After Rae Campbell is murdered by her abductor, she wakes in a world that exists parallel to ours- one which diverged in 1761, when a band of Scottish Highlanders joined with the Skin-Walking Kituwah tribe to oust the British from Appalachia.
Rae b...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I am told it will take us an entire day to reach Ku'a Gardh- the Capitol of what I now know are Clan Murray's lands.
We ride our horses down the winding mountain road from Calum's country estate to reach the town he had brought me to my first morning here. Calum and his men had ridden ahead to Tohkiyasti- as I have learned the town is called- leaving me to ride with Elder Diyani, Ness, and a soft-spoken girl named Maise I've been informed will be my new lady's maid.
I can't believe that this is the twenty-first century.
I had come to Tohkiyasti not long ago to purchase what little ready made clothing was available, but I had not explored much beyond The Three Sisters and the small selection of shops Elder Diyani had escorted me through. The cobbled streets are crowded as we weave our way through the maze of eclectic old buildings, and I do my best not to shy away from the disconcerting gawking and whispers of the crowds.
When we arrive at the docks, my first view of the river takes my breath away.
It is broad and beautiful- bracketed by smooth, brown rocks, the emerald foliage of trees growing wild, and hazy blue mountains. Across the riverbank, I can make out nothing but miles and miles of virgin forest.
I feel the now familiar, uncomfortable zing of Calum's presence long before he steps up beside me. Close enough to speak- but not close enough to risk touching.
The pull is still there- strong and heady and hard to ignore.
"The Tahkeeostee," Calum says. "In English, it means Racing Waters. Beautiful, isn't it?"
I nod, mutely, drinking in the unspoiled beauty of our surroundings.
Behind us, Calum's men are loading our trunks of belongings onto a cart. I turn, and watch them heft the heavy trunks onto a large, three story riverboat- shiny with black lacquer and white trim in the few places where well-varnished natural wood is not on display. It manages to look like something out of a Mark Twain novel and strangely modern at the same time.
"Wouldn't traveling by car or airplane be faster?" I ask, eyeing the steam sacks and water wheel at the stern of the boat.
"A car?"
"Um... an automobile?"
"Ah. We do not commonly use automobiles in Dhaoine-Tir. Building a road network to connect the clans would involve blasting through rock and mountain- a senseless destruction of nature. Such a thing would anger the Spirits."
I stare at him, blankly.
"As for aeroplanes... they are meant for leisure- for gliding short distances. How could we use them to reach the clans, much less transport our luggage?"
My jaw drops.
"Oh my god. You don't have airplanes." I suck in a breath, and it clicks. "The Wright brothers were from the Midwest. They might not even exist in this ripple. Without them..."
