Mortal Magick Read Online Free PDF Page B

she was she was sharing the feelings of the man standing next to her. Then a powerful energy penetrated her face, trickling over her skin like a cool rain shower on a hot summer day. This peculiar emotion made her dizzy. Somehow, she knew, he was now a distinct part of her. Her fingers clutched his hand. His gaze probed until it reached her inner soul. An intense and stunned expression crossed his face. She realized that he, too, felt the bond.
    “Uncle?” a panicked voice rang out. “Please hurry!”
    The mysterious Highlander jolted upright then hurried toward the urgent cry for help. Keara scanned for the young man. The boy, Colin, had disappeared without a trace.

Chapter 4
    “Colin!” The Highlander’s thick brogue thundered. “Colin! Where are ye? Answer me, lad.”
    Damn. Keara needed to concentrate. Her heart pounded within her chest. Okay, this isn’t a dream.
    The vein in her neck began to throb. This was reality. She took a deep breath. Calm down and take one step at a time.
    Barefoot and shivering, she stood and rubbed her hands vigorously up and down both arms. Tiny goosebumps peppered across her skin, spattering over her entire body. Frantic, she scanned the area for her clothes. She remembered her cell phone was tucked inside the front pocket of her capris, in case she needed to call 911. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Samson’s tail swishing back and forth. He was crouching next to a gigantic sword resting against a saddle bag.
    Another bellow from the Scotsman made her jump. She clutched a pair of long baggy pants lying next to the sack and pulled them up around her waist. She grabbed the wool blanket and tossed it around her shoulders. Her nerves tensed as she darted off in the direction of his voice.
    She raced through a patchwork of green grass empurpled with flowered heathers, ending at the edge of a sheer drop. Massive black boulders stretched down to the sea. Her lungs filled with frigid ocean air. Her nose twitched from the scent of salt water. Crashing waves slapped against the ragged stones.
    Keara spied a narrow pathway winding around a steep bend. Several bleating sheep scampered off in different directions. A bit lightheaded, she swayed and tried to steady herself.
    Shadows of quickly moving clouds rolled in. She darted around a few disgruntled sheep before heading down the sodden path. Her feet slipped from under her, and she landed hard on her bottom. Luckily, her tightly wrapped cover acted like a toboggan, guiding her safely down the remainder of the slope.
    Not far ahead, she spotted the rugged Highlander lying on his belly. His head and arms were hung over the edge of yet another steep cliff. She raced to his side and stopped short within several inches of his body. With her feet braced firmly apart, she concentrated all her weight on her back foot for support. Like a hawk seizing its prey, her fear of heights clutched at her guts. Panic pierced her spine. Dizzy, her stomach lurched as the hairs on the back of her neck bristled. She knelt on the ground and clutched a handful of wet grass before cautiously looking over the edge.
    She spotted the young boy dangling from a scrawny branch with an arrow stuck beside it. The spear-tip wedged firmly between the crooked limb and inside the crevice of a jagged rock just out of reach of the Scotsman’s arms. The strong hand of the merciless wind slapped the lad’s body back and forth against the serrated stones, like a flag whipped in a storm. A chain of screeching black ravens circled in the darkened sky.
    “What can I do to help?” she cried, her eyes fixed on the swaying boy, who struggled to hang on. The prolonged time of his weight on the weak limb, was causing it to bend.
    “Colin, I canna reach ye. Hang on, laddie. I’m goin’ back for me rope.” The Highlander raised himself up, his biceps bulging. His eyes met hers. Determination was written across his handsome face.
    “Wait.” She reached out and grabbed his arm.