Rise of a Legend (Guardian of Scotland Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

throat was so tight, she couldn’t utter a word. She would have told him she preferred to drive her car. Right. If only it were part of this nightmare, she’d speed away.
    With a grunt, the behemoth dug in his spurs. The horse lurched and jolted, racing away with such bumpiness, Eva threw her arms around the guy just to stay on. Her entire body tensed as she dug her fingers into the man’s mail-clad waist. Something pricked her finger.
    The horse snorted and stutter stepped. “Ease up your arse, else we’ll both end up on our backsides,” he growled like a gruff sailor.
    Taking in a deep breath, Eva relaxed her thigh muscles. Immediately, the horse settled into a smooth gait. She pulled her hand away and looked at her finger. A droplet of blood streamed and dripped onto her jeans. She put it in her mouth. The bitter taste of iron oozed across her tongue.
    With a gasp, heat flared up the back of her neck. Taste? The horse smelled like the barn animals at the county fair. The man in front of her had a strong scent as well—definitely masculine—spicy—musky— kinda nice .
    As a wisp of his hair brushed her nose, the burning sensation from her neck spread throughout her entire body.
    Oh my God. This is real .

Chapter Four
     
     
    After riding away from the church, the sky turned to dusk, and then dark. In an attempt to regain her sanity, Eva closed her eyes and forced herself to take in consecutive calming breaths.
    Who were these men and what did they plan to do with her? And why the hell had she just climbed onto the horse without asking questions?
    But, holy hell, she’d been scared out of her wits. What else could she have done? Take on an armored man wielding an enormous sword?
    She could have run.
    And run to where?
    The man had said he’d take her home once they were sure they were not being followed. When would that be and where were they heading now? And who would be following—bad guys or good?
    Eva squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think. How had she ended up in a church in the middle of nowhere? What happened to her car? Thus far, she hadn’t seen a single road, no houses—nothing but trees. The Ayrshire Eva knew undulated with rolling pastureland—not forest.
    How did I end up here?
    The sun had set behind them, so they must be heading east.
    East to where?
    She slipped a hand into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around her smartphone. Before she pulled it out, Eva glanced back over her shoulder.
    You must not change the past , Walter’s voice resounded in her head. “What in God’s name did he mean by that?” she grumbled under her breath.
    Just to be cautious, Eva unzipped her vest enough to slip the phone inside to hide the light. Then she pushed the “on” button. Her screen lit up and she slid her finger across to unlock it, just like she always did.
    Shit. No service . She tapped the GPS, only to receive an offline message. Damn, damn, damn .
    About to put the phone back in her pocket, her gaze strayed to the upper right corner of the screen. Eight forty-five Wednesday, 1 st May, 1297. Eva blinked and looked closer. There had to be some sort of explanation. She pushed the “off” button and slipped it into her pocket.
    Had Walter played a trick on her? The professor didn’t seem like the type who would—and how could he get her phone to read May, 1297?
    Presently, the problem with the date didn’t matter. It was dark and Eva didn’t have her bearings. The men she traveled with had killed people in a church—who were also killing people—had even tried to kill her, an innocent bystander.
    They’d been riding so long, they had to reach a town soon. Once Eva found normal people, she’d cry for help, but until then, she had no choice but to ride along with this band of medieval freaks.
    Her stomach growled. Jeez, she was hungry. Surely they’d stop for food soon.
    Please. She rummaged in her pocket. At least her three two-pound coins were still there. She’d be able to buy a