Highland Protector (MacCoinnich Time Travels Book Five) Read Online Free PDF Page B

right away and Helen
shuffled her feet. “Don’t see that every day.”
    It had been some time, but Amber was
used to the gesture. “Please, Giles. ’Tis not necessary.”
    He stood and stepped closer. Once
again, Helen intercepted. “Dude, I mean it. Don’t touch her.”
    He lowered his eyes. “Forgive me. I
never thought I’d meet any of the original family. I’m humbled…honored.”
    Amber pulled the hood of her cloak
over her head to mute out the noise inside her head.
    “You have us at a disadvantage, Mr.
Giles. It appears you’re comfortable in my library and have knowledge of
Amber…but we know nothing of you.” Mrs. Dawson indicated the sofa. “Perhaps we
can get comfortable and you can tell us who you are. Where you’re from.”
    “It’s just Giles.”
    Amber settled into a chair to avoid
sitting close to anyone in the room.
    Giles sized up Mrs. Dawson. “Did you
say this is your library?”
    “You did say Dawson’s Manor, didn’t
you?”
    He nodded.
    “I can’t take credit for the naming
of my home, but I am Mrs. Dawson. The library was the pride of my late husband,
but it was created by the both of us.”
    Where Giles held himself back in
reserve from Amber, he burst with enthusiasm at Mrs. Dawson’s confession. “ The Mrs. Dawson? Really?”
    Mrs. Dawson caught the back of the
sofa as she made her way to a chair. Giles was at her side in an instant, ready
to assist her. Unlike Amber, Mrs. Dawson happily allowed him to help her. “I’m
sure there are other Mrs. Dawson’s out there, but I’m the only one here.”
    “How rich is this? Mrs. Dawson and
Amber MacCoinnich both under one roof. How did I miss this in the books?” Giles
shifted his gaze to Helen. “And who might you be?”
    “No one, I assure you.”
    “Clearly you’re someone. I didn’t
come here under my own power. I assure you, mine isn’t that active.”
    Amber sensed Helen’s worry about
revealing information to the stranger and decided to lead the conversation
instead of chase it.
    “Giles?” Amber gained his attention.
“Might we offer you refreshment while we sort out what transpired to bring you
to us?”
    “I’m good.”
    She turned her attention to Helen.
“Can I trouble you for tea? And perhaps you can inform your husband of our
guest?”
    Helen’s brow lifted. “Good idea. I’ll
be right back.”
    Amber calmly laced her fingers
together and placed her hands in her lap.
    “What year is it, exactly?” Giles
asked as calmly as if he were discussing the weather.
    “Two thousand and twelve,” Mrs.
Dawson informed him. “What year did you arrive from?”
    “Twenty-two thirty-one.”
    “How is it possible that a man so far
in the future has any knowledge of me?” Amber asked.
    When Giles smiled, his eyes crinkled
at the corners like a lad half his age. “You’re a legend, m’lady. If not for
you and your family, none of us would exist. You’re Druid royalty.”
    ****
     “Computer!” Kincaid shouted as he
shielded himself. “Lockdown. I repeat. Lockdown!”
    The computer responded, setting the
alarm inside the fortress. The red strobe light flashed and the high-pitched
cry of the alarm informed everyone on the compound of a breach in the security.
    “Lockdown activated. Lockdown
activated. This is not a drill.” The computer calmly spoke in the speaker
systems throughout the fortress.
    Kincaid walked around the chair where
Giles had been seated before he vanished. He felt the familiar zap in the air after
a shift in time took place. Only Giles wasn’t a traveler.
    Which meant someone took him.
    But who? And how?
    Colleen rushed into the room,
followed by Rory and Allen. All were battle-ready with weapons drawn.
    Colleen assessed the room quickly,
lowered her weapon. “What’s going on?”
    “Giles. He’s gone.”
    Rory and Allen stiffened their spines
and lowered the muzzles of their guns to the floor.
    “Gone?”
    “We were talking. Then the energy in
the room shifted and he