beneath its surface.”
He stepped away from her and returned his stare to the
water. Caledonia refused to let it go. Her heart brimmed with the need to help
him, to make him understand that she could and would make that wish come true
for him.
“If you’re willing to learn, I’m willing to teach you. I’ve
been to the bottom of Loch Tay many times.”
“How has a wee lass such as yourself been to the bottom?”
She ignored the scoff in his tone. Her eyebrow arched and
she smiled. “If I didn’t reach the bottom, how did you return to the surface?”
His mouth opened then shut and she knew he had no clue.
“Come with me,” Caledonia said as she turned and headed for the shed. “I’ll
show you the magic of my world and if you’re a good lad…” She shot him a
naughty look across her shoulder. “I’ll teach you how to dive and you too can
reach the bottom.”
She continued walking and hoped he followed. By the time she
reached the doors, he was right behind her. They entered the dive shed just as
the first rays of morning sun cracked the sky.
A tingle sizzled down her spine. The hairs on her arms and
the back of her neck stood on end. A sudden burst of heat shot across her back
and she was afraid to look. Oh god, she’d forgotten the last words of the
anti-curse until that very moment.
Stone by day. Man by night.
Her legs knotted, not letting her turn until she forced them
to work. Slowly she moved, hoping with every millisecond that passed, she was
wrong. Her heart sank at the sight and her lungs refused to function.
Struan stood at full height, legs slightly apart, hair hung
loosely down his back and across his shoulder and his arms were at his sides.
Not the same position in which they found him. How was she going to explain
this when the O’Reillys returned? And most of all, how was she going to get him
home in this condition?
Chapter Six
One moment he followed the beautiful and voluptuous Caledonia
and the next he’d been recaptured. Darkness surrounded him within a split
second of fiery pain and a molten-hot series of spears shot through his body. Och ,
had he been cursed again? No witch’s words reached his ears prior to being
taken prisoner. Simply a change in the time. Night gave way to day. He saw and
heard nothing that garnered his imprisonment. It must have been some form of a
sneak attack, from behind or hidden within the shadows of the shed.
Not certain where he was or how this happened, Struan
attempted to move. No part of his being followed his internal commands. Arm
lift, draw thy sword , he shouted mentally. But nothing happened. Eyes
open , he demanded. They also failed to respond. Though he tried, his lungs
required no breath. Did his heart beat? Aye, he felt certain it did, even if he
had no true means to test it.
Inwardly he struggled to free himself until his mind became
exhausted. Madness threatened to rule his thoughts. Trapped with no means of
escape. How had this happened? Why? Had Mary not said two of his brathairs were free? Then why not him? What had he done to fall twice to this curse?
Struan drew upon his faith to soothe his angst. Love for
family, pride, honor and a renewed vigor for life combined within his soul,
washing over him with a sense of inner peace. There had to be a way to escape.
It happened once. It would happen again. Of this he felt certain. Caledonia
would see to it.
Caledonia. Though guilt laced his thoughts, her image
filled his mind’s eye. Long, dark tresses flowed freely across her shoulders to
her waist. Naked, she stood before him. A vision of pure woman ripened to
perfection and ready to be plucked by the right man. Was he that man? If his
face would obey, a smile would have stretched his lips. Between strands of
silken hair, nipples peeked out, beckoning his mouth to sample.
He knew he shouldn’t think like this, but his mind refused
to listen. Och , how he wished he could move. If he could move, then
maybe he could redirect his
He stepped away from her and returned his stare to the
water. Caledonia refused to let it go. Her heart brimmed with the need to help
him, to make him understand that she could and would make that wish come true
for him.
“If you’re willing to learn, I’m willing to teach you. I’ve
been to the bottom of Loch Tay many times.”
“How has a wee lass such as yourself been to the bottom?”
She ignored the scoff in his tone. Her eyebrow arched and
she smiled. “If I didn’t reach the bottom, how did you return to the surface?”
His mouth opened then shut and she knew he had no clue.
“Come with me,” Caledonia said as she turned and headed for the shed. “I’ll
show you the magic of my world and if you’re a good lad…” She shot him a
naughty look across her shoulder. “I’ll teach you how to dive and you too can
reach the bottom.”
She continued walking and hoped he followed. By the time she
reached the doors, he was right behind her. They entered the dive shed just as
the first rays of morning sun cracked the sky.
A tingle sizzled down her spine. The hairs on her arms and
the back of her neck stood on end. A sudden burst of heat shot across her back
and she was afraid to look. Oh god, she’d forgotten the last words of the
anti-curse until that very moment.
Stone by day. Man by night.
Her legs knotted, not letting her turn until she forced them
to work. Slowly she moved, hoping with every millisecond that passed, she was
wrong. Her heart sank at the sight and her lungs refused to function.
Struan stood at full height, legs slightly apart, hair hung
loosely down his back and across his shoulder and his arms were at his sides.
Not the same position in which they found him. How was she going to explain
this when the O’Reillys returned? And most of all, how was she going to get him
home in this condition?
Chapter Six
One moment he followed the beautiful and voluptuous Caledonia
and the next he’d been recaptured. Darkness surrounded him within a split
second of fiery pain and a molten-hot series of spears shot through his body. Och ,
had he been cursed again? No witch’s words reached his ears prior to being
taken prisoner. Simply a change in the time. Night gave way to day. He saw and
heard nothing that garnered his imprisonment. It must have been some form of a
sneak attack, from behind or hidden within the shadows of the shed.
Not certain where he was or how this happened, Struan
attempted to move. No part of his being followed his internal commands. Arm
lift, draw thy sword , he shouted mentally. But nothing happened. Eyes
open , he demanded. They also failed to respond. Though he tried, his lungs
required no breath. Did his heart beat? Aye, he felt certain it did, even if he
had no true means to test it.
Inwardly he struggled to free himself until his mind became
exhausted. Madness threatened to rule his thoughts. Trapped with no means of
escape. How had this happened? Why? Had Mary not said two of his brathairs were free? Then why not him? What had he done to fall twice to this curse?
Struan drew upon his faith to soothe his angst. Love for
family, pride, honor and a renewed vigor for life combined within his soul,
washing over him with a sense of inner peace. There had to be a way to escape.
It happened once. It would happen again. Of this he felt certain. Caledonia
would see to it.
Caledonia. Though guilt laced his thoughts, her image
filled his mind’s eye. Long, dark tresses flowed freely across her shoulders to
her waist. Naked, she stood before him. A vision of pure woman ripened to
perfection and ready to be plucked by the right man. Was he that man? If his
face would obey, a smile would have stretched his lips. Between strands of
silken hair, nipples peeked out, beckoning his mouth to sample.
He knew he shouldn’t think like this, but his mind refused
to listen. Och , how he wished he could move. If he could move, then
maybe he could redirect his
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