Out of Time

Chapter One

You might as well be in a different world up here. Kaelyn tried not to cling to her seat as Todd took one of the blind curves of the highway a little too fast. Todd liked to drive too fast, and his choice of sports cars reflected that about him. She closed her eyes. She knew these roads like the tiny lines on her palm, but she never took them for granted. Why had she agreed to let him drive?

Relax, Kaelyn. He shot her a little grin, easily pinpointing her real reason for nervousness with that odd insight that both irritated and fascinated her. It’s okay. I’m sure I’m going to love your family.

She gave him a tight smile and tried to follow instructions—relax—while the little red convertible shot around another curve. Deep breath in, deep breath out. The words chanted in her head as she sucked in the fresh, green, spring air of the North Carolina mountains. More than anything, Kaelyn wanted to say it wasn’t her family she was worried about. Her father and brother were pretty great when you got to know them, and she was sure Todd would get that.

What she wasn’t certain about was exposing him to the world she grew up in. It was way too early for this. Only six dates into the relationship, they hadn’t slept together, though she had considered it. Who wouldn’t? Todd was gorgeous—tall, well-built with blue eyes and sandy brown hair—not to mention successful, sweet…yet at the end of every date, she hesitated. And so far, he’d added patience to his resumé of good qualities.

Though she’d lived in Asheville for several years on her own, Kaelyn always returned to her childhood home for her birthday. When her twenty-sixth birthday approached, her father had encouraged her to bring Todd to join the family celebration. She’d seized the opportunity, even though six dates seemed such a short time to be together before revealing her family’s deepest secrets.

A horrifying thought occurred to her and she opened her eyes. They’re going to want you to wear a costume.

He laughed. I don’t have a problem with that. Will you be wearing one too? Maybe a low-cut gown of some sort?

She turned her face into the breeze. Probably. I don’t know what in my closet there will still fit me. She glanced at him, concerned in spite of his light tone. You know it’s going to be different, right? I mean, a lot of people think it’s just adult playtime, but the people who live in Sanctuary don’t think of it that way at all. It’s life and it’s the way they choose to live it.

Todd drove in silence for a minute, and when he spoke, it was quietly and with consideration. "I understand that this is where you came from, Kaelyn, and since I respect you, I will have no problem respecting your home."

Oh God, could he be any more perfect? Why the hell couldn’t she commit to him? Maybe over the weekend she could manage to put a finger on it. Maybe she could figure out why she held back with a man she should have fallen head over heels for at least three dates ago. Confusion mixed with the anticipation of embarrassment to create a slight feeling of nausea. Or maybe it was just motion sickness. She leaned her head back, hoping against hope that all her worries would be unrealized.

****

Well, we’re here. Todd pulled the car into one of the marked spaces in the little parking lot. It seemed to be a parking lot in the middle of the forest, and it was occupied, on that sweet spring day, by a dirty 1965 Ford truck, an old woody station wagon and a black SUV. The vehicles were community owned and maintained for whatever supply runs into town were needed. Sanctuary’s residents seldom left their home otherwise, and the tourists would come later in the season. Cosplayers, curiosity seekers, a few nutjobs who believed in aliens, and families just wanting to show their kids something different. They’d pay admission for a tour of the village. They’d buy the leather belts and silver jewelry Sanctuary’s artisans crafted. They’d eat the bread baked from real wheat flour ground right in the village and slather it with honey the beekeepers harvested. Tourism was the financial cornerstone of the little town from another time.

But the heart and soul of her community was her father. King William. The people who lived there loved him, and her by extension. Motherless daughter of the king, a real princess in their eyes. As far back as she could remember, it had been that way. Kaelyn thought her father was probably one of the longest running elected officials in the country. The very familiarity of the place gave her a little strength in spite of the gnawing knot of worry that persisted in her gut. She managed to smile as she got out of the car and they started across the parking lot toward the path to her home.

Todd squeezed her hand as they followed the worn green path between the mountain laurel that wasn’t quite ready to bloom. It’s truly going to be okay. I promise. I never judge anyone by where they come from.

Remember that. Kaelyn took a deep breath, banishing worry and care as unimportant just as they rounded the last bend. She spun around and held out her arms expansively. Welcome to Sanctuary.

