Morna and Ivar.”
He wasn’t about to tell The Gordon’s son that Jillian had actually reunited the couple and taken them back to the twenty-first century, since the Gordons believed that Morna threw herself into the sea. Nothing good could come from telling a mighty and prideful man that he’d been fooled by a neighboring clan, let alone a woman.
It was a cowardly thing he’d done, to tell Percy his own secret in hopes of saving himself, but his tongue and his wits were the only weapons left to him.
“And she failed, this woman from the future.” Percy snorted, but Quinn could tell the man was eager to hear the rest.
“Aye, her good intentions went terribly wrong. Even Isobelle came back from the grave to try and sort things out. Her ghost cried out from the tomb on the day Montgomery was to marry yer sister, as ye may recall.”
“I heard of it. I was not there.”
The sad note in Percy’s voice made Quinn look up.
The man was staring into the next cell. After a moment, he shook himself and turned his attention back to Quinn, who pretended not to have noticed.
“After Morna was brought back here,” he said, “ye ken what she did.”
Percy turned angry, but Quinn couldn’t guess why.
“Then the prophecy was not fulfilled after all,” the man snarled and got to his feet. “And whatever prophecy there might have been for the one who kills Cinead is worthless as well.”
Quinn shook his head calmly.
“Nay. As soon as Ivar heard the news, he came to Castle Ross and threw himself from the northeast tower. They were united. In death. Had the woman not come, they might have gone on, pining away for each other for the rest of their lives. The prophecy said nothing about reuniting them in life . Only that they would be reunited. And the rest of the prophecy states clearly that as compensation to Cinead Gordon for the loss of Morna—for he was destined to lose her, one way or another—a curse was placed on the head of the one who would spill his blood."
"Pah!” Percy paced for a moment, then settled back on his short stool. “Tell me this curse."
Biggest fear. Biggest fear. What did every man fear? What would make this man frightened enough to—
"Impotence." Quinn even managed to say it with a straight face.
"What mean you?"
"The man who kills Cinead Gordon will be impotent for
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