Highland Magic

I knew I was dreaming. Cien stood by my pallet and watched me with those beautiful eyes, his hair falling slightly forward, and I knew I was dreaming. To the future? He didn't know I was from the future, so this HAD to be a dream. Right?

"The future." I said.

"Aye, 2008." That made me sit up quickly.

"How do you know about 2008?" Cien shifted uncomfortably, glancing around him. It was like I'd asked him what was in the secret sauce, and he was going to tell me, he just didn't feel right about it. I almost opened my mouth to take the question back when he finally answered me.

"Maggie told me of yer travels." I sat back on my elbows and watched him. Maggie told him? I thought she said he would think I was a witch if we told him I was from the future. My head was beginning to spend and

I felt nauseous. Too much information. I looked at Cien, and shook my head.

"This is my home now. You are my home now, Cien."

He knelt down beside me and touched my face gently. "We canna be here any longer than necessary. I will speak to Alex and persuade him that I am his ally, and I want ye burned. Believe me Regan, this is a ruse, and nothing more."

I started to nod and stopped. Regan? He called me Regan? Tears welled in my eyes and I wanted to just lay down and cry my heart out. He did know. He knew that I was from the future. And he didn't want to kill me. More than that, he still wanted to be with me. "This is my home, Cien. This time. I am not going back to 2008. I won't."

He touched me gently again, my face, my hair. "Ye canna see what they've done to ye, Regan. If ye could, ye would run screaming to yer own time." Cien shook his head and stood. "I'll go with ye to yer 2008, if ye will still have me as yer husband." He bowed his head and looked up again. "Will ye have me?"

I started crying in earnest now. I put my hands over my eyes and cried into them. My heart had been broken, from nothing of his doing, and now if was whole and full again. That was his doing. I'd been so broken after Tilda's death. So broken inside. And Cien was there to fix me. I felt whole, renewed, and alive for the first time in so long.

"Yes, I'll have you." I said, my face buried in my hands.

I sobbed loudly, and suddenly heard the door swing open.

Alex stood there glaring at me. "Why did ye order a bath for her, Cien?"

Cien turned to his cousin and shrugged. "I thought a clean witch was better burning than a dirty one." Alex eyed him carefully.

"Ye believe me know do ye?"

"Aye. He magic's wore off when she was away from me for so long." Cien looked at me, his eyes cold and distant. I stared back into them, trying desperately to remember that he loved me and he still wanted to marry me even though he knew I wasn't of his time. He still loved me. Unconditional love. He was trying to get me out of here so I wasn't going to be killed.

But right that moment, with his eyes as cold as a winter sky, it was hard to remember. It was cold hate shinning in his eyes, and for the briefest of moments, I thought it was directed at me. That cold, hard hate. But something poked through, a glimpse of warmth underneath. I almost smiled, almost. Instead I dropped my head down and started crying again.

"Why does the bitch cry?"

Cien looked back at him and shrugged. "Mayhap she knows she is going to die. Mayhap it is because she knows she will never be the Laird Fraser's wife." He shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows."

Alex continued to watch him carefully. Cien sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I canna be more sorry for not believing ye than I am right now, Alex. Ye tried to save me from her traps, and I dinna believe ye. For that I am sorry."

Alex finally sighed and shook his head. "I was only trying to protect ye cousin."

Cien nodded. "Aye. I know."

"Come, let us sup together. It has been much too long." Alex clapped Cien on the back and led him from the room.

"When is the burning to be planned?" Cien asked as the door to Regan's cell closed.

"With ye here cousin, we shall proceed on the morrow."

Cien nodded. Fine. War on the morrow.