Todd’s blue eyes showed no judgment as he scanned the little village. Dirt roads, people dressed in medieval garb, children playing in clusters along the sides of the road. It might have been a renaissance fair, but it was really more like stepping back in time. Of course, Kaelyn knew the little houses had running hot and cold water and a generator supplied limited electricity. There were even cell phones in some of the houses for emergencies. But for the most part, this was a medieval village. No one used the internet, no one had jobs outside the village, and Kaelyn’s father, who lived in the stone manor house at the end of the street, was the king with knights and guards and servants.

I can totally get that you grew up here. Todd scanned the village street. You seem so normal on the surface, but you’re just a sweet little princess at heart.

Stop it! Kaelyn smothered a grin, the worry dissipating even further. I told you you’d need to keep an open mind. She looked around at the ladies in their bodices and skirts, the men in vests and trousers, trying to picture them through the eyes of a stranger. It was impossible. She’d known most of them since her childhood. The women who mothered her, the men who protected her from harm. Surrounded by these people, she couldn’t help but feel happy. She hadn’t seen her father and brother in over a month, and this was home, after all. She was safe here. These are just regular people. They…they just never forgot how to have fun.

Todd snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her off the street and into an alley between the shops. In the semi-dark, even dressed in blue jeans and knit shirt, he might have been playing the role of a rake or a pirate. He grinned. I’ve never forgotten how to have fun, either, my lady Kaelyn.

Kaelyn tilted her head back for his kiss. Maybe she was the one who’d forgotten how to have fun. Her father and older brother Richard had encouraged her to seek her fortune elsewhere, so she’d gone to college and gotten a job in a small advertising firm afterward. In spite of her sensitivity about the whole playacting thing that went on there, though, Sanctuary was home. She might worry that others would think it silly, but she still loved it and felt protective of the little community.

A throat cleared noisily right beside Kaelyn’s elbow, and she jerked away to see Richard dressed in trousers and doublet, eyeing their embrace ominously. His handsome features frowned but she caught the glint of humor in his eyes. He ran a hand over his auburn-colored beard, so different from her own blonde hair, she sometimes wondered if they could really be related. Her coloring was much like her father’s—fair and cool. Richard’s hair looked like fire when the sun hit it just right. Her brother’s eyebrows knit over his blue eyes. The king has sent me for you.

Indeed? The king? And are you his lackey now? Kaelyn put both hands on her hips, completely unworried about her easygoing brother’s foreboding tone.

Now and always. Richard held open his arms, sweeping her into a hug. It’s good to see you, sis. Happy birthday.

She hugged him back. Okay, fine. Whatever. I’ll go see Dad. Are you heading back that way?

Actually, I’m checking on the feast for the evening. Richard stepped back and held out his hand to Todd. I assume you’re the boyfriend. Todd, right? Richard Anderson. Nice to meet you.

Likewise. Todd gripped the other man’s hand without hesitation. This place is really great. Any chance I can borrow some appropriate clothes for the weekend?

Richard clapped him on the back. I like you. He glanced at Kaelyn. He’s a keeper.

Yeah. Thanks. She shrugged, a little irritated that her big brother seemed to think his approval was needed. Go take care of my dinner.

Richard waved over his shoulder good-naturedly, striding off down the road.

It was a short walk to the castle. Really just a larger house than the small huts that surrounded it. Nonetheless, its gray stone mass was imposing and the grand doorway easily could have been a castle door.

A group of teenagers playing ball in the manor lawn whooped when they spotted Kaelyn. My Lady! yelled the one with the ball, lobbing it at her.

Kaelyn caught it and tossed it back, barely thinking about it. She’d always been good at sports, though day-to-day life had gotten in the way of practicing them. During her own teenage years, she’d been the head of the pack in everything from tree-climbing to any kind of ball and racing. And of course, fencing and horseback riding and archery. She wondered how she’d let herself lose track of all of that. Sometimes life just seemed to move too fast.

You okay? Todd touched her arm, a concerned look on his face.

She smiled quickly, reaching for the front doorknob. Fine. Come on. I can’t wait for you to meet my father.

The emptiness of the living area inside startled Kaelyn, and she paused. Her father’s home was never empty of friends and servants and townspeople. He was in charge of everything from tent placement of the seasonal visitors to what the food vendors offered for the day. Disputes between the town folk were settled here. How was it his home was empty of everyone so early in the day?

