Insinuating his gigantic form between Kenna and myself, Fergus wrapped an arm around each of our shoulders. “Uh, m’ lairds? Your lady guests appear greatly fatigued. Please allow Fiona and I ta return them to their chambers.”
With the king’s leave and Fergus’s assistance, we made our way through the mildly mollified crowd.
I had two whole weeks to explore this magical kingdom and convince the people of Doon we weren’t witches. Fourteen days to try to find out why Jamie MacCrae had been visiting me in the modern world, and why he now looked at me like I might pull out an AK-47 and go Call of Duty on his beloved people. Three hundred and thirty-six hours to prove to my handsome prince that I wasn’t evil incarnate.
Suddenly, two weeks didn’t seem like nearly enough time.
CHAPTER 12
Veronica
In the shadow of the most spectacular castle I’d ever seen, I accepted Fergus’s Frisbee-sized hand as he helped me into an open carriage. This place was straight off the pages of Cinderella. Surreal didn’t begin to describe it.
Kenna settled next to me on the plush bench seat, humming show tunes under her breath as Fergus methodically checked the horses under Fiona’s diligent scrutiny. Despite a full ten hours of blissful sleep, my shoulders ached with tension. The prospect of spending the entire day with Jamie MacCrae had me fighting the urge to hurl up my breakfast. Should I smile and be pleasant? Or stick my nose in the air and pretend he didn’t exist? Playing hard to get didn’t seem like the best strategy to win over a guy who’d done his darndest to keep me at arm’s length.
“Stop squirming, Vee.” I hadn’t realized I’d been playing with the laces on the front of my bodice until Kenna’s words stilled my restless hands. She looked at me with unmistakable admiration. “You look amazing—that sapphire-colored blouse makes your eyes pop.”
“It does?” I glanced at Kenna. Her figure was perfectly suited for the moss-green, fitted bodice and the plaid skirt that was identical to mine. She looked curvy in all the right places. Me, on the other hand—not so much.
Kenna’s penetrating stare raked over me and then she smiled. “Yeah, you look hot. Like a cross between a pirate wench and a Catholic school girl.”
“Like Steph!” We said in unison, dissolving into peals of laughter at the thought of Stephanie Heartford, who’d worn a different naughty Halloween costume to school every year since junior high; each time she was justifiably sent home for flagrant violations of the school dress code.
“What’s so amusing?” Duncan appeared out of nowhere on Kenna’s side of the carriage. “See, Jamie, didn’t I say we’d miss somethin’ by being late?”
Duncan wore his perpetual grin, and Jamie—well, I assumed it was Jamie—stood next to him wearing dark pants and a black cloak with the hood pulled over his head, casting his entire face in shadow. He looked like a goth kid with a Jedi complex.
Choosing not to give him the satisfaction of gaping at him, I turned my attention to the normal brother and smiled. “Just an inside joke.”
Duncan looked perplexed by my statement but didn’t pursue it further; instead, he addressed the larger group. “Shall we be off then?”
“Aye. I’m driving.” It was the first thing Jamie said since arriving. Not that I was counting.