Once Upon A Highland Legend Read Online Free PDF Page B

way…
    Annie’s heart skipped a beat as she considered testing him. Languages were her love, and the ancient Scots tongue in particular was her forte.
    “ Cò às an do tharraing thusa ?” she blurted. Where have you come from?
    His dark brows lifted in surprise, but he replied. “ Sgàin. A bheil gàidhlig agaibh ?” Scone. You speak the old tongue?
    No way, no way, Annie kept repeating in her head. Some folks still spoke Gaelic in these parts. And the language wasn’t that far removed. It proved nothing, but she answered anyway, “ Tha, rud beag .” Yes, a little.
    “ Cò stiùir thu an seo ?” Who sent you here?
    “ Chan eil. An tòir airClach na Cinneamhain .” Nobody. I’m seeking the Destiny Stone.
    Without warning, his temper exploded yet again. “ Mac Bhàdhair fhuileach thu!”Son of a cow's bloody afterbirth! He threw his hands into the air and advanced upon her, his look murderous.
    “Oh God!” Annie exclaimed, scrambling backward in the grass. She realized two things in that frightening instant. First, the guy was suddenly really and truly pissed. And second, she wasn’t in Kansas anymore—not literally or figuratively.

Chapter Four

     
    Where she was, precisely, Annie didn’t know.
    The lake and surrounding area looked a lot like Loch Einich, but if, in fact, that’s where they were right now, none of the constructions she spied now were evident in present day.
    She sat, reeling, trying to determine how she’d come to be here—not in the vale, of course. She knew exactly how she’d gotten here: Her half-naked Scot had produced a gnarly knife and then had marched her down the hill at the tip of his blade, cursing roundly at her back. At least she thought they were curses. Her repertoire of the ancient Scots language stopped short of profanity, but his tone revealed more than enough.
    They didn’t walk very far. His kin were camped near a lake, surrounded by construction in various stages, as though they had only arrived at this place. Or maybe they were preparing to leave after ravaging this poor village. He had been constructing a cairn, after all.
    That thought gave her a bit of a shiver.
    She knew this area well enough, despite that it had been years since her last visit with Paul. In present day, there were no permanent signs of these dwellings. No excavations had recorded any evidence of this type—at least none that she knew of. Still, that’s where she believed she must be—Loch Einich. She could tell by the position of the surrounding mountains.
    As inconceivable as it seemed, she had fallen asleep—like Rip Van Winkle—but instead of waking up one hundred years into the future, she had slipped into the distant past. Her brain attempted to form a coherent and logical explanation for that, but she couldn’t seem to allow herself to accept her suspicions. However, with every passing minute and every word uttered, she suspected more and more it was true.
    Eight men and women were gathered around the fire where her Scot had deposited her, but there were a number of others in the vicinity as well. These particular eight were especially intimidating—including the two women. Dressed in clothing that gave Annie the distinct impression they were prepared to do battle—with knives tucked into every loop and boot—they appeared ready, not just to slice her throat, but each other’s as well. These were not re-enactors, she sensed. It was doubtful she had stumbled upon some lost clan living secretly in the Cairngorms. As wild as these hills might seem, they drew hikers all year long. Up until the time she’d gotten engaged, she’d made them a yearly sojourn.
    It was twilight. The sun was setting over the distant hilltops. Beautiful, but a chill was rising in the air. Not even the poncho she’d bought this morning seemed to be keeping her warm.
    Had she truly bought it only this morning?
    The tag was still hanging off the fringe, but at this point, with her nervous kneading, she