“Ye have met him before. His name is Jamie Donald, Chieftain of Islay and Lord of the Isles.”
Elise felt her jaw drop. Jamie Donald? Seriously? Oh yes, she’d met him. A while back, when she’d traveled back in time to attend Rose’s wedding on the island of Barra, Jamie Donald had been in attendance too. He’d caught her eye immediately, and she’d spent most of the evening talking and flirting with him. She’d enjoyed his company more than she liked to admit, and since then she’d found him creeping into her thoughts more often than was healthy, despite her best efforts to stop it. Now Jamie Donald neededherhelp?
She glanced at Lir. Was it coincidence? Unlikely. Where gods and goddesses were concerned, Elise had learned there was no such thing as coincidences.
“Well?” Lir asked. “Will ye come?”
Elise knew she ought to refuse. She most definitely didnotwant to be stuck in a time without hot running water, gin and tonic, or hair dryers. And yet, something about Lir’s request pulled at her. She was a MacFinnan spellweaver, wasn’t she? Wasn’t it her duty to use her powers to help others?
And, she had to admit, the chance to see Jamie Donald again was more than a little appealing.
She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Why not? If nothing else, it will be an adventure.”
Lir grinned. “That’s the spirit! Come then. Let’s go.”
“What? Right now? I’m in my climbing gear and I don’t have any supplies. I’ll need to go home and get kitted out. I’ll need my phone and solar charger. And hair straighteners. And make-up, hairbrush, moisturizer, and—”
“Ye will find everything ye need when ye get there,” Lir said.
Elise clamped her mouth shut and scowled. “Fine.” She glanced around, expecting to see some kind of portal or shimmering gateway, but there was only the empty expanse of the plateau stretching all around them. “How does this work, then?”
Lir smiled and took Elise’s hand. “This way.”
Elise allowed Lir to lead her slightly north, following the cliff edge until they reached the waterfall that went thundering over the edge. Carefully, Elise edged forward and looked over, making sure to spread her weight and keep her feet firmly rooted. The water went plunging over the lip of the cliff with a roar, but the bottom was obscured by the mist that rose from the churning water. Elise swallowed thickly. It was alongway down.
Lir stepped into the stream. She almost seemed to glide as she made her way along it to where it plunged over the cliff. Here, right on the edge, she halted and turned to look at Elise. She held out her hand.
“We must jump. The waterfall will take us to where we need to go.”
Elise gaped at her. Then she gave a shaky laugh. “Sorry. I think I misheard you. It sounded like you just said we have tojump off a cliff!”
“That’s right. Take my hand. Ye will come to no harm. Ye have my word.”
No harm? Was this woman completely crazy? Elise knew she could be a little reckless at times, but even she knew that jumping off a waterfall wasnota good idea.
Oh hell. She was already beginning to regret agreeing to this. Yet pride wouldn’t allow her to admit that she was frightened. It was only fear, an emotion she’d met and mastered a long time ago. As a MacFinnan spellweaver with a wild, erratic power, she’d had no choice.
So, despite the hammering of her pulse and the unsteadiness of her knees, she stepped down into the water, turned to face the cliff edge, and took hold of Lir’s hand. The goddess’s grip was surprisingly warm, and there was a strength in it that reassured Elise a little. But only a little. As she turned to look out over the expanse of the landscape below, her heart jumped into her mouth.
“Ready?” Lir asked.
No, Elise thought.I’ll never be ready.
But she only managed a tight nod.
Then Lir gave a tug, and the two of them launched themselves into the air.
Chapter Three
Gazing through thenarrow window of the council chamber, Jamie studied the sea stretching out to the horizon. It was dotted with small fishing vessels along with a couple of Jamie’s larger ships on patrol. Had it really come to this? Wasting time and resources guarding his fishing fleet so it wasn’t attacked within his own waters?
It was galling.
His gaze fell to the scroll which Phillip had left on the table. With a growl of annoyance, he scooped it up. None too gently, he rolled it onto the table and pinned it down with his empty cup. The words carefully written on the page spoke of doom.Hisdoom. They spoke of shackling himself to a future he didn’t want, of condemning himself to a life just like that of his parents’: empty of love, passion, warmth. There had only ever been one woman who had stirred his blood, even though he’d only known her for a short time.
That woman was sister to Rose MacFinnan, Lady of Barra, and he’d met her when he’d attended Rose MacFinnan’s wedding to Cailean, his friend and vassal.
Elise MacFinnan, Rose’s sister.