The sound of voices from the back study made her smile in relief. Obviously he was deep in preparations for her party. The study was where he went on the rare occasions he didn’t want to be overheard. And the servants were most likely in the kitchen or upstairs. If she walked softly, maybe she could manage to get an idea what was planned for the weekend. A ball, a jousting competition—anything was possible, but he always liked to surprise her. She put a hand on Todd’s arm, giving him a mischievous smile. Wait here.

Here? He looked around and shrugged. Okay.

Kaelyn tiptoed down the hall, pausing outside her father’s study. The door was open a crack and she could see a strange man standing in front of her father’s desk. Strange not just in that he was unfamiliar, either. Even by Sanctuary’s standards, this man was odd-looking. A cosplayer, no doubt about it. They often sought out her father and the village of Sanctuary, drawn to its authenticity. This one seemed different from others, though. She leaned forward a little to get a better look.

He had a shadow of a beard and hair that fell over his shoulders in thick black waves that couldn’t possibly be the result of a weave. Slender build but obviously strong, his muscles evident even through the elaborate clothing he wore. Bright red—is that velvet? And that embroidery doesn’t look like it was done by a machine, either—wasn’t a color you saw on a man every day. But it suited this one.

He appeared agitated, his voice strident. You mean to tell me she still does not know?

It has always been my prerogative what to tell her and when, Jack. Her father’s voice held a tone Kaelyn didn’t often hear. Commanding. Certain. Startled, she froze, drawing her hand back from the door. This didn’t sound like party preparations.

"Your prerogative may kill her. The stranger’s voice fell heavy into the study. Your daughter needs to know. The attacks come more often now, and after this morning, we cannot ignore the facts. We are at war, William. Out of time or not, that’s the way it stands."

War? Dear Lord, it must be a part of the weekend’s activities, then. Why on earth would her father think she wanted to celebrate her birthday with a war? Probably Richard’s idea of a joke. A little irritated, she pushed the door open and walked boldly in.

At her entrance the dark man whirled, his hand on the hilt of a sword that didn’t look like a replica of a sword forged by dwarves. No, this looked like the real thing.

But what really caught her attention were his almond-shaped eyes. They shone in the dimness of the room, an otherworldly green that seemed to cast its own light.

Kaelyn’s breath locked in her throat, and she took a startled step back, but then he blinked, and there was no glow, though they were the greenest eyes she’d ever seen. Did I imagine that?

My Lady. He breathed the words, distracting her by falling to one knee and taking her hand, his lips warm and tingling on her skin. Absurd as it was, standing there in Levi’s and a t-shirt, Kaelyn felt more like a princess than a designer of ads for a small company in a little city. And it wasn’t at all an unpleasant feeling.

She wondered what the strangely dressed man did with his everyday life. Maybe he was a teacher. A lawyer? A doctor? Maybe he was an actor, hired by her father for the weekend. He must have money or he’d never be able to afford such a convincing costume. But doctors and lawyers and dentists and teachers didn’t have long black hair, even pulled back into a neat ponytail, and they didn’t move like warriors, as if they could be ready to defend or even kill at a moment’s notice. And even if they had green eyes, they couldn’t make a woman’s knees go weak with just a look.

Her father stood, his figure imposing in his royal garb. Get up, Jack. My daughter just arrived and isn’t in costume yet.

I don’t know. I kind of like it. Kaelyn laughed at her own words. How long had it been since she’d flirted with a man? But this guy was definitely worth flirting with, even if she did think guiltily about Todd in the other room.

My apologies. Jack’s lips curled a little in what looked like a reluctant smile. As if he might enjoy a flirtation with her if the circumstances were different. Different from what? He rose with that same absurd grace she’d already noted. He was at least a foot taller than she was, which meant he was very tall since she wasn’t short. He must be well over six feet, and he looked better in cosplay garb than any man she’d ever seen, even if she couldn’t actually tell what the costume was supposed to be. The deep red trousers and jacket with intricate gold embroidery, tall leather boots and cloak looked as if it had melted onto him—as if it were part of what he was and not a costume at all.

Kaelyn tore her eyes away from him with difficulty and faced her father. I-I’m sorry to interrupt you, Dad.

