Chapter 10

Charlie," Cynara breathed as soon as she sat up in bed, but no one was there. The house was quiet, eerily so. Cynara rolled out of bed and ran down the stairs, "Charlie!" she screamed as she went, stumbling desperately.

The house was exactly as she had left it, but something just didn't seem right, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Then all of a sudden there was a lone figure in the hall, seeming out of place, like a ghost.

Cynara knew a moment of panic before the man turned to her.

"Sanford." The word escaped her lips as she ran to him, placing her hands on his shoulders to reassure herself. "You're real."

"Cynara?" Sanford asked with confusion, "I think it is I who should be saying that to you," he stated as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Then all of a sudden, as though it just hit him that she was actually there, his face transformed.

"Cynara!" he shouted as he drug her into his arms, twirling her about, "But where have you been?" he released her and put her at arms length, "And why are you dressed like that?"

"There's no time to explain," Cynara said urgently, "Where's Charlie?"

Sanford looked at her strangely, "I think he's at a duel, but why did you leave? And where did you go? We've all been so worr—" his voice trailed off as he saw her pale face. "What's wrong?"

"I have to get there. Where's he dueling?"

"I don't know, but you can talk to him when he gets back," he said reassuringly.

"You don't understand," she wailed, "He's going to die if I don't get to him. Don't ask me how I know, just please, I have to find him!"

Sanford stared at her like she had gone crazy, "He's not going to die," he said gently, placing a restraining hand on her shoulder as though she might suddenly do something drastic.

"Sanford, please!"

"I'll take you," came a strong voice from the corner, Cynara turned to him like a shipwrecked man to land.

"Ashton!" she pulled away from Sanford and ran to throw her arms around him for a quick hug, "We have to leave now, there isn't time."

"Then let's go," he said as followed her out to the carriage. "Never mind, we'll still be needing this," he told the servants that were just starting to see to the horses after his recent arrival.

He helped Cynara in, and Sanford hopped up next to her.

"You're coming, too?" she asked suspiciously.

"I may think you're nuts, but I don't want to miss all the fun," Sanford smiled, his naturally carefree personality shining through the tense situation.

Before she knew it, the three of them were rolling away. Cynara kneaded her hands nervously in her lap as they drove along. She was slightly aware of Ashton and Sanford exchanging worried glances, but her thoughts were mainly on Charles. The universe wouldn't let her come back, just in time for Charles's death, would it? There was no way it was too late, no way.

The carriage stopped at a secluded little clearing at the edge of some woods, and Cynara was out of the carriage before it even was completely still.

"Cynara," Sanford called after her as she flew out of the carriage. She could see two men's rapiers swishing dangerously in the distance, she recognized one--Charlie. She spotted Finley lounging against a tree a few feet away, not even seeming to pay attention to the events.

The men didn't see her approaching, at least not until they heard her shrill scream. "Stop!"

Charles's sword came crashing to the ground as he saw her, but the other man's was already in a deadly thrust. Without even thinking, Cynara lunged herself in front of the sword aimed for Charlie, the blade sinking easily into her shoulder.

"What the hell is this!" she heard someone shout as she sunk weakly to the ground. Charles's arms were around her, supporting her up.

"Cynara," he said gently, unbelievingly, as he reverently stroked her cheek.

"I-I couldn't stop it, she came out of nowhere," she vaguely heard the man Charles was dueling explaining desperately.

"You just better hope that no serious damage has been done, for your sake." Cynara recognized Finley's threatening voice, and smiled.

Charles tore the sleeve on her shirt to asses the damage that had been done. "It looks like you're going to be fine, my artichoke, just a flesh wound," he said as he wrapped her torn sleeve around the wound to stay the blood.

"You're alive," she smiled happily up at him, ignoring throbbing pain in her shoulder.

"I should be saying that to you," he echoed his brother's earlier words, making her laugh.

Charles looked down at her confusedly, but let it go for more pressing matters. "Where have you been?" he asked, pulling her more fully into his arms, being careful of her injury.

"You wouldn't believe me," she said, reaching up with her good arm to stroke his beloved face, catching a tear in her fingers.

"Charlie, you're crying," she said with amazement in her voice.

"So are you." And Cynara was surprised to find that her own cheeks were wet as she touched them.

They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't notice anything of what was going on around them, but Cynara slowly became aware that they were being watched. She looked up to find Ashton, and Sanford grinning down at her, Finley staring at her with his mouth practically hanging open in surprise. Her heart sang at seeing the men she had come to know as family. Then she looked back at Charlie to see all his love shining in his eyes, and knew she was home.

"Let's go home," she told the four brothers, and Charlie obediently lifted her up into his arms.

"Why don't you two take that carriage," Finley said nodding to the one he and Charles had originally taken to the secluded field, "I'll go with Ashton and Sanford."

Charles carried her over to their carriage. "What were you thinking?" he demanded angrily once they were seated and he held her in his lap.

So much for being glad to see me, she thought. "I just saved your life."

"Why would you throw yourself in front of the blade like that? Of all the stupid things to do," he grouched.

"You should be thanking me," she pouted.

"And where have you been?" he demanded.

"I was in the future, for your information," she said haughtily, angry that he wasn't listening to her. "And if I hadn't saved you just now, you'd be dead, so stop complaining."

"Oh, the future," Charles said sarcastically, "How was that?"

"I really was in the future, that's where I'm from," she told him earnestly, trying to convince him despite her better judgment.