Page 50 of An Enchanted Knight

She looked at Gwen. “You can move freely now.”

Gwen tried and she indeed could. She went and stood next to Esmeralda.

“A deal is indeed a deal. I believe Tristan McRainey’s enchantment has been broken. Gwyneth willingly sacrificed herself, was willing to trade places with his daughter out of love for him.” Esmeralda told the wizard in a scolding tone. “My brother alerted me to this woman requiring help, and I decided to see about it myself.”

She held out a hand, palm toward Meliot. “It ends now.”

Astonishingly, Meliot bowed his head. “I will still win the war, dear cousin.”

Esmeralda’s expression was sorrowful. “I hope not.”

She turned to Gwen. “Take my hand, I will return you to your world.”

“Wait,” Gwen told her. “Where’s Clara?”

The woman looked over to Meliot, enraged. Then she turned with a distressed expression toward Gwen. “The child died in the forest that day.”

Gwen took Esmeralda’s hand, and they were gone.

Chapter Thirty

After Sabrina insisted he was not needed and required time alone, Tristan allowed his descendant, Edith, to dress him in something more suitable for the modern world.

Discomfort seemed to be the overall theme of the day. Tristan fought the urge to squirm in his seat as Calum McRainey leaned forward, studying him without regard for propriety, the old man’s bulbous nose almost touching his. Tristan glowered down at the man.

“’Tis a shame that you were trapped for so long, Sonny.” Calum tsked before turning to the other council members. As if speaking in court, he paced in front of the seated council members. One hand outstretched, with the other he pulled a timepiece out of his vest pocket and studied it before continuing.

“The young man is most definitely a McRainey. Has the McRainey build and carries himself in a manner that reminds me of my uncle Robert McRainey, God rest his soul. The resemblance cannot be denied.” He referred to the late last Laird McRainey.

For hours now, each of the four elderly council members had taken turns, standing and speaking of what to do to prove who he was. Unfortunately, any information he’d given them was beyond their abilities to prove. After all, most of what he’d lived through happened almost four hundred years earlier. When he’d given them more modern facts he’d gathered from appearing in the estate, he was told the information could be easily gotten from an item called “internet.”

“Perhaps you know something about this house that no one else would, dear.” Edith’s eyes were filled with compassion, when they met his. “Do you know of any estate secrets or maybe some inscriptions that could be unearthed?”

Tristan practically jumped to his feet. “Follow me.” He left the room not looking back to see if they did. At this point, he wanted them gone so that he could get back to figuring out a way to save Clara and Gwyneth.

The council members appeared to be enjoying the possibility of being the ones to announce the “enchanted knight’s” return, and didn’t seem inclined to leave until they had the proof. The news would no doubt help them make their mark in Dunimarle Castle’s history. He hurried through the kitchen and down a dimly lit hallway. At the end of the hallway was a small wooden door; the padlock barely protested when he yanked it open. His strength had not diminished upon returning, it seemed. He ignored the protests behind him as he jogged down some wooden stairs into a large wine cellar. Once in the cellar, he searched for something to provide light.

The room suddenly brightened. “Electricity,” Derrick told him standing at the top step.

Tristan ignored him and went to the far wall. Once there he pushed the shelving full of wine bottles aside. The secret passage was there, but he couldn’t remember which brick would open it. Steps sounded as the council members finally arrived, telling each other to take care as they descended. Clawing at several bricks, he finally took a step back and studied each one. He turned to Derrick. “Do you have something with a flame? A candle?”

Derrick nodded, went to a small table, and picked up a candlestick. “One would hate to be trapped down here without light.” Using a match, he lit the candle and handed it to Tristan, who moved it across the wall until the flame flickered. He’d found it. He allowed Derrick to take the candle back then pulled at the brick. A door opened.

A collective gasp made him roll his eyes. “There are caves under here that take one to the seashore. It was used before my time for escaping if the keep was ever under siege. Only my Da and I knew about it. My Da told me there was no longer a need for it after the attacks from the Norse had ceased to be a threat. We had friendly relationships with neighboring clans… there was no longer a need for it.”

“I’ll go look,” Derrick said, stepping through the narrow doorway. The young McRainey gave Tristan a skeptical glance. “After you, Cousin.”

Tristan hoped the crates with his gold were still well hidden, as he stepped down the stone stairway. Although Derrick seemed to be accepting of his presence, trust would have to come with time. Tristan stopped at the bottom of the stairs glancing around the caves. He knew that two turns right would take them to the shoreline, three left, to his treasure.

Derrick sniffed the air. “I don’t see any need to go any further. I can smell the salt air.” The young man seemed to sense Tristan’s apprehension because he paused and looked around. “I’m surprised no supplies were kept down here. Boats, oars, perhaps some food stuffs, and blankets.”

“They were, but everything was removed before it was sealed.” Tristan didn’t move toward the stairs, not wanting to seem too eager.

Tristan looked around. “My Da told me he played down here as a child, but after one of his cousins drowned, his own da placed the wine shelves in front of the secret passageway. My Da showed me the passageway, since I was to become the laird. I tried to show my brother before… leaving, but we didn’t have time.”

The young McRainey began up the stairs. “Tragic.”

The council finally left, satisfied that Tristan was who he claimed to be. Their anticipation of spreading the news was obvious. They began talking loudly as soon as they were outside, climbing into what Edith called an auto.