Bannockburn Binding (Beloved Bloody Time) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Let me send word? Then all this will be over in a matter of days.”
    She shook her head. “I cannot.”
    Rob sighed. “Then the matter must proceed as ye have chosen.” He stroked her cheek. “I’ll do my best to ensure you don’t regret yer choice.”

Chapter Three
     
    “Charbonneau wants what ?” Ursella breathed.
    “He’s vampire. He qualifies. There’s no reason he can’t be a time travel courier if he wants to be one.” Nayara nearly smiled and Ryan knew she enjoyed revealing that fact to Ursella.
    “He…is?” Ursella licked her lips and sat back again. “If that is all he wants, then why bring this to us?” She was trying to look pissed at the interruption, but she was shaken by Charbonneau’s vampirism and couldn’t quite pull it off.
    Nayara looked surprised. “Because I don’t know why,” she said simply.
    Ryan nodded agreement. “Humans want the Chronometric Conservation Agency to exist to make sure a time tsunami never happens again. I’ve never hidden the reasons why Nayara and I agreed to operate under that oversight.”
    “ ’Jobs for vampires ’,” Ursella quoted. “You don’t have to lecture me.”
    “No, not jobs,” Ryan shot back. “Acceptance. Lives . A reason to continue to exist. And yes, a legitimate source of income. You have no idea how many vampires out there are living in the cracks and borders of humanity, feeding off scum, with barely any idea of how to live a life as themselves and not just by passing as human.”
    Nayara touched his wrist. It was rare for Nayara to reach out and the light sensation was enough to make Ryan sit himself back and swallow the rest of his lecture. He threw the stylus back on the desk and grimaced at Ursella. “A landed, rich vampire, who has been passing for centuries, suddenly fronts up and wants to become a traveller, for what would amount to pocket change in his world? I want to know why, too.”
    “Maybe he’s bored and wants to do something different,” Ursella suggested.
    “We don’t have anyone who goes that far back, from France. Eastern Europe, and into Scandinavia, but not France.” Nayara licked her lips. “It’s tempting, regardless of why he wants to do it.” She blinked and her gaze turned inward as she accessed her personal communications.
    “Better to keep him near where we can watch him,” Ryan said.
    Nayara held up her hand for silence. Something important, then.
    He waited and even Ursella remained politely quiet.
    “An early warning. One of our travellers hasn’t returned on schedule,” Nayara murmured. Her eyes refocused on Ryan. “It’s Natália,” she said.
    Ursella stood up and brushed down her dress. She always wore white and it always looked pristine. Most Agency personnel had got sick of making jokes about it. “This is operational,” she said briskly. “We can pick up again another time, Ryan.”
    “Yes,” he murmured, watching Nayara as she continued to scan the alert. “Thank you, Ursella,” he told the woman, as she stepped out of his office.
    Nayara turned to face him. “It isn’t urgent yet. Natália was rested, freshly fed, and it was supposed to be a simple day jaunt. Her companion wanted to see Stirling Castle under siege. That was the siege that triggered the Battle of Bannockburn, in ancient Scotland. No, sorry, medieval Scotland. 1314, old calendar.”
    “She has a long while before stasis poisoning could start to kick in.”
    “And she’s experienced, highly trained and smart, too,” Nayara said. “Even security aren’t worried yet. There’s all sorts of potential problems she might need time to unravel. Rushing in there will spoil the location and could set off a time tremor.”
    Ryan drummed the desk. He knew all this as well as Nayara did. “Have you told Christian yet?”
    Nayara hesitated. “He’s seeing Ursella over to Halfway Station.”
    “You’re waiting until he gets back?”
    “I thought it best. There isn’t anything he can do, anyway.” She