It’s fine, sweetheart. He kissed her cheek, her father even under the velvet robes and long beard. He cast Jack a dark look and pulled Kaelyn protectively to his side. Mr. Wainwright is…a friend. He came to join us for the celebration this evening.

She noticed the amused look that passed over Jack Wainwright’s face. Did he not believe in cosplay, then? And if he didn’t then why the hell was he there? And already playing so convincingly?

Movement by the door made both men start a little. Jack’s hand dropped to the hilt of his sword just before a ripple of recognition passed over his features. Surprised, she looked over her shoulder to see Todd, and when she turned back, Jack’s expression was guarded. When he spoke, however, she detected a strange antagonism in his voice. And who do we have here?

Chapter Two

Todd returned the strange greeting with a friendly grin. I’m sorry to interrupt. He placed one hand on Kaelyn’s waist and held his other out to her father. I’m Todd. Todd Townshend. Thank you for your hospitality this weekend, sir.

You are very welcome. Her father shook his hand. It’s good to meet a friend of my daughter’s. She doesn’t bring many home.

She listened with only half her attention as her father and Todd discussed the things you’d expect your father and your boyfriend to discuss. Todd’s job as an architect, his family, how long they’d known each other, how they’d met… But it was background noise. Jack’s reaction to Todd’s entrance interested Kaelyn much more. As if he knew Todd and their relationship wasn’t entirely a friendly one. But that was impossible. Todd hadn’t acted at all like they knew each other.

To make it even more confusing, Jack now behaved perfectly. He stood by politely, and when he noticed her attention on him, he returned her gaze with a dark and very sexy smile. Kaelyn felt her face heat and tore her eyes away in an effort to return her attention to the conversation. Unable to resist, however, she glanced back only to find he still watched her. She moved a fraction of an inch closer to Todd.

To her relief, her father didn’t seem to be in the mood for a lengthy conversation. You’ll all want to change before dinner, I’m sure. He rang a bell on his desk.

Tina, the housekeeper they’d had for as long as Kaelyn could remember, poked her head in. Yes, sire?

Would you please show Lord Wainwright and Mr. Townshend to their rooms, Tina? I want to have a word with my daughter.

Kaelyn noticed Jack shoot her father a sharp look, and her father shook his head—almost imperceptibly, but it was there.

Of course, Your Majesty. Tina curtsied.

Kaelyn blushed a little, wondering what Todd thought of all the pomp and circumstance of the interchange, but then Tina turned to her and gave her a motherly hug, reassuring in its very normalcy. It’s good to see you home again, My Lady.

Thank you, Tina. Kaelyn hugged the older woman back, trying to lose her self-consciousness. What was wrong with her? Somehow Jack’s kiss on her hand had felt more natural than her interactions with her own father and the housekeeper who’d changed her diapers.

Todd kissed her cheek, obviously not thrown off at all by the my lady. Should I take up your bag?

Yes, thanks. She tilted her head up for a proper kiss, but to her surprise, Jack brushed past, rudely bumping Todd away from her. Startled and a little irritated, she glared at him.

So sorry. He didn’t look sorry at all. In fact, he looked aggravated. Although his action and emotion didn’t seem warranted, there was something vaguely familiar about it. As if she’d been in the same position more than once and reacted in much the same way. The empathy she felt for Jack was odd but undeniable.

Todd glared at him, but a second later he shrugged it off. No problem. He followed Tina out, with Jack right behind them.

Shaking off her bemusement, Kaelyn turned to her father and hugged him. He held her a moment longer than necessary. She tightened her arms around him, wishing she knew what was wrong. He seemed so worried. But that was absurd. Unless the conversation she’d overheard hadn’t been a setup for the weekend’s games, her father surely had nothing to trouble him. But when he stepped back, his expression was undeniably sober.

Is everything all right? She couldn’t help asking it, even if she didn’t believe there could be any real problem there in her father’s little out of the way village. Mr. Wainwright seemed troubled about something.

There’s nothing to be troubled about, but he has a hard time accepting that sometimes. Her father’s grim voice did not sound like him.

So I take it war is the plan for the weekend? She smiled reassuringly at him, hoping his mood didn’t have anything to do with having an outsider around or